Matthew Ou, the assistant director of Character Education for the Ministry of Education in Singapore, said his country is trying "to achieve a balance between nurturing critical and independent thinking skills and strength of character, on the one hand, and making sure that students are equipped with a strong foundation in basic knowledge on the other."Singapore has been moving away from "excessive focus on test or examination grades" and toward more rounded character education since 2005, Ou said. He said that it was interesting to learn on his visit to Newport Mill that the United States has become more focused on testing since No Child Left Behind took effect.
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