In 1966 the Singapore Government institutionalised a bilingual education policy, under which Singaporean students were required to learn both English and their "designated mother-tongue". For ethnic-Chinese Singaporeans, the designated language was Mandarin, in line with the national language policy pursued in both Nationalist and Communist China. The Goh Report, an evaluation of Singapore's education system by Dr. Goh Keng Swee, claimed that less than 40% of the student population managed to attain the minimum level of competency in two languages.
In 1966, the Singapore Government implemented a bilingual education system, requiring students to study both English and their native language, Mandarin for ethnic-Chinese students. This policy was influenced by China's national language policies, which were also pursued by Nationalist and Communist China. The Goh Report found that only about 40% of students met the minimum language proficiency standard.