Education System
Singapore is a cosmopolitan city and a premier destination for lifelong learning complemented with world-class educational institutions. You will embark on a pedagogical journey that combines the best of global knowledge with the wisdom of Asian insights.
Here, you can immerse yourself in the widest range of educational offerings, and embrace a learning environment that is both inspiring and conducive. It is truly a place where you can enrich your mind and life.
The education system in Singapore is based on the age of the student. Indians students intending to study in Singapore normally apply to Junior colleges or pre-university. There is a belief that the admission process to universities in Singapore is eased if students complete their pre-university education in Singapore. The National Junior College (established in 1969) is the oldest Junior college in Singapore. This trend is changing slowly and a large number of Indian students are now beginning to apply directly for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs at universities in Singapore.
When international students apply for admission in Singapore, they have to provide documentary proof of having completed the age-based education level in order to gain admission.
Apart from this proof, institutions will normally conduct entrance examinations for international students in the subjects of English, Maths, Science and their mother tongue language when they apply for admission.
At the end of the Pre-University levels the student has to appear for the GCE 'A' Level exams.
The system of education has come under some amount of criticism because it is held to be very specialised and rigid and that there is not much emphasis placed on creative thinking. The Ministry of Education has recently introduced some changes in the curriculum which have created an increased focus on creative independent thinking and development of real-life skills.
That being said, students from Singapore continue to rank at the top in different competitive exams held at international levels in subjects like Mathematics and Science.
Graduate education in Singapore
After completing pre-university, students can opt for 3 year diploma courses offered by the polytechnics in Singapore, enrol for undergraduate programs at one of the universities or study at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
Courses offered at the polytechnics are more industry oriented. Singaporean students at times apply to these institutions after completing 'O' levels and hence these become alternatives to junior colleges. There are 5 such Polytechnics in Singapore.
Students can also apply to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). These institutions offer two year programs leading to a locally recognized "National ITE certificate".
The third channel which students can choose is to apply to the universities in Singapore to pursue a variety of undergraduate, graduate, post graduate and doctoral programmes. There are 4 Universities and more than 10 Private Tertiary Institutions which offer these degrees to students.
Singapore has also attracted a variety of International schools due to its multi-cultural community base. These are more than 20 in number.