Move over, Finland. Singapore has elbowed its way to the top of the Program for International Student Assessment ratings.
Every three years, PISA statistically measures 15-year-olds in 72 countries on math, reading and science. About 540,000 students took the exam in 2015, results were published in 2016 and Singaporean students came out as the big winners.
Singaporean students came first academically, but also topped a new PISA analysis designed to look at collaborative problem-solving.
That was music to the ears of conservative education critics who have expressed concerns about their fear that a growing preference for more 鈥減rogressive鈥� teaching methods, intended to encourage children to learn for themselves, is supplanting Singapore鈥檚 and other countries more traditional commitment to 鈥渟tand and deliver鈥� direct instruction.
The most recent administration of PISA was in the fall of 2018. Results will be reported at the end of 2019.
For what it鈥檚 worth, sa国际传媒 placed seventh, ahead of Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. The United States placed 25th.
Interestingly, unlike most other countries, the education system in Singapore still divides high- and low-achievers into separate schools from the age of 12.
Subsequently, the elementary school leaving exam, taken at 11 or 12, is a critical crossroads for kids, and sets life directions at an early age.
Those who excel are placed in the best, most selective schools. This group can expect a future of foreign study and top government jobs. Those who are not as successful go into vocational streams.
There is no record I can find that indicates whether all Singaporean 15-year-olds take the PISA exam or only those more academically successful students who were streamed into academic schools.
That aside, the international education establishment is still undecided about how and to what extent PISA ratings should influence a country鈥檚 education policies and practices, but it is generally agreed that PISA results are a kind of compass needle.
A compass needle points to magnetic north, a constantly shifting target that wanders to different locations at a rate of about 55 kilometres a year.
In the same way as a compass points somewhere roughly north, PISA results provide general direction, but do not take into account the political, cultural and even geographic and economic terrain which must be considered when planning a kindergarten to Grade 12 journey for a student.
Like that compass needle, assessments are important but not everything.
There鈥檚 a history to Singapore鈥檚 PISA success and success in public education generally.
Singapore became an independent country in 1965. At that time, it had few allies and even fewer natural resources.
The first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, explained his vision and strategy which was 鈥渢o develop Singapore鈥檚 only available natural resource: Its people.鈥�
Singapore has evolved into being one of the world鈥檚 great trading and financial centres.
According to The Economist, Singapore looks at its education system as a whole and invests heavily in education research. Close attention is paid to how new ideas and results should be applied in schools.
There is an emphasis on recruiting and developing excellent teachers. Teachers interested in career development but not the administrative career lane can become 鈥渕aster teachers,鈥� with responsibility for training their peers.
There is also a heavy emphasis on tests and exams in later years, although in 2012 Singapore stopped publishing the names of top scorers and widened the criteria used for entry to the best secondary schools.
From 2021, the plan is that elementary-school leavers will no longer receive a precise score, instead getting a broad grade. How that will affect the academic/vocational 鈥渟treaming鈥� process remains to be seen.
In addition, by 2023, almost all schools will have 鈥渁pplied learning鈥� programs in subjects such as computing, robotics and electronics, even drama and sports 鈥� 鈥渞eal-world鈥� environments where there are no exams.
Persuading parents, accustomed to exam-based academic success, that there is more to life than exam results has been a challenge.
Critics of the system point out that Singaporean children do indeed lead more structured lives than in sa国际传媒. There is little time or space for free play, the expectation to study is intense, and there is disproportionate pressure to excel.
Again, the concern is that Singapore鈥檚 early 鈥渟treaming鈥� is creating social stratification.
Perhaps the greatest concern expressed by Canadian educators about data-based international comparisons and the subsequent policy influences of PISA is that by emphasizing a narrow range of measurable aspects of education, PISA takes attention away from the less measurable or even immeasurable educational objectives such as ethical, civic, healthy lifestyle and artistic development, thereby dangerously diminishing our collective imagination regarding what education is and ought to be about.
Geoff Johnson is a former superintendent of schools.
