Training Young Lions

Education is a hotly contested topic anywhere in the world. What is the best way to educate and invest in the youngest, most recent generation? Hell, I have no idea, but it is fairly clear that what we have now isn’t working in the United States.

Singapore, on the other hand, consistently ranks in the top 10 according to international rankings, and has ranked first several times. Well-done Singapore. And having been within the school system for roughly a week, I am obviously an expert on it.

I’ll start with the organization of Singapore’s school system. The Ministry of Education, an obviously governmental body, oversees the entire country’s education (excluding international schools ie American School, British School, Canadian school etc). Most schools are called neighborhood schools, essentially the equivalent of public schools in the US. All of these schools receive the majority of their funding from the MOE, accept a more or less standardized curriculum, and follow MOE guidelines. Independent schools, funded in part by MOE, are the equivalent of private schools. All Singaporean children are required to attend either a neighborhood or independent school until the age of 16 (no international schools).

Singaporean children first enter the official school system at the age of 7, going to primary school. At the end of primary school, the children will then be tracked into either an independent school or a neighborhood school based on the results of the PSLEs (Primary School Leaving Exam). A standardized test they take at the end of primary 6 (1-6 represents a year).

In secondary school they will be tracked into Academic Express, Academic Normal, or Technical Normal streams, again based on their test results. Students can move between streams, but generally do not (movement between Academic Express and Academic Normal being the most common). Academic Express students are on a four-year plan. Normal students are generally on a five-year plan. For the record, I’m at a secondary school.

At the end of their four (or five) years, the academic students then take the Cambridge ‘O’ level exams. These tests determine if they will go onto Junior College or begin attending courses at one of Singapore’s many polytechnics. The technical students do not take ‘O’ levels (I think), and instead are streamed directly into technical college (think mechanics, plumbers, etc).

Junior College is a two-year program designed to prepare students for university level courses. At the end of their two years they take the Cambridge ‘A’ level exams. Which essentially determine which school in Singapore and what program they can enroll in. Many students choose to apply to schools outside of the country.

Students that were either not accepted into Junior College or did not rank highly enough on their ‘A’ level exams often go to a polytechnic college. I would equate them to community colleges in the US, but it’s slightly more complicated than that.

Polytechnics are three-year programs that award a diploma, not a degree at their completion. Many students enter the work force at the end of their polytechnic program, many more use this as leverage to be accepted into one of the universities. It bridges the gap between high school and college in the US – probably having a similar status as an associate’s degree.

So, now that I’ve explained, roughly, the system – what do I think of it? It’s entirely too early to tell. From a purely theoretical standpoint, my upbringing as a westerner, and certain personal experiences make me reject it outright.

Standardized testing accounts for nearly everything. And you get to take that test once. Some people aren’t good test takers; it’s a fact of life. And while some people do break out of the system (notably a technical streamed student recently attended university and received, I think, a doctorate or maybe he’s becoming a doctor), most can’t and won’t.

Not to mention my opinions about standardized testing in general, but every teacher I’ve met teaches to the test. At the end of the day that’s what’s important. Success on the test trumps everything else; to me, at least, this seems to undermine the concept of teaching as a whole. I want to educate for the sake of the student and the student’s edification – not a little number beside their name. Not that the two, necessarily, can’t coexist. If I can get that number high enough while still inspiring my students, all the better.

And yet, at the end of the day, it works. And it works a hell of a lot better than the mess we’ve got going in the United States right now. Do you sacrifice few for the sake of many? I don’t know. Is there a better system? Probably, but neither you nor I know what it is.

In the meantime, I’m shutting up and keep on trucking. I’ve already learned a lot, and have a lot more to learn. And for that matter, how do I experiment without jeopardizing the futures of my students?

Edit: The system isn’t quite as rigid as this. Several other alternate schools do exist, but I’m trying to give a general idea. And I’m sure I’m giving a very biased idea. I will have significantly more on this later.