Primary
Primary education in Singapore takes place over 6 years, of which four are spent on the foundation stage and another 2 for the orientation stage. Strong emphasis is placed on the acquiring of skills in English, Mother Tongue and Mathematics. The adoption of subject-based banding allows students to capitalise on their own strengths by combining a mix of standard and foundation subjects. Other than classroom lessons, pupils even at this early stage are encouraged to actively participate in co-curricular activities (CCA) and community involvement programmes. The Primary Six Leaving Examinations (PSLE) taken at Primary Six will assess the pupil’s performance and determine his options for secondary education.
Secondary
Secondary education may last from 4 to 5 years depending on the student’s performance in the PSLE. Students may be placed in the Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) streams, depending on which best suits their individual capabilities. At the end of their stay in secondary school, students will have to take either the GCE ‘O’ Level if they are in the express course or GCE ‘N’ Level Examinations for the normal course. Participation in a CCA during secondary school days is important because it would be taken into account when a student applies for admisson to a post-secondary institution.