Watch 'Why Singapore is Top of the Class,' on SBS OnDemand

As teenagers all over Australia anxiously get ready to ride out their end of year exams, Ulladulla High School principal Denise Lofts is riding a different wave of success.

Ms Lofts, 42, is one of 12 Australian teachers recognised for using innovative learning techniques in her local classroom.

At her school, she takes learning out into the real world.

In one of her beachside lessons, students not only learn to surf – but discuss the booming surfing industry, meteorology and marine biology of Ulladulla’s coast.

“There's a difference - assessment and learning," she said.

“You can't test courage, commitment and critical thinking.”

As part of her prize from AusSchoolsPlus, she was awarded a trip to Singapore to see what lessons in learning she could bring back to Ulladulla.

In 2015, Singapore topped PISA’s OECD rankings – a survey which evaluates the quality, equity and efficiency of international school systems.

In comparison, Australia is placed significantly lower, coming 25th in Maths, 16th in Reading and 14th in Science, well behind nations like Estonia, Poland, and New Zealand.

Dateline

What are the secrets to success?

While the education system in Singapore is highly centralised, the government has embedded a culture of change, adaptation and innovation in terms of how it runs schools.

“Education is in Singapore, the highest of the highest prestige and that the fact that it is valued very high and maybe in Australia we don't as a culture, value education as high as what they do in Singapore,” Denise said.

This respect for learning and education is even seen in how Singapore treats its teachers.

In Singapore, only the top 30 per cent of high school graduates from a cohort are allowed a coveted place at the National Institute of Education – the only institution allowed to train teachers.

“They have a clear way of becoming a teacher and are also clearly supported once they become a teacher and it was a desirable profession because of that. So it was seen as higher profile then some of the other professions.”

But in Australia, demand from high achievers for teaching has steadily declined over the past 40 years. As top-end salaries for teachers became less competitive with other professions, fewer high achievers chose to teach.

Over the past decade, high-achiever enrolments in teaching courses fell by a third — more than for any other undergraduate field of study.

Dateline

Not all doom and gloom

Despite the difficulties faced by Australian educators and students, Denise believes Australia does get some things right.

“We are very different [Singapore and Australia]. We are huge in terms of geographical area and [we have] different demographics,” she said.

“We might say difficulty but I kind of say it's a positive and it can actually be an opportunity if we leverage it in the right way.”

“We are building the whole student and we are getting literacy and numeracy right. There are great programs that are in place and I think what we are getting right is we're actually building all the other capabilities that are in young people.

Despite the differences in landscape, some of the challenges faced by educators across the board internationally remain the same.

Dateline

“Engagement of young people - that's the conundrum of all of us. Making school relevant for young people …if it's not relevant, is it really important to them?”

“The fact is when you walk into a school, it's the vibe of a school. When students are happy to come to school, when teachers are happy to work together, they collaborate, they develop great learning experiences and they can be many and varied.”