English education During the colonial era, education in various languages developed separately, led mainly by Christian missions and various local communities. The colonial government did establish schools for ‘natives’— Malay schools, mainly in what is now Malaysia. However, because the economy during the pre- independence period was mainly based on the entrepôt trade, English education was designed primarily to produce personnel for clerical and lower administrative positions in the colonial government, and in commerce.

Two institutions of higher learning were established during the colonial period— the King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1905, and Raffles College, for the study of arts and social sciences, in 1929. These were amalgamated to form the University of Malaya in 1949. The University of Malaya was, in turn, renamed the University of Singapore in 1962.

The landmark document that shaped education in Singapore was the 1956 Report of the All- Party Committee of the Singapore Legislative Assembly on Chinese Education. The recommendations of this report were implemented in 1959. The key policy recommendation was parity of treatment for all official- language streams. The main language of instruction in schools could be in any of the four official languages (namely Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil), although schools that used Chinese, Malay or Tamil as the main language of instruction had to teach English as a second language. Similarly, schools that used English as the main language of instruction had to provide for the learning of a mother tongue as a second language.

The popularity of English- medium schools has continued to grow since the mid- 1960s. Though it is impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of this popularity, two contributory factors can be identified. The first has been the pragmatism of parents, who recognize that there are more employment opportunities for workers proficient in English. The second has been the decision to use English, rather than Chinese or Malay, as the language of business and administration.

All schools now use English as the medium of instruction. While this has undoubtedly contributed to Singapore’s economic growth and social cohesion, there have also been some unintended consequences. Learning English remains a challenge for many students who come from families in which English is not the main language used. English is the most frequently used language for only 23 per cent of the population. Furthermore, the use of English correlates with the educational level and socio- economic status of families.

Since proficiency in English affects a student’s performance in other subjects, the Ministry of Education has worked to improve the teaching and learning of English in all schools.

Photo credit: Singapore Press Holdings/ The Straits Times