Singapore is a hot destination for expats as the country offers one of the best living experiences in Asia comparable to any developed country. Therefore, it is only normal that to suit the expat population’s educational needs with diverse cultures, Singapore have a high number of international schools. Although these schools primarily serve the educational needs of children hailing from other countries, locals can get their children admitted to these schools except at the primary level.
There are different types of international school Singapore that share some standard features. They follow either an international curriculum that has worldwide acceptance or a national curriculum of some particular country. The schools accept local children whose parents find the curriculum suited to their learning needs or beneficial for their plans of sending their children abroad for higher studies later.
In this article, we will discuss the types of International Schools in Singapore.
American International School
You will find American International Schools in 138 countries worldwide, including Singapore. In some ways, these schools are directly or indirectly associated with the US State Department. These schools follow the curriculum of any of the American states but attach a global perspective to it. Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools are the agencies that provide accreditation to the American Internal Schools.
The curriculum focuses on a generalized education so that students can learn from multiple disciplines before they proceed to a college education. At these schools, students must meet specific criteria to graduate with a high school diploma. Some schools encourage students to take International Baccalaureate courses (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP) concurrently with the high school curriculum to help them prepare for higher education.
English National curriculum
Singapore’s public education system follows the British Education system as a model as other Commonwealth countries do. However, over the years, differences started cropping up between the two education systems that evolved naturally. In 2006, the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination official parted ways with the British GCSE examinations. Today, in Singapore, the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is treated equivalent to the GCE-O level examinations. The majority of the students of public schools take the IGCSE course. In contrast, secondary students of International Schools that follow the English curriculum are keen to sit for the IGCSE as it is a qualification awarded by the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). Children of the age group 16-18 years proceed to take GCE Advanced Subsidiary (AS) offered by CIE or Advanced (A) levels.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Three IB programs are available in Singapore – PYP or the Primary Years Program, MYO or Middle Years Program, and IBDP or Diploma Program. IB education programs aim at preparing students to become world citizens and holistic education is for students between the age of 3 years and 19 years. Assessment of the PYP and MYP programs consists of internal assessments by the schools’ teachers, and the IDBP students receive wide international acceptance at the international level.
The best schools are the ones that match with the educational goals of the students that help them advance in their careers.