For much of the early 19th to mid-20th century, technical and vocational education in Singapore was underdeveloped due to the nature of the economy and the colonial government’s noninterference in education. Technical and vocational education gained importance ...

In August 1978, then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee was tasked to lead a study team to identify problems in Singapore’s education system and propose solutions. The government had felt that a thorough review was crucial to align the education system with the ...

The Education Ordinance, which applied to all schools in Singapore, was enacted on 13 December 1957. The ordinance (replaced by the Education Act in 1965) made provisions for the registration of schools, managers and teachers, as well as for the roles and responsibilities ...

In Singapore, vernacular education refers to education conducted in the native languages of the main resident communities, namely Malay, Chinese and Tamil. From the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries, formal vernacular education was started by philanthropists, ...

The Ministry of Education (MOE) was established in 1955 by the then newly elected Labour Front government headed by David Marshall. Chew Swee Kee was appointed the first minister for education. Since then, MOE has been actively implementing and formulating education ...

Sexuality education refers to the process of acquiring knowledge and skills, as well as forming attitudes, beliefs and values with regard to human sexuality. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has implemented a holistic and secular sexuality education curriculum in ...

The National Institute of Education (NIE) is Singapore’s only teacher training institution. In addition to engaging in initial teacher preparation, the NIE also provides continuing education and life-long learning to teachers, and conducts extensive, cutting-edge ...

The Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education laid the foundation for the development of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Singapore.

On 8 December 1953, the colonial government in Singapore issued a white paper titled Chinese Schools Bilingual Education and Increased Aid. The white paper proposed the introduction of bilingual education in Chinese schools in exchange for increased financial aid ...

The word madrasah is Arabic for “school”. In Singapore, a madrasah refers to an Islamic religious school. Local madrasahs offer a dual-education system that combines secular and religious learning. As at 2017, there are six fulltime madrasahs in Singapore registered ...

Education for children (of typical school-going ages) with disabilities is managed by voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). The National Council for Social Services (NCSS) is the primary overseer with its Programme Evaluation System, while the Ministry of Education ...

The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) is an enrichment programme designed to nurture intellectually gifted students to their fullest potential. It was introduced in 1984 by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as part of reforms to create an education system that caters ...

Compulsory values education was first implemented in schools in Singapore in the late 1950s through civics, ethics and religious studies classes. The purpose of values education is to impart moral values and help students become responsible members in their families ...

The Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET) is an Indian community trust fund that supports the education of local Indians, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It was set up in 1967 with trade unionist Govindasamy Kandasamy as one of ...

Ruth Wong Hie King (b. 10 June 1918, Singapore–d. 1 February 1982, Singapore) is widely regarded as a pioneer educator who transformed teacher training in Singapore. Wong was the first female principal of the Teachers’ Training College (TTC) and the founding director ...

Established in 2007, NorthLight is a specialised school for students who are less academically inclined and favour vocational studies. The school’s mission is to provide an engaging education for youth, while preparing them for lifelong learning and employability. ...

The National AIDS Control Programme is an action plan for protecting against and preventing the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in Singapore. It was formulated by the Advisory Committee on AIDS ...

Choo Keng Kwang (b. 3 June 1931, Singapore–d. 14 December 2019, Singapore), a first-generation Singaporean artist, was well-known for his oil paintings of landscape, animals and nature. A former school principal of Sin Hua School, Choo later headed the Art Education ...

Seet Ai Mee (Dr) (b. 31 March 1943, Singapore–) was Singapore’s first female Cabinet minister. She assumed the position in July 1991 when she was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development in a cabinet reshuffle. Seet is also known for her contributions ...

Formal art and music education programmes in Singapore were established by the British colonial government in the 1920s and ’30s respectively. Private Chinese-medium schools also offered art education through courses run by professional artists. After Singapore ...