# data[].attributes.body
Names: Jia Liang, Hanqi
Country Assigned: Australia

3 Key Similarities:

1. Both Singapore and Australia have a similar education system structure with primary and secondary schools compulsory, followed by either tertiary education in colleges and universities or vocational education and training. Vocational training schools aim to equip students with skills required for the workforce and train them to be knowledgeable professionals in their fields, awarding them with a diploma, similar to ITE and polytechnics in Singapore.

2. Use of technology in education

Both countries promote the use of technology in schools and as a teaching tool. Australia has the Broadband-Enabled Education and Skills Services Programme which funds online interactive education projects. Singapore also has a subject called Information and Communication technologies and a Future School programme to promote the use of ICT. It aims to be a leader in the use of ICT in education and to use it to transform learning.

3. Both countries have similar educational goals. At the meeting of the Council for International Education in November 2016, the council set its aim to develop partnerships between people, institutions, and governments at home and abroad, and also to enable its students to compete globally by responding to global education and skills need. Similarly, universities in Singapore have partnered with various reknowned overseas universities such as the Yale-NUS partnership and SUTD-MIT collaboration.

3 Key Differences:

1. In Singapore, most schools receive a curriculum and funding from the government, with only a small minority of schools being private. This is not the case in Australia. Similar to many Western countries like the United States, there is a false belief that private schools tend to be better than government/public schools. This generates a gap between the demand for private schools over public schools. In Singapore, this phenomenon is minimised due to the fact that the government equally provides for all schools, especially at the primary level, to ensure that all students at all schools receive the same standards of education.

2. While Singapore's education system runs smoothly and requires only a few tweaks every few years, the Australian education system differs due to the fact that the government is still attempting to adopt an approach that is most effective for its students. Though many countries have slowly began to merge new technologies into the classroom, Australian educators generally have the sentiment that the implementation of technology has not been done smoothly, and has in fact led to a decrease in Australia's ranking in the PISA Assessment. This shows a clear distinction from Singapore, as our government has already found the "winning formula" for our students, and is able to adapt quickly and smoothly to a rapidly changing global landscape.

3. Interestingly, all public education in Australia is wholly provided by the government as education is seen as the obligation of the government to the people. In Singapore, although the school fees are heavily subsidised by government schemes like the GIRO Fund and EduSave, parents still do pay a certain sum to schools to provide for their child's compulsory education. This is related to the first difference mentioned, as the different types of schools in AUstralia charge different types of fees to the parents. For private schools which are only partially subsidised by the government, parents still do pay a school fee to provide education for their child.

Sources:
http://www.bobinoz.com/blog/3335/cost-of-living-in-australia-school-fees/
http://www.themandarin.com.au/80737-australia-learn-hong-kong-singapore-rebuilding-vocational-education-training/
http://au.educationhq.com/news/40708/reforms-needed-to-better-engage-school-students/
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/australia-institute-report-into-act-schools-reveals-poor-performance--again-20170720-gxezk1.html
https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/post-secondary#polytechnics

https://www.studiesinaustralia.com/studying-in-australia/what-to-study-in-australia/types-of-education/vocational-education

https://www.education.gov.au/technology-schools

https://www.moe.gov.sg/about/org-structure/etd

https://www.sutd.edu.sg/About-Us/Collaborations/MIT

http://www.nus.edu.sg/global/partners.html

# data[].attributes.body
Name: Sarah and Ray Han
Assigned Country: Hong Kong SAR

3 Similarities:
1) Compulsory Formal Education.

In Singapore, formal education is compulsory. "According to the Compulsory Education Act, a child of ‘compulsory school age’ is one who is above the age of 6 years and who has not yet attained the age of 15 years." It is often the case that primary (6 years) and secondary education (4 years) is compulsory.

Similarly, in Hong Kong, while Kindergarten is not compulsory, primary school (6 years) and junior secondary school (3 years) is compulsory.

2) Emphasis on Standardised Testing

In Singapore, students have to take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at Primary 6, and the GCE 'N' or 'O' Levels at Secondary 4. In Hong Kong, at the end of Secondary 6, students take one public examination - the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination, which replaces the former Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination. The HKDSE is recognised internationally to an extent similar to Singapore's  GCE 'A' Levels. For example, the United Kingdom's Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system recognises the two equally.

3) Both governments put heavy emphasis on funding for education.

The total budgeted government expenditure on education in the 2016-17 financial year is $84.0billion, representing 17 per cent of total government expenditure. The Government has extended free education in public sector schools from nine years to 12 years as from the 2008/09 school year.

In Singapore,  the revised FY2016 total expenditure of the Ministry of Education (MOE) is $12.66 billion. This is $0.73 billion or 6.1% higher than the actual FY2015 expenditure of $11.93 billion.

3 Differences:
1) Use of languages in schools:

In Singapore, students are trained to be at least bilingual, to speak their Mother Tongue and English, or trilingual, by taking up a third language at Secondary 1.

In Hong Kong,  the Chinese government has been promoting the use of the mother tongue, Chinese, as the principal medium of instruction (MOI) for local schools. But as both Chinese and English are the official languages in Hong Kong, the Government invests heavily in training students to be biliterate (Chinese and English) and trilingual (Cantonese, Putonghua and English). The fine-tuned MOI arrangements for secondary schools have been implemented from Secondary 1 since the 2010/11.

2) Different emphasis on vocational education and training

In Singapore, Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education are the only forms of "vocational" education available, but the many forms of vocational specialisation possible are simply generalised under the two types of schools.

In Hong Kong, there is the Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) scheme, where the programmes are provided at THEi, School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE), Institute of Professional Education And Knowledge (PEAK), Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), International Culinary Institute (ICI), Hotel and Tourism Institute (HTI), Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI), Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI), Youth College (YC), Pro-Act by VTC, Integrated Vocational Development Centre and Shine Skills Centre.

3) Varying focus on adult education

The only official government policy on adult education is the  Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses. In Singapore, there is a much larger emphasis on continuing education, as seen from the vigorous implementation of the SkillsFuture initiative.

Sources:

http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/list-page.html

https://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/education.pdf

https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/education-system/compulsory-education

http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/data/budget_2017/download/27%20MOE%202017.pdf

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2016-09-01_093402.html

# data[].attributes.body
Name: Audrey, Timothy
Assigned country: Japan
Sources:
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/when-grades-define-worth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_Test_for_University_Admissions

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/01/20/reference/exam-hell-now-not-so-hot/#.WXX07IiGPIU
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/schools-looking-to-better-harness-technology-to-aid-learning-8200446

http://journal.jp.fujitsu.com/en/2015/03/06/02/

https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/education-system/compulsory-education

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/06/10/national/compulsory-nine-year-school-system-kicks-off-japan/#.WXX6R4iGPIU
https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/interesting-facts-about-japanese-school-system/

https://www.tokyo-icc.jp/guide_eng/educ/01.html

3 key similarities with Singapore's education systems:
1) Competitive environment with high-stakes examinations

(SG) Singapore has high-stakes national examinations such as the Primary School Leaving Examination, GCE ‘O’ levels and GCE ‘A’ levels . Such tests are often stress-inducing and cause anxiety in students and parents alike. It was reported in the Straits Times that a student was harshly berated by her mother for scoring below expectations in PSLE and subsequently referred to a therapist due to anxiety, depression and self-harm.

(Japan) High school students undergo the National Center Test for University Admission. Since the test is only administered annually and entrance to top-ranked universities and colleges is so competitive in Japan, the test has become the subject of scrutiny by many. The process of candidates cramming for the sake of entering their dream college has been widely known as “examination hell”

2) Use of technology in education

(SG) FutureSchools programme launched by the Ministry of Education in 2007 to incorporate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to aid learning. Jurong West Secondary School was among the first few schools to implement the use of an online annotation tool to analyse visual text such as advertisements. There is also an emphasis on computing, with all 1400 students at Fuhua Primary School being taught coding and programming in 2016.

(Japan) Future Schools Promotion Project launched in 2010 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC), which encompasses the use of smart technology in collaborative learning and monitoring the pace of educational progress. In the Japanese education market, tablets in use were worth 26 billion yen in 2013, and are predicted to reach 75.9 billion yen in 2018 (IDC Japan estimate).

3) Compulsory Formal Education
(SG) Compulsory education was first implemented in Singapore in 2003. Two key objectives of such a policy were to establish a “common core of knowledge which will provide a strong foundation for further education and training” and “a common educational experience which will help to build national identity and cohesion.”

(Japan) Compulsory education has normally been divided into six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school. More recently, under the new system which aims to resolve problems such as bullying and truancy that have been attributed to the conventional six- and three-year division of education, integrated nine-year schools are designated as “compulsory education schools” instead of elementary and junior high schools.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Javier and Daren
Assigned country: Switzerland
Sources:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/11-best-school-systems-in-the-world-a7425391.html
https://borgenproject.org/education-in-switzerland/
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education-system-should-be-aligned-with-needs-of-the-economy-ong-ye-kung
https://swisseducation.educa.ch/en/vocational-education-and-training-0
https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/oct/01/switzerland-university-rankings-invest-research-science
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/by-the-numbers_young-and-jobless--the-solution-isn-t-always-university/40518378

3 Key similarities with Singapore's education system

1. Similar to Singapore, the education system in Switzerland are separated by ability from secondary school onwards, otherwise known as banding in Singapore.

2. Since most students are educated in state schools, they will be learning in an environment that is rich in a variety of cultures, including variations in linguistic backgrounds, with German, French or Italian being the most common languages of instruction. This is largely similar to Singapore as most students attend government schools and mix around with students of different races and ethnicity. We also learn different languages like English and our respective mother tongues with some students taking on third languages.

3. Switzerland also has a compulsory education system for their children up to a age of 16 just like in Singapore. Both countries have a compulsory education of 9-11 years. Home schooling in both countries are also very rare.

3 Key Differences Singapore's education system

1.       Switzerland places more emphasize on "dual-education track", in which young people can become craftsmen in a wide range of fields. Many professional qualifications are obtained in upper-secondary education through vocational education training (VET), while in Singapore (an many other countries) the same qualifications are obtained in tertiary level education.

2.       Switzerland invest heavily in research and science. Presence of the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, giving the country’s institutions the opportunity to benefit from collaborations with leading universities worldwide. Switzerland’s success partly reflects the country’s heavy investment in research: it spends 2.2% of its GDP on research and development, double the EU average of 1.1%. While in Singapore, research funding amounts to around 1% of GDP.

3.       In Switzerland, students are given a choice to learn different foreign language. German is the first foreign language to be taught at schools in French-speaking Switzerland.

Italian-speaking Ticino gives priority to French as the first foreign language, while in canton Graubünden there is a choice between German, Italian or Romansh. While in Singapore, it is compulsory for local student to take English and Chinese.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Luke, Min Yi
Assigned Country: Finland
Sources:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are- finlands-schools- successful-49859555/
http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/singapore-should- not-be- finland
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/tuition-industry- worth-over- 1b-a- year
http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/learning-life- finnish-way?singlepage=true
https://www.ial.edu.sg
http://ncee.org/what-we- do/center-on- international-education- benchmarking/top-performing-countries/singapore- overview/singapore-teacher- and-principal- quality/

3 key similarities with the education system in Singapore:

1. Both countries place a large emphasis on life-long learning, widely promoting adult education. The main objectives of adult education policy in Finland are ensuring the availability and competence of the labour force, providing educational opportunities for the entire adult population and strengthening social cohesion and equity. Educational institutions organise education and training intended for adults at all levels of education. Similarly in Singapore, there are also educational institutions, such as the Institute for Adult Learning, which promote career training and adult education to allow working individuals to deepen their competencies.

2. Both countries pride themselves in the high quality of their teachers. In Finland, teaching is the most highly sought after and respected job and Finnish teacher education programs are extremely selective, admitting only one out of every ten students who apply. This allows the teachers selected to be from the top quartile of the cohort. Similarly in Singapore, teachers are recruited from the top third of high school graduates after a grueling application process which includes panel interviews that focus on the personal qualities that make for a good teacher, as well as intensive reviews of their academic record and their contributions to their school and community.

3. In Finland, teachers have control over their classrooms, lesson plans, and hours outside of teaching. While teachers in Singapore may not have full autonomy over their students, the school principals have the authority to make decisions concerning their students. For example, in Nanyang Girls High School, the decision to start school at a later timing was made, allowing the students to start school at a later timing as compared to other secondary schools.

3 key differences between the education system of Singapore and Finland:

1. As compared to Singapore where the private tuition industry is a booming industry, there are no private tuition lessons in Finland. According to an expert in international tests such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), school is the only place where students study in Finland and children mark a very clear difference between school time and their free time. This has always been the tradition in Finland as parents believe that children need their free time and rest after school and homework. On the other hand, the tuition industry in Singapore is worth $1 billion, largely stemming from a strong commitment to education in Singaporean families. The mindset in Singapore is that exam results have a great bearing on a child’s future and thus many parents hope to give their children a boost.

2. In Finland, teachers have full autonomy over their students. They are allowed to decide how their lessons should be carried out, what should be taught and do what they deem is best for their students. They are largely free from external requirements such as inspection, standardised testing and government control and schools are able to design their own curriculum and student assessment. This is unlike the education system in Singapore, where schools are within the purview of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and teachers have to adhere to the stringent guidelines set. For instance, lessons in schools are planned according to the syllabus and learning objectives set by the MOE.

3. Another difference in the education system of Singapore and Finland would be the national examinations that students take. In Finland, students take their first and only major national exam at the age of 18-19. This is unlike Singapore’s education system, where students sit for their first major national examination, the Primary School Leaving Examination, at the age of twelve.

# data[].attributes.body
Name: Si Yihan, Bryan Loh
Assigned Country: Korea
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/education-25187993

https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf

http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/04/15/393939759/the-all-work-no-play-culture-of-south-korean-education

http://wenr.wes.org/2013/06/wenr-june-2013-an-overview-of-education-in-south-korea

https://ries.revues.org/3897

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2094427,00.html

3 key similarities with Singapore's education system:

1. Both education systems consists of punishing school schedules and great focus on academic results. In Singapore, suicides of students have been on a steep rise. In Korea, the leading cause of death of teens is suicide. 14 hours days in school reflects Korean society’s powerful focus on educational achievement. Suicides due to stress from school is widespread in Korea. All forms of education ride on a single college entrance exam in both countries, the A levels in Singapore and the ‘suneung’ in Korea. Results from this examination decides whether the student can enter a university, or if the student can enter a good university. Stakes are high and competition is fierce in both countries.

2. Both education systems produce excellent test scores and are two of the top 10 achievers in the PISA tests. In the 2015 PISA results, Singapore places 1st in all three tests: Science, reading and mathematics. Meanwhile, Korea placed 10th, 8th and 9th for science, reading and mathematics respectively.

3. Both education systems focus a great deal on education which will allow for students to contribute back to society in future with the skills they pick up in schools. For example, in Korea, vocational high schools offer general secondary education in the first year, with specialized courses in the fields of agriculture, industry, commerce, maritime, and home economics in the final two years. Similarly, in Singapore, polytechnics and the Institute of Education (ITE) offers a large variety of courses for students to select from based on their interests, and is closely tied to the working world as they gain experience through various internships and working opportunities.

3 key differences between the education system in Singapore and assigned country:

1. There is more significant political involvement in Korea’s education as compared to Singapore’s. There has been several controversies over Korea’s history textbook. The controversies primarily concern portrayal of North Korea and the description of the regime of the South Korean president and dictator Park Chung-hee. With the recent change in the textbook proposed by former president Park Geun-Hye, strong opposite and protests arose. New president Moon Jae-in scrapped the proposal when he assumed office following the impeachment of Park. Meanwhile, in Singapore, social studies textbooks are provided by several publishing houses and provide a generally objective view on Singapore’s history and political scene, with little to no nationalist propaganda.

2. Korea’s education system may possibly focus more on helping the weaker and disadvantaged students as compared to Singapore’s competitive education system. For example, in Korea, since 2009 the Schools for Improvement plan has been a proactive strategic intervention driven by a strong governmental plan called the Zero Plan for Below-Basic-Level Pupils. Its aims include coping with the results of evaluative studies, minimising the number of underachievers, reducing the gap between pupils, and ensuring every pupil is equipped with the key competencies required by the national curriculum. On the other hand, in Singapore, children who come from poorer families have to work hard by themselves as they are unable to afford tuition unlike the more affluent children. Thus, there might be greater inequality in Singapore’s education system as compared to Korea’s education system.

3. It is more difficult to achieve success under Korea’s education system as compared to Singapore. For example in Korea in 2010, 74% of all students engaged in some kind of private after-school instruction, sometimes called “shadow education”, at an average cost of $2,600 per student for the year. There are more private instructors in South Korea than there are schoolteachers. This reflects the lack of independent learning among many South Korean students. On the other hand, when Singapore’s Education Minister was asked in 2010 about Singapore’s reliance on private tutoring, he mentioned that we were much better than South Korea and he saw that as a glimpse of hope. Although there is still a lack of independent learning in Singapore, this is less severe than that in South Korea.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Charlotte, Haoyuan

Assigned country: China

Sources:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/09/17/chinese-children-disabilities-denied-access-education

https://www.oecd.org/china/Education-in-China-a-snapshot.pdf

https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/25/chinas-new-rules-education-people-disabilities-still-fall-short-says-ngo/

https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/resources-to-support-mainstream-students-with-special-needs

https://censorshipineducation.wikispaces.com/International+Education+and+Censorship

http://chicagopolicyreview.org/2014/05/30/academic-stress-in-china-coping-with-high-expectations-in-school-environments/

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/when-grades-define-worth

http://www.asiaone.com/asia/tuition-fees-harsh-lesson-chinas-parents

3 Key similarities with Singapore’s education system

1.  High stake exams

In Singapore, Students have to go through several high stake exams throughout their school years, namely the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), the O’ Levels, the A’ Levels and so on. A student’s quality of education and future job prospects are heavily dependent on the result of such exams. Similarly in China, students also have to go through high stake exams, such as the Gaokao which is the exam students take after high school to enter universities. This exam also has a direct and heavy impact on a student’s position on the social ladder in the future.

2. Students are faced with high stress levels

Students in Singapore are generally very stressed from as young as when they are in primary school due to high expectation from parents and pressure from peers to do well. Similarly, a strong culture of academic achievement famously exists in China. Chinese students report some of the highest stress levels in the world according to an international survey comparing stress levels in twelfth grade students in the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States. Also According to a recent study in The Educational Review on educational stress, students in China feel the weight of their academics particularly acutely.

3. Students often have classes outside school for additional learning

It is a popular trend in Singapore for students to be enrolled in tuition classes in addition to the normal school education. These tuition classes reinforce and compliment their learning in school. In China, parents very often enrol their children in tuition classes too. However, in this case there is a much wider range of classes, ranging from academic subjects that are taught in schools to additional skills such as playing musical instruments and calligraphy or even sports like swimming and table tennis.

3 Key differences between Singapore’s and China’s education system:

1.       Discrimination

In China, rural schools often have lesser facilities, quality teachers and funding compared to the urban schools. The hukou system — a residency status that ties access to subsidized social services to one’s hometown — denies rural children the right to enter urban public schools. However, for Singapore, the government provides funding for all schools and resources are equally distributed.

2.       Inclusiveness of education

For mainstream schools in China, teachers receive little to no training, funding and support staff to take care of children with disability. More than a quarter of children with disabilities receive no basic education at all. However, in Singapore, 10% and 20% of teachers in all primary and secondary schools respectively are trained and certified in Special Needs to support students with mild special educational needs. Also, there are a few specialised schools to cater to children with disability.

3.       Censorship

In china, education is heavily controlled by the government to further political and national goals, especially when learning about China’s history. China’s internet is also one of the most heavily regulated in the world. However, in Singapore, the government do not make use of education for any political agenda, and education is to allow students to learn and explore.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Brandon Wu and Joshua Ang

Assigned country: India

Sources:

https://www.quora.com/How-does-the-Indian-educational-system-differ-from-that-of-Singapore-and-the-USA

https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/india/family/schooling-education/special-needs-education

https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/india/family/schooling-education/school-system

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/compulsory-education-for-all-special-needs-children-from-2019-7718218

https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/special-education

http://www.nie.edu.sg/

http://tgpg-isb.org/sites/default/files/policy-paper/28.%20Comparison%20Education%20system%20in%20Singapore%20and%20India.pdf

http://www.iracst.org/ijrmt/papers/Vol2no12012/18vol2no1.pdf

3 key similarities with the education system in Singapore:

1. Most schools in India and Singapore are funded and run by the government and both systems have similar structures: Pre-school, primary, secondary, pre-university and university

2. Both systems provide special needs education and both governments provide funding for special needs schools. In Singapore, the education of students with special educational needs (SEN) who are of school-going age is provided in special education (SPED) schools. Today, there are 20 SPED schools run by 13 Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) and all 20 schools receive funding from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Similarly in India, under India's Disability Act (1995), children with disabilities have the right to free education up to the age of 18. Other rights include provisions such as transportation, scholarships, and free uniforms, books and teaching materials. Children with special needs have access to special schools providing non-formal education and vocational training. There are more than 2,500 schools for children with special needs in India. Some are run or supported by the government, while many are registered NGOs or private institutions.

3. India and Singapore both have nursery education, moving up to primary and secondary education. Despite the difference between singapore’s pre-university education and India’s higher secondary education, both countries still have University for about 4 years before post-graduate education and eventually doctorate and PhD.

3 key differences between the education system of Singapore and chosen country:

1. The public education system in India faces serious challenges including a lack of adequate infrastructure, insufficient funding, a shortage of staff and scarce facilities whereas Singapore heavily subsidises education and ensures that staff are sufficiently equipped with the necessary training through the National Institute of Education.

2. In Singapore, pre-primary or kindergarten schools are registered with the ministry of education of Singapore but in India, the pre-primary schools are not registered with the ministry of education of India. Moreover, the ministry of community department at Singapore give license to childcare Centres to run pre-primary. In India, Aanganwadis (a rural Mother and childcare centre in India) runs under Women and Child welfare department and neither English or Mother tongue is taught(English and Mother tongue taught up to age of 4 years old in pre-primary schools in india). ICT(information and communication technologies) based technique and computer based methodology is used in all classes in primary schools in Singapore but not adopted in most primary schools in India. ICT method adopted during secondary education in India but computer methodology is still not adopted in most secondary schools in India.

3. Compulsory Education Act in Singapore is very strong. If parents do not send their child to schools, there is a provision of penalty. So children are usually sent to the nearest school. Normal health check up and dental checkups are done every 6 months in all Singapore schools but not in India. Welfare of students are much better taken of in Singapore than in India.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Javier and Daren
Assigned country: Switzerland
Sources:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/11-best-school-systems-in-the-world-a7425391.html
https://borgenproject.org/education-in-switzerland/

3 Key similarities with Singapore's education system

1. Similar to Singapore, the education system in Switzerland are separated by ability from secondary school onwards, otherwise known as banding in Singapore.

2. Since most students are educated in state schools, they will be learning in an environment that is rich in a variety of cultures, including variations in linguistic backgrounds, with German, French or Italian being the most common languages of instruction. This is largely similar to Singapore as most students attend government schools and mix around with students of different races and ethnicity. We also learn different languages like English and our respective mother tongues with some students taking on third languages.

3. Switzerland also has a compulsory education system for their children up to a age of 16 just like in Singapore. Both countries have a compulsory education of 9-11 years. Home schooling in both countries are also very rare.

# data[].attributes.body
Name: Ernest Goh, Hui Kit
Assigned country: Russia
Sources: https://www.justlanded.com/english/Russia/Russia-Guide/Education/Russian-Schools

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/01/03/what-u-s-schools-can-learn-from-russia/2/

http://globallanguagelearners.weebly.com/russia-travel-blog/the-russian-educational-system-vs-the-american-system

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/pay-rise-for-teachers-and-boost-for-non-grads-among-them

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3465581.stm

3 Key similarities with Singapore's education system:
1) Similar to Singapore which has a compulsory primary school education under the compulsory education act, Russia also has a compulsory education system for children between ages 6 to 15.

2)Both Russia and Singapore has an education system which focuses a lot on memorisation, this leads to many of the students in both countries being criticised for lacking critical thinking skills and creativity, only knowing the facts and knowledge through memorisation.

3)Both Russia and Singapore provide free basic education. Singapore only provides free primary education while Russia provides free primary and secondary education

3 Key differences with Singapore's education system:
1)In Russia, teaching is a less sought-after job as they have a starting pay of $500+, which is considered rather low to Singapore’s starting pay of $3000+

2)Russia provides free education for primary and secondary education while Singapore only provides free primary education

3)In Russia's schools, students have to take no fewer than 14 subjects (example School 1253) as compared to Singapore students taking 4 to 5 subjects. Although Russia has been trying new approaches to fewer subjects

# data[].attributes.body
Name: Han Liong, Gigi
Assigned Country: Norway
Sources:
https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/education-system/compulsory-education
http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/norco.htm
https://www.oecd.org/pisa/35070367.pdf
http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/skills-training-and-development/skillsfuture
https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/financial-assistance
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/guest-bloggers/what-norway-not-finland-tells.html
https://www.oecd.org/norway/48632032.pdf
https://www.moe.gov.sg/docs/default-source/document/education/primary/files/primary-school-education-booklet.pdf
http://uil.unesco.org/fileadmin/keydocuments/LifelongLearning/en/NorwayStrategy.pdf

3 Key Similarities with Singapore's education system

1. Compulsory Education

According to the Compulsory Education Act, a child of ‘compulsory school age’ is one who is above the age of 6 years and who has not yet attained the age of 15 years.

Norwegian children start school during the calendar year in which they reach the age of 6. Compulsory education covers 10 years and consists of three stages: primary stage grades 1-4 (age 6-10); intermediate stage grades 5-7 (ages 10-13) and lower secondary stage grades 8-10 (age 13-16).

2. Continuous Education

Norway believes that education must be organized in a lifelong learning perspective if we are to meet changes in society constructively.

SkillsFuture is a national movement to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop their fullest potential throughout life, regardless of their starting points. Through this movement, the skills, passion and contributions of every individual will drive Singapore's next phase of development towards an advanced economy and inclusive society.

3. Inclusive Education System

The overall objective of education policy is to ensure equal education opportunities for all students irrespective of gender.

The Ministry of Education provides financial assistance to needy Singapore Citizen students in Government, Government-aided schools and Institute of Higher Learning so that all Singaporeans, regardless of their financial background, can benefit from the best opportunities in education. It also provides subsidy for school fees to Singapore Citizen students from lower and middle income families in Independent Schools, except some which have their own financial assistance schemes.

3 Key Differences between Singapore's education system and assigned country's system

1. The greatest difference between Norway's and SIngapore's primary education subjects curriculum is the emphasis on students being able to use digital tools. Singapore's primary subject curriculum mainly includes academic subjects.

2. Norway's primary and lower secondary schools are accountable to their local municipalities rather than the national education board. School syllabus are planned by the municipalities, unlike Singapore where every school has to follow a specific syllabus.

3. Norway's desired outcomes of education is very academic driven, as compared to Singapore's desired outcomes of education focuses more on instilling the right character traits. This can be seen below:

Desired outcomes of education in Singapore:

a confident person who has a strong sense of right and wrong, is adaptable and resilient, knows himself, is discerning in judgment, thinks independently and critically, and communicates effectively;

a self-directed learner who takes responsibility for his own learning, who questions, reflects and perseveres in the pursuit of learning;

an active contributor who is able to work effectively in teams, exercises initiative, takes calculated risks, is innovative and strives for excellence; and,

a concerned citizen who is rooted to Singapore, has a strong civic consciousness, is informed, and takes an active role in bettering the lives of others around him.

whereas Norway's desired outcomes of educations are

All students leaving compulsory school should be able to master the basic skills that will enable them to participate in further education and working life.

All students and apprentices who are able to do so should complete upper secondary education with a certificate of competence that permits further studies or entry into working life.

All students and apprentices should be included and experience a sense of mastery.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Nigel Tan, Micole Lim
Assigned country: USA
Sources:

http://www.air.org/resource/what-united-states-can-learn-singapore%E2%80%99s-world-class-mathematics-system-exploratory-study
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/sarameads_policy_notebook/2010/07/what_can_and_cant_we_learn_from_singapore.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaswallow/2012/04/25/creating-innovators/#1b07dece7202
http://themiddleground.sg/2015/11/11/imagine-singapore-no-imagination/
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/09/cover-pressure.aspx
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/more-children-and-teens-are-stressed-out
https://www.noodle.com/articles/innovative-schools-2015
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/reinventing-classes-pushing-boundaries

3 Key similarities with Singapore's education system:
1) lack of emphasis of creativity in the education system

In the United States of America (USA), students are often found to be too caught up with their grade point average (GPA), and have a culture of consumerism, whereby they accept what they are given and not ask or think of new ways to achieve better goals.

Similarly in Singapore, students are very engrossed in the grades they obtain in school, which are attained through memorisation of the syllabus and regurgitation during examinations, so as to retain a spot in prestigious courses in the universities.

2) Detrimental effects on psychological wellbeing of students due to highly stressful education system

In the USA, one in ten of college students had attempted suicide due to highly stressful school environments, the overemphasis on school grades, and bullying in school.

In Singapore, the obsession with grades in school influenced by demanding parents causes students as young as of primary school age to face depression and anxiety, maybe even suicide. It is not an uncommon sight for parents to implement punishments such as caning on their children if they were to score below the expected scores set by their parents which are more often than not unrealistic.

3) Shift to independent learning

In the USA, more technology-based teaching is done, and some schools specially provide different environments for students from undeserved communities. Other teaching methods to encourage students to take charge of their own learning include gamified lessons and student-led governance.

In Singapore, many colleges and varsities are looking to place a higher percentage of learning on flipped learning, where students watch their lecture videos at home and return to school to attempt their work with the guidance of the tutor. This is to allow a more flexible curriculum for students due to their busy schedules, so that they can learn at their own pace as well as reduce the dependence on the teachers.

3 Key differences with Singapore's education system:
1) Greater support for teachers
Singapore places greater emphasis on the teachers than in USA. For example, after grade 12, all Singaporean pre-service teachers attend Singapore's only teacher training institution, the National Institute of Education (NIE), where they receive 100-150 hours of methods courses, 35 hours of mathematical content courses, 40 hours of math pedagogy (teaching methodology), and 25 hours of general pedagogy. Pedagogy, however, is always linked to content and the same professor teaches both mathematics content and pedagogy. (By contrast, in most teacher education schools in the U.S., there is little emphasis on learning mathematical content, and pedagogy and content are often taught separately.)

2) Style of learning
Singapore promotes rote learning more than USA. Singapore's education system places more emphasis on grades than in USA, which leads students to be extremely focused on the content tested, rather than creative and analytical skills, which are emphasised in USA's education system.

3) Difference in success
Comparing the differences in success between USA and Singapore in the mathematics department, analysis of these evidentiary streams finds Singaporean students more successful in mathematics than their U.S. counterparts because Singapore has a world-class mathematics system with quality components aligned to produce students who learn mathematics to mastery. These components include Singapore’s highly logical national mathematics framework, mathematically rich problem-based textbooks, challenging mathematics assessments, and highly qualified mathematics teachers whose pedagogy centers on teaching to mastery. Singapore also provides its mathematically slower students with an alternative framework and special assistance from an expert teacher.

The U.S. mathematics system does not have similar features. It lacks a centrally identified core of mathematical content that provides a focus for the rest of the system. Its traditional textbooks emphasize definitions and formulas, not mathematical understanding; its assessments are not especially challenging; and too many U.S. teachers lack sound mathematics preparation. At-risk students often receive special assistance from a teacher’s aide who lacks a college degree. As a result, the United States produces students who have learned only to mechanically apply mathematical procedures to solve routine problems and who are, therefore, not mathematically competitive with students in most other industrialized countries.

# data[].attributes.body
Names: Zhi Peng, Gabriel
Assigned country: Israel
Sources:
https://www.moe.gov.sg
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Education/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.dsta.gov.sg/
http://www.reali.org.il/en/%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%90%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%93/
http://www.panmaz.co.il/panmaz/index.php?page=155
http://ncee.org/what-we-do/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/singapore-overview/singapore-system-and-school-organization/
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Universities-to-offer-incentives-for-high-level-mathematics-matriculation-exam-437880
https://www.classbase.com/countries/Israel/Education-System

http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/industries-israel-economy-strongest/2015/10/29/id/699681/

https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/places/israel/&refURL=https://www.google.com.sg/&referrer=https://www.google.com.sg/

3 key similarities with Singapore's education system:
1) Higher mobility and better socioeconomic status through education

Both countries recognise the importance of education as a key basis to attaining higher mobility and better socioeconomic status. On a national level, educated workers are instrumental in boosting economic strength for the countries who both depend on high-ended technological industries heavily reliant on human labour. As both nations are small, human labour is scarce and hence, it is highly important for them to educate the population well.

2) Utilising education to help improve defense

In Israel, there exist military preparatory schools such as the Israel Defense Forces Junior Command Preparatory School, that aim to develop different officers, those with knowledge and aptitudes which will enable them to function as true professionals. After studying, they will be in a better place to protect the nation.

In Singapore, organisations such as the Defense Science and Technology Agency provides scholarships and awards that aim to nurture students to prepare them for a career in the Defence Technology Community. They will then be able to provide technological and engineering support, to meet the defence and national security needs of Singapore.

3) Providing incentives in education

In Israel, students taking the matriculation exam in five units of mathematics will receive an extra bonus of 35 points in calculating their overall score, whereas those taking four units will only receive a 12.5 point bonus. This gives students an incentive to challenge themselves and do more.

In Singapore, the EduSave incentive system encourages students to put in more effort in studying, by rewarding students for excellence in both academic and non-academic work. Typically students in the top 10% of their class can expect small grants of about $400-$650. This provides a monetary incentive to do well in their studies.

3 key differences with Singapore's education system:
1) Compulsory education

In Israel, school attendance is mandatory and free from age 6 to 18. Formal education starts in primary school (grades 1-6) and continues with intermediate school (grades 7-9) and secondary school (grades 10-12).

On the other hand, Singapore offers compulsory education until primary school (age 12) at a highly subsidised school fees.

2) Specialisation in secondary level

Certain secondary schools in Israel offer a specialised curricula to prepare students for certain industries, where students study for a vocational diploma.  For example, they have agricultural schools and also military preparatory schools that train future career personnel and technicians in specific fields by the Israel Defense Forces.

Whereas in Singapore, the specialised schools available which are National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science, School of Science and Technology, School of the Arts, and Singapore Sports School, do not branch out into very specific fields of study but is still rather broad.

3) Discrimination

There are varied distributions of advantages and disadvantages for students in schools, where schools vary in size, funding, quality and of teachers. This results in wide-ranging effectiveness of education in Israel, where there is evident discrimination based on races and religions. In addition, rising budget cuts lead to a greater divide between the wealthier and the poor, in particular the Muslim and Jewish groups.

In Singapore, however, we base our education system on meritocracy, where there is generally equal opportunities for all. Different races are even encouraged to mix together in schools whereas Israel tends to segregate students in different schools that teach different religious lessons.

# data[].attributes.body
Name: Zehui, Ernest Ng

Assigned Country: Namibia

Sources: http://www.parliament.na/phocadownload/media/2016/speech_at_commonwealth_16.pdf

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/one-year-teacher-training-course-extended-to-16-months

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/6668d338-1cf6-42a6-be5d-220b02a1faca

https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/education-system/compulsory-education

http://www.moe.gov.na/news_article.php?id=215&title=Free%20Secondary%20Education%20to%20be%20implemented%20at%20the%20start%20of%202016%20%20school%20year

https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/financial-assistance

http://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/data/budget_2017/download/27%20MOE%202017.pdf

https://www.unicef.org/namibia/UNICEF_2011_Ninnes_Trends_and_Gaps_final_combined.pdf

http://www.seab.gov.sg/pages/nationalExaminations/GOL/general.asp

https://www.moe.gov.sg/about/org-structure

http://www.moe.gov.na/m_ab_aboutus.php

3 Key similarities with the education system in Singapore:
1)Compulsory education for children

In Singapore, a child of ‘compulsory school age’ is one who is above the age of 6 years and who has not yet attained the age of 15 years, according to the Compulsory Education Act.

Similarly, compulsory education in Namibia starts at the primary education level at an age of six.

2) Structured education governing boards

In Singapore, there are multiple governing boards aimed to oversee different areas of our education system, such as the Ministry of Education (MOE), which is the overarching board with various departments (for example student development curriculum), and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB), which administers national examinations.

In Namibia, similarly, the Ministry of Education, arts and culture oversees all education-related policies, with separate boards such as the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) assisting with vocational education, and Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), which evaluates the standard of national institutions.

3)Adaption to GCE Cambridge examination system

In Singapore, students undertake the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Examinations (GCE) at the Ordinary level (O-level) and at the Advanced level (A-levels), which are considered as national examinations and jointly authorised with University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)

Similarly in Namibia, after students complete grade 12, they receive the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) or  the Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education (HIGCSE). The difference is IGCSE exam papers are set and marked in Namibia, but moderated by Cambridge; whereas, HIGCSE question papers are set, marked and moderated by the University of Cambridge.

3 Key differences with the education system in Singapore
1) There is a lack of support and training for teachers in Namibia as compared to Singapore, where teachers are trained

In Singapore, teachers are required to undergo courses and trainings. Furthermore, Singapore actively improves its programme to better equip its teachers. For example, to help teachers better respond to the changing needs in education, the one-year teacher training programme for degree holders at the National Institute of Education (NIE) will be extended to 16 months. The additional four months for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme will be used to provide more hands-on practice in the classroom and additional courses.

On the other hand, many teachers in Namibia have low qualifications. The average school teacher in Namibia does not get adequate pre-service or in-service education

2)Presence of free education in Namibia but not in Singapore

In 2013, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture implemented Universal Primary Education, where parents were no longer required to pay compulsory fees towards the School Development Fund. In light of this, the Ministry will implement free secondary education in state/ public schools at the start of the 2016 school year.

While Singapore does not provide free education, it provides financial assistance to needy Singapore Citizen students in Government, Government-aided schools and Institute of Higher Learning so that all Singaporeans, regardless of their financial background, can benefit from the best opportunities in education.

3)Higher percentage of Namibia’s GDP allocated to education

As of 2016, Namibia allocates more than 18% of its national budget to education, which is 6-7% of Namibia’s total GDP, making it one of the three countries with the highest percentage of GDP directed towards education in the world

As of 2013, Singapore only allocates about 2.9% of our GDP to education, as the expenditure of MOE in 2017 is projected to be about SGD$12.9 billion, inclusive of the SkillsFuture package which is targeted for all Singaporeans to promote a culture of lifelong-learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Research on Education systems (Format for posting)

# data[].attributes.subject
Research on Education systems (Format for posting)

# data[].attributes.body
Names:___________
Assigned country:_________
Sources:

3 key similarities with Singapore's education systems:
1)

2)

3)

3 key differences between Singapore's education and assigned country's system
1)

2)

3)