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International Education in Transition: Preparing 21st Century Learners:

A Perspective from Singapore and How This Relates to KSA and GCC

Prof S Gopinathan Curriculum, Teaching & Learning

Academic Group

21st Century Education Challenges

n  How to convert industrial-era education systems to global knowledge-economy systems?

n  How do systems ensure better schools – to work transitions?

n  How best to harness the power of ICT to benefit students and schools

n  How can state systems meet the challenge of private schooling?

Education Reform Responses

n  Improving governance to ensure responsible local autonomy – decentralisation

n  Ensuring systems are flexible, responsive, diversified n  Enhanced leader and teacher capacity to develop

schools as learning organisations and teacher capacity for pedagogic innovation

n  Developing a whole-system approach

Focus on using content to master the competencies of “Just in-Time Learning” n  Rigour is figuring out the right question/problem

to be solved n  Exploring questions and new problems within

and across disciplines n  Learners working in teams n  Motivated more by intrinsic rewards (pride in

mastery, contributing)

Building a Transformation-based Learning System

n  Taught by teamed coaches through inquiry, exploration/ discovery- hands on

n  Assessed through auditing strategies, digital portfolios and exhibitions of mastery (merit badges)

T. Wagner

Building a Transformation-based Learning System

How did Singapore transit from Third World to First World in four decades, and w h a t r o l e d i d e d u c a t i o n a n d training play in this?

Became independent in 1965 Small island: 710 sq km Population: 5.183 million A multi-ethnic society: Chinese (74.1%), Malay (13.4%)

Indian (9.2%), other races (3.3%) No natural resources, very dependent on trade GDP per capita: US$516 (1965); US$43,867 (2010) GDP growth in 2010: 14.7%

[Expectations for rest of the decade is 5%] Manufacturing (of GDP): 28% Savings rate (to GDP): 50% (estimated) Expenditure in R&D: S$6.04 billion (2.2% of GDP in 2009) No. of schools / students: 328 / 481,110 Expenditure of education: S$9.91billion (21.4%) of budget (2010)

S$10.91 billion (23.2%) of budget (2011) (estimated) 3.3% of GDP (2010)

Singapore: Key Indicators

n  Build social cohesion out of ethnic diversity, division and political instability

n  Give citizens a stake via job creation, access to quality public goods - housing, health, education etc

n  Singapore’s limitations forced it from the beginning to be competitive, give priority to economic growth, develop new institutions, build human capital before resource distribution

Key Post-colonial State-Building Imperatives

n  Singapore developed education policies which emphasise meritocracy, science, mathematics, English.

n  At the post-secondary level, it expanded technology-oriented certificate and diploma courses at well resourced Institute of Technical Education, five polytechnics.

n  Five universities currently cater to about 28% of the cohort; a cap of 40% by 2020 is envisaged.

n  Economic – to transit from an entrepot economy to an individual one via export-orientated industrialisation (EOI)

n  Social – to strengthen unity between the ethnic groups

n  Educational – to build an education system appropriate to emerging socio-political needs

Singapore’s Educational Aims

In order to make a successful economic transition, Singapore needed: n  Close linking of manpower and economic

priorities n  An education system with a strong focus on

science and technology n  English to communicate with investors and to

seek export markets n  A labour force with relevant industrial skills

Singapore’s Education Journey

Source: How the World’s Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better, Mckinsey and Ministry of Education

Globalisation’s Challenge to Singapore’s

Education and Training Values

and Infrastructure

Singapore’s Education Reforms

(1987-Present)

‘Big bang’ education reforms: 1987-present

Government desired to shift economy from labour-intensive to capital and technology intensive economy. Population was growing, expectations were high and leaders recognised the threat from other low-wage, low-skill economies in the region.


“We have to prepare ourselves for a future of intense competition and shifting competitive advantages, a future of ever increasing change where technologies are replaced at an increasing pace. We need schools to be learning organisations and teaching to be a learning profession.”

Goh Chok Tong

Prime Minister, Singapore 1997


“We have identified as a key focus the fostering of a culture of innovation and enterprise throughout our education system. To prepare students for a future of relentless change, schools themselves must keep looking for ways to improve and stay relevant. Schools themselves have to be models of innovative practices. We must remain open to new ideas and approaches, and at times create new approaches or pedagogical methods.”

Tharman Shanmugaratnam Minister for Education, Singapore

2003

Singapore’s Education Reforms Key Goals

Could an efficiency, output driven system meet the needs of a knowledge economy and a democratic society?

New Initiatives: 1987-2011

n  Towards Excellence in Education n  Thinking Schools, Learning Nation n  IT Master Plan 1, 2 and 3 n  National Education n  Junior College/Upper Secondary Report n  Curriculum 2015


Towards Excellence in Education: Singapore’s rapid school expansion efforts had resulted in standardisation. The Excellence Report which created ‘ independent schools’ (and later autonomous schools) was an attempt to devolve greater management and curriculum authority to schools, as well as to enable the top 20% to benefit from an enriched curriculum.


Thinking Schools, Learning Nation (1997): to introduce critical and creative thinking, more diversity in curriculum, resourcing to encourage teacher-led pedagogic innovation

Teach Less, Learn More (2003): strengthened school-based curriculum development, teacher action research, more customised professional development


IT Master Plans: To exploit the potential

of information and communication

technology to give students access to new information sources and

make anytime, anywhere learning

possible


National Education: Designed to better

acquaint students with their own history, to

strengthen civic commitments, and protect and defend

Singapore’s core values


Singapore has shifted from a rigid system to a more flexible and responsive system, a system of ladders and bridges. Singapore’s secondary system provides different tracks and subjects to meet a range of abilities and needs. Some 30% of less academically inclined students take vocational and technical subjects, and schools build close links to Institutes of Technical Education and polytechnics.

Singapore’s Education Reforms Diversified Secondary Structure

Specialised schools: §  Singapore Sports School §  School of the Arts §  NUS School of Mathematics and Science §  School of Science and Technology §  Future Schools (IT pilots) §  Independent and IP schools §  NorthLight / Assumption Pathway

Singapore’s Education Reforms Diversified Secondary Structure

New ITE Headquarters (1995) New ITE Bishan Institute (1994)

ITE College East (2005)

Institute of Technical Education

‘Perhaps the best in the world’ (OECD)

Temasek Polytechnic (1990) Nanyang Polytechnic (1992) Republic Polytechnic (2002)

Singapore’s Five Polytechnics

MOE

Fusionopolis Singapore

Biopolis Singapore

Singapore’s Education Reforms Teacher Capacity Building

n  100 hours of professional development enti t lement per year inclusive of work attachments

n  More opportunities for postgraduate study n  Teachers Network; Academy of Singapore

Teachers n  Senior / Master Teachers, Research Activists n  Systemic training for school leaders since mid

1980s. Principals are both instructional leaders and change agents.

Results: n  Singapore had created a system of ‘high

averages’ with high levels of post-secondary participation in further training and education.

n  Lower attrition, more students having vocational technical opportunities and closer education-economy, fit was achieved.


Results: n  Education and skill levels have gone up

substantially in the last 20 years. n  Workforce has a strong work-ethic, is

collaborative rather than confrontational and has much improved opportunities for re-training.

n  Government investment in R&D is rapidly increasing and prospects in knowledge-based industries e.g. pharmaceuticals are good.


TIMMS & PIRLS

Countries TIMMS (2011) PISA (2009) Math Science Reading Math Science

Singapore 606 583 526 562 542 Hong Kong 602 535 533 555 549 South Korea 606 587 539 546 538 Saudi Arabia 410 425 - - - Bahrain 436 449 - - - UAE 417 461 - - - Dubai 468 411 - - - Qatar 413 394 372 368 379 Kuwait 342 347 - - - Oman 385 377 - - -

International Comparisons of Maths, Science and Reading Achievement

TIMMS & PISA

Table 1: PISA 2009 OECD and TIMSS 2007 European Scores with Singapore. Note: Spain, Portugal and Finland did not take part in TIMSS 2007.

PISA 2009 Reading Literacy Math Literacy Science Literacy OECD Spain 481 (26) 483 (28) 488 (28) Portugal 489 (22) 487 (27) 493 (25) Germany 497 (16) 513 (10) 520 (9) Finland 536 (2) 541 (2) 554 (1) UK 494 (20) 492 (22) 514 (11) Non-‐OECD Singapore 526 (3) 562 (2) 542 (3)

TIMSS 2007 Math Literacy Science Literacy

4th Grade 8th Grade 4th Grade 8th Grade Germany 525 (12) -‐ 528 (11) -‐ England 541 (7) 513 (7) 542 (7) 542 (5) Singapore 599 (2) 593 (3) 587 (1) 567 (1)

Top Five Countries in Math Scores on TIMSS

Year/ Level 2007 2003 1999

Eighth graders Chinese Taipei Singapore Singapore

Korea, Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Republic of

Singapore Hong Kong SAR Chinese Taipei

Hong Kong SAR Chinese Taipei Hong Kong SAR

Japan Japan Japan

Positions Reading Mathematics Science

1st Shanghai, China Shanghai, China

Shanghai, China

2nd Korea, Republic of Singapore Finland (Finnish)

3rd Finland (Finnish) Hong Kong SAR Finland

4th Finland Korea, Republic of Hong Kong SAR

5th Hong Kong SAR Chinese Taipei Singapore

6th Singapore Finland (Finnish) Japan

Comparisons of PISA 2009

“While much progress has been made, especially in elementary education, secondary school graduates are considered unprepared to directly enter the labor market or competitive university programmes. Low share of students … in science, mathematics, engineering and technology, and low rates of obtaining post-secondary degrees.”

Rand- Qatar Policy Institute

A worrying mismatch between schooling outcomes, student aspirations and labour market needs of a knowledge economy.

Critical Success Factors

n  Strong direction by the MOE

n  Key national priorities were identified and resources allocated. Enhanced human capital sk i l ls is seen as crucia l to economic restructuring.

n  There was an acceptance of the need to take unpopular decisions eg retention of English. In the 1960s, then less than 20% of the population was English-proficient.

n  Careful mix of certificate, diploma and graduate qualifications: 27% go to universities, 40% to polytechnics and 20% to Institute of Technical Education


n  Curriculum modernisation – strong emphasis on Sc ience, Mathemat ics , languages and technology. Academic rigour is emphasised.

n  While a strong academic core is maintained and examinations are taken seriously, more attention is being paid to curriculum diversification stretching the talented and supporting the weakest.

n  Reform of examinations to test for 21st century competencies is given priority.


Pedagogic changes necessary for developing 21st century skills in students require a re-culturing of schools, capacity building for teachers and leaders, a reform of curriculum and assessment, and responsible autonomy.

Fresh thinking about how schools are to be accountable and confidence building among key stakeholders to support change is vital.

“There is a disconnect between implementation of reforms and evaluation … there needs to be an investment in collecting data… using evaluation results in decision making, and opportunities to share lessons across countries.”

Gonzalez Rand- Qatar Policy at al (nd) Institute

Ministry of Education (2011). Secondary Education Review and Implementation Report. Singapore: Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (2002). Report of the Junior College-Upper Secondary Education Review Committee. Singapore: Ministry of Education.

Goh, C. T. (1997, June). Shaping our future: Thinking schools, learning nation. Speech presented at the opening of the 7th International Conference on Thinking, Singapore.

Key References

Gopinathan, S. (2007). Globalisation, the Singapore developmental state, and education policy: A thesis revisited. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 5(1), 53-70.

Gopinathan, S., & Sharpe, L. (1999). Preparing for the next rung: Economic restructuring and educational reform in Singapore. Journal of Education and Work, 12(3).

Key References

McKinsey & Company (2007). How the world’s best-performing school systems come out on top.

McKinsey & Company (2010). How the world’s

most improved school systems keep getting better.

Key References

Lee, S. K., Goh, C. B., Fredriksen, B., & Tan, J. P. (2008). Toward a better future: Education and training for economic development in Singapore since 1965. Washington: World Bank, Singapore: National Institute of Education.

Key References

Thank you

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