The Ministry of Education aims to help our students to discover their own talents, to make the best of these talents and realise their full potential, and to develop a passion for learning that lasts through life.

We have a strong education system. Singapore students aim high and they achieve very good results. This is recognised around the world. We have good schools, with capable school leaders and teachers, and facilities that are amongst the best in the world.

We are building on these strengths as we prepare the next generation of Singaporeans for the future. This is a future that brings tremendous opportunity, especially in Asia, but it will also bring many changes that we cannot foresee today. The task of our schools and tertiary institutions is to give our young the chance to develop the skills, character and values that will enable them to continue to do well and to take Singapore forward in this future.

We have been moving in recent years towards an education system that is more flexible and diverse. The aim is to provide students with greater choice to meet their different interests and ways of learning. Being able to choose what and how they learn will encourage them to take greater ownership of their learning. We are also giving our students a more broad-based education to ensure their all-round or holistic development, in and out of the classroom.

These approaches in education will allow us to nurture our young with the different skills that they need for the future. We seek to help every child find his own talents, and grow and emerge from school confident of his abilities. We will encourage them to follow their passions, and promote a diversity of talents among them – in academic fields, and in sports and the arts.

We want to nurture young Singaporeans who ask questions and look for answers, and who are willing to think in new ways, solve new problems and create new opportunities for the future. And, equally important, we want to help our young to build up a set of sound values so that they have the strength of character and resilience to deal with life’s inevitable setbacks without being unduly discouraged, and so that they have the willingness to work hard to achieve their dreams.