Education in Singapore: Encyclopedia II - Education in Singapore - Secondary education

Education in Singapore - Secondary education

Based on results of the PSLE, students undergo secondary education in either the "Special," "Express," or "Normal" course.

Both Special and Express are 4-year courses leading up to a Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education (GCE) "Ordinary"—"O" level examination. The difference between Special and Express is that the former's mother tongue language (English and mother tongue) are taught at a higher level and thus more difficult. A third foreign language can be taken in addition to the mother tongue, or to replace it. This seems especially popular with students who are struggling with their mother tongues.

Normal is a 4-year course leading up to a Singapore-Cambridge GCE "Normal"—"N" level examination, with the possibility of a 5th year followed by a Singapore-Cambridge GCE "Ordinary"—"O" level examination. "Normal" is split into "Normal (Academic)" and "Normal (Technical)", in the latter students take more subjects that are technical in nature, such as design and technology.

After the second year of a secondary school course, students are typically steamed into a wide range of course combinations, making the total number of subject they have to sit for in "O" level six to ten subjects. This includes the sciences - physics, biology and chemistry), humanities elective geography history, pure geography and history, social studies, literature, as examples) and additional mathematics subjects at a higher level, or "combined" subject modules.

At the end of four/five years of secondary education, students take the Singapore-Cambridge GCE "O" level examination for at least 6 subjects. The level of achievement in each subject is indicated by the grade obtained—A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, E8 or F9, with A1 being the highest achievable grade. A student's overall academic performance is measured through a points scoring system. Each grade has a point value respective to it, for example, with grade A1 being 1 point, A2 being 2 points, and B3 being 3 points. Thus, the better the score, the fewer the points obtained. Admission to a junior college after graduating secondary school is judged usually by the common standard which allows 20 points at worst for a student's six subjects. Junior colleges usually expect students to attain points in the single digits, in order to be admitted.

Co-curricular activities become compulsory at the secondary level, where all pupils must participate in at least one core CCA, and participation is graded together with other things like Leadership throughout the four years of Secondary education, in a scoring system called the LEAPS. LEAPS stands for Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service, and each student is judged based in these areas. Competitions are organised so that students can have an objective towards to work, and in the case of musical groups, showcase talents. [3]

The Integrated Programme or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme has become an increasingly popular alternative to normal secondary education. This moves away from the emphasis on the mere sciences, a side effect from the post-independence need for quick and basic education, to more refined subjects such as philosophy or political science, as well as the fact that scientific concepts are more highly stressed than before, as it is judged on the work of the student, rather than through an examination. For more information, see below.

Education in Singapore - Gifted Education Programme

Main article: Gifted Education Programme

The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) was set up by the Ministry of Education in 1984 amid some public concern to cater to the intellectually gifted students, which might or might not be a good decision since the number of schools who end up having gifted programmes has ballooned to such a number that people can't help but wonder if the Singaporean soil is the best fit for geniuses. As of 2005, the schools participating consisted of 9 primary schools (Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), Catholic High School (Primary), Henry Park Primary School, Nanhua Primary School, Nanyang Primary School, Rosyth School, Tao Nan School, St. Hilda's Primary School, and Raffles Girls' Primary School). 7 secondary schools originally started the programme, but with the introduction of the Integrated Programme (see below), most have inculcated the GEP skills into their IP curriculum. The two remaining secondary GEP schools are Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), an independent all-boys IP School, and Dunman High School, a mixed autonomous government school.

Pupils enter the programme through a series of tests at Primary 3, which will identify the top 1% of the student population based on IQ. A second selection is conducted at Primary 6 for those who do well in the PSLE. In the programme, pupils are offered special enrichment programmes to cater to their needs. However, not all students in this program are successful. Some are so distracted by the fast pace of study that they end up not doing well in the core subjects in their school. They thereafter choose if they want to continue the programme at the Secondary level.

Education in Singapore - Integrated Programme

The Integrated Programme, also known as through-train programme (直通车), is a scheme which allows the cream of secondary schools in Singapore to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of secondary education.

The programme allows for more time allocated to enrichment activities. That is, without the "O" level examinations, the students has more time and flexibility to immerse themselves in a more broad base education which will eventually lead to the "A" levels examination. In addition, the students enjoy more freedom in the combination of subjects. Generally, only the top performers are eligible to be part of the IP programme. This will ensure that the main body of the students pursue their secondary education at their own pace by first completing a 4-year O Level before going on to a 2-year "A" level education (vs. a 2-year "O" level and 4-year "A" level education).

As a result, these schools under this IP programme allows students to skip the "O" levels at secondary 4 and go straight into junior colleges (JC). This is the case with Hwa Chong Institution in the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme. This is also the case for Raffles Junior College for the Raffles Programme, together with Raffles Institution and Raffles Girls' School (Secondary). National Junior College, Victoria Junior College, Temasek Junior College and Nanyang Girls' High School (from 2005) also followed suit.

In the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme, Hwa Chong Institution (college) also picks students from other schools apart from the two already mentioned, judged by their performance. These students are assured of a place in the Junior College section of the Hwa Chong Institution, regardless of their "O" level results, but they must still take their "O" levels in their respective schools.

Another top secondary school in Singapore, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), has allowed some students to abandon the British system and go Swiss by dropping the GCE exams all together and adopting the International Baccalaureate (IB), having been fully authorized as an IB World School in 2005. The IB is perceived by many as a more holistic program than the Cambridge examinations, making students take both arts and science subjects as well as philosophy courses and extensive research papers. The diploma is regarded more highly than the GCE "A" levels by many British and American universities.

National Junior College (NJC) has also put out its own programme, the National Junior College Integrated Programme (NJCIP) where Secondary Two students in various schools are selected to join their programme. These students further their Secondary Three and Four education in the JC itself, followed by the JC course. Victoria Junior College (VJC) and Temasek Junior College (TJC) have also taken a similar approach.

Other tertiary educational institutes are also considering their own integrated programmes, like the National University of Singapore (NUS) via its NUS High School. These programmes are expected to be executed in the NJC style of picking students at secondary 2.

Dunman High School and River Valley High School joined the Integrated Programme system in 2005 by operating a six year course standalone. The two schools are the last to join the ranks of the schools offering Integrated Programme before the Ministry of Education had closed the gates to the special system. This ensures that students who are under the Integrated Programme are able to cope with their A levels after bypassing their O levels. All the schools allowed in the scheme accepts the top 10% of the national cohord.

The 5 independent secondary schools which currently offers IP have organized School-Based Gifted Education (SBGE), instead of GEP, to meet the needs of the intellectually gifted. The five schools are Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls' High School, Raffles Girls' School (Secondary), and Raffles Institution.

National Junior College, Victoria Junior College, and Temasek Junior College offer IP, but these are not equivalent to SBGE.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Secondary education", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki