Education Act 1957

• Jurisdiction: Singapore
• Coming into Force: 31 December 2021
• Record Number: Cap. 87
• Published date: 30 March 1987
• Act Number: (Original Enactment: Ordinance 45 of 1957)
• Year: 1957
• Enactment Date: 13 December 1957

Education Act

(CHAPTER 87)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 45 of 1957)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act relating to education and registration of schools.

[13th December 1957]

PART I GENERAL Short title 1. This Act may be cited as the Education Act. Interpretation 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “building” includes part of a building; “committee of management” means the committee of management of a school referred to in section 26; “Director-General” means the Director-General of Education; [8/97 wef 02/09/1997] “document” includes any book, textbook, exercise book, accounts, counterfoils, pamphlet, publication, newspaper, poster, drawing, sketch, film, film-strip, slide, gramophone record, and other printed, written or recorded matter, whether relating to instruction, recreation, school management or otherwise; “fees” includes all amounts which a pupil is required to pay with respect to his education at a school; “functions” includes powers and duties; “Government school” means a school organised and conducted directly by the Government; “Government teacher” means a teacher directly employed by the Government; “higher education” means education beyond the standard normally required for admission to a university; “manager” of a school means a member of the committee of management of a school; “medical officer” means a registered medical practitioner in the service of the Government; “principal” means the headmaster or head mistress of a school; “public health inspector” means a health inspector of the Ministry of the Environment; “pupil” means a person of any age receiving instruction in a school; “register of managers and supervisors”, “register of schools” and “register of teachers” mean the respective registers maintained by the Director-General under section 19, and “registered” means entered upon one of those registers; [8/97 wef 02/09/1997] “school” means according to the context — (a) an organisation for the provision of education for 10 or more persons; or (b) a place where 10 or more persons are being or are habitually taught whether in one or more classes, or in the case of a correspondence school, the place or places where instruction is prepared or where answers are examined or corrected; “school premises” means school buildings and includes school playgrounds and playing fields; “supervisor” means the manager registered as the supervisor under section 28; “teacher” means a person who teaches pupils in a school or who prepares or issues lessons or corrects written answers in a correspondence school and includes a principal; “unlawful society” means a society deemed to be an unlawful society under the provisions of the Societies Act [Cap. 311]. Exemption 3. The Minister may by notification in the Gazette, if he is satisfied that the teaching in any school is of a purely religious character or that any school is an institution of higher education, exempt that school and the managers or teachers thereof from all or any of the provisions of this Act and may at any time revoke any such exemption. Schools to which this Act does not apply 4. This Act shall not apply — (a) to or in relation to the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore established under the Institute of Technical Education Act (Cap. 141A); [Act 19 of 2017 wef 02/01/2019] (b) to any private education institution within the meaning of the Private Education Act 2009; and [21/2009 wef 21/12/2009] [Act 19 of 2017 wef 02/01/2019] (c) to or in relation to any early childhood development centre licensed under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017. [Act 19 of 2017 wef 02/01/2019] Restriction on use of “school”, etc. 4A.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), no person or organisation shall, except with the written consent of the Director-General — (a) use the words “academy”, “college”, “school”, “university” or any other term which the Minister may specify by notification in the Gazette, or any of its derivatives, in any language or any other word or words indicating that the person or organisation provides education, in the name, description or title under which that person or organisation is providing education; or (b) make or continue to make any representation to that effect in any bill-head, letter-paper, notice, advertisement or in any other manner. (2) Subsection (1) shall not apply to — (a) a school that is registered or exempted from registration under this Act; (b) the Government; (c) any body established or constituted by or under a public Act and that has a public function, or any wholly-owned entity of such a body; (d) an education institution established by any other written law or the functions of which are provided by any other written law; and (e) such other person or organisation, or any class thereof, as may be prescribed. (3) Any person or organisation that contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both. [21/2009 wef 21/12/2009] Delegation of Director-General’s functions 5. The functions of the Director-General under the provisions of this Act may be exercised and discharged by such officers of the Ministry of Education as may from time to time be authorised for that purpose by the Minister by notification in the Gazette. [8/97 wef 02/09/1997] [4

PART II EDUCATION FINANCE BOARD Establishment and constitution of Education Finance Board 6.—(1) A Board to be called the Education Finance Board (referred to in this Act as the Finance Board) shall be constituted in Singapore. (2) The Finance Board shall consist of — (a) the Director-General as Chairman; [8/97 wef 02/09/1997] (b) the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance or his representative; and (c) four persons, not being persons holding office of emolument under the Government or Members of Parliament, to be nominated by such educational institutions, organisations or associations as may be approved by the Minister for that purpose and to be appointed by the Minister. (3) The quorum of the Finance Board shall be 3. (4) The Minister may appoint a secretary to the Finance Board. (5) Every member appointed by the Minister shall unless the Minister otherwise directs hold office for a period of 3 years from the date of his appointment: Provided that the Minister may at any time revoke any such appointment. (6) On the expiry of the period of office of any member appointed by the Minister, the Minister may reappoint the member for a further period of office. (7) On the death, bankruptcy, inability to act, resignation, absence from Singapore for more than 3 months or revocation of the appointment, of any member of the Finance Board appointed by the Minister, he shall forthwith cease to be a member of the Finance Board and a new member shall be appointed in accordance with subsection (2). (8) No act or proceedings of the Finance Board shall be questioned on account of any vacancy on it. (9) The Finance Board shall meet when so required by the Minister and subject to the provisions of this Act may regulate its own procedure. [5 Duties 7. The duties of the Finance Board shall be — (a) to advise the Minister on the administration of all property or moneys contributed or paid by the Government or otherwise in respect of education; (b) to consider the annual estimates for educational purposes prepared by the Director-General and to make recommendations thereon to the Minister. [8/97 wef 02/09/1997] [6 Regulations 8. The Minister may make regulations generally for carrying into effect any of the purposes or provisions of this Part. [7

PART III EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL Establishment and constitution of Educational Advisory Council 9.—(1) A council to be called the Educational Advisory Council (referred to in this Act as the Council) shall be constituted in Singapore. (2) The Council shall consist of — (a) the Director-General as Chairman; [8/97 wef 02/09/1997] (b) all other members of the Finance Board; (c) the medical officer of schools appointed under section 51; (d) the Director‑General of Social Welfare; [Act 30 of 2019 wef 01/07/2020] (e) eight representatives of such educational institutions, organisations or associations, including trade unions of teachers, as are approved by the Minister for that purpose, such representatives to be nominated by their respective institutions, organisations or associations; and (f) six other persons to be appointed by the Minister. (3) The Minister may appoint a secretary to the Council. (4) The Council shall elect a Vice-Chairman from among its members. The Vice-Chairman shall hold office only so long as he is a member of the Council: Provided that the Vice-Chairman may by notice in writing to the Minister resign from his office as Vice-Chairman and shall on such resignation forthwith cease to be Vice-Chairman. (5) Every member of the Council appointed by the Minister shall unless the Minister otherwise directs hold office for a period of 3 years: Provided that the Minister may at any time revoke the appointment. (6) Every member of the Council nominated in accordance with subsection (2)(e) shall unless the Minister otherwise directs hold office for a period of 3 years: Provided that the institution, organisation or association nominating such a member may at any time revoke the nomination. (7) On the expiry of the period of office of a member nominated in accordance with subsection (2)(e), the Minister shall request the institution, organisation or association which nominated the member or some other institution, organisation or association approved by the Minister for that purpose, to nominate a representative to be a member of the Council. (8) On the expiry of the period of office of a member of the Council appointed by the Minister, the Minister may reappoint the member for a further period. (9) On the death, bankruptcy, inability to act, resignation, absence from Singapore for more than 3 months or revocation of the nomination or appointment of any member of the Council nominated or ...