Where we were

The Singapore education system went through different shifts in emphasis as it progressed through the various stages from poor to great over the past 40 years. Post independence, Singapore first embarked on a "survival-driven" phase (1959-1978) with the objective of achieving near universal primary education, by building schools at the rate of one per month and doubling the size of the teaching force. This was followed by the "efficiency-driven" phase (1979-1996), which focused on bringing all schools up to meet minimum standard criteria.

Teachers learn from their more experienced colleagues at the Academy of Singapore Teachers.

As the school system progressed, the emphasis shifted towards schools themselves taking on greater responsibilities, with the introduction of Independent Schools and Autonomous Schools. In 1997, the "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation" model was initiated, signalling a move away from a system which was "textbook-bound and examination-driven", towards one that enables each student to reach the maximum of his or her potential. It gave teachers more freedom in classroom practices and principals more decision rights on school management matters.

Where we are today

Singapore is now firmly entrenched in what the McKinsey Report calls a journey from "great to excellent". This involves raising the calibre of teachers and principals, creating greater support mechanisms for education professionals, and encouraging innovation across schools.

(i) Developing teachers as professionals

MOE offers teachers the opportunity to develop their full potential as school leaders and specialists.

MOE provides many opportunities for educators to develop their practices through learning from one another. Within schools, teachers in "Professional Learning Communities" collaborate with one another to review and further improve their classroom practices. School clusters, which act as a mediating layer between MOE and schools, provide teachers from different schools the opportunity and platform to share effective teaching and learning practices, as well as create opportunities to develop school leaders.

To help teachers develop their potential to the fullest, three defined career tracks were also introduced - leadership, teaching and specialist tracks. Other strategies to raise the calibre of teachers and principals include recruiting educators only from the top one-third of each university cohort, allocating one hundred hours of professional development time per teacher per year, and creating mentorship pairings for school leaders.

(ii) Nurturing future school leaders

In the McKinsey Report, Singapore is credited with having "the most structured approach to identifying and developing future system and school leaders" among the 20 school systems covered. This includes the following opportunities:

• All leadership positions up to the level of Director-General of Education are considered professional positions. These are considered as part of the teaching career structure and are open to all promising teachers.
• Teachers with the potential to become principals start off by being appointed to middle-leadership positions in schools, as subject or level heads or as heads of department. They undergo a full-time four-month milestone programme, Management and Leadership in Schools, at Singapore's National Institute for Education (NIE) to equip them for management responsibilities.
• Those suitable for appointment as vice-principals attend a six-month Leaders in Education (LEP) programme at NIE. It has an executive orientation similar to that found in business schools, but with a slant towards education.
• Newly appointed principals receive mentoring and undergo "CEO-style" development programmes.
• Experienced principals are given sabbatical opportunities, and top principals can become cluster superintendents, as a first step towards taking on leadership roles in the broader education system.

In schools, teachers collaborate with and learn from each other through Professional Learning Communities.

Looking ahead

Besides the McKinsey report, Singapore's good performance was also given recognition in the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009, an international study conducted under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Out of 65 countries and economies that took part in the study, Singapore students came in fifth in Reading, second in Mathematics and fourth in Science. Singapore also had the second highest proportion of students who are top performers in all three areas of study.

With a promising track record and a stable professional structure, the Singapore school system has some of the right pieces in place to keep itself robust, yet nimble. As the McKinsey Report concluded, this is a system that is "never stopping, never doubling back to unwind the past, and always moving forward."

Up next: We find out from teachers at one local school how Professional Learning Communities have helped them improve the way students learn in classrooms.