Dawn Fung is an educator, consultant, writer and thought leader. She is the founder of Little U and a core group member of EveryChild.sg. Dawn is well known for her sharp analysis in alternative education in Singapore. Her opinion has been sought by political and grassroots leaders, educators, parents and content creators. She has spoken at international and local events. Dawn is the author of the book, Homeschooling in Singapore: An Education. She homeschools her three children and is based in Singapore.
You may contact her via email. Media and organisers may access hi-res photos here.
Dawn founded Homeschool Singapore and became one of the key leaders in the Singapore homeschooling landscape in the early 2010s-2020s. She organised activities, co-ops, Homeschool Conventions, and wrote extensively for the website, HomeschoolSingapore.sg, until it became the first portal for homeschooling matters in Singapore. The website has been archived under National Library’s Web Archive Singapore. (The portal is meant for researchers to study websites of Singapore’s history in the 21st century.) Many homeschoolers who were part of Homeschool Singapore are respected community leaders in their own rights. The current homeschooling landscape is shaped by their legacies. HomeschoolSingapore.sg is now under the able leadership of Kalsum Harun, a homeschooling mum of 3 and an ex-policy maker at MOM.
Dawn founded Little U as a teaching arm of Homeschool Singapore. In 2021, it separated from Homeschool Singapore into an independent entity. Little U is a microschool consultancy specialising in designing personalised education. Each journey is conceptualised with the team to achieve the most impact for every stakeholder. Dawn leads Little U with Vivian Kwek, a parenting coach and ex-civil servant at PMO. (Vivian coordinated and facilitated leadership training programs in governance and policy development.) Prior to being a homeschooler, Dawn taught O Level English, the IB MYP Personal Project, speech and drama. She was the head of English and Professional Development for the faculty at City College. The private college was well known for its social impact under the leadership of Kenny Low, a 2007 Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year awardee. (City College closed in 2023.) Little U is inspired by Kenny’s legacy, Vivian’s dream to create a school that everyone wants to attend, and the potential of the homeschooling community to develop great education in Singapore for all.
As a core group member at EveryChild.sg (EVC), Dawn advocates for children’s rights in Singapore. She is joined in her efforts by other members of the EVC core group comprising leaders with extensive experience in business, parenting, civil service and grassroots advocacy work, working under the leadership of Pooja Bhandari, a UNICEF International Council Member and ex-civil servant with MSF and MFA. Together, they want to see major changes in the Singapore education system, especially: schools that offer through trains (with PSLE being optional); small schools; small class sizes; mandatory child protection policies; dedicated professional support for emotional and mental wellness in schools.
Dawn’s book, Homeschooling in Singapore: An Education, was published in 2021. An authoritative text on Singaporean homeschooling history, referenced by politicians, researchers, journalists, civil servants, mainstream educators and homeschoolers alike, it has been dubbed by a homeschooling parent as “a bible for homeschoolers”, while a curriculum specialist and ex-principal has noted that “every page is worth the read.”
Life’s Work
Dawn Fung’s dream is to see education reform in Singapore, where every child, parent and educator has full rights and access to great education. She has grown the dream into a full fledged 30-year manifesto. It is a work that she will carry to the end of life. Join her if you resonate with her message :
While homeschooling is not a panacea, it serves as an essential complement to Singapore’s meritocratic education system, addressing the market failures that disproportionately affect certain students. Dawn’s vision for homeschooling is not about rejecting conventional schooling but expanding the options available to families, ensuring that every child has access to an education that aligns with their needs and potential.”
“Singapore’s education system has been critically acclaimed around the world as being ‘world-class.’ Why, then, does a small minority of parents choose, instead, to homeschool their children? Homeschooling in Singapore: An Education introduces us to the little understood phenomenon of homeschooling in Singapore. Dawn Fung provides insight into the diversity that characterises homeschoolers by relating her personal experiences as well as those of other homeschooling parents. This book raises intriguing questions about the fundamental purposes of education that are instructive for parents, teachers, students and policymakers.” – Dr Jason Tan, Associate Professor of Policy, Curriculum & Leadership at NIE
“This is the first book to examine the homeschooling scene in Singapore extensively. It presents a treasure trove of information about homeschooling and homeschoolers, highlighting the adaptive qualities of homeschoolers who function in a coercive environment where suffering together through the education system is a rite of passage to being Singaporean. Dawn Fung has done remarkably well to capture the evolution of homeschooling in our city-state as well as the struggles, negotiations, and aspirations of homeschooling parents for themselves and for the future generations. As much as Homeschooling in Singapore: An Education speaks to the local education system, it is essentially global in outlook as seen in the diverse curriculum and pedagogical approaches embraced. This book is a must read for both specialists and the general public alike who are interested in the education landscape in Singapore and the innovative approaches to learning adopted by its citizenry.” – Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir, Associate Professor of Sociology at NTU
