Desired Outcomes of Singapore’s Education

The Ministry of Education and the academe are proud of the performance of the students in the recently concluded PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The assessment showed that Singaporeans students (aged 15 years old) performed well in Reading, Science and Math.

PISA affirmed that Singapore’s quality of education is the best. The quality of education can be attributed to the Ministry of Education’s efforts. In relation to this, the Ministry established DOE (Desired Outcomes of Education). DOE refers to the characteristics aspired by the educators for every student by the time they complete their formal education. The characteristics will give the Ministry and the educators a clear road. The characteristics will effectively determine the performance of Singapore’s education system. Students are expected to embody the DOE to include:

• Confident Individual – Students should be a self-assured individual. That means that he/she has the ability, resources and judgment to be successful. Being a confident individual also means thinking independently and decisively.
• Active Contributor – The student should be involved in the efforts of a team to create initiatives for the community. He/she should work well with teams. Lastly, he/she must take calculate risks in the pursuit of excellence and the betterment of the society.
• Concern Citizen – The student should love Singapore. The love will give him/her civic responsibilities, duties and consciousness. The love will then be translated into actions, efforts and initiatives in the betterment of the society.
• Patron of Learning – Students should be patrons of learning. He/she is responsible for his/her own learning. He/she will ask questions and in return persist to learn the answers. It is not good to rely to others when they have questions. They should strive to uncover the answers.

Towards the end of the primary school, students should be able to determine right from wrong. Knowing his/her strength, weakness and areas for growth are also expected. Students of primary school should be confident and expressive. Apart from that, students are expected to embrace healthy habits. More importantly, they should love Singapore.

Towards the end of the secondary school, students should have moral uprightness. Students are expected to accept their abilities and adapt to the changes. They are also expected to take responsibility when it comes to learning. More importantly, they should believe in Singapore and appreciate it.

Towards the end of post-secondary school, students should have courage to stand up for what they think is right. Students are expected to the resilient and brave in times of hardships. Apart from that, they should be socially responsible. More importantly, they should be a proud national of Singapore.