School Curricula Guides

Singapore MoE

With a reputation for being rigorous, competitive and strongly focused on grades, Singapore's MOE curriculum scores top for maths, science and reading according to PISA's international benchmarking test.
Singapore MoE
Country of Origin: Singapore
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All local, government-owned schools follow the MOE (Ministry of Education) curriculum. There are six years of primary education for ages seven to 12 years – Primary 1 to 6 – ending with the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). Students then proceed to secondary education for ages 12 to 17 years – Secondary 1 to 5.

The primary curriculum includes English, maths, science humanities and the arts. All students must attend mother tongue classes in either Mandarin, Tamil or Malay. There are knowledge skills classes, which focus on developing communications skills, and a character development programme that includes life skills, PE and co-curricular activities. 

The secondary curriculum place students in the Express, Normal (Academic), Normal (Technical) or the Integrated Programme (IP) streams – and this is based on their PSLE results.

Students in the four-year Express and five-year Normal streams work towards taking Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level exams (this is equivalent to IGCSEs). Students take four to nine GCEs in core and elective subjects; those in the Normal (Technical) stream can take subjects such as design and technology.

All streams focus on the core subjects of English, maths, science humanities and the arts, and all students must attend mother tongue classes in either Mandarin, Tamil or Malay. As well as offering a foreign language programme in Spanish, Japanese, French and German, MOE secondary schools offer elective programmes in art and music; after school, students can take part in co-curricular activities. 

Higher-performing students can study the six-year IP in which they bypass taking GCEs and work towards A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Programme (IBDP). Local schools offering the IP include ACS Independent, Cedar Girls' Secondary School and St Joseph's Institution.

Although the MOE curriculum is certainly very academically focused, there is an increasing emphasis on the arts, co-curricular activities, innovation and global citizenship; new subjects being introduced include computing, theatre studies and drama. Also, local schools are offering more opportunities for students to take part in residential camps, join environmental groups, and explore non-academic interests and passions. All students take part in community service projects as part of the MOE's Values in Action programme. 

24 Singapore Schools offering Singapore MoE

School name Community District
Anglo-Chinese School (International) Holland Village Singapore Central
Ascensia International School Tanglin Singapore Central
Astor International School Tanglin Singapore Central
Bukit Panjang Primary School Bukit Panjang Singapore West
Bukit Timah Primary School Bukit Timah Singapore Central
Cedar Girls’ Secondary School Toa Payoh Singapore Central
Dimensions High School Serangoon Singapore North East
Furen International School Woodlands Singapore North
HFSE International School Toa Payoh Singapore Central
Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) Bukit Timah Singapore Central
Invictus International School (Centrium) Museum & Rochor Singapore Central
Knightsbridge House International School (Sentosa) Sentosa Singapore Central
Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah Museum & Rochor Singapore Central
Middleton International School (Bukit Timah) Bukit Timah Singapore Central
Middleton International School (Tampines) Tampines and Pasir Ris Singapore East
Middleton International School (West Coast) Queenstown Singapore Central
Opera Estate Primary School Bedok Singapore East
Raffles Junior College Toa Payoh Singapore Central
San Yu Adventist School Toa Payoh Singapore Central
School of the Arts (Singapore) Museum & Rochor Singapore Central
St Francis Methodist School Bukit Panjang Singapore West
Tanjong Katong Primary School Marine Parade Singapore East
The Open Primary Holland Village Singapore Central
The Perse School Singapore Bukit Timah Singapore Central

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