Learning for the Future at GEMS World Academy (Singapore)

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

Modern education has transformed into a system that teaches not only skills and subjects, but also health and happiness. This is the educational philosophy of the future. After all, children – as well as the adults they will eventually grow into – can’t recognise their full intellectual potential if they lack confidence and don’t actively seek to lead a healthy life.

That’s why GEMS World Academy in Singapore implements personal development as a core element of its educational philosophy. Not only does GEMS (Singapore) want its students to be smart and successful, but it also want them to be happy and healthy – and that means students must feel confident in themselves and comfortable with taking risks and trying new things.

At GEMS (Singapore) they believe that schools and the educators they employ must go far beyond the classroom to instill these values in its students. That’s why the School cleverly combines traditional classroom education with intensive extracurricular activities, namely sports. “Physical health and well-being should underpin the sports curriculum so that [the] child develops a holistic understanding of the benefits of a balanced lifestyle,” says GEMS (Singapore).

Here, your child can avail the school’s world-class sporting facilities from the moment they arrive. These include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, (as well as a pool for younger children), a rock-climbing wall, a basketball court and a playground. State-of-the-art laboratories and subject-specific learning rooms also allow students to discover and explore their unique creative process at their own set pace.

Creativity is also a key part of the GEMS (Singapore) educational philosophy. Many schools across the globe focus primarily on teaching STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Indeed, those are the fields with the highest demand for skilled critical thinkers. But GEMS (Singapore) has created its own acronym: STEAM. This encompasses the same subject areas as STEM, but with an added bonus in the arts.

“It is the Arts that foster creative thinking, or the ‘soft skills’ that allow for innovation, especially in problem solving,” says GEMS (Singapore). “This complements the traditional ‘hard skills’ set. The ability to think creatively and transfer this to all that students do is a vital part of their development.”

Students are encouraged to apply skills they learned in all their classes to the open-ended, creative exercises they are given. GEMS (Singapore) believe students should be able to establish connections between subjects, and use those connections to further their learning in all areas. This interdisciplinary approach to education allows students to hone their analytical thinking skills, while simultaneously providing them with the resources needed to develop creative reasoning. Not only will they learn the “traditional” skills they’ll need to thrive in their careers, but they’ll also enjoy learning and finding creative solutions for pressing real-world problems.

GEMS (Singapore) also wants parents to be involved in every aspect of their child’s education. According to the School’s website, “It’s important to recognise that the parent is a child’s first teacher.” That’s why GEMS (Singapore) encourages parents to attend engagement activities, hosted once a month, to support and personalise their child’s learning experience.

The programme teaches parents how sports and arts education enhance intellectual development, how their children are assessed, and how technology aids learning. It also teaches parents valuable expertise for fostering learning at home and encouraging their children to reflect on their learning experience.

All those philosophies and approaches manifest in their students’ achievements and goals. Just take Emma, an eighth-grade student at GEMS (Singapore), as an example. She says, “When I grow up, I want to be an Olympic Champion in the Triathlon. I know GEMS (Singapore) will help me get there, and I believe I am already on the right track!” Such inspiring words from such a young lady – many of us could learn a thing or two from her.

Want to see GEMS (Singapore) dedication to holistic education in action? Here’s what an average day at GEMS (Singapore) looks like:


GEMS (Singapore) has some advice for parents who are still searching for the right institution: look for innovative schools with a clear mission. Those schools should employ innovative educators who teach their students both the hard and soft skills they’ll need to become global citizens who think critically and lead happy, healthy lives.

Most importantly, the best schools are those that allow students to make a mess and make mistakes throughout the learning process. After all, students need to explore their creativity to discover hidden talents. That creativity is also vital for students’ future careers – even leaders in STEM career fields require creative thinkers to provide new perspectives and approaches to solving problems. Finally, to achieve all these things, schools must provide a learning environment that makes students feel comfortable and confident.

We think GEMS World Academy (Singapore) ticks all those boxes and then some. Want to find out more about enrolling your child at GEMS World Academy (Singapore)? Send an enquiry, or chat live with a school administrator on the website during school hours. You can also take a 360-tour of the campus before attending an open house.

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