16 October 2019
Singapore students are beginning to reap the benefits of the various changes to the education system that the Ministry of Education has implemented.
Some schools are spearheading their own initiatives to make the curriculum more flexible and inclusive, and in so doing, making sure that no student is left behind.
The principal of Boon Lay Secondary, Mr Tan Chor Pang for example, has come up with a “modular academic curriculum” programme to give students the flexibility of trying subjects outside their subject combination via e-learning modules. Students can prove their competency in the subjects if they finish the modules, pass an assessment and clear an interview. They then have the option to change their subject combination permanently.
Boon Lay Secondary has been piloting the new programme for its Secondary 3 students since March. The e-modules, pegged to what is being taught in class, are open to all. Students can attempt the assessments whenever they feel ready.
The online modules also allow students to try the same subject at a higher level, or “out of stream” – a concept similar to subject-based banding, where students take subjects at a higher or lower level based on their strengths.