Hi Everyone!
My husband and I are thinking about migrating from the US to Singapore. Are there many of you who homeschool in Singapore? Do you know many others who homeschool but aren’t on the brillkids forum? I went to secondary school in Singapore from 1989-1991. Back then, homeschooling wasn’t as “trendy” in Singapore. I wonder how it is now.
Thanks,
Violin
Dear Violin,
We have compulsory education in Singapore, for all Singapore citizen. Here is some information for your perusal.
Compulsory Education
Introduction
Compulsory Education (CE) was implemented in Singapore from the new school year commencing 1st January 2003. The first cohort of pupils coming under CE are Singapore Citizen children born between 2nd January 1996 and 1st January 1997 who are residing in Singapore.
Background
Singapore has achieved almost universal education at the primary and the secondary levels through years of effort. Today, children who are not enrolled in national schools form only a small percentage of the cohort. The Government is however concerned that they are not being equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to be productive citizens in a knowledge-based economy. Hence, the Committee on Compulsory Education in Singapore (CCES) was formed in December 1999 to review whether compulsory education should be introduced in Singapore, and if so, the form and duration it should take.
CCES completed its work and presented its report (352kb .pdf) to the Minister for Education. Key recommendations included:
* Compulsory education should be introduced.
* Responsibility for sending children to school and ensuring that they attend school should still remain with the parents.
* Compulsory education should be up to Primary 6 as this is considered the minimum period of education for all Singapore children.
* Certain categories of children, e.g. those with special needs will be exempted from compulsory education.
Statute
The Compulsory Education Act (Cap 51) was passed by Parliament on 9th October 2000 and assented to by the President on 16th October 2000. It provides for compulsory primary education in Singapore and related matters.
Compulsory School Age
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.
A child of compulsory school age born after 1st January 1996, and who is citizen of Singapore residing in Singapore, has to attend a national primary school1 as a pupil regularly, unless he/she has been exempted from compulsory education, e.g. a child with special needs, a child attending a designated school, a child receiving home-schooling, (information on exemptions).
Penalty
According to the Compulsory Education Act (Cap 51), where a child fails to attend regularly as a pupil at a national primary school or a designated school/be home-schooled (where exemption is granted), the parent/guardian of the child may be guilty of an offence. The penalties provided in the Act for a person convicted for the offence are a fine not exceeding $5,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both.
Compulsory Education: Exemptions
The following categories of children may be exempted from compulsory education (CE):
*
[u] Designated Schools[/u]
Children attending designated schools, namely the 6 madrasahs currently offering full-time religious education for children of primary school-going age and San Yu Adventist School. These designated schools have to meet a certain PSLE benchmark for the “designated school†status, which allows them to continue admitting children exempted from CE at Primary 1. Parents will have to apply to MOE for a certificate confirming that their child has been exempted from CE. Applications for a certificate of exemption from CE are to be made through the respective designated school.
*
[u]Home-schooling[/u]
Where the parents are able to satisfy MOE that the two key objectives of CE can be achieved for their children. Parents will have to apply to MOE for a certificate confirming that the child has been exempted from CE. They are required to furnish information on the curriculum and educational outcomes of the home-schooling programme and make declarations that their child will sit the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 4 subjects (English, Mother Tongue, Mathematics, Science) when the child is above the age of 11 years and before attaining the age of 15 years. A home-schooled child has to meet the same PSLE benchmark as children attending the San Yu Adventist School, and sit the National Education Quiz before PSLE.
The PSLE benchmark for San Yu Adventist School is pegged at the 33rd percentile aggregate score of all EM1 and EM2 pupils. For the 1999 PSLE, the benchmark for San Yu corresponded to a PSLE aggregate score of 191.
*
[u]Special needs children[/u]
Children who are not able to go to national schools because of physical/intellectual disabilities are exempted from CE in national schools. Parents of children with special needs do not have to obtain certificates confirming exemption from CE.
Hi Violin
There is, i think, an increasing number of homeschoolers in Singapore. As iyph28 has correctly pointed out, the Compulsory Education Act applies to Singapore citizens. At the end of 6 years, the children have to take a Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
They have a yahoo group here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/singaporehg/ , though I do not think all the homeschoolers join this group.
My eldest son is 6 years old (Primary 1) this year, and I have started homeschooling him formally 
Dear momof3boys and iyph28,
Thanks for the info you both shared!