Singapore Study On The Diversion Of Basic Education - From Equal Educational Opportunities Perspective

Streaming has been controversial. This thesis focuses on the education in Singapore, where streaming has been a common phenomenon, combs the history of the P4 streaming, expounds the streaming after primary school, makes comparisons with the corresponding situation in China, and analyzes educational equity, mainly the issues of education opportunity equity raised by streaming.This thesis first introduces the general information of Singapore, the great international evaluation of its education by showing some relative figures in TIMSS. Four streamings through the education system are introduced afterwards. The history of the P4 streaming, its reform in 2008, and the evaluation of it are especially elaborated.The operating method of the streaming after primary school is demonstrated by graph. Streams that students enter are categorized into mainstream and non-mainstream and then explained respectively. After this, analysis on China's policy "enter the nearest secondary school" and streaming in Singapore is made from the view-angle of educational opportunity equity. The meaning of educational opportunity equity is also put forward. It includes two parts, entrance equity and the equity of developing each individual's potential and aptitude.The conclusion has been drawn. China's policy reflects entrance equity, but doesn't demonstrate educational equity in general under current unbalance of educational resources. By contrast, Singapore's way of streaming ensures the different streams suit individual's potential, and thus provides some useful reflections to China. So some advice is put forward at the end of this thesis...