The development of education in Singapore, 1959-1969

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to trace the development of education in Singapore from 1959 to 1969. -- The turning point of the educational system in Singapore occurred in 1959 when Singapore became an internally self-governing state. The political transformation necessitated the reorientation of education. The political and economic situations in the course of the ensuing eleven years further modified the educational system both in philosophy and in organisation. -- Following a brief introduction to the demographic structure, ethnic and linguistic groups, political and economic developments, discussion is focused on the development of the entire spectrum of the educational system in Singapore: pre-school education, primary and secondary education, higher education, teacher-training, adult education and special education. For each of these, the status in 1959 is described and the policy changes and the associated implementation results over the period 1959-1969 are investigated. Problems are identified with special attention being paid to the efficacy of the government's education policy for achieving its three major social goals: (a) increased educational opportunities reflected in the principle of parity for the four language streams - English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil; (b) industrial growth; and (c) national unity. -- The identification of various problems leads to the formation of a set of recommendations for future action.