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Unlike Japan, which is largely a homogeneous society, Singapore is a multicultural nation with a diverse population comprising various ethnic groups, primarily Chinese, Malay, Indian, and others. English is the common language used for communication in Singapore, and is also the main medium of instruction in schools. This cultural diversity gives rise to several interesting differences when compared to the schooling system in Japan.

Lunch Culture
In Japan, school lunch is provided and carefully planned to ensure a healthy and balanced diet. These meals are prepared according to national nutrition guidelines and are served in classrooms by the students themselves, as a part of fostering responsibility and teamwork.
In Singapore, there is no school lunch program. Instead, students usually buy their meals in the school cafeteria, which offers a variety of local dishes. Bringing food from home (such as a bento) is relatively uncommon and not part of Singaporean school culture.

In Singapore, the variety of food in schools reflects the nation’s ethnic mix - including Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western cuisines. While it may seem like students are spoilt for choice, the diversity also meets various religious dietary needs. For example, Malay students only eat halal food, some Indians are vegetarian, and some Chinese and Indian communities avoid beef. Though it may seem complex, most Singaporeans understand and respect these dietary practices.

Mother Tongue Lessons
In Japan, when you have kokugo (Japanese language) lessons, you wouldn’t expect to switch classrooms - everyone stays in their homeroom, right? In Singapore, it’s quite the opposite. During Mother Tongue lessons, students leave their homeroom classes and go to different classrooms based on the language they’re studying - typically Chinese, Malay, or Tamil. Because not everyone takes the same language, class sizes can vary. Sometimes, when a group is small, students from different classes (but with the same language background) are combined into one class for the lesson.

Cleaning Culture
In Japan, students actively take part in cleaning their schools - it’s a regular part of the school day and teaches responsibility and respect. In Singapore, while students are expected to keep their own classrooms tidy, it’s not common practice for the entire school to set aside a specific time for cleaning. Instead, schools usually employ cleaners who perform daily cleaning duties to keep the overall cleanliness of the school environment.