by Kimberly H. Smith

Created on: February 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

Singaporean kids are most afraid of not getting into college. The population is high in their country and the acceptance rate to college small, making the competition fierce. Only a few spots are available for entrance to college due to overcrowding. Singaporean kids are taught from an early age that they have to study hard and ace exams because only the highest achievers are accepted into college there. Administrators from the school district that I work for visited schools in Singapore last spring to learn more about their exceptional math program. They were amazed at how attentive the students were to their work, lifting their heads from their books only long enough to say hello or respond to a question.

These kids reside in and are educated in high rise buildings due to their large population. A glance out of a window makes them constantly aware of the competition that exists to be one of the best in order to receive a college education. Ever wondered why students from other countries leave their families to study in the U.S.? If they are natives of Singapore or similar countries, it is because there are more opportunities to get a higher education in the states.

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