ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a historical sketch of education in Singapore. It examines female participation in the education of girls in general and in tertiary education in particular. The chapter discusses the impact of education and other possible factors, notably Singapore's development experience, on the pattern of labor force participation of females. Control of schools is centralized, though attempts are currently being made to give more autonomy to school principals. Education in Singapore is not compulsory. Children who opt for education, and almost all do, attend six years of primary schooling, followed by four to five years of secondary schooling. With expansion in education, younger generations of women have been catching up. The illiteracy rate among females aged 15–24 decreased from 15.5% in 1970 to 3.8% in 1990. Enrolment in these schools was small and restricted to a few girls from the privileged class or to those who needed financial help.
