‘In the Nation’s good’

Since independence in 1965, education and sport have been instrumental in Singapore’s nation building, with a rapid rise in education and economic status. This article examines the roles of physical education and school sport in the local context and makes comparison with global themes (instrumentality and marginality). It is argued that current roles in fitness development and social unification were established in early survival- and development-driven national policies. Syllabus revisions (1999, 2005) have mandated and reinforced a philosophical shift from technocratic efficiency to ability-driven learning process. Although the pedagogical practice of physical education has arguably been reoriented, its status in education remains low. A recent inquiry into primary school education recommended increasing core and co-curricular time for activity programmes, especially school-based sports talent development programmes, which are generally outsourced. Thus, the analysis presented in this article suggests that while school sport has gained a significant national and political profile in Singapore, physical education has not. Current improvements in physical education infrastructure are yet to impact on the quality of physical education pedagogy.