We all have our own definition and perception of what makes a good school. To some, it could be the principal or the teachers who define a good school. To others, it could be the school’s track record of well-known alumni or the academic performance.

what is a good school

The Ministry of Education (MOE) goal in education is to provide every child in Singapore with the opportunity to maximise his or her potential through a holistic development.

According to the MOE (2012), a good school consists of the following:

  1. Cares for its students, studies and knows the needs, interests and strengths of her students and motivates them to learn and grow
  2. Ensures all students acquire strong fundamentals of literacy and numeracy and develops them holistically, in character, knowledge and critical competencies
  3. Making each student a lifelong learner by creating a positive school experience
  4. Provides teachers who are caring, competent and steadfast in their mission
  5. Has the support of parents and the community, working together to bring out the best in our children
  6. Cares for and provides opportunities to all students, regardless of family circumstances

To meet the above guidelines, MOE has laid out several measures to developing good schools:

  • Resourcing Schools to Offer Customised Programmes

Schools have been resourced to offer customised programmes such as Holistic Assessment, Values in Action and Programme for Active Learning (PAL) to meet the needs of students. Different schools also offer a variety of programmes to develop the varied interests and abilities of their students.

  • Raising The Professional Standards Of Teachers

MOE has about 32,000 education officers, an increase of 4,000 from five years ago, and 2,200 Allied Educators under the Allied Educator Scheme that was started in 2009.

Since the Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST) started in 2011, almost 300 learning communities have been established for teachers to learn from each other within and across schools, providing various platforms where teachers can expand their repertoire of strategies to enrich their students’ learning, and learn from each other as well as experienced practitioners and partners.

  • Encouraging Learning And Innovation

Educators and school staff will come together to learn about the many good efforts and innovations in our schools and collaborate with one another to develop programmes to facilitate the students’ learning. MOE ExCEL Fest is one such platform. It is an annual event that features exciting and innovative practices in schools. It is also where parents and members of the public can find out more about the latest developments in our schools.

  • Promoting Parent-School-Community Partnerships

Parents play a key role in providing a supportive environment for our children to learn, and the community enriches learning through the opportunities they provide. Partnerships between the school and the community complement the school’s efforts to meet the developmental needs of every student, help the students feel a stronger sense of belonging to the community, and shape the educational journey of our children.

Source: Minstry of Education Singapore

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What do you think of MOE’s guideline of a good school and which would you rank as the most important? Share your comments below!

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