The education industry is one of Singapore’s key growth sectors. The industry plays a vital role in attracting and developing talent from around the world.

Transforming Singapore Into A “Global Schoolhouse”
Attracting Reputable Foreign Institutions To Singapore
Driving International Student Enrolment
Raising The Standards Of Private Education In Singapore
Creating Diversity With Specialty Schools
Developing Singapore As A Regional Corporate Training Hub
Nurturing Local Private Schools & Education Organisations
Developing Nationally-Recognised Skills Training For Adults
Growth Opportunities In Test Preparation, Testing & Assessment
Future Regulatory Developments

Transforming Singapore Into A “Global Schoolhouse”

• In 2002, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) launched the “Global Schoolhouse” vision, where Singapore would be seen as a world-class education hub with a diverse and distinctive mix of quality education services.
  
  
• To make “Global Schoolhouse” a reality, the programme will focus on:
  
  
  • attracting leading foreign institutions to set up in Singapore
  • enhancing the regulation of the private education industry
  • attracting quality international student enrolment
    
    
• The transformation of Singapore into a Global Schoolhouse is a multi-agency effort led by EDB and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), SPRING Singapore, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

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Attracting Reputable Foreign Institutions To Singapore

• Since the 1990s, EDB has been actively courting world-renowned education institutions. In recent years, efforts to attract world-renowned institutions have intensified.
  
  
• New York University’s Tisch School of Arts, University of Nevada Las Vegas and INSEAD are just some of the quality institutions that have recently set up in Singapore to tap into the region’s growing demand for higher education and ready pool of international students.
  
  
• These institutions, together with Singapore’s public and private education providers, will offer international students a rich spectrum of courses from secondary school to university levels.

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Driving International Student Enrolment

• STB is responsible for marketing and promoting Singapore’s education services in the international arena, under the umbrella brand of Singapore Education. Launched in 2003, the initiative is under the purview of the Education Services division of STB.
  
  
• STB works very closely with Singapore education institutions and specialists to reach out to potential international students through roadshows, education fairs, and educational talks/seminars as well as public relations and advertising.
  
  
• In 2007, STB launched the Singapore Education Awards – an annual event that honours organisations and individuals in the education industry who have championed the Singapore Education brand and delivered transformational and enlightening experiences to international students.
  
  
• As of 2007, there are 86,000 international students from 120 countries in Singapore. STB aims to have 150,000 full-fee paying international students in Singapore by 2015.

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Raising The Standards Of Private Education In Singapore

• In 2004, the Education Excellence Framework was introduced to raise the academic, organisational and student protection and welfare standards in Singapore.
  
  
• There are currently two key initiatives under the Framework: CaseTrust for Education and Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations (SQC-PEO).
  
  
• Private education organisations (PEOs) that enrol international students are required to attain CaseTrust for Education certification. To be certified, PEOs must have student protection and welfare practices in place and these practices must meet CaseTrust standards.
  
  
• PEOs with sound management systems may voluntarily apply for certification under SQC-PEO. Certification not only lends credibility but also rewards PEOs with faster visa processing for international students.

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Creating Diversity With Specialty Schools

• The rapid growth of Asia and boom in Asian tourism will bring about a rise in demand for niche, specialty courses such as interactive digital media, hospitality and culinary arts. 
  
  
• Part of this demand will be satisfied by the international institutions invited by EDB to Singapore such as the University of Nevada Las Vegas (hospitality programmes) and the New York University’s Tisch School of Arts (film arts programmes).
  
  
• Local educators are gearing up to meet the rising demand with support from the Government. One example is the LASALLE College of the Arts. The college now offers Bachelor and Postgraduate programmes for design, theatre studies, arts and music.

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Developing Singapore As A Regional Corporate Training Hub

• EDB also develops Singapore as a regional corporate training hub.
  
  
• EDB collaborates with multinational corporations such as Motorola and McKinsey & Co. to set up regional training centres. The economic agency also brings in corporate training institutes such as Centre for Creative Leadership and Gallup Organisation.

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Nurturing Local Private Schools & Education Organisations

• To offer more choices to both local and international students, the Government is encouraging PEOs to develop their own proprietary curriculum and tailor-make education programmes for international students.
  
  
• Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS), Raffles Education Corporation, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and Informatics are some of the local players taking up the challenge.
  
  
• With proprietary curriculum and programmes, these PEOs can tap into assistance provided by IE Singapore to export their services overseas.

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Developing Nationally-Recognised Skills Training For Adults

• The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) launched the Workforce Skills Qualification framework in 2005 to provide nationally-recognised skills training and certification for the adult workforce.
  
  
• As of 2008, WSQ has been developed for 12 industries including F&B, Retail and Tourism.
  
  
• WDA works closely with training providers to develop these skills training and certification programmes. WSQ-accredited training is subsidised by the Skills Development Fund (SDF), making training more attractive to individuals and employers.

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Growth Opportunities In Test Preparation, Testing & Assessment

• Singapore aims to establish herself as a centre for test preparation, testing and assessment services for the Asia-Pacific region.
  
  
• In 2004, MOE spun off a new statutory board called the Singapore Examinations & Assessment Board (SEAB) to develop and run national examinations.
  
  
• In the long term, SEAB will develop own examinations for the region and export testing and assessment services to the region. An Asian version of the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and locally-developed PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) are in the pipeline.

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Future Regulatory Developments

Regulation Of Private Education Organisations (PEOs)

• As the sector grows, there will be a greater need for higher standards and stricter rules. In 2008, the Private Education Bill was drafted for this purpose.
  
  
• When the Bill is passed, an Independent Council for Private Education will be established to oversee the regulatory framework for the private education sector.  For instance, the Council will be tasked with approving private school applications and taking action against errant private schools when required. The Council’s non-regulatory functions include promoting best practices among PEOs.
  
  
• CaseTrust for Education will also be replaced by the EduTrust Quality Certification Scheme in 2009. The new scheme imposes stricter standards on PEOs that enrol foreign students.

Improving The Quality Of Pre-School Education

• MOE will be raising the minimum academic qualifications of new pre-school teachers in 2009 and the existing teachers in 2013. Pre-school teachers will be given bursaries to attend courses to meet these requirements.
  
  
• MOE, together with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), will also be launching a voluntary quality assurance and accreditation framework for pre-schools in January 2011.

Related Press Releases

• Enhancing Regulation of the Private Education Sector, Ministry of Education, 4 March 2008
  
  
• Improving the Quality of Pre-school Education, Ministry of Education, 4 March 2008
  
  
• New Initiatives in Education Excellence Framework to Boost Global Schoolhouse Programme, SPRING Singapore, 9 September 2004
  
  
• Mark of Excellence for Private Education Providers, SPRING Singapore, 24 February 2003

Related Official Speeches

• Opening Remarks by Mr Ko Kheng Hwa, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board at the News Conference on the Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations Programme, SPRING Singapore, 24 Feb 2003
  
  
• Opening Remarks by Mr Lee Suan Hiang, Chief Executive, SPRING Singapore, at the News Conference on the Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations Programme, SPRING Singapore, 24 Feb 2003

Related Articles

• Education Guide 2008/09 for International Students, Singapore Education, Singapore Tourism Board, 2008 (PDF)
  
  
• Lean Empowerment - Moving Forth from SQC-PEO, Productivity Digest, SPRING Singapore, October 2003
  
  
• The Education Industry in Singapore, Singapore Department of Statistics, December 2002 (PDF)
  
  
• Executive Summary – Developing Singapore’s Education Industry, Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore (PDF)