It’s a world-class teacher’s pet — a straight-A student that’s top of the class: Singapore is officially the country with the smartest high-school kids in the world.
The country’s academic success has helped it become a thriving economy, and the way it has built its education system could hold lessons for the rest of the world.
“Singapore is a fascinating case,” said Marc Tucker, the president of the U.S. National Center on Education and the Economy. “[It] was a major British port before the Second World War. When Britain got out and closed its base Singapore was in terrible shape.
“Now today they are one of the best performing economies in the entire world. They did it largely with education and training.”
I-Word Understanding
Teacher’s pet – a teacher’s favorite
Thriving – developing well; prosper
II – Have Your Say
1. According to this article, the two main factors of Singapore’s excellent education are:
– they prioritize good teachers
– strong emphasis on the application and creative use of knowledge
2. Standardized tests (e.g. national college entrance exam) are given to provide fair, valid and reliable assessments that produce meaningful results. What are your thoughts on standardized tests? Are they necessary?
3. Do you agree with “earlier is better”? At what age do you think kids should start with formal learning on literacy and numeracy?
