Abstract
Singapore’s post-colonial curriculum has been influenced by the pressing demands of globalization and a whole sale rethink of the kind of knowledge and skills needed for the twenty-first century. National development remains the focus of this curriculum transformation in order to develop the city-state as an economic power house not just in the region but internationally. Yet a recent report from the Asian Development Bank has suggested that as the century progresses there is a need for Singapore to take on greater regional leadership. This chapter explores the implication of this reorientation for the school curriculum. As Singapore looks outwards, so too must the curriculum although to do this successfully, there are a number of internal issues that also need to be resolved.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Asian Development Bank. (2011). Asia 2050 – realizing the Asian century. Manila: Asian Development Bank.
Bonnell, J., Copestake, P., Kerr, D., Passy, R., Reed, C., Salter, R., Sarwar, S., Sheikh, S. (2010). Teaching approaches that help to build resilience to extremism among young people. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR119.pdf. Accessed 28 Dec 2011.
Brown, G., Hui, S. F. K., Yu, F. W. M., & Kennedy, K. (2011). Teachers’ conceptions of assessment in Chinese contexts: A tripartite model of accountability, improvement, and irrelevance. International Journal of Educational Research, 50, 307–320.
Bulle, N. (2011). Comparing OECD educational models through the prism of PISA. Comparative Education, 47(4), 503–521.
Chow, J.K.F., & Kennedy, K. (2011). Citizenship and governance in the Asian region: Insights from the International Civic And Citizenship Education Study. In International conference on ‘Governance and Citizenship in Asia: Paradigms and Practices’, Hong Kong, 18–19 Mar 2011.
Deng, Z. (2010). Curriculum transformation in the era of reform initiatives: The need to rethink and re-conceptualize content. Journal of Textbook Research, 3(2), 93–113.
Goh, C. (1997). Speech. http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/1997/020697.htm. Accessed 20 Dec 2011.
Gopinathan, S. (2007). Globalisation, the Singapore developmental state and education policy: A thesis revisited. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 5(1), 53–70.
Heng, S.K. (September 22, 2011a). Opening Address by Minister for Education, at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Work plan seminar at Ngee Ann polytechnic convention centre. http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2011/09/22/work-plan-seminar-2011.php. Accessed 27 Dec 2011.
Heng, S.K. (November 8, 2011b). Speeches. http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2011/11/08/opening-address-by-mr-heng-swee-keat-at-1st-nie-moe-cce-conference.php. Accessed 6 Dec 2011.
Hogan, D. (2009). Toward a 21st century pedagogy for Singapore. A presentation to the Principals Curriculum Forum on Assessment-Pedagogy Nexus, Ministry of Education, Singapore. Quoted in Deng (2010).
Hogan, D. (November 2, 2010). Current and future pedagogies in Singapore – Synopsis of presentation at the TE21 Seminar. http://www.nie.edu.sg/files/Current_and_Future_Pedagogies_in_Singapore-final.pdf. Accessed 4 Jan 2012.
Hopmann, S. (2008). No child, no school, no state left behind: Schooling in the age of accountability. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 40, 417–456.
Kennedy, K. (2005). Changing schools for changing times- New directions for the school curriculum in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press.
Kennedy, K. (2007). Curriculum reforms and instructional improvement in Asia. In T. Townsend (Ed.), International handbook on school effectiveness and improvement (pp. 807–824). Dordrecht: Springer.
Kennedy, K. (2010). Neo-statism and post-globalization as contexts for new times. In A. Reid, J. Gill, & A. Sears (Eds.), Globalisation, the Nation-State and the Citizen: Dilemmas and directions for civics and citizenship education (pp. 223–229). London: Routledge.
Kennedy, K., & Lee, J. (2010). Changing schools in Asia – Schools for the knowledge society. New York: Routledge.
Law, E. H. F., & Nieveen, N. (Eds.). (2011). Schools as curriculum agencies – Asian and European perspectives on school-based curriculum development. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Lee, H.L. (May 17, 1997). Speech by Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister at The Launch of National Education on Saturday 17 May 1997 at Tcs Tv Theatre at 9.30 am. http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/1997/170597.htm. Accessed 20 Dec 2011.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. (2008). Message. http://english.mest.go.kr/web/1673/site/contents/en/en_0194.jsp. Accessed 27 Dec 2011.
Ministry of Education. (2010). International OECD Study affirms the high quality of Singapore’s education system. http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2010/12/programme-for-international-student-assessment-2009.php. Accessed 3 Jan 2012.
Mourshed, M., Chinezi, C., & Barber, M. (2011). How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better. http://mckinseyonsociety.com/downloads/reports/Education/How-the-Worlds-Most-Improved-School-Systems-Keep-Getting-Better_Download-version_Final.pdf. Accessed 5 Jan 2012.
National Centre for Educational Statistics. (2011). PISA 2009 – Data, tables, figures, exhibits. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011004_1.pdf. Accessed 3 Jan 2011.
Ng, P. (2008). Educational reform in Singapore: From quantity to quality. Educational Research, Policy and Practice, 7(1), 5–15.
Ng, E.H. (September 23, 2010). Speech by Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, at the MOE work plan seminar at the Ngee Ann polytechnic convention centre. http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2010/09/23/work-plan-seminar-2010.php. Accessed 27 Dec 2011.
OECD. (2010). PISA 2009 results: Overcoming social background – Equity in learning opportunities and outcomes (Vol. 2). Paris: OECD.
OECD. (2011). Strong performers and successful reformers in education: Lessons from PISA for the United States. Paris: OECD.
Ohmae, K. (1995). The end of the nation state. London: HarperCollins.
Porter, M., Schwab, K., & Sala-I-Martin, Z. (2008). The global competitiveness report 2007–2008. Geneva: World Economic Forum.
Ringarp, J., & Rothland, M. (2010). Is the grass always greener? The effect of the PISA results on education debates in Sweden and Germany. European Educational Research Journal, 9(3), 422–430.
Royal Thai Embassy. (2010). Second decade of education reform to focus on vocational and skills development. Retrieved Dec 2011, from, http://media.thaigov.go.th/pageconfig/viewcontent/viewcontent1e.asp?pageid=472&directory=1944&contents=52023. Accessed 3 May 2012.
Rutkowsi, D., & Engel, L. (2010). Soft power and hard measures: Large-scale assessment, citizenship and the European Union. European Educational Research Journal, 9(3), 381–395.
Schwab, J. (1969). College curricula and student protest. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Watkins, D., & Biggs, J. (1996). The Chinese learner: Cultural, psychological and contextual influences. Hong Kong/Melbourne: Comparative Education Research Centre/Australian Council for Education Research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kennedy, K.J. (2013). Singapore’s School Curriculum for the Future Beyond: National Development?. In: Deng, Z., Gopinathan, S., Lee, CE. (eds) Globalization and the Singapore Curriculum. Education Innovation Series. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-57-4_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-57-4_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-4451-56-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-4451-57-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)