School and education

2. Singapore Ministry of Education’s aim is to help us
discover our own talents, to make the best of these
talents and realise our full potential, and to develop a
passion for learning that lasts through life
The education system is flexible and diverse - The
aim is to provide us with greater choice to meet our
different interests and ways of learning. Being able to
choose what and how we learn will encourage us to
take greater ownership of our learning.

3. Universities
Workplace
(3-4 years for undergraduate)
Institute of
Polytechnics -
GCE ‘A’ Level Technical
Diploma
Examination Education
(3 years)
(2 years)
Junior College
(2-3 years)
GCE ‘O’ Level Examination
GCE ‘N’ A Level GCE ‘N’ T Level
Examination Examination
Secondary Express Secondary Normal Secondary Normal
Pre-Vocational
Course – GCE ‘O’ Academic Course - GCE Technical Course - GCE
Course
Level ‘N’ A Level ‘N’ T Level
(1-4 years)
(4 years) (5 years) (4 years)
Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)
Primary School (6 years)

4. Edusave Scheme for all Singaporean students
• Edusave Pupil Fund - Singapore Government contributes
$200 and $240 each year to all Singaporean children at
primary and secondary level respectively.
• Edusave Grant – provides schools with funds to pay for
enrichment programmes or to purchase additional
resources.
• Edusave Scholarship and awards – rewards students who
perform well or who make good progress in their
academic and non-academic work.
Financial Assistance for needy Singaporean students
• Provides subsidy for school fees, school textbooks, school
uniforms to Singapore Citizen pupils from lower income
families.

5. In Singapore, there is no need for you to leave
your houses to study. There are websites and
portals, set up by the Ministry of Education to help
students learn, even when they are at home. Most
schools in Singapore uses this method to help the
students with their studies.
In Pioneer Secondary School, we use this
method in the holidays and there will be a day,
every year where we will not be going to school.
We are suppose to do our work through these
websites in the morning and in the afternoon, we
will have to attend a sports event organised by
the school.

6. Learning at home may be easy as we follow
our own pace. You also do not need to follow
the strict classroom rules. As much as the
advantages, there are also disadvantages.
One of them, for example is if there are
questions that need to be asked, you cannot
really ask your teachers, even if you ask them
online, you may not really understand.
In Singapore, to make education easier, we
have such websites and portals to help us
understand our lesson better and to train us to
study independently.

7. There are 4 local universities in Singapore.
- National University of Singapore(NUS)
Founded on 3rd July 1905, it has evolved into a
comprehensive university offering courses in major
disciplines such as the Sciences, Engineering,
Technology, Law, Arts & Social Sciences and Medicine.
- Nanyang Technological University(NTU)
Set up on 1981 to provide facilities for tertiary education
and research in engineering and technology. It has
since incorporated the National Institute of
Education(NIE) "the teachers' college" and expanded
to include Accountancy, Business and Communication
Studies.

8. - Singapore Management University(SMU)
Established on 12th January 2000 as the first publicly-
funded private university with a focus on business and
management programmes.
- Singapore University of Technology and
Design(SUTD)
SUTD was added to the university landscape in 2008 and
will matriculate its first batch of students in April 2012.
SUTD offers education in science, technology, arts,
humanities, and social sciences.
Other than local universities, Singapore also
have joint programmes with more than 16 other
institutes around the world.

9. Upon completion of the secondary education,
students are given choices to enter Junior College,
Polytechnics or Institute of Technical Education. The
difference between these three institutes is that
Junior College
prepare students by equipping them with the skills and
knowledge required for tertiary education. A
combination of lively classes, a variety of interesting
and thought-provoking subjects. At the end of studies,
students will sit for the GCE ‘A’ level examination to
obtain the GCE ‘A’ level certificate that will prepare
them academically for universities or institutes

10. Polytechnic
offer exciting opportunities for learning. A
polytechnic education gives students hands-on
experience in a dynamic and progressive
learning environment. It offers the atmosphere,
challenge and excitement of life in an institution
of higher learning. The courses offered are
market-driven and career-oriented, leading
students to fulfilling and rewarding careers, as
well as preparing them for further education

11. Institute of Technical Education (ITE)
aims to equip its students with technical skills and
knowledge to meet the workforce needs of various
industry sectors. Students will be able to discover and
develop your talents, learn new skills and have fun all
at the same time.
Upon completion, students can either further
their studies to universities or join the workforce
straightaway.