With the exception of a few international models, the challenge for public school
systems is that there are few examples of 21 st century educational models for public
schools, making it frustrating to holistically employ the recommendations of the
Partnership of 21 st Century Skills. In Singapore, the Minister of State for trade, industry
and education, believed that one of the key adjustments under way is in the way they
educate the young so as to develop in them the willingness to keep learning and an ability
to experiment, innovate and take risks. Students in Singapore form collaborative teams to
solve real world problems, construct knowledge, explore ideas and build projects. The
prime minister reassured the public of Singapore of its readiness to tackle 21 st century
demands by stating, “our ability to create and innovate will be Singapore’s most
important asset in the future” (Pearlman, 2006a, p. 1). In fact, Singapore’s commitment to
problem based learning and constructivist instruction has prompted the national slogan
as, “Thinking Schools, Learning Nation” (p.2). This vision resonates with Toffler’s
beliefs of process skills with students being able to learn and relearn and not necessarily
know disconnected facts.