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Singapore is recognised as one of the best educational hubs in Southeast Asia, with an education system which nurtures a quest for lifelong learning.

With its foundations laid on the British GCSE and GCE examination systems, Singapore’s school system has since evolved to meet the nation’s specific needs. It has also become a learning system that others commend and emulate. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2015/2016, Singapore ranked 3rd in the world for the quality of its educational system.

It is compulsory for all Singaporeans to complete six years of the foundation and orientation stage of primary school education. Students move on to secondary school education upon passing the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

Secondary school education generally spans across four to five years, with students streamed according to their PSLE results into the Normal, Express or Special stream. This allows them to develop at their own learning pace. Secondary school students proceed to post-secondary education and to higher learning institutions once they pass their GCE ‘O’ level examinations

Singapore’s higher learning institutions, which are heavily involved in global-oriented programmes, have produced skilled and adaptable professionals sought after worldwide. Singapore’s public universities have earned strong global standings. In the World University Rankings, for example, Times Higher Education had constantly placed NUS and NTU among the top 100 universities in the world.