Singapore's School System: How it Works

This is a book for people interested in school reform and in how Singaporean students achieve their high marks on competitive international exams. Based on three years’ professional observation of Singapore schools, this book lays out the basic structure of the Singapore school system, especially its centralized control and the system of high-stakes exams, along with some of the unexpected problems that result from this structure. It also looks at Singapore’s teachers, the year-long school schedule, parental involvement and the widespread phenomenon of after-school and weekend tutoring. Finally, it considers the urge within Singapore to reform the system, and some of the hindrances to reforms there.