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Globalization and the Singapore Curriculum pp 225–240Cite as

Reforming Curriculum in Singapore and Hong Kong

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Part of the book series: Education Innovation Series ((EDIN))

Abstract

The curriculum reforms in Singapore and Hong Kong are not only about meeting the economic competitiveness challenges but also about inculcating civic, political and social identity among the younger generation so as to keep the “local” alive in the “global” environment. While rationales and policy contexts for curriculum reforms can be found in both city-states, the ways the reform policies were, and are, formed and implemented differ from each other. This chapter compares and contrasts how curriculum reforms in both city-states are similar and different from each other, and also discusses how the state factor affects the formation and implementation of policy and reform initiatives. It argues that while globalization is a major trigger, different reform policies found in both city-states are best seen as an action of integrating between the local and the global for the state’s role in shaping education and curriculum policies while different, remains prominent.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    S. Gopinathan

  2. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Michael H. Lee

Authors
  1. S. Gopinathan
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  2. Michael H. Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Gopinathan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Zongyi Deng

  2. National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    S Gopinathan

  3. National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Christine Kim-Eng Lee

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Gopinathan, S., Lee, M.H. (2013). Reforming Curriculum in Singapore and Hong Kong. In: Deng, Z., Gopinathan, S., Lee, CE. (eds) Globalization and the Singapore Curriculum. Education Innovation Series. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-57-4_13

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