Singapore is a multi-ethnic nation-state with the following ethnic groups: Chinese (76.8%), Malay (13.9%), Indian (7.9%), and Others (1.4%) such as Eurasians, Europeans, Arabs, Jews, and Japanese. A bilingual policy, which takes English as a lingua franca and Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil as mother tongue for each ethnic group, reflects this country's multi-ethnic characteristics. The government views education as the sole intervention and the vehicle for Singaporeans to survive and to improve their social status. However, under an educational system based on meritocracy, there has been a gap among ethnic groups in academic achievement and socioeconomic status. This paper explores the following issues in Singaporean education: (1) a system of selection of students who can attain higher education in the current system; (2) status of attainment of higher education and academic performance by ethnic groups; and (3) challenges Malay and Indian students face in their academic performance. To identify these challenges, available research on factors that affect academic attainment and performance was reviewed. The paper describes the Singapore educational system; the current educational system, by focusing on the process of student selection; the outcome of education, indicating that educational credentials relate to the prospective socioeconomic status students may achieve in Singapore; and the status of attainment to higher education and academic performance by ethnic groups. Contains 33 references. Comprehensive data tables and graphs are appended.
