Government invests $10.9bn in educaton this year

The budget is almost double from a decade ago and is 10% more than last year.

According to Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minster for Education and Second Minister for Defence, all schools must be resourced well. The government must also ensure that good teachers are not concentrated in the top few schools, but should be spread out across the system.

Dr Ng Eng Hen said: "Over the last 10 years, annual recurrent funding per student in primary schools saw the largest increase - up 110% to almost $7,000 in 2010. In the same period, funding for secondary schools and JCs grew almost 75%."

Each school has an average of 30-50% more staff compared to a decade ago. This resulted to an improved pupil-teacher ratio - from 26:1 to 19:1.

The government has also expanded the range of programmes, particularly those catering to slower learners.

However, to enable and measure social mobility, Dr Ng Eng Hen said that we must confine ourselves only to narrow academic domains or specific groups.

"Our education system in this 21st century must expand to ecompass the full limits of our people. We must always aspire to develop the richness of diverse talents within all Singaporeans."