Singapore ranked 5th in global education: WHERE IS MALAYSIA & WHY?

SINGAPORE - Singapore's education system has been ranked fifth in the world, behind Finland, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

The quality of teaching and cultural respect for education were key factors propelling the Republic into the top five, said the report published last Tuesday by the Pearson Group.

Researchers looked at the cognitive skills and educational attainment levels of children in 50 countries and territories.

The United Kingdom was sixth, followed by the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and Canada.

Thailand, Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia were the bottom four countries.

The inaugural Learning Curve report, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Pearson, found that teachers mattered greatly.

Higher-performing countries recruited top talent to join the profession and trained them throughout their careers.

The study also found that in Singapore, respect for teachers was fuelled by a high level of support for education.

National Institute of Education director Lee Sing Kong noted that the Government sets teachers' starting salaries at a level comparable to those of engineers and accountants entering the civil service.

-edvantage.com