The factors influencing the progress of each country

1. Singapore

As a sovereign state since 1965, Singapore is one of Asia's great success stories. In
less than half a century, it has transformed itself from a developing country to a vibrant
modern economy. Education has been central to this progress and a focus on teacher training
and strong school leadership has been one of the key factors in Singapore's success. A stable
government under the same political party has provided a basis for stable education policies.
Since the 1990s, Singapore has developed a comprehensive system for selecting,
compensating, training and developing teachers and principals to ensure the delivery of high-
quality education that in turn would lead to high-quality student outcomes.

Besides, the education system in Singapore aims at excellence for its students,
offering various choices in preschool, primary, secondary, and post-secondary education.
Even if your children attend private or international schools, it is worth taking a closer look at
the public education system in Singapore.

The Singapore government invests heavily in education and this is evidence by its
spending on education. The budget devoted to education in the 2015 national budget is
S$12.1 billion (Business Times, 2015), comprising 15.1% of its total budget and it is the
second largest proportion of national budget spending behind just the amount allocated for
Defence. Expenditure on education is regarded as an investment for the development of
human capital since Singapore does not have any other natural resources apart from human
resource. In Singapore, human resource needs to be developed for the purpose of nation
building and long-term sustainability.

2. Malaysia

Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential

of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are
intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a
firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens
who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are
responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal well-being as well as being able
to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large.
 Whereas acknowledging that knowledge is the key determinant of the destiny and
survival of the nation and the purpose of education is to enable the Malaysian society to have
a command of knowledge, skills and values necessary in a world that is highly competitive
and globalized, arising from the impact of rapid development in science, technology and
information. Therefore, Malaysians try to concentrate on the education for developing their
country via their children that are given good opportunities in education. Equity and right to
education are fundamental liberties enshrined in the Federal Constitution. There is no
discrimination against any citizen in terms of access to and financial support for education.
Every child has a right to education and is given equal opportunities to develop his/her
potential according to ones own ability and capability. Universal primary education is almost
achieved and the education system is currently 13 intensifying its efforts to provide twelve
years of basic education. Moreover, education plays a vital role in achieving the countrys
vision of attaining the status of a fully developed nation in terms of economic development,
social justice and spiritual, moral and ethical strength, towards creating a society that is
united, democratic, liberal and dynamic. Equal opportunity for education is provided to every
child, including those from remote and rural areas. Parents can also choose to enroll their
children into National Schools which provide instruction in Malay and the National-Type
schools of their choice. Parents also play important role for making their children more
efficient as well. Parents involvement is encouraged through Parent -Teacher Association.
Their participation includes giving guidance and counselling, fund raising to improve
facilities such as computers. There is also a mission to develop a world class quality
education system which will realize the full potential of the individual and fulfill the
aspiration of the Malaysian nation. The National Education Policy is based on the National
Philosophy of Education. The National Curriculum places emphasis on the holistic
development and potentials of the individuals. It provides opportunities for each individual to
develop basic skills, knowledge, values, attitudes, interests and talents in the following
aspects : social skills, intellectual skills, physical skills, spiritual skills, aesthetic values
(creativity and appreciation), moral values, Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT) skills The technical, vocational and skills training offered in secondary technical and
secondary vocational schools provide students with practical training and employability
skills. The policy executed through a national system of education which provides for the
national language to be the main medium of instruction, a national curriculum and common
examinations; the education provided being varied and comprehensive in scope and which
will satisfy the needs of the nation as well as promote national unity through cultural, social,
economic and political development in accordance with the principles of Rukunegara.
Malaysia has the MOE which has close co-operation and collaboration with other
governmental agencies, private enterprises, non-governmental organization, community-
based organization, religious institutions and industries in the process of educational change.
An example of such co-operation is in strengthening the early childhood education program
to ensure young children have access to quality childhood development programs. The MOE
is working closely with other governmental agencies, private institutions and NGOs to
bridge gaps between various agencies organizing childcare centers and kindergartens. A
National Committee and sub-committee have been set up to co-ordinate matters on (i)
structuring of pre-school programs, (ii) developing evaluation mechanisms, (iii) producing
guidelines for teachers and helping teachers to provide children with varied experiences and,
(iv) planning campaigns that will draw increased enrolment into childcare centers and pre-
schools. In addition to, the mass media has an essential part in education. The viewpoints and
suggestions made by the concerned individuals, academicians, and the general public are
given consideration and taken into account in decision making on policy and educational
programs for the schools. Malaysia has a preparation of Teachers to Implement and Adapt the
Curriculum. Besides preparing teachers for professional advancement as agents of change
with the introduction of new programs, special in-service training is also provided to teachers
who are required to teach subjects for which they are not adequately trained. In-service
professional development of teachers are on-going activities and national plans are drawn up
on a long-term as well as on yearly basis. And the last factor that is influencing the progress
of country is moral education. The goal of moral education is to develop individuals who are
responsible and able to contribute towards the prosperity and stability of the nation as well as
the global community.