What is Singapore’s elementary mathematics system?

Singapore’s education system has risen in the past decade, making it one of the current frontrunners in the education world. Singapore has developed a child-centered focus, taking into account the needs and interests of their students. Singapore is focusing its educational efforts towards development of an “ability-based and aspiration-driven school system” (Rasmussen & Bayer, 2014, p. 816), or development of the individual and encouraging potential.

Singapore has outlined that one of the key importances of mathematics education is that “the process of learning becomes more important than just what is to be taught and remembered” (Ministry of Education, 2012, p. 6). This outlook is very similar to that of lesson study, where the focus is on the learning, not on if students answers are correct or if they did their work the ‘right way’. Also, similar to lesson study, there is a respect for teachers and for education in Singapore. Students and parents realize that school is their pathway towards future success and improvement. Because of this cultural view, “family's enroll their children in special Saturday sessions and hire math tutors” (Lee & Wassel, 2012, p. 6) which also contributes to student success.

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​Research shows multiple factors that contribute to Singapore’s success in elementary mathematics, these factors include a focus on practice to develop skills, providing lower-achieving students with alternate routes and assistance, preparing highly trained teachers, placing emphasis on high order thinking skills, using more challenging tests, and “having a unified and logically organized mathematics framework” (Lee & Wassel, 2012, p. 5).