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Annual Closure DatesAs Singapore Advances Its AI Ambitions, Are We Preparing Children for the Right Future?
There is a particular kind of anxiety that settles over Singapore parents. It is not loud. It does not announce itself at dinner tables or meet the parent meetings. It lives, instead, in the small hesitations before clicking register on another enrichment class, in the private Google searches at midnight, in the nagging sense that the world is moving faster than any one family can track.
For a long time, the answer to that anxiety felt knowable. Study hard. Excel in mathematics. Learn to code. These were not just parental instincts — they were, in some sense, national ones. Singapore built its prosperity on exactly this compact: invest in your children’s skills, and the economy will reward that investment. What is shifting now, quietly but unmistakably, is the nature of the skills being rewarded.
On 1 October 2024, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched Smart Nation 2.0 at Punggol Digital District. In his speech, Mr Wong described AI as a general-purpose technology in the same category as steam power and the internet — technologies that “touch every industry and every aspect of life.” He was direct about what this means for the country’s children: they are born digital natives, but deliberate exposure to AI remains essential. Not so that every child becomes an engineer, but so that every child can harness AI’s potential in whatever field they choose to pursue.
Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 commits more than S$500 million to AI development and adoption. A further S$120 million was set aside to accelerate AI adoption across businesses. The Enterprise Compute Initiative announced in Budget 2025 adds another S$150 million for companies to access AI compute infrastructure. These are not pilot programmes. They are structural investments in a future the government believes is arriving faster than most people realise.
The workforce is already feeling it. Data from IMDA’s 2025 Singapore Digital Economy pulse survey found that three in four workers now regularly use AI tools at work, with 85 percent of those reporting improved workflows. At the professional level, AI has arrived. The question that lingers is what about the children?
Here is something that tends to get lost in conversations about national AI strategy: policies are designed for the workforce of today. The children sitting in classrooms right now will not enter that workforce for another ten to fifteen years. By then, the landscape will have changed in ways that even Singapore’s most careful planners are still modelling.
Generative AI has not behaved like a gradual shift. It has behaved more like a sudden compression of time — one where the skills that mattered five years ago are not necessarily the ones that will matter five years from now. Data from SignalFire found that fresh graduates made up just 7 percent of new hires at large technology companies in recent years — roughly half the rate from the pre-pandemic period. A 2025 survey by LeadDev found that a majority of engineering managers expected junior developer hiring to decline in the long term as a direct consequence of AI tools. As Harvard computer science professor David Malan observed, expectations for new graduates have fundamentally shifted: they need to slot in at a higher level almost from day one. The ladder is not gone. But it has fewer rungs.
Singapore’s Ministry of Education and IMDA have jointly run the Code for Fun programme for years, reaching primary and secondary school students with foundational exposure to computational thinking, programming, and robotics. From 2025, the programme has been expanded to include new AI for Fun modules — giving students hands-on experience with generative AI tools, prompt engineering, and AI-integrated robotics. The Smart Nation Educator Fellowship is designed to equip teachers with a deeper understanding of digital trends. At the tertiary level, Singapore’s universities have been integrating AI into courses across disciplines.
And yet — here is the gap that many parents sense without quite being able to articulate — most of what is available in mainstream schooling still sits at the level of introduction. A module. A workshop. Structured exposure to a new concept. What is rarer is sustained, developmental engagement with AI as a tool for building and creating. There is nothing wrong with introduction. But for a child who is seven years old today, introduction alone may not be enough.
Somewhere between the policy announcements and the school registration portals, parents are asking a simpler question: my child is curious, capable, and nine years old. I want to give her the best possible start. What does that actually mean right now?
For a long time, the answer pointed clearly toward coding. Learn Python. Learn Scratch. Understand how software works. These were defensible choices — and for many children, they remain valuable. But here is the question quietly forming beneath that one: if AI tools are increasingly writing the code, what is the point of a child memorising syntax?
The skills that appear most durable — based on the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which surveyed more than 1,000 employers representing 14 million workers across 55 economies — are not primarily technical in the narrow sense. Analytical thinking tops the list of skills employers consider most essential. Creative thinking, resilience, and the ability to work alongside intelligent systems follow closely. The report projects that 39 percent of workers’ core skills will change by 2030. What this suggests is not that technical skills have become irrelevant. It is that the premium has moved — from the ability to produce code to the ability to think clearly about what to build, and why, and for whom.
In a classroom in Singapore, a group of primary school children is not memorising syntax. They are arguing. They are arguing about whether their idea for an app makes sense — whether the audience they have imagined actually exists, whether the problem they are trying to solve is real, whether the AI tool they are using is interpreting their instructions correctly and what to do when it is not. They are building something. And the building is messy in the way that real creative work is messy.
This is the kind of classroom that Empire AI — formerly Empire Code, a Singapore-based technology education school for children from four to nineteen — is trying to construct. Not one where children learn about AI in the abstract, but one where AI is the medium through which they learn to think. The school’s recent curriculum overhaul was prompted by a question it asked itself honestly: does what we are teaching still reflect how technology is actually being built and used?
Robotics has expanded, now incorporating AI-enabled tools alongside the physical computing that builds cause-and-effect reasoning. Block programming for younger children has shifted its emphasis: less time on executing mechanics, more time on the reasoning behind sequencing, conditionals, and logic. Game development now incorporates entrepreneurship, asking children to think about games not just as creative projects but as products with real audiences. App development for older students is being redesigned around how applications are actually built today — using AI tools, connecting to live data sources, deploying functioning projects into the real world.
The most significant change is the retirement of syntax-heavy Python and JavaScript as a core curriculum focus for younger learners. In their place: learning to build using AI as a creative and technical collaborator — understanding how to describe a problem, how AI interprets those instructions, how to evaluate what it produces, how to refine and redirect it, and how to bring something working into the world.
For young children, the foundations are physical, tangible, and relational. Children learn cause-and-effect through building things that do not work and understanding why. They learn sequencing through play. At this age, AI education is not about interacting with a chatbot. It is about beginning to understand that the world they are growing into contains systems that respond to instruction, and that giving clear, specific, purposeful instruction is itself a skill worth developing early.
For older children, the work shifts. A twelve-year-old can engage with AI tools as genuine creative partners — not because the tools are infallible, but because learning to evaluate them, correct them, and push back against their outputs is exactly the kind of critical thinking that employers increasingly need. For teenagers, the question becomes concrete: what does it mean to build something real, to understand a user’s needs, scope a project, and deploy something that works?
It is worth asking the larger question — not just whether Singapore’s children will be prepared for an AI-shaped economy, but whether Singapore could become a model for how AI-native education is done well. The conditions are unusual. Singapore has a government that moves quickly and coordinates across ministries. An education system that is, by global standards, both rigorous and capable of adaptation. A technology ecosystem with deep roots. And a culture that takes education seriously enough to change course when the evidence demands it.
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo has spoken of the need to build a pipeline of AI-fluent talent — a phrase that matters more the earlier in the pipeline you interpret it. A workforce of AI-fluent adults begins, necessarily, as a generation of AI-fluent children. That generation is already here.
There is a scene that many Singapore parents will recognise. A child, somewhere between eight and twelve, at a laptop. Perhaps doing homework. Perhaps watching something. Perhaps, increasingly, asking an AI tool to help with a school project. What the child does in that moment — whether they accept the first output uncritically, or push back, or ask a better question, or understand enough about what the tool is doing to know when it is wrong — will be shaped, in part, by what they have been taught to do.
Singapore has always navigated uncertainty with a certain deliberateness. The Smart Nation vision, the investments in AI infrastructure, the expansion of AI for Fun modules, the Educator Fellowship — these are a government saying, in its characteristic way, that it has looked at the horizon and made its call. The question that remains is a quieter one. Not whether Singapore is ready. But whether, in all the ways that matter, my child will be.
Empire AI is headquartered in Singapore and serves students across the region.
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Google Reviews
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YewHock TAN31 August 2026
Interesting topics which are practicle and useful for beginners. Additional Course on 29th Aug 2026 The AI course on Bazi by Empire.AI was a wonderful eye opener! I also learn a lot about NotebookLM, and was able to generate ppt slides, video in both English and Chinese, and last but not the least, an interview audio file on the project. The co-organiser, Ningpo Guild, was very hospitable, too!Posted on Google
LC Liu29 August 2026Very good course for beginners. Zheng Xuan is a very patient teacherPosted on Google
Jonathen Chen29 August 2026Trainer Zheng Xuan able to share with interesting topics using AI to build & enhance our life time experiencesPosted on Google
Phillip Tan29 August 2026Good contentPosted on Google
Florence Ang29 August 2026Learnt something new today about AI! Great job!Posted on Google
Peifang Tang24 August 2026I had learnt there as a trail and really enjoyed itPosted on Google
Foo Loy Yong22 August 2026I learnt a lot therePosted on Google
david chan1 August 2026Mr Low Z X did a very gd presentation. Enjoy the lively moment. Well done. Thank youPosted on Google
Yuna Bong2 July 2026I would just like to share this gem of a place that's tucked away in Goldhill Plaza - it's affordable (VERY value for money), has great instructors, clean and cosy, and does an excellent job in developing robotics/coding/building skills in children. I was first introduced to this place by a good friend, and after the first class, my 5 year old was instantly sold! I love that young children get the chance to build their own structures (great for fine-motor skills), learn simple block coding, and test out their creations on the spot. I also appreciate the fact that they are very flexible - there are many learning pathways and we can choose which suits our child best. The centre gives great recommendations to suit each child's needs, and there are a variety of modules available - we are simply spoilt for choice! Replies and updates are also very prompt - there are photos/videos of my child every lesson, and all questions are promptly replied via WhatsApp. Those looking for a great place for their children to try out coding/robotics/building etc should definitely give this centre a try. :)Posted on Google
KA Group Asia29 May 2026The staff here are incredibly kind and professional. My kids have been attending classes for Minecraft Education and Scratch, and they are always engaged and excited to return. The curriculum is fun, effective, and truly sparks their interest in coding. I highly recommend Empire AI to any parent looking for a great enrichment center!Posted on Google
Mehraj Begum28 May 2026My children are going through the exposure modules. Their experience is amazing. The teachers are very patient and explained the steps clearly. They also provided a wide exposure to many different coding experiences and platforms which allows parents to discover our child’s strengths and niche. Teachers are motivating and cheerful. Their belief in gender equality in the domain of STEM is truly inspirational. Empire code also partners with Social Enterprises which teach children empathy and their contribution towards helping the needy. Thank you Empire Code!Posted on Google
QYL Ho19 May 2026We would like to thank Empire Code for the engaging and interesting robotics lessons. My son has been thoroughly enjoying every class and always looks forward to attending. The teachers make learning fun, interactive, and encouraging, which has helped spark his interest in robotics and coding. We truly appreciate the patience, dedication, and positive learning environment provided. Thank you for making the classes such an enjoyable experience for him!Posted on Google
Emma7 May 2026My kids attend Empire AI Novena and we’ve had an amazing experience so far! The teachers are caring, patient, and truly passionate about teaching. Special shoutout to Teacher Aaron for being so encouraging and supportive with the students The curriculum is well-designed, engaging, and helps children learn AI and tech concepts in a fun and meaningful way. My kids always look forward to class and have gained so much confidence and knowledge. Highly recommend Empire AI Novena to parents looking for a great learning environment for their children!!Posted on Google
Ray Tio25 April 2026My Son is on his 3rd Module and almost 40hrs of online lessons. He is always looking forward to his weekly class and enjoys the lessons. We had never been to the school before and everything were coordinated through WhatsApp. Everything is just 1 text away. I just signed up for another 30hrs of lessons before writing this. Remember to check for promotions!Posted on Google
User10 April 2026Very funPosted on Google
spoiled Milk10 April 2026Incredible experience here. As the teacher not only are very kind, but they are friendly to our needs and I learnt a lot thanks to their patience and kindness. Especially teacher ZX who is good😀.Posted on Google
Francis Chong26 February 2026Lovely education centre that I send my son to for coding. He absolutely loves it. The teachers are passionate, education is solid, awesome and fun; not to mention that they have wonderful founders and supporting staff as well. Prices are reasonable too! Can't ask for more la. The above is not AI generated ;)Posted on Google
Ed24 February 2026A lovely place to learn Robotics! My boy has enjoyed his sessions and facilitators are patient and knowledgeable 😍🙏🏼 thx!Posted on Google
xiaoyan wang30 January 2026My son enjoys this course very much . We have been traveling here during the vacation and join the classes .Posted on Google
A28 January 2026My child loves his lessons at Empire Code. The instructors are knowledgeable, helpful, kind and very encouraging. He has learnt a lot in his robotics classes. wPosted on Google
Nelson Loh26 January 2026I asked my P3 boy which enrichment he may want to drop since he has too 5 on hands… he replied, definitely not Empire coding! It is fun & educational, he loves it very much :)Posted on Google
はるあお19 January 2026We had a wonderful experience at this Minecraft coding class in Singapore. When we shared our concerns about our children not understanding English, the school kindly adjusted the schedule and arranged more individualized support for them. Although my two children did not understand much English at first, the teachers patiently and warmly supported them throughout the lesson. They stayed close to the children, helped them stay focused, and guided them using the children’s interests, which made learning in English enjoyable and positive. We are traveling from Japan, and being able to include this programming class during our trip was truly valuable. We were very impressed by the high level of coding and STEAM education in Singapore. The administrator was also very kind and friendly, and it is clear that this school has experienced and excellent teachers. We are truly grateful for this experience and highly recommend this school.Posted on Google
dw dw18 January 2026My child really enjoyed the coding classes at Empire Code, especially the LEGO Robotics and Scratch Junior programmes. The lessons are engaging and well-structured, making learning fun and hands-on. The Novena location is very convenient, and the open house was useful for letting us try out the classes before enrolling. Overall, a great learning experience for young learners.Posted on Google
Kheng Zx17 January 2026My kids is quite happy and enjoy the classPosted on Google
paul yun17 January 2026Our kids tried the first lesson at Empire code and likes very much. We believe it will be good for him to learn the coding robotics at early age. We recommend the Empire code.Posted on Google
Janice Tan16 January 2026My child has been attending this robotics class for almost two years, starting from when he was 4 years old, and he has never missed a class. He looks forward to it every week and is always very excited after class to show me what he has built. He is especially proud of toggling between different commands to make the robot perform different actions. We’re really glad we found this place, and he has truly enjoyed learning here. I would definitely recommend it to friends who are looking for a robotics class for their kids.Posted on Google
Silver wolf31 December 2025Minecraft is so funPosted on Google
HH Bay11 December 2025Empire Code Novena offers a Roblox course that teaches kids real coding concepts instead of just playing games. Through guided lessons, students learn to design their own worlds, scripts, and game mechanics. This helps them understand logic, creativity, and problem-solving in a fun, hands-on way. Parents appreciate that screen time becomes productive as children build and create rather than only consume. Overall, the course turns gaming interest into valuable digital skills for the future.Posted on Google
Jeanne Chin2 December 2025Empire code was a perfect place for my child's learning of robotics and coding. The teachers were wonderful and my child always come home excited about what he learnt. I like that the classes go by credits and lessons are flexible for me to switch around when our schedule changes. Felicia has been super helpful and patient in guiding us through the DSA roadmaps when applying for sec schs.Posted on Google
Martin15 November 2025Good learning environment with friendly stuff and trainer. Recommend to parents with children interested in coding class.Posted on Google
silly dinny15 November 2025We just want to thank the trainer today for being so kind and patient with our boy. He wanted to show me his robot at the end of class but somehow it didn't work after a few tries due to our tablet's issue. Although it took extra time to help him reconnect with another ipad (he was the last kid to leave), she was extremely helpful and patient. Your reception staff was also very gentle and friendly to our kids. In fact, week after week, the trainers and reception staff have shown so much care and patience towards him and his brother. We truly appreciate it and our kids love coming here every week for class! 🙏Posted on Google
Marc Wong6 November 2025I really appreciate how patient the teachers are and how the education team regularly updates the curriculum. It keeps the learning experience fresh, engaging and relevant for the kids.Posted on Google
Pauline Huang30 September 2025My son had a wonderful time celebrating his birthday at Empire Code with his classmate. Thanks to Empire Code to set up all the decoration and conduct the fun coding class according to my son's favourite character which is Pokemon. He and his friends were enjoying creating their own pikachu and learnt how to do coding with it. After that we had our party meal and also cutting birthday cake. Thanks to Empire Code to make my son's birthday unforgettable!Posted on Google
Linda Lim20 September 2025My child recently attended the MineCraft Code and Cake Workshop and it was an excellent experience from start to finish. The program was well-organized, engaging, and provided the right balance between learning and fun. More importantly, my son came back talking happily about what a great experience he had. The added bonus is that it is a 1 day workshop including lunch on a Saturday, which save a lot of logistic issues and a meaningful way to spend a weekend.Posted on Google
Adelia Seng18 August 2025My son has been attending robotics classes at Empire Code Novena, and has been having a fantastic time there. He's not only learning valuable skills in robotics, but have also been introduced to foundational coding concepts and having a ton of fun. The instructor is great at keeping the kids engaged and making complex topics easy to understand. We've seen a noticeable boost in his confidence and problem-solving abilities since he started. We highly recommend this class to any parent looking for a fun and educational activity for their child!Posted on Google
Ly15 August 2025My child has been at Empire Code for many good long years now, it has become one happy place of fun learning, exploring and confidence. The Coaches are Champions! Empire Code support competence and the partnership maintained with parents is noteworthy.Posted on Google
Ria Chee13 August 2025My son just finished the LEGO Spike 1 Robotics class and absolutely loved it! The lessons were fun, hands-on, and taught him so much about building, coding, and problem-solving. The instructors were fantastic, the admin team was very helpful, and every staff member was friendly. He’s now moving on to LEGO Spike 2 and is so excited to join the competition next year when he’s ready. My mommy friends have even started joining and inquiring after seeing how much he enjoyed it. I highly recommend EMPIRE CODE Novena.Posted on Google
Stepyi11 Y2 August 2025My kid loves this coding class, he is looking forward to each session.Posted on Google
ados31 July 2025The instructors are patient, knowledgeable, and make learning fun. It’s a very professional program,we’ll definitely keep coming back!Posted on Google
Cec22 July 2025Flexible in class arrangements and willingness to based on child’s ability. In-charge is hands on, and working in constant improvement. If looking for coding and robotic school, can check them out!Posted on Google
Jane Tan22 July 2025My son has been with Empire Code for a few years. He enjoyed each class and have learnt many new applications such as scratch, minecraft, roblox. The instructors are patient and the customer service is very prompt in updating and responding to us.Posted on Google
Ying Chen21 July 2025Empire Code is a fantastic training centre that inspires children’s interest in coding. We first discovered it when my son saw their advertisement. He was interested, so I enrolled him in a holiday programme. Since then, he has continued with Scratch, Python, and other courses there. He is very enthusiastic and looks forward to going every weekend. The teachers are caring, experienced, and very considerate. We are truly grateful for their dedication.Posted on Google
Hosiana Hosiana20 July 2025Our 7-year-old son has really enjoyed his time at Empire Code Novena. He took LEGO Robotics and ScratchJr coding classes, and it's been a great way to introduce him to the world of tech. Every lesson is hands-on and fun - he comes home excited to show us what he's built or coded. The trainers are great with kids and really know how to keep them engaged. The Novena center is clean, safe and well set up for young leaners. It's not easy to find coding and robotics classes for young kids in Singapore that strike the right balance between fun and learning - but Empire Code does just that. Would definitely recommend it to any parent looking to give their child a strong start in tech!Posted on Google
hanna lee18 July 2025I was initially unsure about online coding classes, but Empire Code completely changed my mind. My son had a blast with their Minecraft coding course on Zoom, and I loved seeing how engaged he was from the very first session. What stood out to me most was how the lessons sparked his creativity while teaching him real coding logic through a platform he already loves - Minecraft! He wasn’t just playing; he was learning and building with purpose. The trainer was so warm and encouraging - even over Zoom, she managed to connect with the kids and guide them patiently. As a parent, I appreciated how organised the sessions were and how much my son looked forward to them each week. If you're looking for online coding classes for kids in Singapore that are meaningful, fun, and educational, Empire Code is a wonderful choice.Posted on Google
Zixiang Fu18 July 2025This is a coding and robotics centre for young children and they are fantastic. My son is attending coding classes here and the teachers are knowledgeable, attentive and caring. My son came home happy after every session and has been constantly sharing with me what he has learnt at Empire Code. Glad we found a centre that takes care of his learning while making it fun to learn.Posted on Google
Joan Hamilton16 July 2025This is a thrilling place for kids! Empire Code’s material is leveled but challenging. It has even prepared my kids well for math competitions at their school (as they often include questions on coding), but my kids only see it as fun! The instructors are great and management is very organized and professional. Their camps are always a highlight of my boys’ summer. We have also held a party at Empire Code to rave reviews from our birthday boy and all of his friends! Highly recommend!Posted on Google
kinghee teo12 July 2025My children enjoyed the classes at Empire Code immensely and have taken up an interest in coding. The instructors are friendly and patient with young children.Posted on Google
Tim Q12 July 2025Great place for kids to learn coding and robotics! My kids love it and don’t want to go home!Posted on Google
Yi xin Teo12 July 2025Empire code classes have been wonderful for my boys. They enjoy making Legos and learning about Minecraft coding. Recommend this place.Posted on Google
Zia, Ying-Xian Chen12 July 2025課程很豐富，老師很認真、有耐心！
