Wednesday, 1 June 2016

 The Straits Times 

This was a report on a research study that was presented on 27 May 2016 at a global conference hosted by the Centre for Family and Population Research at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The study was led by Ms Ong Xiang Ling, Research Officer at the Singapore Children’s Society, with Dr Cheung Hoi Shan, Postdoctoral Fellow from NUS’ Department of Psychology serving as research adviser.  From September to December last year, 601 students aged between nine and 17 who came from a spread of housing estates and schools across Singapore – Integrated Programme (IP), government-aided, autonomous and government schools – and their parents were surveyed.

The study found that secondary school students in IP schools are two-and-a-half times more confident of attaining at least a university degree, compared to their peers in other schools. It also found that parents’ expectations played an important role in children’s confidence in pursuing higher education, compared to other factors such as type of school. The study which also examined class stratification in schools revealed that children from higher socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to attend IP secondary schools and their affiliated primary schools, as well as those that offer the Gifted Education Programme.

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