ABSTRACT
Singapore has maintained a multi-track education system for decades, and school examinations are pivotal in deciding who takes which track, so that the city–state’s limited human resources can be maximized. This also ensures every individual is tested objectively under the ideals of meritocracy. However, to equip the next generation with future-ready knowledge and skills, the education landscape has changed markedly in recent years to one that promotes flexibility, diversity, and choice, entailing a new definition and measurement of “merit.” This chapter studies the key features and guiding principles of Singapore’s new system and highlights its social consequences and implications. It subsequently makes comparison with the Japanese system and its recent reforms to further examine what and how “merit” should be tested.
