INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS


Spotlight on Singapore S


Singapore is often quoted by the education secretary as a


system to which the UK must aspire.Ann Puntis takes a look


umming up the design features of the secondary education system in Singapore is a little more complex than providing an answer to: “they still do O levels, don’t they?” and taking a view about whether the country’s strong performance in international surveys can


be put down to their continuation with a qualification long since dropped in the UK. Singapore presents a different context to that of the


UK in so many ways – there’s the size of population, the size of the country, the number of schools, national values, university pathways and so on. There is also an interesting secondary system which presents a number of routes for young people, providing each with the


Moral support: National Children’s Bureau Stopping the bullies


What do the best schools do to tackle bullying


behaviour? Dr Hilary Emery takes a look


EARLIER THIS month, Ofsted’s report, No Place For Bullying, analysed pupils’ experiences of bullying and the effectiveness of school practice to tackle bullying. While there has been much emphasis in the media around the high levels of bullying reported by pupils, what is less talked about is the clear evidence provided of what the “best schools” do to tackle this behaviour. Over the last 10 years the Anti-Bullying Alliance


(ABA), part of the National Children’s Bureau, has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of bullying. This year it will celebrate the seventh national Anti- Bullying Week, taking place from November 19. The theme this year is bullying as a barrier to achievement with the slogan: “We’re better without bullying.” It is possible to stop bullying in the schools


and communities in which we live and work – the Ofsted report makes it clear what works. We need government to be clear that this is a priority for all schools, including leadership training and development for headteachers and governors to develop the ethos, values and expectations that foster an inclusive culture. We need support and training for all school staff to


implement behaviour policies consistently, modelling positive behaviour and being confident in their understanding of diversity and effects of bullying. We need a curriculum that values personal, social and health education and good citizenship. We need standardised recording systems that


provide evidence of actions and outcomes and we need a structure that assists schools in working with the wider community in tackling prejudice and hate. Secondary schools and colleges need to more


consistently carry on the good work of so many primary schools in creating warm, caring environments based on values of respect and kindness. We need all members of the school community to


get involved in tackling bullying – from governors to support staff – with robust policies and high expectations of exemplary behaviour from both staff and pupils. Most importantly, we need to listen to young people – listen to how they interact with one another on a day-to-day basis. Listen to what they have to say about bullying. Recent research by the ABA and the University of


Cambridge looked at the experience of children with SEN and disabilities in relation to bullying in schools. As Ofsted highlights, they are particularly vulnerable to bullying in school – such as a reported repertoire of verbal abuse. Part of this research involved asking disabled


young people, and those with SEN, what works in tackling bullying. They were clear that they wanted to be partners in change: “We would be the adults for the day, and tell the teachers what they should do better.” Their ideas for “doing better” mirror the findings


of the Ofsted report. They include training staff in disability awareness, promoting positive images of disability around the school, and having a positive portrayal of disability throughout the curriculum. They also spoke passionately about the need for all


young people to be aware of what bullying is, what they should do if they experience or witness bullying, and for schools to be clear that disabilist language is a form of bullying. They celebrated schools that had an open door policy, with supportive school staff that took time to listen. The ABA knows what works in tackling bullying,


and is here to support schools and colleges in implementing effective practice. The ABA has created the School and College Network to directly support schools and colleges in becoming “the best”. It also urges schools to use Anti-Bullying Week this year as a vehicle for renewing their commitment to tackling all forms of bullying. The ABA provides free briefing papers on the week for teachers, governors and youth workers and a wealth of resources on all aspects of bullying.


• Dr Hilary Emery is chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau, which works in partnership with educational charities to improve the lives of children. Visit www.ncb.org.uk


Further information


To sign up to the ABA School and College Network or to follow the build up to Anti-Bullying Week, visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk


opportunity to realise their potential and play an active role as a citizen. The outcomes of Singapore’s National Review of


Secondary Education last year coincided with a change of direction in the wider education system which moved from an “ability-driven” focus to a position that is “student-centric and values-driven”. This change recognised that the curriculum of


a school is very much wider than an aggregate of prescribed subject content – it involves the education of adolescents at a crucial time of their social and emotional development. A student’s programme at secondary school in


Singapore is shaped by the outcomes of the Primary School Leaving Examination, taken in the sixth year of primary school by students typically aged 12-plus, identifying which of a number of secondary curriculum routes will be most suitable. It is worth being clear what this is not. It is not a


two-tier education, it is not about grammar schools and secondary moderns, it is not about “writing off” young people as second rate. It is about ensuring that young people receive an educational experience appropriate to their needs. For the most able student, the student predicted


to achieve straight As throughout their school career and achieve stellar performance in O level at 16, an integrated programme (IP) is available. This programme fuses secondary and post-16 stages and there is no requirement for each student to take the O level examination. This IP exemption applies to around three to


five per cent of the cohort who will not take any examinations at 16. It is not a policy designed to fast- track a group of students so that they “finish early”, it is more in recognition of the fact that an examination that adds nothing to your educational experience is unnecessary. Its removal provides sufficient space in the


curriculum for the talents of this group to be developed through wider study, study exchanges and innovative project work overseen by university departments. Only a small number of schools are approved as IP schools. In all other cases, students are streamed within


schools rather than being segregated into grammars and secondary moderns. Emphasis is placed on providing a curriculum for a wide ability range in community and extra-curricular activities. Some students will follow a curriculum leading directly to O level over a four-year secondary programme. Others will progress through a complementary “N level” qualification (N for normal) after four years and then onto O level after one more year of study. Around three-quarters of students who follow the


N level route move on to pass O level and around three- quarters of the cohort as a whole achieve O level after either four or five years of study. O level and N level have an overlapping curriculum


which makes progression easier. O level is an extended curriculum of the N level in most subjects. The result is a differentiated curriculum, which does not segregate students by school or into groups of “winners” and “losers” in the manner sometimes referred to by UK commentators. There’s a further route available for students on the


N level track – Normal Technical level (NT). This is for students who will progress to polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education and employment. There is not as much switching between NT and O level students. NT is intended as a qualification where learning is applied to practical and real-life contexts. Significant focus is given to the precise learning


requirements of this cohort so that the curriculum is fully appropriate. NT takes account of students’ greater need for language and maths support. It also recognises


14 ‘ It is a system well


understood and trusted by teachers. This is


possibly because of Singapore’s practice of rotation between school and Ministry of Education posts,


which means that those involved in advising and implementing educational policy


come from a teaching background


I do not think that anyone responsible for education


policy in Singapore would ever claim that there was nothing left to change in their secondary education. However, one clear advantage that the system has over the UK is that it tells it like it is. N level is clearly understood, allows for progression to O level and provides an effective scaffold for educational achievement. It is a system well understood and trusted by


’


teachers. This is possibly because of Singapore’s practice of rotation between school and Ministry of Education posts, which means that those involved in advising and implementing educational policy come from a teaching background, with first-hand and recent experience of life at the chalkface. Indeed, since their contract is with the government,


their next move may well be from the Ministry back to the classroom, responsible for implementing the policy they helped to form! An interesting thought… SecEd


• Ann Puntis is chief executive of University of Cambridge International Examinations. Singapore and University of Cambridge International Examinations work in partnership on the delivery of O levels in Singapore.


SecEd • July 5 2012


that, in an employment context, it is the Level 2 and 3 jobs (technician/junior management level) that are most likely to be transformed by technical developments. For example, the use of IT in NT classes plays a


greater part than for O level classes in recognition of this. Similarly, interactive textbooks and computer- based assessment are being introduced at an earlier stage in the NT classes to provide students with greater familiarity. Whatever curriculum track they follow, all students


will be required to achieve English and maths and all will follow science courses – available as separate physics, chemistry and biology syllabuses at O level and N level.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16