Education Landscape In Singapore :D

By: Fu Wei Han (5) Goh Wei Qin (6)

http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/www.straitstimes.com

Singapore’s education system is flexible and diverse so as to cater to every child’s abilities, interests and aptitudes, and help each develop to his fullest potential. MOE has been moving in recent years towards an even more flexible and diverse system, to provide students with greater choice and ownership in their learning.

Various educational pathways are provided for students, especially at the secondary and post-secondary levels. At the secondary level, students are placed in the Special, Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) course, depending on their Primary School Leaving Examination results. At the upper secondary level, the development of different types of schools -Autonomous Schools, Independent Schools, Specialised Independent Schools, Integrated Programme Schools and privately-funded schools, cater to the varied talents and aptitudes of our students. Alternative curricula and qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate) are also offered in some schools.

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VocabularyAptitudes- capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something

As part of the diversification of the education landscape, MOE approved two proposals for the setting up of privately-funded schools - Anglo-Chinese School (International) and Hwa Chong (International) - in April 2004. They were approved on the basis of the strength of the respective schools’ management team, coherence of curriculum and the quality of education which they can potentially offer to students. It was announced in 2005 that Nan Hua Secondary School would be accorded Autonomous School status while River Valley High School would offer the 6-year Integrated Programme starting from 2006. These changes would improve the range and choice of education for the students.

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At the post-secondary level, different pathways are available. Junior colleges provide students with a 2-year pre-university course while the Centralised Institute provides a 3-year pre-university course; the Institute of Technical Education equips secondary school leavers with industry-relevant technical skills and knowledge; polytechnics provide broad-based training for students inclined towards practice-oriented studies at the diploma level; and the universities provide a broad-based curriculum to complement the rigorous grounding in specific disciplines at the undergraduate level, as well as offering a wide range of coursework and research programmes at the post-graduate level.

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- ITE college west

Residents in and around Choa Chu Kang who want to dine at a french restaurant or book an overseas tour can soon head to the new Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West nearby. The campus, which opened its doors to students in July, has facilities that double as a training ground for students and a service provider to the community. They include a fine dining restaurant, a travel agency, a computer repair shop and retail outlets which will sell apparel, lifestyle goods and sports equipment. Apart from the fine dining restaurant Amber@West, which is already in operation, other amenities will be ready early next year

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*amenities- any feature that provides comfort, convenience, or pleasure

. Such real world experiences is the best training a school can give its students, said principal Yek Tiew Ming after a media tour of the campus yesterday. “ In the design of the campus, we wanted to make sure we provide the students the opportunity to serve real customers”. “There will be more transfer of knowledge and skills when there is an authentic learning environment. The students will be work- and world- ready and the community will benefit as well’’ said Dr Yek. ITE College West has 7200 students in four schools, taking 27 courses in hospitality, business, engineering, and electronics and infocomm technology. With a niche in hospitality –related courses, the school offers programmes in the culinary arts, pastry and baking, food and beverage and hotel operations. There is also a barista training centre, a joint project between the ITE and coffee supplier Boncafe.

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To give students hands-on opportunities, there is a 22-room “hotel” occupying two levels within the campus. Students will learn housekeeping duties along with manning the front desk and how to best serve customers. The hotel is not open to the public as the school does not have a license to do so but there are plans to offer it to conference events, again giving the students more opportunities to apply their skills. Steffen Lee, 19, a first-year hospitality student, said he is looking forward to learning the ropes in the “hotel” before working in a real one. “It’s better that we have hands-on-experience in school where we can learn everything from scratch, before we enter the industry,” he said.

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The students from the food and beverages course have already got a taste of fussy or unkempt customers at the restaurant, which is currently open for lunch on weekdays during term-time. The food is prepared by students from the culinary course who specialize in French cuisine.

Aaron Liew, 19, another first-year student who works as a member of the service staff there as part of his training, said: “Customers are supposed to wear covered shoes and trousers but someone turned up in a singlet. I tried to tell him there’s a dress code but let him in eventually as it was his first time here.” With the new facilities, the enrolment of hospitality students has increased from 140 three years ago to 800 students now. There are plans to introduce an Asian cuisine course next year until it reaches 1,500 students. With the opening of ITE College West in Choa Chu Kang, four of its other smaller campuses, such as those in Bukit Batok and Clementi, closed in July. This is the second regional campus after ITE College East in Simei. Its third campus, ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio, is expected to be ready in 2012.

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*facilities- something designed, built, installed, etc., to serve a specific function affording a convenience or service: transportation facilities; educational facilities; a new research facility.

The intelligence of how Singapore’s government has planned our education is vital in the country’s development and progress. Singapore needs talents to ensure that there is constant economic growth. One of the ways to improve this, is to have better educated citizens. Thus, good governance on the educational landscape in Singapore is essential for prosperity and continuation of a nation.