Export-Oriented Industrialisation Strategy

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to grapple with the real-world decisions and risks involved in Singapore’s economic strategy. By engaging with simulations and investigations, they will experience the uncertainty and problem-solving that policymakers faced, making the abstract concept of EOI more tangible and memorable.

• Secondary 3
• History
• 3 activities
• 20 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the economic rationale behind Singapore's shift from import-substitution to export-oriented industrialisation.
2. Explain the strategies Singapore employed to attract foreign direct investment despite its limited resources.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Jurong Industrial Estate as a cornerstone of Singapore's industrialisation strategy.
4. Identify the key roles and contributions of the Economic Development Board (EDB) in implementing the EOI strategy.

Simulation Game

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The EDB Pitch

Students act as EDB officers in the 1960s. They must create a 'pitch' to a major MNC (like Texas Instruments or Rollei) to convince them to build a factory in Jurong instead of another country.

Prepare & details

Analyze why Dr. Goh Keng Swee championed the 'Jurong Folly' as a critical economic strategy.

Facilitation Tip: During the EDB Pitch simulation, assign clear roles to students to ensure everyone participates and understands the perspective of either the EDB or the MNC.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Why Jurong?

Groups are given a map of Singapore in 1960. They must identify the pros and cons of choosing Jurong (a swampy area far from the city) for an industrial estate and explain why it was eventually a success.

Prepare & details

Explain how Singapore successfully attracted foreign investors despite its small size and lack of natural resources.

Facilitation Tip: For the Jurong investigation, provide students with a map and primary source excerpts to ground their analysis in specific evidence.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: From 'Folly' to Success

Students reflect on why people called Jurong 'Goh's Folly.' They share with a partner what this tells us about the importance of long-term vision and risk-taking in government.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the crucial role played by the Economic Development Board (EDB) in driving industrialisation.

Facilitation Tip: Use the Think-Pair-Share on 'Folly to Success' to encourage students to articulate their initial misconceptions before refining their understanding through discussion.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by emphasizing the uncertainty and boldness of Singapore’s strategy, comparing it to other countries’ approaches to highlight its uniqueness. They avoid presenting the EOI as an inevitable success, instead framing it as a calculated risk that required significant policy changes and adaptability. Research suggests using primary sources and role-play to help students connect the economic theory to real-world decision-making.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students demonstrating an understanding of how Singapore’s small domestic market shaped its economic strategy and how the government actively attracted MNCs to drive growth. They should be able to explain the risks taken, the incentives offered, and the outcomes achieved, using evidence from the activities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the EDB Pitch simulation, watch for students assuming labor cost was the only reason MNCs came to Singapore.

What to Teach Instead

Use the ranking activity from the simulation to have students debate and prioritize factors like political stability, infrastructure, and tax incentives, emphasizing that stability was often cited as the top reason in primary sources.

Common Misconception

During the Think-Pair-Share on 'Folly to Success,' watch for students assuming Singapore’s economic success was immediate or guaranteed.

What to Teach Instead

Direct students to compare the 'before and after' economic data in their Think-Pair-Share to highlight the risks and the scale of the transformation, using the government’s initial struggles as a counterpoint.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Jurong investigation, facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Was the 'Jurong Folly' a necessary gamble for Singapore's survival?' Have students cite specific evidence from the EOI strategy and their investigation to support their arguments.

Exit Ticket

After the EDB Pitch simulation, ask students to write two key reasons why foreign investors chose Singapore in the 1960s and 70s, and one challenge the EDB had to overcome to attract them. Collect these to gauge understanding of investor motivations and government efforts.

Quick Check

During the Think-Pair-Share on 'Folly to Success,' present students with a short case study of a hypothetical MNC looking to set up a factory in Asia in the 1960s. Ask them to list three specific incentives or advantages Singapore offered that would appeal to this company, based on the EOI strategy.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to research and present another country’s attempt at EOI, comparing its outcomes to Singapore’s.
• For students who struggle, provide a graphic organizer to categorize the factors that attracted MNCs to Singapore (e.g., labor, stability, infrastructure).
• Deeper exploration: Have students analyze how Singapore’s EOI strategy evolved in response to global economic changes in the 1970s and 1980s.

Key Vocabulary

Export-Oriented Industrialisation (EOI)	An economic strategy focused on producing goods for export to international markets, rather than for domestic consumption.
Import-Substitution Industrialisation (ISI)	An economic strategy that seeks to reduce a country's dependence on foreign imports by developing domestic industries.
Multinational Corporations (MNCs)	Large companies that operate in multiple countries, often establishing manufacturing facilities in nations offering specific economic advantages.
Jurong Industrial Estate	A large industrial area developed in Singapore, transforming swampland into a hub for manufacturing and attracting foreign investment.
Economic Development Board (EDB)	A government agency established to promote and manage Singapore's industrial development and attract foreign investment.