Company News · 6 Oct 2026
Shanghai Ivy College dean Wu Jie visits Singapore’s public education system: comparing the two systems and what comes next
From how pathways and assessment differ to what cross-border exchange and course collaboration could look like — a frank conversation about education in both places.
Two education systems: where they differ, and where they go next
Today Wu Jie, chairman of the Ivy University of Science and Technology Alliance and dean of Shanghai Ivy College, visited Singapore to look at the public education system. Wu Zhiqiang, managing director of Global International, Annie, managing director of Cedar International Edutech, and Mr Shu, senior adviser at Ivy College, joined the discussion.
The focus was where the two systems differ. Education in China is relatively concentrated on one main line and one examination; Singapore’s public system offers different pathways earlier on — streaming in secondary school, junior colleges and polytechnics, universities and vocational routes — and with a bilingual environment and weight given to co-curricular activities, students have more choices and parents have to plan further ahead.
We also talked about assessment and whole-person development: beyond grades, Singapore schools generally give real weight to co-curricular activities, service learning and character development. That resonates with China’s push for comprehensive quality assessment in recent years, though how it lands — and how parents experience it — is not the same.
On what comes next, both sides saw value in: student exchanges and teacher visits across the two countries, collaboration on courses and short programmes, and helping Chinese families understand Singapore’s pathways more clearly — when to come, which route to take, and what to prepare in advance.
Cedar International Edutech and Global International have long worked in international education and in Singapore-based services (admissions advice, student homestay and parent communication). Conversations like this let us bring first-hand observations back to families in both places, rather than repeating what a brochure says.
The discussion took place over dinner. We hope these exchanges continue, and we will look for concrete points of collaboration. Families with questions about Singapore’s public education or international school pathways are welcome to contact us.
Want to understand Singapore’s education pathways?
When to come, which route, what to prepare — we can advise based on your child’s situation.