Hawazi Daipi
Singapore
“Madam, between 2001 and 2014, of the international students at secondary and junior college levels who were granted permanent residence (PR) on their own merit, around one-quarter were on scholarships, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) scholarship, for their studies.”
“Madam, we are aware that these are secondary and pre-university students who are not likely to start working immediately after they have completed their "A" levels. So, we do not require them to work in Singapore. It is separate from the university-level scholarships. Page: 34”
“Madam, as I have said in my reply, we leave it to the schools to decide on whether a student or a staff member is fit or good enough for certain types of overseas trips. Some overseas trips can be very physically challenging, but some may not be.”
“Madam, the Member may be aware that MOE has worked with the Temasek Cares for a programme to assist families to manage the cost of treatment after the insurance coverage cap has been reached.”
“I think, generally, yes, Madam. The travel insurance coverage includes accidents and treatment of injuries as a result of accidents, as well as repatriation.”
“At the ground-breaking event, a number of non-Muslim grassroots leaders asked me how they can also support the construction of this community institution in Woodlands. I am heartened by such a supportive spirit and inter-racial and inter-religious cooperation.”
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“Nevertheless, Members can be assured that we will see how best and how quickly we can implement these recommendations, in a coherent and effective manner, so that our students can benefit from them. Both the Malay and Tamil Language reviews are progressing well and should be completed by August this year. Mr Zainudin Nordin also asked about how MOE is helping Malay students who are weak in their spoken Malay. The importance of oral competencies is reflected in the Malay Language syllabus, instructional materials, teaching methods and assessment. Our teachers engage students in interaction using an array of language activities which includes story telling, debate, singing and poetry recitation. Schools also organise Malay Language activities, such as camps and cultural events, to encourage oral communication. We look forward to more suggestions from the Malay Language Review Committee on how we can further enhance the oral competency of our students. Sir, on Mr Ong Ah Heng's questions about the effectiveness of our sexuality education programme, this is also a concern to us. Allow me to update Members on its implementation in schools. Sexuality issues and norms have become more complicated today in a globalised world that is undergoing rapid changes. It is a situation not peculiar only to Singapore, as other countries that are becoming more open and cosmopolitan also face this same challenge. We will therefore need the family and the wider community to play their part to shape the sexuality attitudes and behaviours of our students. At MOE, we have taken a proactive approach by implementing an age-appropriate sexuality programme in our schools.”
“This shift was also observed for the Chinese community in the recent review of the Chinese Language. The proportion of parents who speak to their child mainly in Chinese is about three-fifths (or 59%) at Secondary 4 compared to slightly less than two-fifths (or 37%) at Primary 2. In a nutshell, there is a generational shift in the use of language. More parents with older children speak to their children in their vernacular languages and in comparison more parents speaking to younger children speak in a mix of English and the Mother Tongue Languages. A large majority of students surveyed said that they liked learning their mother tongue. The proportion of students who liked learning Malay Language was the highest among the three mother tongue languages. However, the interest in the learning of the subject decreases with age for students of the three communities. 4.45 pm The preliminary findings suggest that the language used at home may affect students' level of interest and their ability to learn their mother tongue. The survey findings will be useful inputs for the two review committees. In answer to Mr Iswaran, this is another way for us to gauge how we can pitch the curriculum, design activities, change examination formats and so on, other than talking to and getting feedback from the respective communities. The committees will propose how we can design the curriculum to better match the needs of the students with different language backgrounds and abilities, and also how to teach and assess to enthuse these students. The committee's recommendations will be considered by MOE. If the recommendations can be implemented immediately, we will do so. Some recommendations may require time before we can implement them, such as curriculum development and teacher training.”
“Sir, in response to questions posed by Mr Ong Ah Heng, Mr Iswaran and Mr Zainudin, allow me to provide Members on the progress of the Malay Language and Tamil Language Reviews. As Members may be aware, MOE embarked on reviews of the Curriculum and the Pedagogy of the Malay Language and Tamil Language in January this year. The Malay Language Review Committee is chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr Hadijah Rahmat of the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, and the Tamil Language Review Committee is chaired by Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive Officer of the National Library Board. Both committees have consulted language users from a range of organisations, including pre-schools, schools, Institutes of Higher Learning, media industry, the National Library Board and private organisations. They will also be seeking views from the public soon on how the teaching and learning of the Malay Language and the Tamil Language can be improved in our schools. Two surveys were commissioned by MOE for the Malay Language and the Tamil Language Reviews involving 3,200 Malay Language and 2,800 Tamil Language students respectively. The preliminary findings of both surveys suggest that similar to the Chinese language survey, there is a generational shift in the language use at home among students. The proportion of parents who speak to their child mainly in Malay is about two-fifths at Secondary 4 (or 39%) compared to about a quarter (or 24%) at Primary 2. Similarly, for the Tamil Language, the proportion of parents of Tamil students who speak to their child mainly in Tamil is about slightly more than a quarter (or 28%) at Secondary 4 compared to a fifth (or 20%) at Primary 2.”
“Sir, just like Mr Ravindran, I had the opportunity to visit Aceh and Meulaboh in January and saw for myself how our members of the armed forces worked very hard and worked very well in helping the people in Aceh. The rapid deployment of members of the Singapore Armed Forces in the days after the tsunami tidal waves has shown how quickly the SAF could be deployed to face a major disaster in peacetime. In the subsequent weeks, members of the armed forces operating in Aceh, Indonesia, had helped the residents there by first opening communication and transportation lines and then sending medical and foodstuff to them. And in the process, they also treated the injured in Aceh. The SAF has won accolade from Singaporeans and our friends in Indonesia for the job well-done. But may I have the assessment of the Minister for Defence of the SAF's readiness in responding to that disaster? How well did we fare in the eyes of MINDEF? Being a small citizens army, the SAF, relying on modern weapons and machinery, must be operationally-ready all the time. With the shortened National Service period, how does the SAF ensure that our National Servicemen are always ready for different states of emergency, including the threat of terrorism and other non-conventional warfare? United Nations”
“Sir, I would like to commend the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for continuously looking for new ways and new areas of cooperation with the world. In the process, we safeguard our interests and we enlarge our role. Our move to strengthen relations with the Middle East, both at bilateral and regional level, is a case in point. Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong has had a number of successful visits to Middle Eastern countries in the past one year. Singapore and, of course, the regions, both Asia and Middle East, can benefit from this improved political and economic relationship. But much of it depends on whether peace prevails in the Middle East. There has been some prospect. Apparently, to me, Israel and the Palestinian authority have renewed negotiations for peace. The Gulf states are developing at ferverish rate. But there are of course a few questions over Iraq and the possible US attack on Iran. I would like the Minister to give his assessment on the prospect for peace in the Middle East and how we can benefit from possible peace in the region.”
“Sir, like Mr Ravindran and Mr Leong Horn Kee, I would like to have an update on bilateral relations with Malaysia and Indonesia. I believe our relations with these countries - our closest neighbours - are the most important to us. Recent developments have given much hope for even improved relations with both countries. New leadership in all the three countries has shown resolve to improve bilateral relations. But, we all know, bilateral issues remain unresolved. Beyond the pleasant atmospherics, what is the prospect for the resolution of bilateral issues with Indonesia and Malaysia, particularly on the issue of future water supply from Malaysia? What new initiatives beyond current bilateral issues and relations that can be pursued with both Indonesia and Malaysia that can help us strengthen our relations with them even further? 12.30 pm”
“Sir, I share Members' - Mr Ravindran and Mr Tan Soo Khoon - concern over the future growth and influence of ASEAN. An enlarged ASEAN is already facing a problem of integration economically and politically because of the differing developments of the member countries. Now, ASEAN, collectively, has also to contend with new poles of influence and development, namely, China, and possibly in future India too. How would ASEAN strengthen relations among its members, bearing in mind all these two major challenges? And how would ASEAN members collectively strengthen its role vis-a-vis China and India in future? Would including China and India in its regional initiative speed up the decline of its importance in the region, including in East Asia? ASEAN + 3”
“Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) how many Singaporean couples have applied for child adoption in the past five years (2000 - 2004); (b) what is the success rate of their applications; and (c) how many of these children are from foreign countries.”
“Under the Eldercare Masterplan for FY2001-2005, a comprehensive network of community-based support services and programmes have been put in place to enable the elderly to remain physically, mentally and socially active, and also to support the families in caring for their older members. These programmes include the Neighbourhood Links, Active Seniors Programmes, Befriender Services and Community Case Management Services. For active ageing, our seniors must be encouraged to optimise opportunities for the promotion of their physical, social and mental well being. We will continue to develop more avenues and opportunities for their engagement and participation in the community via the following programmes: (1) Expanding the Active Seniors Programme which focuses on promoting senior volunteerism; (2) Enhancing the scope for seniors' involvement in a range of community-based programmes, including activities organised by Neighbourhood Links, especially those which adopt an intergenerational approach; and (3) Nurturing the growth and development of Seniors Organisations and Networks. Mr Speaker, Sir, it is also worth noting that the People's Association itself has 433 Senior Citizens Clubs, and the total membership of these clubs exceeds 212,000 members. Sir, in conclusion, let me reiterate that we need to inculcate a positive attitude towards ageing and older people. My Ministry is also undertaking a systematic year-round public education programme, and we will continue to collaborate with the various agencies and non-Government organisations involved in order to conduct more public and professional forums, media campaigns and the production of resource materials on ageing issues. CHILD ADOPTION (Number of applications) 13.”
“Similarly, building up our social network of friends and family and other contacts will also provide a reservoir for emotional and psychological support later on. It is also important to build up sufficient personal savings for financial independence in later years. Mr Speaker, Sir, there are three principles that undergird our policies with respect to older Singaporeans. First, we recognise that senior citizens are valuable members of our society. Second, the family must remain the cornerstone of support for senior citizens. Third, all sectors of society are collectively responsible for the care of senior citizens. We believe in a many helping hands and integrated approach. Mr Speaker, Sir, we will maximise opportunities for our senior citizens to lead active lives through: (1) Facilitating economic participation wherever possible; (2) Enhancing social involvement in order to widen support networks; and (3) Working towards a barrier-free environment to facilitate movement and access by all people. These and many other issues would be addressed through the Committee on Ageing Issues which will look at ageing issues by collaborating with various ministries, in an integrated and holistic manner. Let me give you a few examples. You have heard the Minister for Manpower describe the efforts of MOM to increase the employability of senior citizens. MND and its partners are working to reduce the barriers in the environment. MOH will study healthcare facilities and make them more accessible, and also to provide more secure sources of financing. At MCYS, we also have to ensure that there is a smooth continuum of services and facilities for the elderly and, just as important, for their families.”
“Sir, MOM published a paper on "Employment Trend and Structure" in May 2004 providing statistics, by broad sectors, on local and foreign workers' employment changes, as well as employment levels. The Ministry will update the data for release on an annual basis. The 2004 data will be released in the upcoming Labour Market Report on 15th March 2005. This will add to the wide range of statistical information on the labour market that MOM publishes regularly. For job seekers, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) publishes the Job Seeker's Guides and JobsWatch, which contain information on employment prospects for different sectors, and highlight occupations in demand. All these reports are available on MOM and WDA's websites. OLDER SINGAPOREANS (Improvement of social and physical well-being) 12. Mr Ong Ah Heng asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports what plans his Ministry has to (i) improve the social and physical well-being of our growing numbers of older Singaporeans and (ii) raise the social standing of older people in Singapore. The Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first assure Mr Ong that older Singaporeans are doing well, both physically and socially. A survey conducted in 2003 showed that more than 90% of our elderly lead active lifestyles. Similarly, another survey showed that 80% of elderly have strong intergenerational ties, and about 15% of those above 65 years of age are active volunteers. In preparing for our old age, it is important that we start early, to enhance our well-being in later years. For example, keeping healthy during our younger days will help delay the onset of the need for care or physical support later on.”
“In cases where the documents establishing the relationship of the dependants are written in other languages, translation work is needed. This will add to the processing time.”
“Sir, because this may be raised again in future, let me read from my notes, so that we understand this better. There are several processes involved in bringing a case to conclusion, namely, screening, investigation, assessment, conciliation and adjudication. At each point, there would be problems. At the screening and investigation stage, we need to establish the facts pertaining to the accident and the liable party for the injury. In cases involving multiple layers of contractors, these could be complicated and could take longer. The Ministry relies on medical assessments by medical practitioners when assessing the amount of compensation for cases involving permanent disablement. It is a practice of medical practitioners to give an assessment on the percentage of permanent incapacitation only after the injured worker's condition has stabilised. So a medical report is filed after the permanent incapacitation has stabilised, and that may take time. Serious injuries will take a longer time to heal and, hence, the injured worker has to wait longer to get an assessment. When the Commissioner makes an assessment, all parties involved, ie, the injured worker, his employer and his insurer, are given the opportunity to raise objections. Further investigations or medical reassessments would be required should an objection be raised. If settlement terms cannot be reached through conciliation, the case would be referred to the Labour Court for adjudication. Pre-trial conferences and hearings would then be conducted by the Labour Court to assess the compensation and to order the liable party to pay the compensation. For fatal cases involving foreign workers, time is also needed to establish and locate their dependants.”
“Sir, a total of 15,274 cases were filed in 2004. For the past five years, there is no increasing trend. On average, about 15,000 cases or 740 cases per 100,000 employees were reported each year although there was a slight rise of 7% from 14,304 cases in 2003, which is the lowest in the period of five years, to 15,274 cases in 2004. On average, my Ministry takes about nine to ten months to process and settle a case. Fatal cases constitute about 1% of total cases. In 2004, the average processing time for fatal cases involving local workers was five months, and 13 months for foreign workers. About 80% of the fatal cases were settled within six months.”
“Sir, I do not think we are here to argue whether race is a major factor affecting students' performance. Race may correlate with educational backgrounds and socio-economic status of the families. But race may not necessarily be, and I believe it is not, the major factor affecting the performance of students in school. So I do not see any reason why we need to argue about this, and by association, we should release information based on the educational backgrounds of the parents. OLDER WORKERS (Increase of employment opportunities) 9. Mr Ong Ah Heng asked the Minister for Manpower whether his Ministry has any plans to encourage employers to employ and retain older workers as well as to increase their work opportunities.”
“I would generally say that what we think is beneficial would be beneficial to the students and people that we serve in our schools. We release information on the students' performance by race because the self-help groups would be able to help reach out to them with targeted programmes so that the students would be able to improve. That is useful. But if the information can give a wrong impression that, for example, foreign students are performing better at the expense of local students, then I do not think it will help anybody at all. I am just citing an example of how information may be useful or not useful.”
“Sir, I am not sure whether that will be useful. Then there may be requests for information about performance of students in Ang Mo Kio and various other districts. Is there any significance to that? What we have generally seen is that Singaporean students have benefited from the competition that they have faced in the classrooms and schools, as a result of the presence of non-Singaporean friends. I am not sure whether it will benefit them. We will consider this if it is useful.”
“Sir, as a matter of policy, the Ministry of Education will help every student, including those who come from poorer families, to succeed in education and to enjoy learning. We publish information on educational performance based on race because self-help groups, which help their own particular communities, think that it is useful for them to have the information so that they can target their assistance schemes for the various groups within their own communities. Yes, generally, the performance of students correlates with the academic background of their parents. But that is a known fact almost everywhere in the world. But what we have done is to help self-help groups to assist their own community, children in their own community, with the information that we have released to them. Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim (Nominated Member): Sir, with respect to the recent media focus on foreign students doing well in our education system, ie, primary and secondary levels, would the Ministry consider publishing the results and analyse them with respect to the nationality of the students?”
“Thank you for the suggestion. As I said earlier, there are already many schemes offered by schools, Ministry of Education, as well as voluntary organisations, and CDCs to help pupils who come from poorer families. For pupils who come from families which may not be able to support them academically, there are already national programmes in school so that they can learn at their own pace, they can pick up language skills in an environment in which they can learn comfortably, so that they would be able to proceed up to primary level, complete primary education and proceed to secondary level. I would say, generally, that there are already a lot of schemes out there in the community by self-help groups, and CDCs and families can pick up some of these assistance schemes suitable for them and where they are eligible.”
“The formal and informal curriculum in schools emphasises the value of ethnic integration. We are also confident that schools will be sensitive in promoting the use of mother tongue languages. For activities, enrichment programmes and co-curricula activities where mother tongue languages is the medium of instruction, schools will encourage pupils of all races to participate in them. It is also an opportune time for students to translate and explain the activities or instructions to their peers of other races. Another way in which some schools try to expose their students to other culture is to encourage their students to learn other mother tongue languages. For example, Nan Hua Primary has prepared a simple booklet on basic Malay vocabulary and conversational usage that all students will go through every Friday morning for about 10-15 minutes during morning assembly. Once every two weeks, students of Seng Kang Secondary School learn about other mother tongue languages during their weekly assembly. Let me finally touch on dyslexia in Chinese. We will consider Mr Ang Mong Seng's suggestion to conduct research and develop programmes to help children with dyslexia in Chinese. MOE has been looking into the needs of students with dyslexia in English. In particular, dyslexic children who come from non-English speaking homes have unique problems. MOE's educational psychologists are in the process of developing a teaching approach for these children in collaboration with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore. The study of dyslexia in Chinese is a possible extension of the Association's work. However, as rightly noted by Mr Ang, research in this area is still limited and we will need to study this very carefully. REVISED CHINESE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM Debate resumed. 6.14 pm”
“As announced in September this year, Secondary 1 students will be allowed to offer another mother tongue language as a third language, in addition to their native mother tongue, as long as they have the interest and inclination. The lifting of the previous eligibility criteria serves to allow and encourage more students to offer non-native mother tongue language as a third language. On the impact of the learning of mother tongue languages on racial harmony, Ms Irene Ng expressed concern that the increased use of mother tongue languages in school will impact racial harmony. She spoke of the need to build up a Singaporean identity. Mdm Halimah also said that while studying one's mother tongue language well is important, she also emphasised the importance of multi-culturalism and that our students must also have an understanding of other races and cultures. MOE fully agrees with this view that while it is important that Singaporeans take pride in their own ethnic language and culture, this must be within the context of a multi-racial society. While we wish our children to retain their culture and values, we must also build a sense of shared identity among all Singaporeans. While each community keeps its own links with its past and its language, we must also steadily widen the common space, which we all share as Singaporeans. With this in mind, the encouragement to use mother tongue languages more effectively and frequently among our young will not be at the expense of racial harmony and social cohesiveness. Our schools are aware that it is their responsibility to educate our students to be steeped in our national values in a multi-racial Singapore. There are many ways where schools promote multi-culturalism and a better understanding of other ethnic groups.”
“We encourage Malay students to take Higher Malay if they have the ability to do so besides their taking Malay Language. We are also nurturing a Malay bilingual elite through the Elective Programme in Malay Language for Secondary Schools (EMAS) and Language Elective Programme (Malay) at the JC level. The Malay Elective Programme at JC is known as MLEP. Mr Zainudin had also earlier suggested about having immersion programmes for students studying the Malay Language. The MLEP students receive MOE scholarships and go for immersion in Malaysia. The JC can consider taking the students to Indonesia some time. MOE will continue to enhance these special programmes and electives where appropriate. We are open to new ideas of extending the Bicultural Studies Programme to other mother tongue languages where there is sufficient demand. However, as Singapore is at the heart of Southeast Asia, our students from primary schools to universities are already exposed to the study of the region at many levels. Both Dr Ong Seh Hong and Ms Braema Mathi had earlier asked about non-Chinese Language students being allowed to take Chinese Language. We encourage all our students to study their respective mother tongue languages. As Dr Ong has also pointed out, our mother tongue languages are rich repositories of culture. Having said that, it is always useful to be able to know another mother tongue language since it will help young Singaporeans of all races to operate effectively in the region and beyond. It would also help increase interaction among the ethnic communities and facilitate inter-ethnic understanding. Therefore, besides seeking MOE's approval to offer the Chinese Language as a Mother Tongue Language, non-Chinese students can also be offered the Chinese Language as a third language.”
“This is something best done by the non-Tamil Indian-speaking communities who have already made commendable efforts to improve the teaching of their languages. Mdm Halimah and Mr Ahmad Khalis asked if students offering non-Tamil Indian languages are disadvantaged. I would like to assure Members that students are not unduly disadvantaged by the current treatment of non-Tamil Indian languages. At present, the Ministry conducts examinations for these languages at PSLE, 'N' levels, 'O' as well as 'A' levels. The grades obtained at the national examinations are treated on the same basis as the other official mother tongue languages. Similarly, students who offer these languages will continue to be considered for Edusave awards, based on their overall performance in the other subjects, not just in the mother tongue languages. On Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP), Mr Ahmad Khalis asked about the role of the Malay Language in economic development and international relations. Mdm Halimah asked if there are any plans to offer bicultural studies for the other mother tongue languages, akin to the one for Chinese. Malay is a significant language, particularly in our part of the world. It is the official language of our neighbours - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Malay Language will continue to play an important role, not just as a conduit for cultural transmission, but also for the purpose of trade and commerce, and in strengthening ties with our neighbours in Southeast Asia. Singapore's future will always be interwoven with the region. Therefore, it is important to develop a group of students who have a strong grasp of the Malay Language and culture and who will be able to know our neighbours and engage and relate to them.”
“This was raised by Mdm Halimah yesterday, and also by Mr Ahmad Khalis and Mr Ravindran earlier today in their speeches. A critical mass of students is needed to ensure that our limited teaching resources are well-deployed. A sufficient number of students is also needed to create enough opportunities for students to use the language with their classmates. Where the Tamil Language demand in an existing school has fallen to a very low level, MOE will review if the Tamil Language teaching resources need to be redeployed to other schools where demand is higher. However, I would like to assure parents and our Members here that any decision taken to stop Tamil Language instruction in any particular school will be taken after careful consideration. In general, existing students in a school will continue with their Tamil lessons until they graduate. MOE strives to make Tamil Language instruction as conveniently accessible to as many students as possible. The current level of accessibility is high - as of this year, there are 70 secondary schools offering Tamil Language within the curriculum time. We will see an increase by one next year. So next year, the number will be 71 schools. Information on the schools offering Tamil Language classes is available in the secondary one posting exercise booklets which are given out to Primary 6 students every year. This is to help parents to make an informed choice regarding the secondary school for their children. Let me touch on non-Tamil Indian languages. Mr Ahmad Khalis, Mr Ravindran and Mdm Halimah asked about non-Tamil Indian languages, and whether MOE will conduct a review in the teaching and learning of these languages.”
“At the present moment, MOE collaborates with the National Library Board to review and get suitable and interesting books in the language to be available for our students in schools. MOE has also developed supplementary reading materials, such as Big Books and the Small Books for lower primary students, and the Supplementary Readers (Bacaan Tambahan) for secondary school students. Our local newspaper, Berita Harian, carries a weekly column for students, such as Tunas (Budding Writers) and Info-R (Information for Teenagers), and teachers often use these materials in their lessons. We knew it for sure that teachers in some schools use the newspaper, Berita Harian, as a teaching tool. So that helps. The review could study what more should be done to produce interesting, accessible and appropriate reading materials of various genres and topics that appeal to our students, including novels, fables, stories, joke books as well as comics. Sir, there was also a question raised by Mr Ravindran on the implementation timeline of the recommendations of the Malay and Tamil review, and whether it will also be aligned to that of the Chinese Language review. While we will always try to ensure comparability across all three mother tongue languages, and the issues facing them are not very different, we also need to recognise that the teaching and learning of the three mother tongue languages may require different approaches and solutions. The sensible thing to do is not to rush implementation. We will want to ensure that there is sufficient preparation time, for example, to train the teachers in order to do a good job. There was some concern that schools will not offer the Tamil Language if the enrolment for the Tamil Language students falls.”
“These activities also make the teaching and learning of Malay and Tamil interesting and engaging. Besides student-centred activities in class, the topics in the instructional materials are developed with students' interests in mind and include issues that are thought-provoking. In addition, schools conduct enrichment programmes, such as drama and field trips to further enhance the learning of the language among our students, and organised language competitions as platforms for students to express themselves confidently in the language. Mdm Halimah and Mr Ravindran also suggested using IT or other teaching methodologies to appeal to our children. Our children have grown up very comfortable with technology - they use mobile phones, play computer games and surf the Net. We should tap on their IT literacy as well as the excellent infrastructure in school to teach the languages. I agree with both of them. Schools are already doing so. MOE has developed interactive CD-ROMs for teachers to use in class, and some schools have also created their own websites to encourage students to communicate with their Malay and Tamil Language teachers in their mother tongue languages through the Internet. As Mr Ravindran has also pointed out, some teachers have excellent language teaching approaches, and MOE also organises sessions for teachers to share these best teaching practices. For the Tamil Language, there is also an on-line newsletter to create awareness of the various teaching approaches used by the teachers. I agree with Mdm Halimah's point that reading will help inculcate an interest in the language. She expressed concern on the lack of suitable Malay Language reading materials and books. This is not the sole responsibility of MOE, but requires the efforts of the wider community.”
“We would like to assure Mdm Halimah, Mr Ravindran and Mr Ahmad Khalis that the review of both the Malay Language and the Tamil Language, like the one for the Chinese Language, will be comprehensive. We will focus on the appropriateness of the syllabuses, suitability of instructional materials, effectiveness of teaching approaches, as well as assessment standards. They have suggested useful areas for the review committees to look into. In particular, they have also spoken on the need to concentrate on teaching oral communication skills to the younger generation so that they can communicate in the language more confidently, effectively and in greater depth. Mr Ahmad Khalis also brought up this point. We agree that these are practical and important skills for our students to learn. In fact, I think these are critical skills. The Members also asked how we can make the teaching and learning of Malay and Tamil languages more alive and interesting for our children so that they will be motivated to use them within and outside of school. The review committees of the Malay and Tamil Languages will look into these areas in greater depth and detail during the course of their work. We will see what more needs to be done. Currently, Malay and Tamil Language students benefit from a rigorous curriculum to build their oral competency in the languages. There are adequate opportunities for students to hone their communication skills in class and in real-life situations. For example, teachers conduct student-centred activities, such as group discussions, oral presentations, speeches, poetry recitations and debates that encourage the students to communicate to their peers and teachers in the language.”
“Therefore, there is a need to review how we teach Tamil, especially at the primary level, so that our children do not lose interest in the language. It is true that there is less of a problem for the Malay Language, as most Malay families speak the language at home. When we conducted a review on how the learning of Malay in schools could be enhanced in 1999, the feedback received showed that the majority of students are able to cope with the subject. But as both Mdm Halimah and Mr Ahmad Khalis have noted, the home language trends in Chinese and Indian families are also beginning to surface in the Malay families as Malay parents become more educated. We are beginning to see a small percentage of Malay families, usually professionals, who speak mainly English at home. Mr Yatiman Yusof has observed that this trend is likely to increase over the next few years. So, as Mdm Halimah has rightly pointed out, there is still a need for us to review and refine the Malay Language curriculum to recognise the different backgrounds and abilities of our Malay students, and to ensure that they continue to have an interest in the language even after they have left school. Therefore, as the Minister for Education has said in his speech on the first day of the debate, we will be reviewing the Malay Language and Tamil Language curricula in January next year. The reviews are expected to be completed in August 2005. As part of the review processes, MOE will consult major stakeholders, such as Malay Language and Tamil Language teachers, students and parents. It would also be useful to get feedback from Malay and Indian language and culture activists.”
“Sir, I wish to thank Members for their comments and suggestions on the subject of the Malay and Tamil languages. A few Members, including Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Ravindran, Mr Zainudin Nordin, Mr Ahmad Khalis and Mr Yatiman Yusof, have spoken about the need for similar reviews for the other Mother Tongue Languages, ie, the Malay Language as well as the Tamil Language. We agree with the Members that all our mother tongue languages are important. Our children will benefit from a strong foundation in mother tongue languages for both cultural as well as economic reasons. In order to do so, we should ensure that mother tongue languages are taught effectively in our schools. It is, therefore, necessary for us, after a period of time, to take a look at our curriculum and how we can better teach these languages. Like the Chinese Language, the way we teach Malay and Tamil must adapt to and anticipate changes in the environment. The last review on the teaching and learning of Tamil Language in schools was conducted in 1998, and it is timely that we look at it again. We need to pitch the standard of Tamil Language to a realistic level for our children. So I agree with Mr Ravindran that we have to review whether our children can cope in the context of the changing needs of learning other languages, particularly English and other subjects. This was pointed out by Ms Braema Mathi and Mr Ravindran. Many parents said that their children have to put in a great deal of effort to learn the language. We should also consider the fact that English is becoming the dominant home language in most Indian households. We need to do more to help children from households which have little exposure to Tamil.”
“I am also aware that wehave still got a long way to go, in terms of learning the best practices of running social enterprises. Has there been any effort on the part of MCYS to come out with some guidelines or to liaise with even international social enterprises and run even MTI-like programmes, like Blue Sky, to link up the aspiring social entrepreneurs and the existing social entrepreneurs?”
“They have set up a data entry centre, which provides job opportunities for the disabled. Besides giving funding support, MCYSassists start-up social enterprises by linking them with potential mentors, such as experienced businessmen and established social enterprises. We also build awareness of this concept of social enterprise through public forums and the media. MCYS has promoted the Social Enterprise Fund to social service agencies under the National Council of Social Services, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, NUS, SMU and Singapore International Foundation, and so on. Miss Penny Low asked about the profile of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises in Singapore. The Ministry does not have comprehensive data on this. But based on the projects that we have funded, social enterprises span across various businesses, including foodand beverage, car polishing services, cleaning services and data entry services, and so on. The beneficiaries include ex-drug addicts, ex-offenders, the disabled, the elderly, delinquent youths and those who are chronically unemployed. Mr Speaker, Sir, while the status of social enterprises has grown, it is still in its infancy. Besides MCYS, the community can also help develop social enterprises in various ways; companies can consider social enterprises as potential business partners, while businessmen can share their expertise, resources and connections. So we hope that we will have a "many helping hands" approach to improve supportforthis socialmission in the future. Miss Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Sir, I am very happy to hear the Minister of State detailing the social enterprises that started in the last two years or so.”
“This is because the revenue from social enterprises would enable social service agencies to be more self-reliant, and less dependent on donations to fund their social causes.With this additional source of fund,social service agencies can do even more than what their donations could allow them to. As a positive spin-off, social enterprises can also create jobs for groups who would normally face difficulty in finding meaningful employment. Those who want to start social enterprises may be able to get seed capital through my Ministry's Social Enterprise Fund (SEF), which started in March 2003. The objective of theSEF is to encourage the social service sector to look at possible business projectsas another avenue for raising funds.Over the longer term, we hope that theSEF will help the social service sector to be more self-reliant, financially sustainable and innovative. To date, about $3.4 million has been awarded from the Social Enterprise Fund to support 33 projects. From these approved projects, 23 have started operations. 64% of the projects are started by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), with the remainder mostly by businessmen supporting a social cause. Many of the VWO-driven projects involve partnership or guidance from the private sector. One example is Killiney Kopitiam, which helped Teen Challenge to set up a Killiney Kopitiam franchise, with a waiver ofits franchise fee. Profits from this venture are used to further Teen Challenge's social missionin re-integrating ex-drug addicts. Another example is apublic sector-privatesector collaboration between Bizlink, a non-profit organisation providing job-matching services for the disabled, and Trusted Hub, a member of the Singapore Technologies Group.”
“Flexible work arrangement is practised widely in the industry. The Ministry would not want to prescribe a certain formula for different industries and companies to subscribe to. What we would like to see is arrangement that would be mutually beneficial to both the employees as well as the employers. So as long as the rights of the workers and the interests of the companies, as a whole, are well protected and taken care of, we would encourage different kinds of flexi arrangements. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AND ENTERPRISE 6. Miss Penny Low asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, givenhis Ministry's aspiration to promote social entrepreneurship in Singapore, (a) what progress has Singapore made; (b) what help is given to people who want to start up social enterprises; and (c) whatis the profile of the social entrepreneurs and enterprise in Singapore, especially those set up in the last two years. The Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon) (for the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports):Mr Speaker, Sir, Miss Penny Low has asked about Singapore's progress in promoting social enterprises. First of all, let me define social enterprises as ventures that use business practices to achieve a social mission. Profits earnedare re-invested in social causes, rather than to maximise the owners' gains. Some local examples would be the "Mister Clean" cleaning service that employs ex-offenders, and the airline headset recycling service offered toSIA, which employs the intellectually disabled. Social enterprises like these are not yet widespread in Singapore, but they have slowly gained some ground. MCYS wants to encourage the growth of more social enterprises.”
“Sir, the WDA has conducted focus group discussions on employability skills as well as conducted surveys involving more than 450 respondents and 43 participants. They come from different industries and sectors. The list is long. I would not bore Members with the full list. They include 77th Street (Singapore) Pte Ltd, A&P Maintenance Pte Ltd, and they come from all industries and sectors. On employability skills that we are focusing on, we taught about 10 employability skills, in particular, eg, workplace literacy and numeracy, information communication technologies, problem solving and decision making, initiative and enterprise, communications and relationship management, life-long learning, global mindset, self-management, work-related life skills, health and workplace safety. These are areas in which we expect every worker to have some knowledge in and some competency so that they can learn better and contribute better to the companies. In benchmarking ourselves, we have taken a look at practices in many countries. We have taken a look at the Australian Business Council's employability skills standards. We have also taken a look at the Conference Board of Canada on employability skills 2000 plus the UK's Qualification and Curriculum Authority's key skills and the practices in the United States. All I can say is that we have taken a look at the best practices in the various countries and have come out with the 10 employability skills that we think would be very useful for our workers. What is also important is that we have reached out to companies and training providers to find out what are the relevant employability skills that they think their workers and our workers would need. So we have come out with a set of 10.”
“The simple answer is no, Sir. VOID DECKS IN HDB ESTATES (Fixing of nails and barbed wires) 12. Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for National Development why there was a need to fix nails and barbed wires to deter youths from playing football in void decks and whether it was impossible to find other ways of achieving this outcome.”
“Yes, it is a universal human right. However, Singaporeans do have human rights to be able to look after ourselves and manage our limited resources and to ensure that those legitimate Singaporeans would be well looked after and would not exact too much of our social system.”
“No, only for work permit holders and this is a specific group of people.”
“A child would need a motherly figure to look after him. A father alone would not be able to do that, no matter how much the father earns or is able to afford to look after the child. So it is very important. If we want to be really fair to the child, we have to understand the marriage restriction policy. And if they qualify, then they get married. But wherever possible, ex-work permit holders can be allowed to marry Singaporeans on a case-by-case basis.”
“Sir, I do not have the figures here. But in any case, what is more important is to ensure that everyone - Singaporeans and foreign workers working in Singapore - understands that Singapore is a small place and we have limited resources. Even though we want to increase our population size, we have to ensure that those who want to live and have families in Singapore can look after themselves, their children and their families. That is the basic premise that we all must understand. I can only go back to the earlier answer that I have given that all foreign workers who want to work in Singapore must understand and agree to abide by this basic principle. Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong: Sir, if the Singaporean father undertakes to take care and raise up a child with his own resources, is that a good enough undertaking for approval?”
“Sir, we would consider on an individual basis the merits of the application. But, generally, all work permit holders know that they have agreed to abide by the marriage policy in Singapore before they are allowed to obtain a work permit and work in Singapore. That is the condition that all work permit applicants must understand and adhere to. To be fair to potential children of the future, they must ensure that they have to get approval to get married.”
“Sir, the Ministry is not "cruel". In fact, we consider applications for marriage between Singaporeans and ex-work permit holders on an individual basis and allow, whenever possible, where they meet the conditions. However, we have to protect the interests of Singaporeans. As I have said earlier, we have more than 500,000 foreigners working in Singapore and larger numbers of them used to work in Singapore. So imagine if every other ex-work permit holder were to marry a Singaporean, we would not be able to manage our social services and social system. So I think Mr Chia must bear this in mind and be fair to Singaporeans in general first.”
“If Mr Chiam could give me the details of the case, we will investigate andgive him a reply immediately.”
“Sir, we will try to investigate immediately. But, based on records, most cases are concluded within six weeks.”
“Sir, in 2003, out of 621 cases handled based on complaints from executives, 3% took out civil court proceedings against their employers. CREATION OF NEW JOBS 15. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Manpower how many jobs are needed to be created annually over the next 5 years to keep the residential unemployment rate stable.”
“Sir, I would say that the current system works. Let us see how it works further to help executives to protect themselves in the face ofdifficulties at workplaces. But should there be any need in future to consider amending the Employment Act, we will keep our options open.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry does provide conciliation service for managers and executives to resolve disputes with their employers even though they do not fall within the ambit of the Employment Act. In 2003, about half of the disputes, ie, 297 or 48%,referred to the Ministry's Labour Relations Department for conciliation or advice were resolved amicably. Of the other half, some of the claims could not be substantiated, while others withdrew their claims mainly because their employers were in serious financial difficulties and these executivesdid not see the benefits of pursuing their claims further. Executives who are unable to resolve their claims at the Ministry can pursue their claims at the civil court. MOM recognises that some executives do need assistance in taking up their grievances with management. This is why in September 2002 the Industrial Relations Act was amended to allow executives to join and be represented by the rank-and-file unions in their workplace on matters relating to payment of retrenchment benefits, dismissal and breach of contract under this Act. Executives who are members of a union can approach their union for assistance should they encounter a problem with their employers in any of these areas.”
“Sir, I would say that, generally, we have made progress with SMEs, but there is a lot of work to be done. Apart from the tripartite partners' efforts to facilitate wage restructuring among companies, including SMEs, the Ministry is organising a seminar for them at the end of September to help them implement the wage restructuring. We will work together with our social partners including the Singapore Business Federation, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises as well as the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation. This is important so that they can help us rope in the support of the SMEs and to enhance their understanding of what it takes to restructure the wage system. I do not have the figures now but I would say that we are already reaching out to SMEs in the various sectors. PROFESSIONAL, EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERIAL EMPLOYEES (Assistance in resolution of salary disputes) The following Question stood in the name of Mr Yeo Guat Kwang - 14. To ask the Minister for Manpower how does his Ministry assist professionals, executives and managerial employees resolve salary disputes with their respective employers.”
“Sir, as Dr Teo Ho Pin and Ms Irene Ng will raise a motion on safety at workplaces later in the sitting, my Minister will answer the question when he responds to the motion.”
“There were four fatalities. For both Singaporean workers who died, they are eligible for compensation of $111,000 maximum. So is the case for the two foreign workers. CONSTRUCTION SITES (Safety of workers) 2. Mr Heng Chee How asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in the light of the tragedy at the Circle Line Nicoll Highway worksite, what measures is his Ministry taking to improve the safety of workers at construction sites.”
“Sir, on the amount of compensation, we have to consider whether it is comparable to the cost of living of the different countries. We are willing to take a close look at the amount of compensation and make adjustment, whenever necessary. But at the moment, we think the compensation ceilings and minimum amounts are quite adequate. But we are willing to take a look in future. On the speed at which we clear the claims for compensation, I mentioned earlier that it depends very much on a number of factors: whether we can trace the dependants and whether there are contests between the insurance company and the dependants. But, wherever possible, we want to speed up. Even though I said that, on average, it takes about six months to clear the claims there are cases which took about two to three months only.”