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Reference No :     EDUN N25-02-004

Date :    16 Jul 98

CONTENT REDUCTION IN THE CURRICULUM

The Ministry of Education announced in March 1998 that it would be reducing content in the curriculum in order to provide room for teachers to implement the key initiatives announced in 1997, namely the infusing of thinking skills and integrating the use of Information Technology in lessons and the delivery of the National Education messages.

2 The immediate measures will see curriculum content reduced by up to 30% for most subjects. The second stage of the review is a more fundamental one, and involves not just the syllabus content, but also teaching methodologies, learning approaches and assessment modes. The second stage of the review, which is still in progress, will be implemented from the year 2001.

DETAILS OF CONTENT REDUCTION

3 The Ministry has now completed the first stage of curriculum review, namely the reduction of content in the curriculum. Of the 162 subject syllabuses in use in our schools, the target of 10% to 30% content reduction was achieved in 117 or 72 % of the syllabuses. These syllabuses have been classified as Group 1 syllabuses (listed at Annex 1A). The remaining 45 subject syllabuses with content reduction of less than 10% (ie. 0 - 9%) come under Group 2 (listed at Annex 1B). Where content reduction is less than 10%, the Ministry recommends a reduction in written assignments and a modification of classroom activities and practices to ensure that there is sufficient time for the implementation of the key initiatives.

4 The Ministry consulted educationists and all levels of representatives of the teaching profession from schools, the Institute of Technical Education, the polytechnics and the universities. The learning outcomes of each subject syllabus were considered in the review. The core content which constitutes the essential knowledge, skills and values of a subject and which provides a firm foundation for further learning at higher levels was retained.

5 The content removed or reduced from the subject syllabuses includes the following:

	Concepts or skills which are not fundamental to the essence of the subject studied or which rely on plain recall;
	Content which overlaps with that taught at other levels in the same subject or with what is taught in other subjects;
	Content which focuses on technical details rather than conceptual understanding and is no longer relevant in the Singapore context or in real world practice; and
	Content which is too difficult or abstract for the intended level.

IMPACT ON EXAMINATIONS

6 The reduced syllabuses will be implemented for students from January 1999 and will take effect in the national examinations as outlined in the table below:

TIME-TABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF REDUCED SYLLABUSES AND NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

7 The school-based Primary Four streaming examination and Primary School Leaving Examination, which is a locally run examination, will be based on the reduced content from 1999. The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education ‘Normal’, ‘Ordinary’ and ‘Advanced’ Level Examinations will be based on the reduced curriculum content a year later, from the year 2000. This is because the GCE examinations are international examinations and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate which administers them needs sufficient lead time to effect the changes. Students who will be in Secondary 4, Secondary 5, JC 2 and Pre -U 3 next year and taking the ‘N’, ‘O’, ‘A’ levels in 1999 will therefore use the existing syllabuses (ie. without content reduction) in January 1999.

8 There will be no change in the textbooks used in schools. There will also be no change in the way that examinations are set and marked. The number and type of questions that students will answer will remain largely the same for almost all the subjects. There are five syllabuses where content reduction has made it difficult to retain the same examination format. These are ‘A’ level Physics, Chemistry and Biology and Further Mathematics C and ‘O’ level Additional Mathematics/’AO’ level Mathematics. The revised examination formats for these subjects will take effect from the year 2000 examinations. Teachers and students will be informed and prepared for the changes.

BENEFITS

9 The reduction of content will give more time to schools to integrate the use of IT, incorporate strategies to foster thinking skills and deliver the National Education messages. Teachers will have the flexibility to plan and space out lessons according to the needs of their pupils. They are encouraged to use the time for more interaction in the classroom and more group work and to engage their pupils more actively in lessons.

10 The curriculum is the medium through which most initiatives in teaching and learning take place. The reduction of content will help shift the focus to a teaching and learning culture which nurtures innovative and creative thinking, lifelong learning and the ability to work in teams. This will equip students to prepare for the challenges and opportunities for the future and to contribute effectively to Singapore’s continued success. The more fundamental changes to the curriculum will take several years as it is a major review that will involve not only what is taught, but also teaching methodologies, learning approaches and assessment modes. Our goal is to have a curriculum that will balance breadth and depth and at the same time, maintain the same rigour and high standards that we have built up over the years.

Annex 1A

CONTENT REDUCTION IN THE SUBJECT SYLLABUSES

Group 1

(Subject Syllabuses with 10% - 30% Content Reduction)

PRIMARY CURRICULUM

LOWER SECONDARY CURRICULUM

@Denotes combined lower and upper secondary subject syllabuses

UPPER SECONDARY CURRICULUM

@Denotes the combined lower and upper secondary subject syllabuses

PRE-UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM

Annex 1B

CONTENT REDUCTION IN THE SUBJECT SYLLABUSES

Group 2

(Subject Syllabuses with less than 10% Content Reduction)

PRIMARY CURRICULUM

LOWER SECONDARY CURRICULUM

@Denotes combined lower and upper secondary subject syllabuses

UPPER SECONDARY CURRICULUM

@ Denotes the combined lower and upper secondary subject syllabuses

PRE-UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM