When the island of Singapore became an independent country in 1965, it had few friends and even fewer natural resources. How did it become one of the world's great trading and financial centres? The strategy, explained Lee Kuan Yew, its first prime minister, was "to develop Singapore's only available natural resource: its people".
Today Singapore's education system is considered the best in the world. The country consistently ranks at the top of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) a triennial test of 15-year-olds in dozens of countries, in the main three categories of maths, reading and science. Singaporean pupils are roughly three years ahead of their American peers in maths. Singapore does similarly well in exams of younger children, and the graduates of its best schools can be found scattered around the world's finest universities.
The island-state has much to teach the world. But other countries are reluctant pupils. One reason is that Singapore favors traditional education, with teachers leading the class. That contrasts with many reformers' preference for looser, more "progressive" teaching intended to encourage children to learn for themselves. Although international studies suggest that direct instruction is indeed a good way of conveying knowledge, critics argue that Singapore has a "drill and kill" model that produces uncreative, miserable maths expert. Parents worry about the stress the system puts on their children.
Yet Singapore shows that academic brilliance need not come at the expense of personal skills. In 2015 Singaporean students also came first in a new PISA ranking designed to look at co-operative problem-solving, scoring even better than they did in reading and science. They also reported themselves to be happy—more so than children in Finland, for instance, a country that educationalists regard as an example of how to achieve remarkable results with cuddlier (逗人喜爱的) methods of teaching. Not content with its achievements, Singapore is now introducing reforms to improve creativity and reduce stress. This is not a sign of failure, but rather of a gradual, evidence-led approach to education reform—the first of three lessons that Singapore offers the rest of the world.
1. What made Singapore become one of the world's great trading and financial centres?
A: Its unique location.
B: Its people.
C: Other country's help.
D: Its technology.
2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A: American peers are three years ahead of Singaporean pupils in maths.
B: Other countries are modelling after Singapore's loose teaching method.
C: Singapore is performing educational reforms to improve creativity and reduce stress .
D: Singapore is an example of how to get brilliant results with cuddlier methods of teaching.
3. What is the passage mainly about?
A: Singapore's development.
B: Singapore's financial centre.
C: Singapore's advanced education system.
D: Singapore's academic performance.
China has not only become the worlds factory, but has also brought great opportu
Professor Hawking is __________ as one of the worlds greatest living physicists.
The little girl who would become the worlds most magical actress began as an ano
Bill Gates ________ of Harvard two years into his college education to found one
It is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds largest undergr
The studys report states that as global warming transforms the environment in th
Degradation of the worlds natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the p
He became the worlds richest man by developing and selling computer software aro
Scientists will have to ________ new methods of increasing the worlds food suppl
Chinas huge market and economic growth are looked upon ___ benefits to the world