“Thinking Schools, Learning Nation”: The Creativity and Critical Thinking Initiative in Singapore

In the present study, Singapore’s vision on the movement for the future is dealt with. Singapore is among the firsts in the international league especially in the last PISA examinations. This vision is based on the Gardner s model in essence to develop critical and creative thinking in students. This vision is essentially an integrated teaching model project that envisions integrating reading, mathematics and science fields in English and integrating them with technology. This vision, which was initially envisaged for the education system, was based on other sectors of the country over time. Singaporean citizens believe that education has a critical role in empowering them and enabling them to compete in the information age and a critical difference in the information society can only be possible through education. Thanks to this vision, the country was able to enter the league of the most developed countries in a period of 30-35 years; students took their first place in international exams. The article discusses in detail how the Thinking Schools Learning Nation movement was born and how it originated, what the concepts of thinking schools and learning nation mean, how the movement developed afterwards, and how it was put into practice. Finally, it is explained how teachers and administrators were prepared as critical two items in the implementation of this vision. The article was finished with discussion, conclusions and suggestions.