Country Information - Teaching in SIngapore
Thursday, 08 January 2009 23:09
Education in Singapore
Schools in Singapore vary in size and cater for children between the ages of 3 and 21. Many of the schools offer the IB Diploma and IGCSE whilst some also offer the English National Curriculum. Most of the International schools offer a wide range of extracurricular activities.
Children here tend to be well behaved and are keen to learn, a pleasure to teach.
The school year runs from August to the end of June. The International Schools are usually well resourced and the air conditioning makes for a great working environment. What better way to mark the end of a hard week of teaching than with a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar at Raffles?
Living in Singapore
Welcome to the beautiful, sunny island in South Asia surrounded by 60 islets. Singapore is a place where the modern west meets the culture of Asia. Although Singapore is a tiny island with few natural resources (not even its own water supply) it is incredibly well off.
This is due to the foresight of a government that took maximum advantage of the country’s geographical position and established Singapore as the world’s largest port (now second to Rotterdam). Its status as a hub has made it an ideal place for the petrochemical refining and its associated industries. With eleven refineries and huge capacity Singapore is third worlds largest refiner after Rotterdam and Houston.
The cost of living in Singapore is amongst the highest in Asia but teachers are usually well paid to offset this. It is also well worth bearing in mind that Singapore offers state of the art facilities for education, shopping, sports and recreation.
The prices of food and clothing are reasonable. Singapore is a vibrant crowded city full of high rise buildings, museums, historic buildings and shopping centers.
There are however plenty of places to go to escape the hustle and bustle including 400 parks numerous beaches and of course the rainforest. Most people speak English and government signs are posted in English as well as Chinese, Malay and Tamil, so communicating with the locals will not be a problem.
Life in Singapore is very, very safe and ideal for bringing up children. It is very much a multi cultural society.
Situated near to the Equator, Singapore does not have seasons with temperatures being around 30C all year round, humidity is high. There are frequent heavy but short showers usually between November and January.
Places of Interest
Often the first place people think of when they hear the name Singapore is the Raffles Hotel, a symbol of British Colonial ambience. Built in the Renaissance style, Raffles Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in the world. Surprisingly it was three brothers from Turkey who built the hotel.
Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore. In the late 19th Century it was the center of commerce, today it is the centre of entertainment, the restored warehouse features a range of restaurants, wine bars, entertainment spots and retail shops.
The Bukit Timah Nature ReserveThis large reserve contains many species of plants. At the heart of the reserve lies Singapore’s highest point, Bukit Timah Hill. You can trek while listening to the birds. You may even see some monkeys. There are many beautiful gardens in Singapore that are worth visiting. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a mixture of jungle and manicured gardens; the NationalOrchidGarden holds 60,000 plants and orchids.
An intriguing place to visit is the Night Safari; it is the world’s only zoo where you can see nocturnal animals’ behaviour in 8 different geographical zones. Some 1000 nocturnal creatures can be found here from fierce predators to timid forest dwellers.
There are also museums in Singapore that trace the history of the Island. The ChangiMuseum tells the horrific story of more than 50,000 civilians and soldiers who spent over three years of war and imprisonment in Changi during the Japanese Occupation (1942 – 45)
History of Singapore
During the early history of Singapore, Buddhists from Sumatra colonize the swampy island of Singapore, naming it Temasek (SeaTown). It later became a centre for trade in porcelain, pottery and aromatic products between China and South-East Asia.
The development of Singapore into a major port doesn’t begin until 1819 with the arrival of Thomas Stamford Raffles, historian, cartographer, botanist, linguist and British colonialist. Convinced of the potential of Singapore's natural harbour and strategic geographical position, Raffles obtained permission to found a trading post on the island. He declared Singapore a "free port with trade open to ships of every nation".
Within four years the population leaped to nearly 10,000 and some 3,000 vessels docked there. Singapore prospered from trade in Chinese tea and opium, as well as rubber and tin from the Malay Peninsula. The battle of Singapore took place in February 1942; it resulted in the fall of Singapore and the Japanese occupation. In September 1945 the British forces returned to Singapore.
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