Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — In the space between Singapore, which stands at the top of international academic test scores, and the U.S., which sits in the lower half of those scores, are a variety of structural and cultural differences in education practices.
But a key diplomat of the small country in southeast Asia says there is much that Singapore and the U.S. can learn from each other when it comes to the success of their students. And there are some elements of teaching that, by necessity, are singular to each place.
"We've been doing well in all these tests," said Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Singapore's ambassador to the U.S. "We're also careful to say, we're actually not a model. We're unique because of the nature of our geography and our society."
Mirpuri is in Utah this week to meet with state leaders, business leaders, students and representatives of Brigham Young University, as well as general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was brought to Utah as part of BYU's Ambassador Visits Program.
Singapore, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year of independence from Malaysia, is about 250 square miles in size and has a K-12 student population only slightly smaller than Utah's population of about 622,000 students.
Singapore continues to top other countries in worldwide academic indicators, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA. The test is seen as a common metric to measure international student performance and is administered in more than 30 countries.
In 2012, Singapore scored at the top of the exam, with math scores 79 points above the international average and 92 points above the U.S. In reading, it scored 46 points above the international average and 44 points above the U.S., according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Singapore also has one of the smallest gaps between its highest- and lowest-performing students compared to other OECD countries. In 2014, Singapore had an annual education budget of $11.5 billion, according to the Singapore Ministry of Education, compared to Utah's education budget of $3.7 billion.
Mirpuri said a major contributor to the academic success lies in a cultural priority on teaching. There, educators earn an undergraduate degree in one particular field, such as math or biology, before going to teaching college for another year. And to qualify for teaching college, applicants must be in the top third of their student cohort.
We've been doing well in all these tests. We're also careful to say, we're actually not a model. We're unique because of the nature of our geography and our society.
–Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Singapore's ambassador to the U.S
"I think the most important thing, and this keeps coming out in my conversations in the U.S. in particular, is selecting and training teachers. I think in the end, that becomes, for many people, the secret sauce of it," Mirpuri said. "You want to make sure that you're getting the right teachers in, you're giving them the right training, you're giving them the right incentives."
Teachers there also place a heavy focus on testing, Mirpuri said, emphasizing high proficiency in math, reading and science skills with the intent that students will be adaptable to developing needed skills once they enter the workforce.
This year, the Utah Legislature passed a resolution intended to curb over testing in Utah schools and legislation to allow parents to opt their children out of standardized tests.
English is the primary language taught in Singapore schools, but students are also required to study their "mother tongue," whether Chinese, Malaysian or Indian. Most of Utah's colleges and universities require that students have at least two years of foreign language training.
Student population growth is a challenge that causes funding concerns for Utah lawmakers and educators each year, but Mirpuri said Singapore's stagnant population growth rate keeps its student numbers relatively constant.
The ambassador said Singapore is seeking to learn from the U.S. in how its community college movement is providing opportunities for adults to earn and build smaller credentials while holding down a job.
These "stackable credentials" are well established at Salt Lake Community College, where students can get training to further their skills and advance in their workplace.
"We've been looking at your community college model," he said. "What we were impressed by is the ability to bring people back for additional training in a facility that's very closely tied to industry. People have this need to improve themselves. That's very impressive to us."
