Lesson from a Singapore programme for school improvement

The lesson learned from a Singapore school improvement programme, which has been running for more than a decade, is that partners collaborating in the programme need to sustain their efforts over a long period of time in order to reap the benefits. The programme incorporates a mentor-protege relationship to bridge the twin benefits of manage ment education and systemic change. The Singapore experience suggests that research in the local setting is needed for further development of the programme, and that systemic change is obtainable from cumulative effect of the programme. On both counts, time is needed for the programme to reap the benefits.