Denise Phua Lay Peng
Singapore
“Sir, as Singapore ages, disability and ageing will increasingly overlap. The line between disability services and elder care services will blur. Many adults with disabilities face similar challenges as seniors in varying degrees, but at a younger age.”
“But the SPED schools are run by a lot of the other professionals as well such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, coaches and so forth. And I ask for MOE, as it always looks at SPED educators, to also focus on this other very important group; because retention is capacity.”
“Are there other strategies that the Prime Minister will consider, like easier adoption procedures to have more people adopt, more of us Singaporeans adopting? The second is, in terms of immigration as well, to bring in people who are of the right profile and suitable profile to grow our Singaporean population?”
“Enterprise grants should include accessibility compliance requirements. Inclusion cannot rely on goodwill alone. It must be systemically built-in. And finally, move five: on strengthening intermediaries and social service agencies (SSAs). Sir, if AI is to be whole-of-society, then SSAs cannot be left behind.”
“When SSAs become AI-enabled, the most vulnerable of us benefit. In conclusion Sir, Budget 2026 sets an ambitious direction: AI ecosystems, SkillsFuture strengthening, innovation hubs such as Lorong AI and the future AI Park at one-north. Ambition is necessary, but it is execution that determines whether progress is shared.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her assurance, assuring the House that there are indeed alternative identification methods available for those who are unable to use facial recognition. Just a couple of supplementary questions. Number one, are these measures systemic and applicable for all fully digital or not fully digital banks?”
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“I see no reason to suspect the legislative intent of this Bill to be anything more than allowing prevailing post-riot measures to be continued without reliance on the more extensive Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA); and also to address some of the operational areas of concerns, gaps that are not addressed by existing laws. The current laws, for example, do not provide for the suspension of operations of errant business operators without a valid liquor licence. The current laws also do not explicitly provide for Police officers to question persons in possession of alcohol to give the necessary details to ascertain if there had been any illegal sale of alcohol. These gaps are now addressed in the Bill. I am satisfied that the intent of the Bill is not, as some Singaporeans put it, used against innocent citizens for activism. If it were so, then the scope of the Bill would have been much enlarged. It would not be limited to: (a) a 12-month duration; (b) to only the special zone in Little India and; and (c) to the factors that might have contributed to the 8 December riot, such as public consumption of alcohol, and so forth. Nonetheless, I think it would be useful for the Minister to assure persons who are concerned that this Bill will only be used for the specific purpose it was drafted. I would also like to seek further assurance and clarifications from the Minister on a few things. How sufficient are these measures and are there measures beyond this Bill for Home Team officers to respond even more promptly in public disorder situations of a similar nature? I would like to find out how the safety of persons living and working in the special zone can be further secured should the riot happen in very close proximity or within residential zones.”
“HDB has also helped by redirecting some of the roads and installing Electronic Parking Systems (EPS) to allow the residents to claim back the use of car parks that are meant for the residents, sometimes occupied by the lorries and buses that came. Needless to say, our Town Council cleaners in this vicinity have had to work extra hard to pick up after the throngs of visitors when they leave the area. Even before the riot, alcohol was one factor identified as one of the contributory factors impacting public order. In fact, a wider review of the sale and public consumption of alcohol was initiated before the 8 December riot. There were even calls amongst many for a stricter regime, much like the "open-container" or "open-bottle" laws in most of the United States, in Canada and Australia and parts of Scandinavia. All these before the riot. That is the history. This is not a Bill that is borne out of a single incident on 8 December 2013. Its historical context should not be dismissed. The COI will only be completed in June this year. And thereafter, I believe we need to give time for the recommendations to be considered and also for the recommendations from the larger review of the alcohol sale and public consumption to be completed. After this, we still need to have public consultation, I guess to consider the recommendations to propose a larger plan for the country. It is likely to take more than six months, later than June. And during this period, I would ask for Page: 111 a stronger touch still to be applied. Finally, Madam, based on the comprehensive explanation by the Minister, I am satisfied that the Bill is temporary and it is a stop-gap measure until the longer-term measures recommended by the COI and the wider alcohol review are proposed.”
“The growth of the foreign workforce, as Manpower Minister said, accelerated towards the latter part of the 2000s to feed the demand for labour in our country to build infrastructure, such as roads, MRT networks, housing, schools and other public facilities. Little India is a favourite destination spot for many. The crowds are especially large during specific hours on the weekends when busloads and lorryloads of migrant workers are ferried to the popular Little India. As more of them congregate and as more of them form a ready customer base, the profile of shops, including the HDB shops there, begin to change to cater to the needs of these migrant workers. Businesses selling alcohol, phone Page: 110 cards, plying trades for remittance services and food items that cater to the migrant workers – all these businesses thrived. Complaints about disamenity issues – what Member Ms Foo Mee Har said – such as littering, taking over of communal spaces meant for residents, such as the void decks, playgrounds and parks, were rife. Sprawls, fights, jaywalking and sleeping at staircase landings were not uncommon. The easy access to alcohol does not help, especially when they are available not only at F&B outlets but also at grocery shops, some of which are located on ground floors, just one floor below residential units. In some of these shops, I have mentioned in this House before, alcohol of various brands and strengths – Kingfisher, Knock Out, you name it – deck the shelves, floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall. Fortunately, we had the support of several Ministries, such as MOM and MHA. The situation was somewhat abated in recent years by the deployment of uniformed auxiliary police to the area, although I must say their powers are fairly limited.”
“Page: 109 On 20 January this year, hon Member Mr Low Thia Khiang also asked Deputy Prime Minister on why the Special Operations Command (SOC) took, I quote, "nearly one hour" after the request for help was made. Mr Low also wondered "if the SOC had responded faster…, perhaps the setting on fire of vehicles could have been averted." A good case of 20/20 hindsight. There are many reasons, I guess, why help could not arrive earlier. But I think it is not inconceivable to imagine that it would have been very challenging for Police vehicles, SOC, ambulances and other vehicles to enter a riot zone where so many rioters and onlookers gather. It would have been very tough to clear the way. Prevention is better than cure, and I am very glad that there are provisions in the Bill to ensure more timely support for our Home Team officers at the scene. In this regard, clauses 11 and 14, which empower the Police to direct persons – to manage human and vehicular traffic – and regulate the use of any roads, streets or footpaths in the special zone. This will help clear the way for the early arrival of help, such as the Special Operations Command, from other parts of Singapore. Fourthly, the Bill bears a historical context which should not be dismissed. Before I get to that point, let me say this. I think there were many concerns in the House that powers would be abused. I believe that, notwithstanding the powers, I am very confident that the Home Team officers and the auxiliary police will exercise with restraint and not abuse the powers that they are given. Their behaviour during the 8 December riot bears testimony to that. Next, the Bill bears a historical context which should not be dismissed. For years, there had been congregations of huge numbers of visitors to the vicinity.”
“As one of the Members of Parliament in Little India, I work closely with the officers from the Rochor Neighbourhood Police Post and the auxiliary police personnel deployed to maintain public order. I am compelled to speak up for these officers and the others who were deployed to quell the riot on 8 December last year. Madam, officers and auxiliary police officers on their weekly and daily patrols face pressure from residents who want better outcomes. At the same time, they also have to carry out the unpleasant duty of reducing the presence and disamenity issues that are caused by non-residents who congregate at the void decks and other communal spaces meant for residents. During the 8 December riot, these Home Team officers faced risks that were worse than their routine pressures. I had the opportunity to speak with some – Mr Vikram called them the "first responders". I spoke with some of them when I visited the Neighbourhood Police Post on 24 December last year. The Prime Minister was there and the Minister was there as well. For many of these officers, it was the first time they encountered such a big unruly crowd who had no respect for them, no qualms in throwing projectiles – they called them projectiles – such as bottles, concrete slabs and bricks on them. In total, 43 officers were injured. Post-riot, some of the officers have to put up with criticisms levelled at them for running for their lives when their lives were being threatened. I am speaking about the video which went viral, showing some officers having to run from, I think it was an ambulance, before it was set on fire. Seriously, what would you do under such circumstances when you are told that the vehicle you are in would be set ablaze? Would you not run for your life?”
“" Similar sentiments were expressed by many residents on both sides of Serangoon Road – whether from feedback garnered during house-to-house visits – we did quite a lot of that – dialogues or community functions, even up to two nights ago on Sunday when I met them. Many residents have expressed support to the auxiliary police patrols that Tuck Yew and I have arranged, pre-riot. They also supported the potential of stricter alcohol sale and public consumption in the review that was started by MHA in November last year. Most of all, many of them are thankful for the post-riot measures that were implemented, and especially those pertaining to the sale and public consumption of alcohol which was what was proposed in clauses 4 to 7 in the Bill. I do not get the sense that they feel that just because they are included in this Bill that they are discriminated against or, that they feel very deprived because they are now seen as living in a special zone. That was not the sense that I get when I speak to many of them. Community leaders who live in Little India are also willing to put on record their support for the measures and the legislative means it takes to enforce them. They include Mr Martin Periera, who is the Chairman of Tekka Residents' Committee; Mr Lim Herh Kim, Chairman of Rowell Court Residents' Committee; and even across the street, Mr John Yeo Teck Chow, Chairman of Kelantan Court which is just across Jalan Besar. He expressed concern if he and his Page: 108 neighbours would be left out of the protection zone. All of them represent thousands of residents in the special zone covered by the Bill. Thirdly, the Bill further empowers and assures the safety of the Home Team members deployed for assignments of such nature.”
“As places like Little India become increasingly popular to tourists, migrant workers and other Singaporeans, the quality of life of my residents in Little India have been compromised. They had been ceding their communal living spaces, such as the void decks, playgrounds, exercise areas and sometimes even corridors outside their flats, to others who come to visit, who congregate there. Page: 107 On the fateful night of the 8 December riot, many residents who live just next to the riot scene and even others who live across the street at Veerasamy Road and Rowell Court, stayed indoor; some of them, in fear and anxiety. What would have been your response if this were happening at your doorstep? What if a family member of yours is still making his/her way home, along the streets or MRT close to the riot site? What if some people decide to take advantage, as I said, and start to loot the shops, spreading the riot further across the street? Who can guarantee that it would not happen again if the post-riot measures are lifted, or if we do not apply a strong touch to this? Who is to say that another similar incident would not happen, in light of the frequent jaywalking and big numbers of people, usually men, congregating in the neighbourhood? Resident Ms Nisa Mohamed Maideen, a 23-year-old accountant witnessed the violence during the riot. She spoke the minds of many women who reside in Little India. Ms Nisa expressed to the media that she is "not xenophobic but [she] hopes that the clampdown on the sale and consumption of liquor and the increased police presence will continue." Ms Nisa said she does not mind the workers. She said this: "I just want to feel safe like any other resident in Singapore and be able to take a walk in my own neighbourhood.”
“Many of us appreciate these special ones who left their families and travel here to make a living by helping us build the facilities that Singaporeans want, doing work that many locals are not prepared to take on. Like the rest of us, they have physical, social, recreational and other living needs that must be met. Treating them with dignity and respect is the right thing to do. I am very pleased that more has been done and more will be done to look into the building of purpose-built facilities, dedicated recreation centres and provision of services that they need, such as remittances, shopping, sports and so forth. The idea – I think it was Member Ms Tin Pei Ling who suggested – of promoting alternate off-days so that popular places, such as Little India, will not see excessive congregation is also welcome. On businesses. Businesses in Little India, whose bottom line and sustainability are important to them, are also our key stakeholders. Although many had enjoyed years of very good runs by catering to the high number of visitors, both local and foreign, we know a number of them have suffered a decline in business. This is the time to re-balance and find creative win-win solutions that, hopefully, will not cripple the businesses further. I urge the Inter-Ministerial Committee to look into helping affected businesses ply their trade, perhaps, within the dormitories, and expand their business network throughout Singapore for the very businesses that they are good at. But one very important stakeholder group is the residents who live in Little India. They, too, deserve to be heard loud and clear. Madam, they have a right, like the rest of us who live elsewhere in Singapore, to a safe, secure and peaceful living environment. Let us put ourselves in their shoes.”
“Safety and security had been taken for granted for years by many of us in our country. Although the riot was quelled within the same night, the recovery from the shock did not happen as fast. I fully agree with Member Mr Hri Kumar that the consequences of the riot could have been far worse. The scene of the riot is near the MRT and residential blocks where many families live. It is not inconceivable that residents and other visitors, both young and old, could get in the way of the rioters and be harmed physically. It is also not inconceivable that some people at the scene could decide to take advantage of the situation and begin looting nearby shops, causing greater mayhem. Had our Home Team officers been less restrained, shots could have been fired and even more lives lost. The unblemished track record of Singapore as a safe place to live, to work and to do business in would have been dented. As it is, the very riot had already revealed a vulnerable spot in Singapore's public safety and order landscape, which, if not addressed with a stronger touch, would threaten the peace and security we had taken for granted for years. Page: 106 Secondly, the Bill addresses the fears and concerns of the majority of residents in Little India. Madam, there are several key stakeholder groups with an interest in how the post-riot plans will pan out. In recent months, thanks to the advocacy of NGOs, the Migrant Workers' Centre and business associations, the interests and the plight of migrant workers and businesses have been articulated, loud and clear. Indeed, the needs of the migrant workers who frequent Little India must be addressed.”
“Madam, I am one of the Members of Parliament directly looking after the Little India area. The other is Minister Lui Tuck Yew, in whose precinct the riot of 8 December last year happened. For several years, both in and outside this House, the two of us have raised the concerns of our residents whose lives have been impacted by the excessive congregation of migrant workers and other visitors to the estate. We had also been working closely with the police from the Neighbourhood Police Post and the Auxiliary Police Officers who patrol Little India to ensure public safety and order for our residents. Page: 105 I stand to support the Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill for one key reason. I believe it is better to be safe than sorry. Let me now share why I have more reasons to support this Bill than object to it. First, I believe that this Bill is an appropriate response to the severity of the 8 December riot. Madam, the significance of what happened on 8 December last year must not be under-estimated. The riot is the worst public order disturbance in Singapore in more than 40 years. One migrant worker lost his life – this was the gentleman whose death triggered the unruly riot. Twenty-three emergency response vehicles, including ambulances, were damaged. Out of these, five were burnt. Another seven private vehicles were damaged. Forty-nine Home Team officers sustained injuries. Even those of us who are familiar with the concerns in Little India were shocked. The extent of the disregard for uniformed personnel and Police vehicles and the damage sustained in the 8 December riot in Little India last year were unexpected and very alarming. Many people did not believe it was happening in Singapore when they saw or heard the news when it was first reported.”
“Of the immense challenges he was facing at the time in his political career, he said that "the occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise – with the occasion." Indeed, the occasion faced by MOE is piled high with difficulty; but Minister, those of us who believe in the direction you have charted, want to rise to and with the occasion for just one reason – to powerfully connect the dots we have collected about the future and the current – and to help prepare our precious young well for a Singapore that will be both successful and significant. With that, I thank you. 6.34 pm”
“In a very progressive education village I visited several years ago, Secondary level school students took turns each day to feed lunch to their severely disabled school mates who were also located in the same building – a vision I cannot forget till today I propose a pilot of schools that recognise that, in life, one can only connect the dots that one collects; and, therefore, the need to make special efforts to level up their disadvantaged young, to give them additional dots so that they can collect from boarding schools to longer school days, to the provision of computers, mobile devices and daily nutritious meals. What would be the critical success factors of such a pilot? The pilot will need to be co-shaped by a team that shares the same passion; and properly resourced in funding and other tangible needs. The pilot must allow for flexibility in the selection of like-minded board members, leaders and other team members, including the teachers and educators. It must allow for porosity to the rest of the current education system in two ways: one, use of resources that are currently available in schools that specialise in Gifted, Normal (Technical) and Special schools; and, two, movement of its students who choose to return to the current system. I know that the proposed pilot will only address a segment of the learning journey of our students, but it is a good 10 years. In a separate future session, I look forward to an opportunity to discuss educating the young and old in the Page: 112 next 10 years to come. In conclusion, Sir, I wish to end with a statement that was made by President Abraham Lincoln of the US in December 1862 in his annual State of the Union address.”
“I am proposing schools that, while they maintain academic rigour, do not sort and stream students into Gifted, Express, Normal (Academic), Normal (Technical), as a result of their PSLE performance and, thereby, increasing the porosity for students to take a mix of different subjects at either the Foundation, Standard or Advanced levels, banded according to their abilities and interests. I propose pilot schools that are inclusive and are a microcosm of our society, reflective of students of different socio-economic backgrounds, abilities, race and language, allowing them to interact daily in core non-academic activities, such as morning assemblies, dismissals, recess times, play times, PE, outings, so that our young will learn to live with, tolerate and value differences from a Page: 111 young age. I propose pilot schools that do not physically segregate students at the extreme ends of the proverbial normal distribution into separate groups from the rest; but allow them to benefit from programmes that will suit their learning needs, whichever end of the curve they are at. I propose pilot schools that do not excessively assess their students through competitive tests but help students develop their own portfolios and use assessments and tests to self-drive their own learning as much as possible. I propose schools led by future-ready leaders and fellow educators who themselves are lifelong learners and game to take on value-adding roles of being content curators, online learning developers and/or life coaches. Schools where service to fellow school mates, the school and the nation is a daily exercise and not a subject or project to be graded.”
“I do not think it is necessary nor wise to copy wholesale admired education systems of others, bearing in mind that we are different and that even the much-lauded Finnish system is, itself, in need of change. According to Pasi Sahlberg, the renowned education ambassador from Finland, even the Finns need to connect their own dots better. Sahlberg said this recently, "Ask Finns about how our system will look in 2030, and they will say it will look like it does now. We (the Finns) do not have many ideas about how to renew our system. We need less formal, class-based teaching, more personalised teaching, more focus on developing social and team skills." And he said, "We (the Finns) are not talking about these things at all" – words from an education expert from Finland itself. Indeed, Singapore should work towards creating our own brand of education to underpin the kind of country and society we want to sculpt. Let us not be overly concerned by our ranking in the systems constructed by other parties, such as the PISA. Let us, instead, develop our own balanced scoreboard and measure what we, Singaporeans, aspire for Singapore. In this regard, I would like to propose that MOE consider starting a Pilot Cluster of Schools, very much like how it is experimenting its MOE-run kindergartens, a cluster of schools which attempts to connect the dots of the current and the future. I am proposing, Sir, schools that offer a straight 10-year quality through-train education without the need for a make or break high-stakes exam in Year 6, such as the PSLE.”
“And what of the many who are later developers, the late bloomers, but who are sorted much earlier in life into the Express, Normal (Academic), Normal (Technical), IP and SAP learning tracks – with little chances of interacting with each other regularly in their school years? Chasing the academics excessively, tuition, excesses of DSA, late developers, segregating versus inclusion – these are pervasive challenges that still dot the current landscape. Now, Sir, I have full empathy that the Ministry has to tread carefully at a pace of change that is acceptable to its many stakeholders. And, indeed, at the national level, treading at a realistic pace may be the way forward as there is frequently no one response that is supported by all the different stakeholders in the system. For everyone who prefers less formal exams and rankings, there are others who cannot imagine a world without exams, top schools and tuition. Had the system been drawn from scratch now, many senior educators have said they would have the liberty to design the system in a bolder manner. Hence, I understand the need to tread carefully and slowly. However, Sir, there is a segment of Singaporeans – myself included – who believe that we should be given the chance to go beyond the current trimming of the excesses of the system. We believe that we can move more boldly and swiftly to realise the aspirations of a segment of our population – a segment Page: 110 who wishes to help co-shape a system that addresses more aggressively the hot buttons of the day and also respond more expediently to the beckoning of the future.”
“According to the latest PISA report, which sees, of course, Singapore doing very well academically, Singapore has the highest number of students who had one-on-one private tuition. It is understandable when academically weaker students seek extra help through tuition. But when it is reported that even some of our top students from top schools regularly attend tuition classes either on their own accord or encouraged or arranged by their parents, then there is a big cause for concern. The longer we ignore the root causes, the longer we delay in working out a multitude of solutions and thereby allow this thriving shadow education industry to keep growing, the harder it will be for us to trim this Page: 109 elephant to size. Then there are those of us who remain uneasy with the highly efficient way of sorting students with learning profiles and backgrounds in geographically separate schools. Granted, we all learn differently, with different strengths, learning styles and pace for learning. But the solution need not come in the form of physically separating students in different locations all the time in the form of Gifted schools, Normal (Technical) schools and Special schools. The solution can come in the form of scalable and quality programmes and learning support that can penetrate all schools. After all, as one OSC participant put it, "Inclusive societies must start with inclusive schools." Another Current Dot. The Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme may also run the risk of another form of competition amongst school leaders to admit yet another superior pool of students of another profile – those who are very proficient and perform very well in music, arts, sports and, now, in leadership, perseverance and character.”
“Page: 108 (d) There is now greater flexibility for Normal stream students to take higher-level subjects according to their strengths. (e) The Citizenship and Character Education syllabi were reviewed and recently reintroduced and launched. (f) MOE has also started to directly run several kindergartens using an approach that is based on play and also ensuring that these kindergartens take in children of all socio-economic backgrounds. All these changes are testament to the Ministry's commitment to provide a broad and deeper foundation for lifelong learning for our young. Connecting the Dots: A Proposal. Sir, up to this point, I have been describing the dots that I have observed in the education landscape, future and the current. Thanks to the steadfast leadership of our Education Minister and his team, some of the dots are already connected. I shared just now. But even these changes cannot be introduced without challenges. Many of these changes involve the detoxification of the mind and weaning of habits that would take years – and some would say generations – to complete. For instance, for the longest time, the most prominent KPI of whether a school is admired is its academic performance in high-stakes exams. It is a mindset that is entrenched not only in many parents but also in many educators and employers, in public and private service. It will take a long time to switch to a mindset that values and celebrates other forms of intelligence. Tuition, too, is the elephant in the room that we cannot ignore. The thriving tuition industry has become a security blanket for many. Now, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial global survey that evaluates education systems worldwide amongst 15-year-olds.”
“Sir, more than 20,000 educators, members of the public, students and families, participated in the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC). It was led by the Minister himself. They were asked what they would like to see in Singapore schools in 2030. Their inputs can be clustered into several key focus areas. They are to do with: (a) concern over academic stress, especially caused by high-stakes exams; (b) call for a broadened definition of success in schools; (c) call for more inclusive schools so that children of all backgrounds can grow up together; and a more level playing field so that at-risk children can start school from a more equal footing; and (d) stronger emphasis on character and values-driven education and future-ready skills. The feedback from the ground did not go unheard. They, in fact, validated, I notice, the annual work plan assumptions of MOE of recent years. The inputs supported and strengthened the Education Minister's resolve to promote an even more student-centred and values-driven education system. Several measures were already introduced under the Minister's leadership. (a) For example, to reduce the competitiveness of high-stakes exams, such as PSLE, banding instead of T-scores will be introduced. School rankings removed; so is public comparison of PSLE scores. (b) And to ensure schools are more inclusive, the Minister has ensured that Primary 1 places are reserved to ensure that those without the alumni network are able to get into popular schools. (c) To provide alternates to academic-based entries to Secondary schools, the Direct School Admissions (DSA) criteria were broadened to include special qualities, such as character, resilience, drive and leadership, expanding the criteria beyond sporting, artistic talents and academics, of course.”
“Teachers who express the desire to only teach will have to reflect on what that really means and how they might be even more relevant to teaching in the digital age. Educators of the Future can take on one or more of the following four roles: (a) As Content Curators – adding value by sifting and sorting through numerous repositories of content that are created every hour in cyberspace. They could suggest and guide their students in accessing those that are most relevant and most reliable. (b) Educators of the Future can be Lesson Designers – designing lessons using blended pedagogy that combines good quality online lectures with their own personal facilitation. Educators of the Future can also be Online Course Developers and Deliverers – learning how to teach online, producing and delivering high-quality online courses. (c) But they can also be Life Coaches – guiding the young who, in spite of their impressive digital assets, may still need help in honing their character and building their values; learning what Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi has taught us – that knowledge without character, freedom without responsibility, and science without humanity are the deadly sins of the human soul. The days of repeating lecture notes and power-points of yester-years are numbered. Online academies, educators as content curators, designers, online learning developers and deliverers and life coaches! To be future-ready, we have to reckon with these developments and these future roles of educators. We need to rethink and even reform how we identify, select and develop skill Page: 107 sets of school leaders and educators for schools of the future. About The Current.”
“Prof Clayton Christensen, author of "Disrupting Class" and one of the world's foremost experts on innovation and growth, insists that "technology is disrupting how people used to learn and teach". And when traditional brick-and-mortar schools do not reinvent themselves, the rise and success of Online Academies may one day render them irrelevant. For instance, Khan Academy is a non-profit educational website that boasts an outreach of 10 million students per month and has delivered more than 200 million lessons. It has a personalised learning engine to help learners track their learning and chart their pathways. It boasts of a library of online learning videos of more than 4,500. Even Microsoft chief, Bill Gates, was reported to have said that he had used Khan Academy with his own kids. Mind you, there are other online academies like Khan Academy which may or may not be even more successful. Indeed, in a country as highly wired as Singapore, students, the young and old will find that they can learn anything, anywhere, any time. The rise of online education could effectively render weak teachers redundant, while making great educators more widely accessible, levelling the playing field for learners across the world. But we know that just because our young have access to their Page: 106 modern mobile devices, and use them for chats and all, does not mean that these devices are used for learning. There is still an important place for educators, if they keep up with the times. Sir, the Traditional Model of the Educator being the teacher and chief dispenser of knowledge – a mental model in which students are often one or many steps behind their teachers – is a model that will not stick in the digital age.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Education is a subject of immense interest to many Singaporeans. In a meritocracy, it is an important tool for social mobility. Education is also the passport by which every child has a shot at maximising his potential. Education shapes our society-to-be. And it usually even takes the biggest blame whenever our young do not meet our expectations. It is no wonder that education occupies one of the top three spots in the allocation of our national Page: 105 budget. Someone once said that "we can only connect the dots that we collect"; these dots in life come in the form of inputs, observations and experiences one encounters. For today's Motion of "Educating our Young for the 21st Century", I wish to first acknowledge the persons from whom I have collected many important "dots": (a) the activists and women Members from the PAP Women's Wing, especially Dr Intan; (b) the MOE professionals and the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) participants; and (c) other friends, young and old, who share a keen interest in educating our young for the future. As I study the many developments in the education scene, I observe a series of dots that cluster around several themes. Let me first summarise these clusters of dots according to, first, the Future; and then, the Current. I would then conclude with a Proposal for the Minister to consider. The Future. When we think about educating our young for the future, we cannot ignore how Technology and, especially the Internet, have opened up learning to the point where anyone can learn anything from anyone else at any time. Learners find at their disposal content that range from repositories, portals, open-courseware, free ware, e-books to online classes.”
“I would like to seek the assurance of the Deputy Prime Minister for a whole-of-Government integrated approach to develop a series of differentiated and additional measures so that these residents will have more peace of mind; and so that they have more privacy where they live; and also, to return the use of the communal spaces that are meant for them – places like the playground, the pavilions, the elderly equipment areas and even the shops at the void decks. Can we return the use of those spaces to the residents? I would like to ask for differentiated measures that are stricter for those zones that are closer to where residents live, especially in the public housing estates. For your consideration, please.”
“Perhaps, Mr Pritam would like to know that I did a house-to-house visit, and the residents of a block that is located just above a row of shops that sell alcohol of various kinds, with alcohol decked from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, and more than 80% of the residents say, "Please do not stop the ban". That is a data point for the Deputy Prime Minister. I also want to thank the Home Team, especially for doing their best under the circumstances during the riot, and also, more importantly, on a daily basis, the Home Team members who have been helping to manage the disamenities issues that arise from the congregation of foreign workers. The Home Teams from Rochor Neighbourhood Police Post and Marina Bay as well. So, I want to register that record of thanks. The second point is I would like to highlight to the Deputy Prime Minister the concerns of this special stakeholder group. We have lobby groups for the businesses and lobby groups for the foreign workers. But none for the special group, that is, the residents, especially those who are living in city areas which Page: 88 are very appealing to the foreign workers, and where there is high foreign worker congregation. Many of these residents are families with young children, elderly, daughters and wives and they are concerned with too many foreign workers congregating in their living spaces, below their flats.”
“I thank the Senior Minister of State for her response. I just want to ask the question again. I was told on the ground that animal welfare is considered a core component in the new CCE syllabus and "special needs" is not. Can the Senior Minister of State Page: 25 confirm that? Second, I am glad that, in any case, special needs and disabilities are covered. I want to ask the Senior Minister of State if MOE would consider for the Ministry to work with key disability groups to develop and fund the content and pedagogy, and perhaps to consider more online resources so that students and staff can access this content on a 24/7 anytime-anywhere basis.”
“Mdm Speaker, unlike Mr Low, I am a bit more optimistic. Just as I think the elderly has learnt to use the Teletext many years ago, I think we can help them to learn how to use the Internet. Some of them use Skype as well. But the devil is in the execution. I would really appreciate if the Ministry and IDA could have a more rigorous communication plan and a coaching plan as well to reach out to the people who are affected. They are, indeed, affected and they need support. Page: 35 Like the Silver Infocomm Initiative, when we reach out to them, do not just use English but make sure multi-languages are involved. Perhaps, also have and encourage community coaches – could be young people and the older people. And also highlight some of the success stories and make full use of the Community Clubs' facilities, the RCs and so forth to help this group of elderly who truly are experiencing some challenges. Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I thank the Member for the suggestions. I will take them back to IDA and MDA and discuss how best we can implement them. I want to assure the Member that all our materials are in multi-languages because we recognise that, for the senior citizens, some of them may not be conversant in English. But as for the Member's suggestion of doing more hands-on approach by getting some of our champions to work together with the seniors, it is being done. Some of the CCs do have programmes whereby they get the youngsters to run the programme together with the seniors. I will ask IDA and MDA to follow up on the Member's suggestions.”
“That many households actually spend quite a bit of money on tuition in the hope that their children could do better and could get into what they perceive are better schools.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. And I am very excited actually about MOE's vision to make every school a good school and, for example, to use technology and share best practices, to level up especially those who are weaker. Just a couple of questions for the Senior Minister of State. I believe that there is some data to show that the tuition industry is – and these are a few years' old data – at least $800 million. I think, by now, it could be a $1-billion industry. If a survey is done, I think there are quite a number of star tutors or good tutors in the tuition industry who actually are ex-employees of MOE. Page: 56 I wonder if MOE could perhaps get together a taskforce, workforce or work team to take a serious look at this phenomenon and to advise what is the real status quo. And also to advise if there is a package of solutions, if needed, that could be implemented to address this phenomenon, if found out to be true.”
“I thank the Minister for the upward revision of the salary packages, especially for the social workers, and for communicating very frequently what it does for this professional group. Can the Minister confirm again that the other professionals, such as the therapists, educators and psychologists, are also paid competitively, especially across the public service sector versus the social service sector? And do the agencies, for example, reviewing these salaries have access to MOE, the Government or MOH, their salary scale data? My next point is instead of communicating primarily what the Ministry has done for social workers, to ask the Minister not to leave the other professionals out and to communicate across the media and other groups about what it does for the rest of the sector as well.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Health Minister for accepting the feedback from the ground and several of us in the House to include those with pre-existing congenital conditions in MediShield Life. My question to Minister is: what are the details of the public consultation that Ministry is currently conducting, because it has just completed one public consultation before it has come up with this plan to include these others who were previously not included. The second is: when will MediShield Life be expected to be implemented, because there are quite a number of Singaporeans who are currently not receiving any basic health insurance at the moment?”
“The contract must have been covered later but when the discussions about the status of the software, the TCMS software, about the fact that it was at risk of being obsolete, about needing to think about different models for the next generation – these started from 2009. And the discussion of whether the General Elections, or who to fix or trip, was never in our mindset throughout the discussions. 5.59 pm”
“g) Allow differentiation in the provision of Government grants to cover operational expenditure, especially for estates which are located in city districts prone to dis-amenities brought about by visitors from the rest of Singapore. I am specifically referring to, of course, my wards, such as Little India – my GRC – my Little India, my Little Thailand and Waterloo Street, and possibly also Dr Lily Neo's Chinatown. h) Lastly, consider how the same objective of engaging MPs with public housing residents, how this objective can also be furthered and applied in private estates, which are equally important. In conclusion, Madam, the decision in 1989 by the then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to make elected MPs accountable for maintenance of the housing estates they are voted into, is not unsound. However, it is now 2013. Twenty-four years have passed. The political and social landscapes have shifted and the Town Councils Acts and practices are in need of updates. It is time to move on to envision the Town Councils of the 21st century. It is time to update our methods of engagement with the use of technology. It is time to further engage and give more power, more support, and ownership to both MPs and their residents to create more distinctive town characters. I support the Minister's statement. I seek Minister's favourable considerations of the points I have raised and look forward to the implementation of the recommendations of the MND Town Council Review Report. 5.58 pm”
“I am sure there are many best practices we can learn. b) Engage key stakeholders, including resident groups, in developing a realistic vision of what their estates can become; and how they, too, can own part of the process of making their estates cleaner, safer and more gracious. A town, after all, is about both hardware, infrastructure – and also software – its people. c) Demarcate responsibilities of Government, Town Councils and Residents, taking into account which deliverables are best performed by these key stakeholders. For instance, we should seriously consider having Government lead in the development of nationwide TCMS software to be leased back to individual Town Councils. Since needs and expectations may be different, we can consider a modular approach for the Town Councils to pick and use the modules they need. Choose an open platform so that modules can be customised and added when required. d) Actively use technology to collect and provide data and information so that Town Councils and their residents can proactively manage their own estate matters. e) Provide better guidelines in the review of S&CC charges and set more consistent expectations amongst the public so that the revision of such fees is subject to less emotion and less populism. f) Provide more education and transparency of Sinking Fund top-ups so that residents and Town Councillors are able to understand the need and purpose of such longer-term funds. Consider a tier system so that Town Councils, which have already had adequate sinking fund stashed aside, can be allowed to put aside less and use the money for operating expenses.”
“When MPs run Town Councils, they tend to also be reluctant to increase the S&CC charges, even in the face of inflation, even in the face of increasing costs, such as in utility tariffs. With no guidance in the setting of S&C charges, each review of charges is potentially sensitive, emotional and, of course, unpopular. Under the current TC model, there is also no differentiation in Government grants provided to Town Councils of estates of different profiles and ages. In the housing estates, for instance, located in the city area that I operate, which is frequented by persons all over the island, our Town Council officers and cleaners have to work doubly hard to clean up after the visitors. When I asked for fences to cordon off residential void decks to provide some privacy for my HDB residents, I was advised to use my limited Town Council funding for such purposes. Clearly, as the MND Review Report rightly advised, the current model is due for a strategic and comprehensive review. Madam, both the pre-1989 and the current TC model have their appeals and their downsides. What is needed is a more updated model that is more inspiring and more visionary that will raise the role of MPs beyond estate managers, but also lead in sculpting the character of their town and residents. Madam, in this respect, I would like to give eight suggestions to improve the current model just so the Review Team later on can consider these before the next generation of TCs and the Act. Here are the eight: a) Conduct a study of best practices of how municipalities and towns are run in other parts of the world. A quick research, a desktop research I currently conducted on town council in North Carolina's Town of Cary showed an impressive list of A-Z services that we can learn from.”
“Madam, the appeal of the current Town Council operation model, on the other hand, is that it provides a direct link between public housing residents and their elected MPs, what Minister Khaw calls "the nexus between residents and their elected MPs". Nothing brings an MP more down-to-earth than getting direct feedback on which corridor is not swept, which rubbish is not picked, which chute is not working or how residents disagree with one another on which colour of paint is the best. It is not glamour work. It is different in nature from researching and making public speeches on pet topics in Parliament. It stretches and shows up the bandwidth and responsiveness of the MPs one elects. Resources are put in the hands of the respective MPs. And how they operate the estate will provide one of the data points from which resident-voters evaluate their MPs. It is a double-edged sword that either shows up the quality, or the lack thereof, of the MPs. The current Town Council model, however, is not without its down side. The challenges of handing over of TC operations in the event of political change is well detailed in the MND report and covered by the hon Members Zainal Sapari, Sylvia Lim and Sitoh Yih Pin. In addition, MP-led Town Councils are often wrongly perceived as the body to solve the majority of the towns' issues – the drains, the roads, so forth. In reality, the current scope of the Town Councils is primarily in estate management and facility improvement, subject to fairly stringent funding limits. Town Councils are not meant for problems meant to be solved by the Police, LTA, NEA, SLA and so forth, to name a few.”
“Better still, let us also take this opportunity to examine the fundamentals of the current TC operating model and legislation. Let us help Town Councils raise the bar to be not just estate maintenance agents but town managers of the 21st century. Madam, I would like to next share my thoughts on Town Councils of the Future. One of the key decisions I believe we need to make is the choice of the governance model or the operating model of future Town Councils. On the pre-1989 Model before Town Councils, Madam, there have been calls to revert to the pre-1989 days when the HDB, a Government agency, is responsible for the maintenance of common areas and public housing estates. The appeal of the model is this. It is potentially able to tap on a bigger pool of public resources. Government does have more resources in the maintenance and further development of towns, such as in IT systems or related environmental control or road facilities. One of the effects of reverting completely to Government to run Town Councils is the potential of higher costs of managing towns. There is a popular mindset that Government has a deep, deep pocket and if it is cleaning and maintaining towns, Government should be able to afford and accommodate whatever needs and demands residents might have. This view is common not only in housing matters, but also transport, education, and even in social services. But we know that, ultimately, someone has got to foot the bill. And under this system, the pre-1989 system, elected MPs will play the role of being the mouthpieces to pressure the appointed Government agency for more, potentially without accountability or calibration of what the optimal level of services should be. Next, the other alternative, the alternative is the post-1989 Town Council Model.”
“The Town Councils Act or the TCs Act was set up to legally empower elected MPs representing their respective political parties to run their towns. The Act allowed not only freedom in appointing Town Councillors and staff; it does not prohibit transactions with persons or entities associated with the respective political parties. This arrangement is hardly new to even hon Members from the Opposition. When Workers' Party took over the running of the Aljunied GRC, it waived competition to appoint FM Solutions and Services or FMSS as its Managing Agent (MA). FMSS was started in May 2011 and owned by the former General Manager of the then-Hougang TC. Later on, when AHTC finally conducted an open tender, not one but two contracts, for both Managing Agent and essential maintenance services, were awarded to FMSS. Mdm Speaker, I highlighted these transactions not to draw a parallel between AIM and FMSS; but just to point out that both ruling party and Opposition-run Town Councils and MPs are aware of the current operating model, the political nature of Town Councils and the culture. In fact, TCs from all parties had, at various times, working partnerships with vendors who are politically sympathetic and willing to walk the extra mile for the interests of the residents and the respective MPs' political party. If this arrangement and operating model is deemed to be less than perfect, then let us support the strategic review recommended by the MND Town Council Review Team. It is not helpful to finger-point at any one specific party. Whatever political party colour we don, let us provide inputs on how to plug the gaps in a less than perfect system and make it even more transparent and clear.”
“We acted in good faith and none of us wanted our individual TCs and residents we serve to have to bear any operational or financial risk or burden. A contract was subsequently drafted and an open tender was called. The successful vendor must be willing to buy the existing almost-obsolete software; lease it back to the PAP Town Councils at no increase in maintenance cost to our residents; and be willing to study our future needs and help us negotiate for the development of the next-generation software. This is a tall order. A contract that is guilty of being biased to the needs and interest of our residents. Whilst several vendors collected the tender documents, only AIM, a PAP-affiliated company, agreed to do the job. To be honest, the last thing on the minds of my fellow TC chairpersons, our TC councillors and the staff, the last thing was to fix or to trip the Opposition. Accusing us of plotting to sell the TCMS software in 2009 prior to the 2011 General Elections is nothing but a figment of imagination of some parties. GE2011 then was the last thing on our mind. Some of us did not even know if we would be fielded. We were more concerned with the mechanics of the old and the new software. Our conscience was and is clear – including in the face of my Maker, to whom Mr Png Eng Huat referred. Naturally, we had not expected the spat that started in mid-December 2012 when the hon Member Sylvia Lim and Chairman of the then Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) blamed AIM for affecting the Town Council's performance in a MND review. This raised nationwide questions of conflicts of interest and why AIM, a PAP-affiliated company, is allowed to do business with PAP Town Councils. The MND Review Report helped explain the history and political nature of the Town Councils.”
“Mdm Speaker, I wish to share my perspectives as a Town Council (TC) Chairperson who runs one of the 14 PAP Town Councils. First, on AIM. When Deloitte and Touche Enterprise Risk Services Pte Ltd (D&T) first highlighted that the PAP Town Councils' Town Council Management System (TCMS) software was at risk of becoming obsolete in 2009, my fellow TC chairmen and I were naturally alarmed. It was an old Windows-XP-based system. The maintenance contract was due to expire. D&T had advised the choice of either a service or an ownership model for the next generation of TCMS software. The first thing on our minds was to find a cost-effective way that would meet our need to redevelop the next TCMS software at the best price possible for our residents. Many of my residents in my ward are from the average low-income group. Factors, such as cash flow, affordability and perhaps reaping economies of scale, were some of our top-of-mind considerations. All of the 14 PAP TCs then agreed on a sale and leaseback arrangement. This would allow the existing software to be centralised in one entity so that this entity could negotiate with potential vendors on our behalf. It did not seem efficient to have each of the 14 PAP TCs deal or negotiate separately with the vendors. At the same time, because the Town Councils still needed to continue to operate, the current software was still needed and maintenance required. The sale of the existing software and the leaseback arrangement was the most practical solution that could meet all of the needs. Mayor Teo Ho Pin, our Co-ordinating Chairman, a domain expert and the most experienced amongst us, was leading the efforts; but all of us were fully supportive of his leadership.”
“Minister, I would like to ask if you could re-install the CCTV for the land between Blocks 4 and 5 Beach Road. It is not soiled diapers or sanitary pads; it is beer bottles, so it is really killer-litter. So, I would appreciate some action on that.”
“Madam, I thank the Minister for mentioning that the use of CCTVs to monitor littering is to be used only as a last resort. I would like to ask Minister to define what "last resort" is. And what if the littering really amounts to "killer litter" – for example, in some of my blocks at Beach Road where there was real danger and it was a concern for many of the residents?”
“What about the Long-Term Retention Plan? How much of it is made up of the financial components, and how much of it is non-financial?”
“Madam, I agree with the Deputy Prime Minister that civil servants should be paid competitive salaries, especially those who are strong performers and those who are at the frontline. I have three questions to ask. What is the actual formula that is currently being used for pegging Civil Service pay, especially for the top civil servants? Is it pegged at the 90th percentile or 75th percentile because that is a typical way by which the private sector, for example, will peg their salaries? The second question is this. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the Long-Term Retention Plan. I would like to find out a little bit more about that. How much of it is a financial component and how much of it is a non-financial component? Also, in HR management, what is the onus, therefore, on the employer, which is the Civil Service itself, to build other non-financial factors, such as culture, to make people want to stay and want to contribute to build our nation together? The last question is really on accountability. Political office-bearers now, we know, go to the polls every five years and if they do not perform and for various reasons, they are out. In the private sector, CEOs are evaluated based on either the bottom line or non-bottom line, certain KPIs, and so forth. So, it is pretty obvious for their accountability. I just want to seek the Deputy Prime Minister's clarification on what would be the accountability for top civil servants in the work that they do? Page: 19 They are almost on par or, if not, higher than what the Cabinet, for example, is making. So, I would like to seek clarification from the Deputy Prime Minister.”
“Madam, I would like to seek the Minister's clarifications on three things. One, I think the Minister has not replied to my question on what has changed in terms of communicating and updating the special needs community since the last Enabling Masterplan (EM) expired, in terms of the mode and pace of communicating. Many do not seem to know Page: 59 what has been happening there. Secondly, on drop-in centres. I am very happy that the Minister has announced four drop-in centres, but he mentioned it is for the mildly disabled. But I think the real need – the real challenge as well – is for those whose families are looking after those who are more severely disabled, and they are quite in pain, so I am asking if the Minister has some plans for that. The third clarification is on social delivery system. I thank the Minister for setting up the Social Service Office in Moulmein-Kallang GRC. I still want to know from the Minister how do all these different organisations – Social Service Offices, CDCs, Family Service Centres (FSCs), VWOs, Centre for Enabled Living (CEL), for example, and so forth – connect and, therefore, what is the entire roadmap for somebody who is seeking help? How does it work or how is this going to be stitched together?”
“The demand for teachers in the pre-schools is challenged by a similar demand for teachers in MOE and the rest of the private education sector. Despite Government's efforts, the feedback from the sector is that the compensation package of these teachers in this sector remain uncompetitive, compared to educators in the other sectors. I urge the Minister to study carefully and address this root cause or the industry will continue to face staffing shortage due to its lack of appeal to potential applicants. Page: 31 Three, on future pre-school landscape. In an age of declining birth rates in Singapore, Madam, every child is a precious resource. The setting up of the Early Childhood Development Agency by MOE and MSF and for MOE to start several pre-schools to drive improvements across the whole sector; are great moves. I am keen to find out from the Minister: (a) if the Minister will consider granting childcare subsidies to (i) single mothers and (ii) stay-at-home mothers who have to look after children specially – since every Singaporean child is so precious; (b) who these pre-schools and the pilot pre-schools by MOE will specifically serve; (c) what financial resources will be allocated to these pilot centres; (d) what the Government intends do when these pre-schools are successfully done; and (e) is there a possibility that the Government will seriously consider to take over the operation of the entire pre-school sector and run it as though it was running mainstream Primary schools? Supply of Childcare and Student Care”
“Madam, I have three points for the Minister's response. One, is to say "no" to private anchor operators. Madam, as a board member of two anchor operators – My First Campus and PCF Kindergarten in my ward – I have seen how not-for-profit pre-school organisations are able to focus on the core business of delivering childcare and kindergarten services without having to focus disproportionately on maximising the financial returns to its owners, as expected of private operators. The public-listed Australian ABC Learning, for instance, driven by bottom line and aggressive expansion, failed and fell into receivership in 2009, I believe. To ensure that the many children served by ABC Learning had a centre to attend, the Australian federal government injected more than A$20 million. ABC Learning was later bought by a partnership of non-profit organisations. In recent years in Singapore, global organisations, such as Knowledge Universe, have acquired well-known pre-schools such as Pat's Schoolhouse and Learning Vision. Local operators, such as Cherie Hearts, had also embarked on ambitious acquisition plans. There is always a risk that ambitious private operators which occupy a large footprint of the pre-school sector can land up in the same fate as ABC Learning, affecting the lives of many pre-schoolers and their families. The purpose of Anchor Operators is to recognise that pre-schools are a public good and a tool of social mobility for the majority to ensure as many children as possible start at nearly the same starting point. I therefore seek the Minister's assurance that the public funds intended for pre-school anchor operators will not end up with for-profit operators. Two, human resource. Good teachers are the key to a quality pre-school sector.”
“With Singapore's signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in November last year, there has been rising expectation that the rights expressed in this Convention will materialise sooner than later. I seek the Minister's sharing of what the signing means and how things might be different for the sector now that the Convention is signed. Active Ageing”
“Still, adults with disabilities who can be employed will need help in employability training, job placement, job support and continuous education and training (CET) so that they can be gainfully employed and be more financially independent. I have recently met a number of adults with various conditions, such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, down syndrome, who are either staying at home or taking on jobs that are much below their potential. There appears to be a need for greater focus, tighter support structure and resources to help them. I urge Minister to form a Special Enabling Master Plan Implementation Team to specifically focus on addressing the needs of these adults with disabilities. Amongst other things, this team should look urgently into: Page: 178 (a) identifying locations, funding and construction of much-needed Day Activity Centres for adults with more severe needs; and (b) resource and expand the scope and reach of the three Job Centres – BizLink, MINDS and ARC's E2C – so that more adults can receive not only screening and job placement, but also employability training and CET. Third, clarification of Service Delivery System. With the recent changes in the service delivery mechanism in the social service and special-needs sector, I seek Minister's clarification on how all the different organisations, such as the Centre for Enabled Living, NCSS, MSF, CDC, VWOs and the new Social Services Offices, fit into the entire service delivery map for the special-needs sector. Fourth, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”
“Sir, I will use the term "disability" interchangeably with the term "special needs", since "disability" is a Page: 177 historical label that many people are still using. I thank the Minister for commissioning and launching the second five-year Enabling Masterplan for the Disabled. The disability scene has certainly been more vibrant and responsive compared to 10 years ago when there were no masterplans of such scope and depth. I wish to raise four points for Minister's consideration and response. First, progress of the Enabling Master Plan. Many recommendations were made in the 2012-2016 Enabling Master Plan. But according to recent media report, many persons with disabilities and their families do not appear to know much about the Enabling Master Plan and how they can be helped. I would like to ask Minister if there had been any change in the mode and pace of communicating and updating this community since the last Plan expired. And one year has passed since the latest Master Plan was launched, I also wish to seek Minister's update on the progress of this latest Plan. Second, Special Implementation Team for Adults with Disabilities. Much focus has been placed on younger persons with special needs in the last six years, especially in early intervention and education, and that is good. As these children grow older, the demand for services to meet their changing needs had surfaced and become more urgent. Adults who are more severely disabled will need more support in the form of Day Activity Centres, respite care and residential living options. Those who are milder and are able to proceed to further studies require more education support in the higher institutions of learning.”
“Yes, Madam. I would like the Minister's comments on the first suggestion. The second one is, I applaud the Minister's efforts to level up students, especially in the form of parent materials, literacy, numeracy, dyslexia and so forth. I find that these are resources that are very good and applicable to the special schools system. Now, since including mainstream initiatives like that for special students is not quite yet in the DNA of MOE, I wish to ask if MOE can consider an opt-out system. Whenever these initiatives are rolled out, special needs students in SPED schools, especially, are naturally included, and if it is not useful to them, then they opt out. So that might make things better for them. I would like the Minister's comments on that as well.”
“Madam, two points for the Minister's clarification. One is about Finland and Singapore. I do agree that we need to put some more thought to it because I do not think we can just borrow wholesale from Finland because some parts of it are quite different from us. But what I observed about studying the Finnish system is, for example, the status of teachers. The citizens there seem to aspire to become teachers and the salary package, for example, of the teachers there is average or not especially high. And so that is something that is quite interesting to observe. 6.15 pm The second point is, within the Finnish system, there is a lack of ranking and high-stakes examinations. Yet, students are still assessed fairly effectively and they still learn and achieve quite commendable results worldwide. The third point is the fact that the schools there are inclusive, the classrooms are inclusive, the differentiated instruction is quite normally applied, Page: 160 and teachers are competent to do that. I think these are useful features about the Finnish system that we might want to study as we carry out the Singapore Conversation on this topic. Another second suggestion is, I thought the Minister —”