1. Comparison between Singapore’s education system and the Finnish education system. Comparison between Singapore’s education in the Past and Present.

Education

EL Education Presentation1Done By: Chan Chin KiatChua Song YangDaryl LimLim Yi FanWang Qi Yu

ContentsComparison between Singapores education system and the Finnish education system.

Comparison between Singapores education in the Past and Present.

23Education Presentation- Comparison of education systems between Singapore and Finland

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Why the Finnish education?Highly different from the education in SingaporeOne of the top ranking countries with a good educationOECDs Education StudyHigher literacy rates in reading, mathematics and the sciencesNarrowest gap between highest and lowest performers4

Attributes of Finnish educationEgalitarian systemin which the education favours equality and provides equal opportunities for students

Nordic education systemEmphasises on equality and excellence without tracking or streaming

"We don't divide at an early stage between students who do well and those that don't manage so well in schools," she says, speaking at Finland's education ministry in Helskini.

Attributes of Finnish educationInteractive learning styleIn Finland, educators believe that learning is not only linked to rankings etc., however, their education system rather emphasizes a lot on cultivating their students interest and passion in learning through interactive teaching and materials.

They believe that having happier attitudes is beneficial to the students learning as with an interest in a particular subject, the students will usually do and understand better with an intrinsic motivation to work harder.

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Finnish Early Childhood Education Emphasizes respect for each childs individuality and the chance for each child to develop as a unique person

Encourage students to more people-oriented and develop interpersonal and intrapersonal skills7

2nd stage of Finnish education9-year basic education in comprehensive schoolsRandomly allocated or selected, no streaming occurs

Students at 16 can choose to continue their education in the:Academic trackVocation track (prepares trainees for manual or practical activities)8

Singapores educationHierarchyPre-school educationKindergartenPrimary School (compulsory 6-year education)PSLE ExaminationsSecondary Education (Normal-Academic, IP)OLevel ExaminationsPolytechnicsJunior Colleges

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10Model structure of education system in Singapore:Singapores educationMeritocratic in natureProvide more opportunities for students who perform betterSportsAcademicsArtsStreaming occursPSLE examinationsGifted Education ProgrammeSelective School system

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SimilaritiesBoth countries place large emphasis on education as they are very small with little natural resourcesHuman resourceCompetition in the education sectorAttracts investments

DifferencesFinnish Education SystemSingapores Education System9 year comprehensive school6 year primary and 4/5 secondary educationEgalitarian (equal opportunities)Meritocratic (streaming occurs)Comprehensive school systemSelective school systemFree educationSubsidised educationNo mandatory tests and examsFrequent tests and yearly exams

Why is the Finnish education so successful?Finnish students only start their education when they are 6, formal schooling at 7Students go to school for only half a day4 hours a day10-week summer break Singapore students may find themselves spending 6 hours in school, sometimes even longer for CCAsHowever, we score still score lower than Finland in the literacy test by PISA

TeachersFinnish teachers are all prepared in academic universities and need a masters degree to qualify for a permanent jobcan have considerable independence in the classroom to choose their preferred appropriate pedagogical methods;are very willing to continuously update their professional skills via post-graduate studies;are more willing to work on themselves, are open to new ideas and developed broader perspectivesFull autonomy to plan curricular

TeachersIn Singapore, teachers undergo a series of test and even training in the NIEHowever, most teachers are confined to teaching with conventional methods textbooks, worksheets

Family involvementIn Finland, 3 books are given to the family of a newborn childCultivate a culture of reading from youngEncourage parents to influence their children to readIn Singapore, there could be a lack of family involvement as many parents complain of the long working hoursLack of family interaction and commitment

Loss of talents"It's like ice hockey. We let all the girls and boys play, not only the best ones. With this fair play, we can give everyone the same chance to practise their skills - and this also gives us the way to find the best ones." ~ Ms Haatainen, Finnish Minister

Loss of talentsIn Finland, talents would not be lost Education facilitates talent spottingStudents are in the same school for nine years (7 16 years old)Ample time to explore and find their niche areas

In Singapore, streaming happens at the age of 10 for the GEP and PSLE at the age of 12Some students may be late developers

EvaluationThe Finland comparison seems the most constructive: Both Singapore and Finland place tremendous emphasis on their education mechanisms, have comprehensive networks in place, and have achieved equal levels of scholastic excellence.

However, it has been asserted that our Finnish counterparts have been able to attain that level of success with significantly lower stress levels, and where actual processes of teaching-learning take precedence over mutual rankings, results or grades.

Therefore, it is vital that Singapore should learn from the successes of the education model in Finland and probably implement its own accordingly to meet the needs of the students, therefore effectively improve the education system.Education Presentation- Comparison between education of the Past and Present

Past and PresentEducation in Singapore is mainly shaped by the changing economical needs in the countryE.g. In the 1960s, there is a need to shift into the manufacturing sector. Implementations such as technical courses were implemented

Characteristics of Past Education 1960sDifferent language medium schoolsLate 1960s made bilingualism compulsory, but was not successfulTechnical Education

Characteristics of Past Education 1980sStreaming at primary level according to linguistic abilitiesWeakest stream took Primary School Proficiency Examination (PSPE) instead of PSLEReligious Knowledge classes (deemed inappropriate as Singapore is a secular state)

Characteristics of Present EducationEnglish-medium schoolsNo more different language medium schoolsBilingualism English (1st lang.); Mother tongue (2nd lang.)Co-curricular activitiesLEAPS Characteristics of Present Education IP ProgrammeThrough-Train Bypasses GCE O LevelProject-basedIndependent learnersFilters students and places them in niche schoolsi.e. SSS, SST, SOTA, NUS High Allows room for development of talentNot necessarily academic-basedSimilaritiesBoth still focus on academics Streaming still occurs Though at different levels

DifferencesPastPresentDifferent language medium schoolsEnglish-medium schoolsLinguistic streaming PSPE or PSLEGEP & PSLE streamingTechnical EducationAcademic-basedPri-Sec-Technical-UniversityPri-Sec-JC/Poly-(University)SSS, SOTA, SST, NUS HighUseful linkshttp://www.icponline.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=157&Itemid=51http://bertmaes.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/why-is-education-in-finland-that-good-10-reform-principles-behind-the-success/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article6754703.ecehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-readinghttp://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/snapshot/sf011210.htm

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