Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
1962 – School building under construction
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Setting Firm Foundations
Post-World War 2, the pioneers of Singapore aimed to create a unified education system that provided equal access to education for all Singaporeans. But many schools had been damaged or destroyed in the war and our population was growing.
Building for a Booming Population
Existing schools were bursting at the seams, and with uneven standards, there were schools which were little more than makeshift shacks. We wanted to ensure that each child would not only have a desk and seat, but also conducive facilities to help him learn.
One a Month:
MOE built an average of one school a month between 1959 and 1968 to meet the demands of the booming population.
“This is indeed a happy occasion, for we are witnessing the opening of yet another school, the 59th to be declared open by the PAP Government. The Upper Aljunied Technical School is one of nine secondary technical schools at present operating in Singapore. This shows the rapid expansion in secondary technical education that has taken place since the PAP took the reins of Government in 1959.”
1963 – Bukit Ho Swee West School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Standardising School Designs
During the construction boom, schools came in a few standard designs. It was the fastest and most inexpensive way to grow. The most typical design was the compact “H” shape.
Principals who were rotated between these “H” design schools could find their offices blindfolded once they came through the entrance. They were always in the same spot in the layout!
2024 – Bendemeer Secondary School
Upgrading and Creating Distinction
By the 1990s, standard designs made way for more distinctive styles. Schools built before 1997 were gradually upgraded with bigger classrooms and facilities such as computer labs, media resource libraries, and health and fitness rooms.
Developing Unique School Identities
In 1999, the upgrading initiative called the Programme for Rebuilding and IMproving Existing schools (PRIME) started. Principals were consulted during the design process, so each school developed its own identity.
Workshops Now
2015 – Montfort Secondary School
Workshops Then
1969 – Mount Vernon Secondary School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Creating Spaces To Learn
In the 1960s, special facilities for art and craft, and vocational and technical training
were also introduced in secondary schools to meet the demands of an industrialised economy.
While our syllabuses have evolved to meet the world’s changing needs, these facilities have remained
mainstays in schools as our education system continues to support diverse pathways and student interests.
Science Labs Now
2024 – Nan Hua High School
Science Labs Then
1966 – Fairfield Methodist Girls School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
1954 – Teachers Training College
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection
Putting Frameworks in Place
Developing a strong and unified education system meant training enough teachers of calibre, as well as having textbooks and a curriculum of our own.
Training Teachers
While we recruited teachers at a feverish pace to meet the demands of a booming population,
we also had to train them fast.
Part-time teaching programmes meant that for three years, a
trainee teacher endured a gruelling routine of teaching in the morning and rushing to another half-day of
training in the afternoon.
2×:
The number of teachers almost doubled between 1959 and 1968 to fill more than 130 new schools that sprung up in that time.
Lessons Now
2024 – Admiralty Primary School
Lessons Then
1992 – Anglo-Chinese Primary School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection
Made-in-Singapore Textbooks
Not only did the textbooks used during colonial days vary in quality, but they were also very expensive. Not everyone could afford them. In 1980, the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore (CDIS) was set up to produce our very own textbooks.
Textbooks and Beyond
It was also in 1980 when the Division of Education Technology was brought under CDIS to produce audio-visual materials such as tapes, CDs, picture cards, slides and wall charts that would go hand-in-hand with the textbooks as we realised that we needed resources beyond textbooks and TV to enrich our curriculum.
“Education is the most precious gift we can give our children. It is the most critical investment in our future and it is the most effective strategy which will enable us to thrive in a changing world.”
1970s – Lee Teck Public School
Lee Teck Public School Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Speaking a Common Language
English is the lingua franca in Singapore now, but this wasn’t always the case. In the early years, our education system was, in fact, very fragmented.
From Colony to Community
Under colonial rule, different ethnic and religious groups had set up their own schools, teaching in their own languages and dialects. To pull a young nation together, bilingualism was made mandatory for all students in 1966. We adopted English as a language of administration and business in an effort to make the world Singapore’s marketplace. Eventually, English became the medium of education in 1987.
9 in 10:
The number of parents who opted for English-stream schools for their children by 1978.
Bilingualism: The Best of Both Worlds
While English was the language of instruction, our culture and heritage were still important. The bilingualism policy, a cornerstone of our education system, ensured that we didn’t become ignorant of our roots. It also laid an all-important foundation to plug into today’s global economy.
“The concept of globalisation was nascent and we would reap rich harvests as English became the lingua franca of an exploding information age to come. We did not envisage the magnitude of that change, but when it came, it enabled us to leap-frog many nations, and also allowed us to improve the teaching of Maths and Science and technologically based subjects.”
2000s – Farrer Park Primary School
Bringing Lessons to Life and Joy to Learning
In the late 2000s, learning English was no longer just a case of putting pen to paper as lessons came to life through STELLAR (“STrategies for English Language Learning And Reading”), a programme introduced to our primary schools.
Whether it’s making an imaginary sandwich for the Hungry Giant they read about in a book or immersing themselves in the characters through a mini musical, our kids are not just reading and writing better, but also having fun!
Language Lessons Now
2024 – Anderson Primary School
Language Lessons Then
1986 – Mattar East Primary School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Flag-Raising Ceremony Now
2015 – Telok Kurau Primary School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Flag-Raising Ceremony Then
1960s – Tanglin Integrated Secondary Technical
School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Establishing a Singaporean Identity
As a young nation, we had to find new ways to help students learn what it meant to call Singapore home. Every day, teachers and students sang the national anthem. We recited the pledge: a single, 38-word sentence that powerfully expressed the hopes of a new-born nation.
The National Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.
Knowing We Belong
In 1997, National Education was introduced. Our children learnt how Singapore overcame the odds to succeed as a nation, were given an understanding of our vulnerabilities and, above all, developed a sense of belonging. We celebrated our cultural differences, and today, our students observe Racial Harmony Day, Total Defence Day and National Day in school.
“National Education must be a vital component of our education process… It is an exercise to develop instincts that become part of the psyche of every child. It must engender a shared sense of nationhood, an understanding of how our past is relevant to our present and future. It must appeal to both heart and mind.”
IT in Classes Now
2018 – Bedok South Secondary School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
IT in Classes Then
1986 – Victoria School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Advancing with Technology
The IT MasterPlan for Education, launched in 1997, served as a blueprint for the integration of Information Technology (IT) in education to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Working Towards IT Literacy
The IT MasterPlan was to provide a systematic approach to the purposeful use of IT in education, as well as a broader base of access to IT, so as to achieve a levelling up in learning opportunities.
We also wanted every child to be able to enhance his or her learning through an IT-enriched curriculum and school environment.
In 1984, our Normal (Technical) stream students became the first group of students in Singapore to have computers, then very expensive items.
Only these students had access to the PCs in the computer lab; they also had two teachers to guide them.
“1997 was a watershed year for education, when MOE revamped the curriculum to reduce content and to increase the emphasis on process skills and citizenship education… But the work involved in the first Masterplan was not glamorous, nor was it about quick fixes. It focused on nuts and bolts.”
Rolling Out in Waves
The first wave (1997–2002) provided schools with computer labs, essential software packages and training for the teachers.
The second wave (2003–2008) saw a mindset change and the integration of technology into lesson plans.
And the third wave (2009–2015) saw schools get creative in transforming the digital learning environments for our children.
The fourth (2015–2019) sought to deepen IT integration, work towards greater personalisation of learning, and give students access to quality curriculum-aligned resources.
1986 – Tanglin Primary School
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Making Health a Priority
Early childhood habits carry into adulthood, so it was crucial that we inculcate healthy habits in our kids. A number of initiatives and programmes were rolled out in schools to support this cause.
Nourishing Our Kids
MOE’s drink-a-pint-a-session programme started in the 1950s. Under a 1957 World Food Programme Project, undernourished students received free milk made from a vitamin-enriched wheat soy blend, dried skimmed milk and sugar. The milk scheme continued into the 1980s, where pupils could buy flavoured milk drinks at a low cost.
The fortnightly food rations the School Health Services provided to needy and under-nourished school children included:
- 500g full cream milk powder
- 110g Ovaltine
- 500g sugar
- 500g groundnuts
- 10 eggs
1986 – Tanglin Primary School
Ho Chin Geok Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
“It was during one of those health checks that the nurses told me I was undernourished… I had to go to a special room by the canteen and drink a glass of milk during recess. We couldn’t leave until we finished every last drop.”
27,000:
The number of students who benefitted from the drink-a-pint-a-session programme.
1969 – Lee Teck Public School
Ho Chin Geok Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Smiles All Around
Primary schools also kicked off an island-wide dental campaign in 1969. In 1973, the programme was extended to kindergartens.
Today, every primary school boasts a dental care clinic to keep the smiles of our children healthy and bright.
“Back then, tooth-brushing drills were carried out daily after recess under the supervision of the teacher and the dental nurse. The children would brush their teeth along the open drains, tooth-brushing troughs or at washbasins in the tuckshops and toilets. It was heartening to see the improved oral hygiene and good dental health of the pupils.”
About 1.5 million toothbrushes were put in the hands of students between 1969 and 1970.
Canteens Now
2015 – New Town Secondary School
Tuckshops Then
1960s – Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Balanced Diets
In 2001, the Model School Tuckshop Programme issued schools with canteen guidelines that ranged from the choice of ingredients to the type of drinks sold.
Today, its successor, the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme, continues to keep our children in the pink of health by promoting goodness in every bite through the four main food groups – brown rice and wholemeal bread, meat and others, vegetables and fruit.
“We know that food habits and preferences acquired in childhood tend to last through adulthood. Our schools therefore play an important role in getting things right from young.”
2014 – Outram Secondary School
Fostering Ruggedness and Resilience
We needed to groom a people who were rugged, adaptable and resilient, and we wanted to develop our children more holistically, so Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) were introduced.
Values in Action
By 1975, ECAs have become a mainstay in schools. From competing on the football field and running track to making music and practising foot drills, we grew closer, picked up habits that made us stronger and lived out the values we were taught.
2017 – Swiss Cottage Secondary School
“You know what we need more than anything else today? Leaders! Men with the guts and the will, and the verve to give leadership to their fellowmen. Men who in an emergency will stand up, and say, ‘Never mind. Let us consider what to do.’ That’s what you need: tough, vigorous – a rugged generation!”
Uniformed groups such as Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Cross and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) have a long history in Singapore, dating back to 1901.
2014 – Outram Secondary School
Not Extra, but Co-re
ECAs were renamed as Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in 1999, and remains an integral part of the education experience as they continue to showcase talents and build confidence, determination and friendships among our youth.
“The hope here is that the child will acquire life skills and interests which will serve him well and last long into adulthood even after he has forgotten his theorems or his history dates.”
CCAs Now
2010 – Bowen Secondary School
ECAs Then
1977 – Bukit Panjang Government High School
The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction
2017 – NE Show Backstage
Cultivating Character
Civics and Moral Education (CME) had always been a part of the MOE curriculum, albeit under different names before it got its name in 1992. The revised CME programme was built on the earlier “Good Citizen” series.
“A society unguided by moral values can hardly be expected to remain cohesive under stress. It is a commitment to a common set of values that will determine the degree to which the people … will be willing and able to defend their collective interest.”
R3ICH is the acronym for six core values:
Respect,
Resilience,
Responsibility,
Integrity,
Care, and
Harmony
introduced into the CME syllabus in 2007.
2019 – Singapore Chinese Girls’ School
At the Centre of Education
CME, National Education, Social-Emotional Learning were brought under a new education effort termed Character and Citizen Education (CCE), and fully implemented in secondary and primary schools in 2014 and 2015.
Embracing CCE on Every Front
From colourful workbooks and slides and rich learning experiences to group discussions and videos, our students learn to discern right from wrong, make responsible choices and become more aware of their role in society.
“Many teachable moments occur in activities outside the classroom environment; outside schools. And values need to be augmented and reinforced by the community and parents.”
CCE Now
2024 – St. Anthony’s Canossian Primary School
St. Anthony’s Canossian Primary School
CME Then
1974 – Tanjong Rhu Integrated Primary School
The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction
2024 – Hwa Chong Institution
Bringing Up the Whole Child
Schools don’t just give our children a good start in life with strong fundamentals, they are today places of nurture and discovery. Be it sports or the performing arts, we help our children discover their strengths and equip them with the right values and skills to navigate this rapidly evolving world.
2023 – West View Primary School
Valuable Lessons Learnt Through Sports
Physical Education (PE) lessons are more than fun and games. Not only do students learn about fitness and health, they develop skills for team work and collaboration. All these contribute to the development of the whole child.
“We know from research and medical studies that PE is crucial in the development and growth of a child. Apart from improved physical fitness and skill development, children learn self-discipline, benefit from improved social and moral development and improve in confidence and self-esteem. This inevitably will influence performance in the class and later on in the workplace.”
2024 – Ferngreen Primary School
The National School Games (NSG) started in 1959, and is the largest annual inter-school
competition in Singapore.
In 2025, Singapore’s 60th birthday, more than 66,000 student athletes will compete across 29 sports.
2024 – Yusof Ishak Secondary School
A Necessary Stage for the Arts
A creative avenue to express what matters to them. An engaging way to immerse in diverse cultures and see the world differently. Through the arts and music, we help our children paint their world and dance to the beat of their own drums.
2014 – Siglap Secondary School
Singapore Teachers Academy for the aRts
“Art embraces diversity, challenges people to step out of their comfort zones, think deeply, engage widely and research extensively.”
2024 – Yusof Ishak Secondary School
Design Branch, Ministry of Education
Success in the 21st Century
To prepare our kids to thrive in a fast-changing world, we have identified competencies that
have become increasingly important in the 21st century. These competencies include global awareness,
communication and collaboration skills.
For more stories on 21st Century Competencies (21CC), check out these
Schoolbag articles.