Singapore is a small country situated in the Southeast Asia region between Malaysia and Indonesia. It is a modern and highly developed metropolis, with land area about 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C. Three decades of phenomenal growth led by a corruption-free and high integrity government has brought prosperity and a First-World standard of living to its approximately 4.5 million population.

The country's diverse mix of people makes it a multi-cultural melt pot with great traditions and rich heritage.


Education Overview

Education is one of the most important areas of development emphasized by both government and parents because literally speaking, people are the only natural resource in the small country. Singapore has a centralized and successful education system that nurtures tens of thousands of students a year. Latest statistics shows that Singapore's literacy rate stands at a high 93.5%.

Singapore's compulsory primary education involves a six-year course of study that is a prerequisite to secondary level education. At the end of Primary Six, pupils sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) that gauges their abilities and allows them to pursue a secondary school course that is compatible with their learning pace and aptitude.

Secondary education takes either four or five years depending on the course that the child has enrolled in based on their PSLE results. Students in the four-year Special and Express courses take the General Certificate of Education "Ordinary" Level (GCE "O") examination at the end of the fourth year. Students in the Normal Academic or Normal Technical course take the General Certificate of Education "Normal" level (GCE "N") examination in their fourth year. Those who do well qualify to go on to a fifth year of study which prepares them for the GCE "O" Level examination.

Pre-tertiary education can be either a two-year or three-year study in the Junior Colleges. At the end of the course, students will sit for the GCE "A" level examination. Students can also choose to further their studies in a 3-year course in the Polytechnics leading to a Diploma. Both routes open the door to a University education.

Singapore has three internationally acclaimed public universities and one centralized teachers' college --They are National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU) and National Institute of Education (NIE), all of which have stringent entry criteria that accepts only the top 21% of each student cohort. Their graduates often hold important positions in both public and private sectors.

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