The Study On The Development Of Bilingual Education Policy In Singapore

Singapore had suffered from colonial rule and became independent in1965with smallland area, but it ranks among the world’s developed countries in just half a century. There aremany reasons for Singapore’s rapid development, but one of the most important reasons is thesuccessful implementation of bilingual education, which has trained a large number ofbilingual professionals. Also, the development of Singapore is inclusive for both eastern andwestern culture and well adapted to the carrying trade model.The development of Singapore’s bilingual education policy has its profound historicaland practical roots. The carrying trade model continued for centuries since the Great VoyageAge laid the background for Singapore bilingual or multilingual education; the Britishcolonial rule up to one and a half centuries laid the indelible imprint for language education inSingapore; multi-ethnic society needs has built the bridges and ties to communicate andcontact with each other; export-oriented economic development models need large amounts ofbilingual or multilingual talents.The development of bilingual education in Singapore has its own unique characteristicsand evolution process. Its history of development of bilingual education experienced roughlyfour stages. First stage is before1965, which is the Bilingual education Enlightenment andearly explores time before independent. Due to the special geographical position, long-termmulti-ethnic, multi-linguistic and export-oriented economic development model, Singaporeattempts to try the bilingual education and laid the foundation for the bilingual educationpolicy after its founding; From1965to1986was called as the establishment and practiceperiod under the theme of the survival and development of bilingual education, in these21years, there were a series of reforms around bilingual education to explore the bilingualeducation model, which achieved the unity of the origins of education. With the bilingualeducation policy, Singapore not only promoted the success on the world, but also entered arapid development period soon; From1987to2007was the period to revise and adjustbilingual education under the theme of economic boom, three Chinese teaching reform and anew distributaries’ system made the bilingual education policy’s adjustment and reform tofurther deepen; From2008until now is the period to deepen forward the bilingual educationin Singapore under the theme of Re-Creating Singapore, from the central curriculum toschool-based curriculum, the innovation of bilingual education policy is further strengthened and the globalization of bilingual education degree is increasing.Although at different times the function and location of bilingual education in Singaporeare different, after the founding of this nation, in general all the policies are around "educationact in concert with economic development" and also to adjust the times and evolve itself toexplore the road for education and cultivate talents for the nation. Just a half a century,bilingual education and Singapore benefit each other to develop and make a magic together.Singapore not only becomes a successful unique model in the world in the field of education,but also turns itself as one of the world’s developed countries from a formal resource-poor andcontradicts small fishing village. There are many historical experiences from Singapore’sbilingual education policy which are worthy of in-depth study and research.