# Ministry of Education (Singapore)

The Ministry of Education (MOE; Malay: Kementerian Pendidikan; Chinese: 教育部; Tamil: கல்வி அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies related to the education in Singapore.

## Organisational structure

The ministry currently oversees 10 statutory boards which includes 5 polytechnics and 2 institutes: SkillsFuture Singapore, Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic and Science Centre, Singapore.
In 2016, a new statutory board under the Ministry of Education (MOE), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), was formed to drive and coordinate the implementation of SkillsFuture. It took over some of the functions currently performed by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and absorbed the Committee for Private Education (CPE).

### Unions

Civil servants employed by the Ministry of Education are organised into several Unions, including the Singapore Teachers' Union, Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union, Singapore Malay Teachers' Union and Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union for Education Officers; and the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees for the non-Education Officers. All these unions are affiliates of the National Trades Union Congress.

### Statutory boards

* SkillsFuture Singapore
* Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board
* ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
* Institute of Technical Education
* Singapore Polytechnic
* Ngee Ann Polytechnic
* Temasek Polytechnic
* Nanyang Polytechnic
* Republic Polytechnic
* Science Centre, Singapore

## Impact

The Government of Singapore invests heavily in education to equip citizens with the necessary knowledge and skills to compete in the global marketplace. Singapore currently spends around a fifth of its national budget on education. To boost its economic standing, the Government of Singapore created a mandate that most Singaporeans learn English. It is the language of governance and administration in Singapore and English is also the medium of instruction in most, if not all, schools in Singapore. As a result, the country rose from one of the most impoverished Asian countries to one with the strongest economies and highest standards of living.

### SkillsFuture

The SkillsFuture initiative was introduced in 2015 to support Singapore's next stage of economic advancement by providing lifelong learning and skills development opportunities for Singaporeans. SkillsFuture aims at unlocking the full potential of all Singaporeans, regardless of background and industry. The program contains several key initiatives, such as SkillsFuture Credit and SkillsFuture Earn and Learn. SkillsFuture caters to many stakeholders, with initiatives centred on students, adult learners, employers, and training providers. In general, SkillsFuture involves a broad array of policy instruments targeting a wider range of beneficiaries over a longer-term horizon – schooling years, early career, mid-career or silver years – with a variety of resources available to help them attain mastery of skills.
Every Singapore citizen from the age of 25 is given S$500 (approximately $370) by the Singapore government for the SkillsFuture Credit to invest in their personal learning. This sum can be used for continuing education courses in local tertiary institutions, as well as short courses provided by MOOC providers such as Udemy, Coursera, and edX.
By the end of 2017, the SkillsFuture Credit has been utilised by over 285,000 Singaporeans. There were more than 18,000 SkillsFuture credit-approved courses available at that time. As of 2016, there were also a total of 40 Earn and Learn Programmes.
SkillsFuture has established a multi-level training system with dozens of initiatives and programs targeting the different skill-training needs of different social groups, such as students and employees in different career stages. Moreover, SkillsFuture also invests in forms of industry collaboration to uplift the broad base of private companies, and strengthen collaboration between training institutions, unions, trade associations, and employers to develop the skills of the Singaporean workforce. In terms of funding, according to the Singaporean government budget report, a provision of $220 million has been made for SSG in the fiscal year 2018 to implement plans, policies and strategies to support skills development programs under SkillsFuture.

## Ministers

With the expanding scope of education in Singapore and the implementation of SkillsFuture in 2016, the Ministry was led by two ministers; Minister for Education (Schools), who oversees the pre-school, primary, secondary, and junior college education; and Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills), who oversees the ITE, polytechnic, university and SkillsFuture education. In 2018, the Ministry returned to being headed by one minister.
The Ministry is headed by the Minister for Education, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore.
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Party | Cabinet |
| Minister for Education (1955–2015) |||||||
| | Chew Swee Kee MP for Whampoa (1918–1985) | 6 April 1955 | 4 March 1959 | LF | Marshall |
| | Chew Swee Kee MP for Whampoa (1918–1985) | 6 April 1955 | 4 March 1959 | LF | Lim |
| | Lim Yew Hock MP for Havelock (1914–1984) | 5 March 1959 | 3 June 1959 | SPA | Lim |
| | Yong Nyuk Lin MP for Geylang West (1918–2012) | 5 June 1959 | 18 October 1963 | PAP | Lee K. I |
| | Ong Pang Boon MP for Telok Ayer (born 1929) | 19 October 1963 | 10 August 1970 | PAP | Lee K. II |
| | Ong Pang Boon MP for Telok Ayer (born 1929) | 19 October 1963 | 10 August 1970 | PAP | Lee K. III |
| | Lim Kim San MP for Cairnhill (1916–2006) | 11 August 1970 | 15 September 1972 | PAP | Lee K. III |
| | Lee Chiaw Meng MP for Farrer Park (1937–2001) | 16 September 1972 | 1 June 1975 | PAP | Lee K. IV |
| | Toh Chin Chye MP for Rochore (1921–2012) | 2 June 1975 | 15 June 1975 | PAP | Lee K. IV |
| | Lee Kuan Yew MP for Tanjong Pagar (1923–2015) | 15 June 1975 | 20 October 1975 | PAP | Lee K. IV |
| | Chua Sian Chin MP for MacPherson (1933–2014) | 20 October 1975 | 11 February 1979 | PAP | Lee K. IV |
| | Chua Sian Chin MP for MacPherson (1933–2014) | 20 October 1975 | 11 February 1979 | PAP | Lee K. V |
| | Goh Keng Swee MP for Kreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 12 February 1979 | 31 May 1980 | PAP | Lee K. V |
| | Tony Tan MP for Sembawang (born 1940) | 1 June 1980 | 31 May 1981 | PAP | Lee K. V |
| | Tony Tan MP for Sembawang (born 1940) | 1 June 1980 | 31 May 1981 | PAP | Lee K. VI |
| | Goh Keng Swee MP for Kreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 1 June 1981 | 1 January 1985 | PAP | Lee K. VI |
| | Tony Tan MP for Sembawang & Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 January 1985 | 1 January 1992 | PAP | Lee K. VII |
| | Tony Tan MP for Sembawang & Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 January 1985 | 1 January 1992 | PAP | Lee K. VIII |
| | Tony Tan MP for Sembawang & Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 January 1985 | 1 January 1992 | PAP | Goh I |
| | Tony Tan MP for Sembawang & Sembawang GRC (born 1940) | 2 January 1985 | 1 January 1992 | PAP | Goh II |
| | Lee Yock Suan MP for Cheng San GRC (born 1946) | 2 January 1992 | 24 January 1997 | PAP | Goh II |
| | Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris GRC & Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) | 25 January 1997 | 31 July 2003 | PAP | Goh III |
| | Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris GRC & Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) | 25 January 1997 | 31 July 2003 | PAP | Goh IV |
| | Tharman Shanmugaratnam MP for Jurong GRC (born 1957) | 1 August 2003 | 31 March 2008 | PAP | Goh IV |
| | Tharman Shanmugaratnam MP for Jurong GRC (born 1957) | 1 August 2003 | 31 March 2008 | PAP | Lee H. I |
| | Tharman Shanmugaratnam MP for Jurong GRC (born 1957) | 1 August 2003 | 31 March 2008 | PAP | Lee H. II |
| | Ng Eng Hen MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (born 1958) | 1 April 2008 | 20 May 2011 | PAP | Lee H. II |
| | Heng Swee Keat MP for Tampines GRC (born 1961) | 21 May 2011 | 30 September 2015 | PAP | Lee H. III |
| Minister for Education (Schools) (2015–2018) |||||||
| | Ng Chee Meng MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1968) Interim until 31 October 2016 | 1 October 2015 | 30 April 2018 | PAP | Lee H. IV |
| Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (2015–2018) |||||||
| | Ong Ye Kung MP for Sembawang GRC (born 1969) Interim until 31 October 2016 | 1 October 2015 | 30 April 2018 | PAP | Lee H. IV |
| Minister for Education (from 2018) |||||||
| | Ong Ye Kung MP for Sembawang GRC (born 1969) | 1 May 2018 | 26 July 2020 | PAP | Lee H. IV |
| | Lawrence Wong MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC (born 1972) | 27 July 2020 | 14 May 2021 | PAP | Lee H. V |
| | Chan Chun Sing MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC (born 1969) | 15 May 2021 | Incumbent | PAP | Lee H. V |
| | Chan Chun Sing MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC (born 1969) | 15 May 2021 | Incumbent | PAP | Wong I |