International Education Insights

🌏 International Practices Observed

1. Equity in Education:
   • “Every school is a good school” model observed in countries like Finland.
   • Resources are allocated based on needs, not equally, but equitably.
   • Implication: Uplift programmes and differentiated resourcing can be expanded in Singapore.
2. Teacher Status & Autonomy:
   • Teachers in Finland have high autonomy and are highly respected (often requiring a master’s degree).
   • Singapore teachers feel over-governed and burdened with non-teaching duties.
   • Implication: Reduce bureaucratic load and increase teacher decision-making power.
3. Learning Environment & Space:
   • Creative, flexible learning spaces—e.g., writable walls, makerspaces, sound-responsive lighting.
   • Barriers in Singapore: humidity, lack of space, standardised procurement systems.
   • Implication: Prioritise multi-use, adaptable spaces and pilot modular infrastructure.
4. Socio-Emotional Learning & Well-being:
   • Use of animals, one-to-one zones, and integrated counselling in other systems.
   • Singapore has counsellors and programmes, but often lacks school-level psychology support.
   • Implication: Expand full-service schools and safe spaces (e.g., ‘chill’ zones, peer-support rooms).
5. Assessment Flexibility:
   • Less centralised, high-stakes testing elsewhere; more emphasis on portfolios and project-based learning.
   • Singapore’s system still heavily driven by placement exams.
   • Implication: Continue reviewing assessment practices (e.g., PSLE, R4) and consider decoupling from academic high-stakes pressures.
6. Student-Initiated Learning & Play:
   • Emphasis on joy, agency, and curiosity in early years (especially P1–P2).
   • Singapore schools feel pressured to cover content and prepare for exams.
   • Implication: Embed structured play and inquiry-based learning, especially in foundational years.

---

💬 Common Reflections & Tensions

• Mindset shift needed: Holistic changes are hard without societal change in what is valued (e.g., academic prestige, top jobs).
• Teacher buy-in: New spaces or tools are ineffective without professional development and pedagogical shifts.
• Funding constraints: Government grants like SWAC come with rigid conditions (e.g., can’t be used for furniture), limiting creative use.
• Cultural considerations: Student and parent expectations often revert to academic outcomes, despite efforts to diversify success metrics.

---

✅ Suggested Actions for Singapore Schools

Theme	Suggested Local Actions
Equity in Resourcing	Expand UPLIFT-type support across schools; target systemic stratification mechanisms
Teaching as a Valued Career	Elevate status through more autonomy, rebranding campaigns, and mission-driven messaging
Learning Spaces	Encourage modular designs, portable infrastructure, and shared design ownership
Student Well-being	Institutionalise safe zones, peer-support leaders, and reduce measurable-only focus
Teacher Practices	Invest in pedagogical transformation before or alongside infrastructure updates
Holistic Education	Promote portfolio-based evaluation and encourage joyful learning within the curriculum