The United Nations has designated Quality Education as one of the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing inclusive and equitable quality education to ensure lifelong learning opportunities for all.

UNESCO further categorizes lifelong learning into three pathways:

1. Formal (such as school education leading to formal certificates)

2. Non-formal (such as skill training without formal certificates)

3. Informal (such as independent learning through activities like museum visits)

Taking a unique perspective on the captivating museum tours in Singapore, we can catch a glimpse of how Singapore's long-standing commitment and improvement in the education system have permeated its population with the long-termism philosophy of lifelong learning.

World-leading Talent Competitiveness

Singapore's world-leading talent competitiveness and innovative educational approach make it an exceptional destination for school trips. The nation's focus on long-termism in education has led to outstanding achievements in global talent competitiveness, English proficiency, and international academic assessments.

Singapore has undoubtedly achieved remarkable success in these aspects:

• Globally competitive workforce, consistently ranking among the top three in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index for the past five years.

• Ranked first in English proficiency in Asia.

• Securing the top position in Reading, Mathematics, and Science in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

The History of Singapore's Education Transformation

The evolution of Singapore's education can be broadly categorized into four phases:

1. Survival-driven (1959-1978)

2. Efficiency-driven (1978-1997)

3. Ability-based, Aspiration-driven (1997-2011)

4. Student-centric, Values-driven (2012-present)

Since independence in 1959, like many emerging economies, Singapore faced the challenge of inadequate education levels among its workforce. Therefore, the first priority for Singapore was to universalize basic education. During this period, numerous schools were established, and the vocational education and skills training system began to take shape.

The efficiency-driven policy formulation accompanied Singapore's continuous elevation of its economic and industrial standards, leading to increasing demand for high-end technical talents such as engineers.

The real turning point came in 1997 when then-Prime Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong, introduced the "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation" vision, establishing lifelong learning as a national aspiration and gradually transitioning Singapore into the present holistic and lifelong education system.

In 2005, Singapore demonstrated boldness and foresight by proposing the "Teach Less, Learn More" philosophy, building upon the "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation" vision. This signified Singapore's transition from quantity-oriented education to quality, entering a new era of innovation and development.

To achieve the goals of "Teach Less, Learn More," Singapore underwent a series of bold teaching reforms: reducing curriculum content, fostering more discussions and creative thinking between teachers and students, decreasing homework load to allocate time for richer extracurricular activities, and emphasizing inquiry-based and experiential learning in teaching methods.

These innovative approaches, integrated with multimedia resources and interactive learning experiences, offer an enriching educational tour experience in Singapore.

Student-centric and Flexible Learning Delivery

The essence of the educational journey in Singapore lies in its student-centric, flexible learning delivery, presenting an ideal environment for school trips. This transformative educational experience in Singapore resonates with the principles of lifelong learning and provides a holistic perspective on educational tours.

There are multimedia visual materials everywhere, easily understandable animated demonstrations for children, interactive gaming experiences, and exhibits integrating virtual reality technology, all reflecting Singapore's clever design of high-quality education.

From initially focusing on basic educational needs to enhancing the efficiency of the education system, to emphasizing higher cognitive skills, and more recently, focusing on multidimensional talents, we observe Singapore's continually expanding understanding of education: knowledge, skills, citizenship, global awareness, diversity, and creativity...

However, concurrently, we also witness the most unpretentious yet ideal pursuit of education designers: to enable students to learn how to become better individuals, return to the essence of humans, to lead a more natural, proactive, and joyful life. 

If you want to discover more about the innovative educational system of the Lion City, join us on an insightful school trip to Singapore.

Sources:

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-students-rank-top-in-maths-science-and-reading-in-oecd-study

Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023 Report. https://www.insead.edu/system/files/2023-11/gtci-2023-report.pdf

https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/08/30/it-has-the-worlds-best-schools-but-singapore-wants-better

LIFELONG LEARNING IN TRANSFORMATION: PROMISING PRACTICES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000253603