In 1995, the first TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) put Singapore's Grade 4 and Grade 8 students at the top of the world in mathematics. Singapore has taken part in every TIMSS since, and its students have stayed among the very best. In the most recent round, TIMSS 2023, which covered 64 education systems, Singapore's students again outperformed their peers in every participating system.
There is no secret behind those results. Singapore's Ministry of Education built a math curriculum around a few clear ideas, taught them consistently, and kept improving. That approach is what the rest of the world now calls Singapore Math.
What makes Singapore Math different
Mastery before moving on
Children master core concepts before tackling harder, more abstract problems. For your child: fewer gaps that come back to haunt them in high school.
Concrete → Pictorial → Abstract
Children first handle real objects, then draw pictures and models (like the famous "bar model" for word problems), and only then move to numbers and symbols. For your child: word problems stop being scary, because they can see them.
Strong number sense
Deep understanding of place value and lots of mental-math practice. For your child: quick, confident thinking with numbers, not just memorized steps.
Why it matters here
For Filipino children, a strong math foundation is no small thing. In TIMSS 2019, the last cycle the Philippines joined, our Grade 4 students placed last among 58 countries in both math and science. The problem is not that Filipino children can't learn math. Many simply never get the solid foundation they need early on. That is exactly what Singapore Math is designed to build.
When Eastbridge adopted Singapore Math in 2012, we took on its prescribed textbooks, and our Math teachers were trained to use them, led by our President, who is a Math major himself. Today it remains the heart of how we teach math, from the early grades up.
What it has meant for our students
- 2019: Regional Math Champions, with a score of 28 out of 30
- 2023: National Gold in Math, a back-to-back title
- 2025: TIMO Gold for a Grade 3 student
- 2025: National Silver in Math at NAPSPHIL
Medals are only the visible part. The real goal is every child understanding math well enough to enjoy it.
See Singapore Math in action.
Visit Eastbridge, meet our teachers, and see our classes in action.
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Sources: Singapore Ministry of Education, "TIMSS 2023: Singapore students demonstrate strong foundations and consistent good performance in Mathematics and Science" (December 4, 2024) · IEA, TIMSS 2023 International Results · TIMSS 2019 International Results.
