THIVYA NARAYASAMY KPD 6024 SINGAPOREAN AND MALAYSIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Singapore education is lauded in many different circles for producing quality education services and stands among top best in world and this can be shown by international surveys such as Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in Mathematics, Reading and Science whereas Malaysian students scored below par when they make foray into the ranking system. Lets we look at the differences of our education system with our counterpart. Our Malaysian education system stands among the best in world education standard. The main key differences between our nation and Singapore was the public institutions there been taught in English. Interestingly enough, the situation was once the same in Malaysia, beginning from the time when the colonial British powers introduced English medium schools into Malaysia, phasing out many Malay medium schools. After 1970, the English medium changed back to Malay medium. In this view English language is a universal language that been used widely all over the world. Singapore education policy system included English as their main language and by this way they have been more globally competitive compared to our Malaysian education system. Another key difference is Singapore education system serves their high achievers better compared with our nation. In Malaysia there is a brand differentiation among the public schools here especially by measuring their performance by SPM results. Although this measures help the particular schools to gain advantage, but it is not really productive. If we compare with Singapore the teachers there mainly focus on the students talent and perform on meritocracy. This shows their education system more towards knowledge based. In Malaysia the intention is there but merely they never execute it to be more successful like Singaporean counterpart. After the PMR examination previously students are streamed into science and art streams, the consequence is that students took different subjects compared with their relative peers in secondary school. Too often, the most clever and bright student picked by their achievement of As and combination of subjects they took in SPM paper and this produces batch after batch of student who are cookie-cutter aligned to standard of excellence that actually not related to the professional world. However education system is not so homogeneous and one-dimensional. Exceptionally gifted students in Singapore are given access to Integrated Programme after the PLSE that is equivalent to UPSR in Malaysia, and students there access to academic material beyond their typical curriculum in

THIVYA NARAYASAMY KPD 6024 order for them to skip O-Level that is equivalent to SPM examination in Malaysia and proceed straightway to A-Level. It shows from their own philosophy that their services been value added for the sake of their students . Singapore also offer their services more effectively for cheaper price. In Singapore there is choice whether which school want to go if you are part of elite. A quick analysis into their Maths paper in junior college clearly can surpass our Malaysian STPM or Matriculation paper by covering syllabus that far more wide. The very famous institution in Singapore such as Raffles Institution charge their students comparatively lower than Malaysian college charges. Additionally foreign universities often stands in apparent acknowledgement of dominance of Singapore model of education. The country also boasts highest entry per capita to world renowned Cambridge University but we here in Malaysia still in the midst of discussing whether wanted to teach Science and Mathematics in English or Malay. By this measures Singapore shows they are world Class Company, education and services just following their philosophy as stated. Singapore also use various technology facility in their curriculum activities and as in the science subjects to show how important of the technology in their education system. Even the students in secondary schools given access to Singapore navy ships and their defense machineries during their National Service training. This shows they leverage science, technology and innovations as a tool for global competitiveness. To some extent, while Singapore been successful with their sort of education compared with Malaysia, it also not escape with multiple failures, though these failures sound hauntingly familiar to those read newspapers nowadays. While academics are criticizing them for excessive emphasis on rote learning and subsequently producing graduates who lack critical thinking faculties, employers also often cite the familiar tune that Malaysian graduates are unemployable for the very same reason, with added vitriol in the form of crisis of the ability to converse in English. Regardless of the differences between our system and Singapore, we should actually strive harder in aspect of learning process to enhance our skills compared with them. Until there is a concrete and serious effort to work towards improving public education here in Malaysia, private and international schools here in Malaysia will stand to fill gaps, unlike in Singapore where their role is to supplement what have been already exists there. Hopefully our nation will be more successful and competitive in the region and world by enhancing the education system.

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