All children in Singapore are entitled to free state education, and all schools receive some level of public funding. Funding is administered directly by the central government. Schools are classified as either “government” or “government-aided;” government schools are fully funded while the aided schools – typically religious –only receive partial government funding, though this can be up to 90% of their total revenue. Both of these categories can have schools within them that are designated“independent” or “autonomous,” and these sub-categories are allotted additional government funding to expand their resources and curricula. The Singapore government is committed to equity and meritocracy in the school system, and all schools receive per-capita base funding from the Ministry of Education. The vast majority (76% of primary and 77% of secondary) of publicly-funded schools are government schools, and these serve the majority of Singapore’s student population. Government-aided schools comprise the remainder of non-private primary schools and all but seven of the remaining secondary schools. Although government-aided schools charge tuition to students, they are open-access to all students due to multiple government subsidy schemes. These schemes entitle students from low- and middle-income families to have part or all of their school fees paid. The seven independent/specialized secondary schools receive an additional allocation per student per year (in 2011, this was $150, though the Ministry intends to increase it to $300), which leads to them having improved resources. Admission to these schools is based on merit, and students who are admitted are allowed to take part in the government’s subsidy schemes. Another way in which the Singaporean government is committed to school resource equity is the PRIME program, under which the Ministry is rebuilding every school built before 1997 to incorporate new, up-to-date resources like computer labs, media resource libraries, and health and fitness rooms.
There are also private schools in Singapore, though they serve only a small portion of the population. While they receive no government funding, these schools must adhere to the same curricula and assessments as government-funded schools.

School Management and Organization

The Ministry of Education determines all national education goals and curriculum guidelines, and is responsible for hiring teachers directly from the National Institute of Education.  Schools are grouped into geographic clusters intended to provide local support for the Ministry’s education policies and initiatives. These clusters can help determine how the curriculum will be implemented, and can choose teaching materials, though the Ministry makes recommendations. The cluster superintendents, who are successful former principals, are responsible for providing leadership to principals, and to facilitate the sharing of resources and best practices between cluster schools. Schools set their own goals and give their own annual assessment, with an external assessment occurring every six years. Particularly effective teachers and administrators are identified in these assessments and are offered the chance to move into leadership roles. Within schools, principals are responsible for staff development, instructional guidelines and resource management. Principals are also responsible for completing teacher evaluations which can lead to bonuses.

Within each cluster, certain schools are designated as “autonomous.” These schools are typically the top-performing government schools, and due to their success, they are allowed to take greater responsibility for their governance. Most notably, autonomous schools are allowed to choose some of their staff and to set their own admissions policies.

Accountability and Incentive Systems

The Ministry of Education sets annual goals for schools, and teachers and principals.

Teacher performance is appraised annually in an Enhanced Performance Management System. Teachers are evaluated based on 16 different competencies, including their work in the classroom and their interaction with the greater school community. Rewards take several forms, including honors and salary bonuses. The Ministry also selects teachers for awards and recognition at the national level.

Students are also encouraged to work hard through the EduSave incentive system, which rewards students for strong performance in both academic and non-academic work. The government has a $4 billion fund dedicated to these grants, and typically students in the top 10% of their class can expect small grants of about $400-$650.  Larger grants are available through other EduSave awards.