This edited book is a comprehensive resource for understanding the history as well as the current status of educational practices in Singapore. It is a one-stop reference guide to education and educational issues/concerns here. There are three sections: Part 1 provides a sectorial overview of how education has been organized in this country such as preschool, special needs, primary and secondary, and adult education divisions. In Part 2, contributors critically delve into issues and policies that are pertinent to understanding education here such as underachievement, leadership, language education, assessment, and meritocracy to question what Part 1 might have taken for granted. Part 3 contains the largest number of contributors because it offers a scholarly examination into specific subject histories. This section stands out because of the comparative rarity of its subject matter (history of Physical Education, Art, Music, Geography Education, etc.) in Singapore.

This volume provides a multi-faceted and critical analysis of the Singapore curriculum in relation to globalization. First, it details reform initiatives established by the Singapore government to meet the challenges posed by globalization. Next, Globalization and the Singapore Curriculum presents how these reforms have been translated into programs, school subjects and operational frameworks and then examines, in turn, how well these have been implemented in schools and classrooms across the country. Through this examination, the book reveals how the initiatives, together with their curricular translation and classroom enactment, reflect on the one hand global features and tendencies and, on the other, distinct national traditions, concerns and practices. It brings to light a set of issues, problems and challenges that not only concern policymakers, educators and reformers in Singapore but also those in other countries as well. Written by curriculum scholars, policy analysts, researchers and teacher educators, Globalization and the Singapore Curriculum offers an up-to-date reference for postgraduate students, scholars and researchers in the areas of curriculum and instruction, comparative education, educational sociology, educational policy and leadership in Singapore, the Asia Pacific region and beyond. It also offers a vital contribution to the story of modern education around the globe: providing international students, scholars and researchers valuable insights into curriculum and curriculum reform for the 21st century.

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015) laid the foundations for the creation of a first-world education system in Singapore. Like many other issues concerning the country, his ideas for education were transported in a red box, which he took with him wherever he went, even up to his last days. Inside it was always something designed to help create a better life for all Singaporeans. The editors of this volume were inspired by the idea of Mr Lee’s red box and by the Founding Father’s selfless drive to continuously improve the country he loved. As such, the book explores in detail Mr Lee’s plans, including chapters on Education: The Man and His Ideas; Foundational Pillars of Singapore’s Education; Education for Nationhood and Nation-Building; and 21st Century Readiness and Adaptability. The chapters also include the authors’ visions, no matter how great or small, for the future of education in Singapore. They explore how Mr Lee’s educational policies resulted in a system that attracts the right and best candidates to become teachers; that forms them into effective teachers, specialists and leaders; that ensures they and the education system are able to deliver the best possible learning for every child; and that establishes a legacy that has allowed the education system to continue to move forward while tackling the challenges of its success. From the little red box came the ideas that led to the country’s meteoric rise. Likewise, the editors hope this book will lead to a brighter future in education.

This book provides readers with insights into how Singapore school leaders are actively engaged in the transformation of the Singapore education system. It brings to attention crucial elucidations of the increasing demand and complexity placed on school leaders through the use of case studies. Each chapter in the book focuses on a particular issue which has become important or has gained renewed importance in the Singapore education system. The chapters first provide a background to the theme under examination and a theoretical basis for discussion. They then narrate the case that shows how school leaders interpret and implement policy initiatives in their respective schools or lead change in that area. The case studies span over a wide range of domains such as instructional leadership, assessment leadership, stakeholder engagement, professional learning communities, and school branding. The data collected from these case studies came primarily from interviews of educators in their respective school contexts, in addition to other sources of data such as artifacts. Each case study highlights descriptions, interpretations, and perspectives across school contexts, which is consistent with the proposition that school leadership is very much shaped by context. At the end of each chapter, there are guiding questions to help readers critically analyse and reflect on the main learning points of the case.

Not much has been written about the private education sector in Singapore despite the fact that the sector houses about 300 private education institutions (PEIs) and enrolls about 150,000 students. Private Education in Singapore: Contemporary Issues and Challenges is an exciting book that aims to fill a gap in the literature. In the book, the author offers an extensive discussion on (i) the key elements of the sector — types and features of the PEIs, (ii) the regulatory framework for private education, (iii) students' aspiration and the impact of the ASPIRE report on PEIs, and (iv) the provision of external degree programme through transnational partnership. The book also tackles the hotly debated discussion in relation to academic quality and standard of PEI courses. The author identifies the reasons — some of them have more characteristics of a myth — and suggests a number of ways to overcome the issues and challenges.