Heng Swee Keat
Singapore
“In a world heading towards greater contest and fragmentation, amid rapid advances in science, technology and innovation, Singaporeans can play a valuable part as bridge-builders and connectors, and Singapore can be a trusted and neutral Global-Asia node of technology, innovation and enterprise.”
“The National Quantum Office has identified specific goals under the National Quantum Strategy (NQS), with resources and efforts directed towards specific quantum areas and technologies accordingly.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank Member Ms Denise Phua for her comments because her comments reminded me of the tagline that I always said when I was in MOE – that you can learn from anyone, anytime, anywhere. In fact, peer learning is a very important aspect of that learning.”
“But I have laid out the strong basis for my optimism that a small and open economy like Singapore can continue to thrive and secure our next bound of growth. By serving as a trusted node and connector, we can create value by facilitating connections and building new linkages in today's fractured global landscape.”
“Secondly, one other very important thing the Member must bear in mind is that AI is a very rapidly developing field and it is something which our researchers are working hard on, to look at the different techniques of AI – it is not just GenAI, but the whole range of different AI systems that are being used – and how that can be used in c…”
“Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, you do not need an invitation. You are free to provide your suggestion. After all, are you not from WP? And by the way, let me make it clear that I have heard MPs on both aisles speaking about workers, and we have a very strong presence of our union MPs here and they will be speaking even more on this.”
The complete record
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“To provide a quality education, support students' holistic development and provide them with a rich learning experience, there needs to be an adequate number of students for meaningful class organisation and interactions as well as the provision of a rich array of learning programmes, both curricular and co-curricular. Given the significance of schools to students and alumni and the emotional attachment between students, alumni and their schools, as far as possible we would not want to merge schools. However, in some mature estates, the population of school going children has declined and enrolment in some schools are too low for them to offer a good range of educational programmes and co-curricular activities. The merger of schools will allow their Page: 150 students to benefit from the range of educational programmes that can cater to the all-round development of students. This is in fact one way that we provide better programmes to bring out the best in every child and make every school a good school. Moreover, by deploying our teachers and other resources in an optimal manner, including to schools in new towns with higher population densities, we raise the quality of schools across the board. Schools are identified for mergers based on several factors such as the size of enrolment, the nature of existing programmes, the suitability of merger partners and infrastructure capacity. These factors are considered qualitatively before a decision is taken. In some cases in the past, MOE had relocated schools when there was low demand for school places in a particular estate, or when it was not feasible to upgrade the existing school facilities due to land and building constraints.”
“Fees are reviewed regularly and are differentiated by nationality to reflect the privileges of citizenship. The total fees collected in any given year would depend on the prevailing fees and the student enrolment in that year. In general education, the school and miscellaneous fees collected from students in Government and Government-aided schools (GGAS) are set out in Table 1 below. Page: 149 In post-secondary education, the tuition fees collected by autonomous universities, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) for their full-time programmes are set out in Table 2 below. Overall, total fees collected from Singaporean students have gone up mainly because of a larger number of Singaporeans enrolled in post-secondary institutions and some fee increases. For permanent residents (PR) and international students, the increase in fee collection is primarily due to fee increases, as PR and international students face higher fee increases than locals.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to make a clarification. Earlier on in my reply, I mentioned that five schools balloted. [Please refer to "Sufficiency of 40 Places for Phase 2B and Phase 2C of Primary 1 Registration", Official Report, 8 September 2014, Vol 92, Issue No 12, Oral Answers to Questions section.] The correct number should be four. My apologies. Thank you. Page: 32”
“For every such case, I also hear many other cases where parent volunteers, for instance, have gone on to continue to volunteer many years of their lives in the school. So, I think a careful balance needs to be struck. As I have said, the system has evolved – and I think we are evolving in the right direction – let us do what matters most, rather than to try to think about how do we cut the lines further and how do we make further demarcations. Let us focus on the essential and the essential is to make every school a good school and to encourage parents to see for themselves what kind of school can best meet the needs of the children. So, let us not diffuse our effort into many different directions; just focus on doing this one thing well.”
“I thank Mr Lim for his supplementary question. Indeed, we do encourage parents to try and send their children to a school near their homes. And the planning is done in such a way that allows us to do so, within a reasonable distance. But the current framework of P1 registration has evolved over many years and taking into account many different needs of various parents. I think it has evolved in the right direction. As to his question as to whether we will encourage parents to send their children to a school within three to five kilometres of their home, so that the children do not have to travel a long distance, indeed, we hope that parents will do so, but I think we have to encourage parents to see the value of the schools in their neighbourhood, and this is exactly what we have been trying to do. To see the value of the schools in their neighbourhood, I am very encouraged that many more parents are doing so, taking the time and trouble to see for themselves what are the programmes that are being offered.”
“Our assessment is that the current criteria have met the needs of most parents well, and making further changes at this point would not be meaningful. What is most important is that every pupil receives a good quality and holistic education, regardless of which school he or she attends. Therefore, we have been resourcing all our schools with well-trained teachers, high-quality education facilities and rigorous school programmes and will continue to do so. This is part of our commitment to make every school a good school, so that we can meet the educational needs of all children in Singapore. Our ground feedback has been that the recent changes in our P1 registration framework and our outreach to parents on the programmes of schools in their neighbourhood have been met with good response from parents. We are pleased to see more parents taking the time to visit schools during open houses and to understand the programmes of the schools. They take the effort to see for themselves the quality of education provided in these schools. So, let us continue our efforts in this direction.”
“Mdm Speaker, starting from the 2014 Primary 1 (P1) Registration Exercise, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has reserved 40 places in every school for registrants in Phases 2B and 2C. This is to ensure that our schools, especially the popular ones, remain open to children with no prior connections to the school. As a result of this change, five schools balloted in Phase 2A2 this year, but without the reservation of places in Phases 2B and 2C, there would have been fewer than 40 places in each of these five schools that are open to students without prior connections to the school. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Education", Official Report, 8 September 2014, Vol 92, Issue No 12.] In addition, without this 40 reserved places policy, some schools may in the future run the risk of not having any access at Phase 2B and 2C. Home-school distance is already one key consideration during the allocation of P1 places, with priority for those who live within one kilometre of the school, followed by those who live between one kilometre and two kilometres from the school. As the number of children seeking admission in a particular year and the population in the area changes, we seek parents' understanding that even as we attempt to plan the location of schools and the number of vacancies carefully, it is not always possible to meet the changing number of students who will register within a particular school in a particular year. In addition, there needs to be a critical mass of students in an area before it is feasible for us to start a new school. But there will be sufficient places in schools that are within a reasonable distance of their homes.”
“We are glad that Assoc Prof Tan shares the same view with MOE that all our Primary schools should remain accessible to students without prior connections to the school. As this is the first year that MOE has implemented the reservation of 40 places in every Primary school for registrants in Phases 2B and 2C, we will monitor the effect of this change before deciding whether further changes to the P1 framework are necessary.”
“In the last five years, an average of five staff in each year across all five autonomous universities have had overall compensation packages of over $1 million. This number corresponds to around 0.03% of the 16,000 full-time staff and faculty members employed collectively by the five autonomous universities. The salaries of top management in foreign universities vary widely, with some far exceeding salary levels of top management here. However, we do not have the details of remuneration packages in other universities and are, therefore, unable to make direct comparisons. Page: 129”
“Schools may be relocated when there is low demand for school places in a particular estate, or when it is not feasible to upgrade the existing school facilities due to land and building constraints. To date, more than 120 schools have been relocated. The name of a school is a part of the school identity. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has a School Naming Committee that oversees the naming process. In selecting the names of schools, the committee takes into account factors, such as the identity of the school and the resonance of names with parents and the wider community. Of the 120 schools that were relocated, over 80% have had their names retained. However, it not always possible to retain the name of the school. For instance, where the previous name was based on its location, it can result in confusion over its new location. Where the previous school's name is not used, efforts are made to document the history of the school and to display this at a heritage space in the new school building. This serves to inform and educate the new student cohorts of the school's history and legacy. For example, Queenstown Primary School had previously merged with Birkhall Road School in 1984 and with Mei Chin Primary and Tanglin Primary in 2002. The school has a Heritage Corner to reflect its rich legacy by documenting the history of the other three schools. Where possible and appropriate, MOE would consider reviving old school names for new schools, including names that reflect the commitment of the community towards Page: 116 education through building schools in the early years of Singapore's history.”
“Housing allowances are paid only to foreign teachers on Foreign Specialist Contracts. Foreign specialist contracts are offered to experienced foreign teachers who make up for shortages in unique expertise and add significant value to our programmes. They teach subjects, such as the Humanities, Art and Music and foreign languages. They come from a range of countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Japan. Page: 111 The Ministry of Education is very selective about the offering of such contracts. There was an average of about 46 such teachers during the period April 2012 to December 2013 but, over the years, we have been judicious in offering remuneration packages with housing allowances to foreign teachers. As such, these numbers are reducing. Currently, there are 31 such teachers employed by the Ministry.”
“For example, our schools organise the Mother Tongue Fortnights annually, in collaboration with community organisations and stakeholders. During the Mother Tongue Fortnights, a variety of cultural activities is organised to stimulate students' interest in the mother tongue and help them to learn in novel and exciting ways. We have also set up the three MTL Promotion Committees to help garner the support of the community in promoting the teaching and learning of MTL beyond schools. By reaching out to more than 100,000 people each year, the activities of the MTL committees Page: 106 have helped to ensure that MTL remains a living language for students outside schools. MOE and schools also collaborate with external organisations, such as Singapore Press Holdings, National Library Board, National Heritage Board and clan associations, to conduct a variety of programmes to help students apply their MTL skills in fun and meaningful ways. For example, we have a programme with NHB that prepares students to serve as museum guides, so that they can make use of their mother tongue to help student visitors appreciate more fully the museum exhibits. MOE will continue to review and improve approaches to the teaching and learning of mother tongue to ensure that our students remain motivated and proficient in learning the language.”
“I would like to assure the Member that the Ministry of Education (MOE) reviews and enhances the teaching and learning of Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) regularly. Arising from the recommendations made by the MTL Review Committee in 2010, we have been making steady progress in implementing measures to strengthen the motivation and proficiency of our students in learning the MTL. We have redesigned instructional materials and improved teaching approaches to focus more strongly on interactive skills using authentic contexts to make learning as real as possible for students. Through the use of more authentic resources that students come across regularly in their daily lives, such as advertisements, online articles and video clips, students can become more active users of the language. By engaging students in more interactive activities, such as group discussions, debates and role-plays, our teachers have also injected more fun into learning and helped students to hone their communication skills. We have also made greater use of technology to make the learning of the language more authentic, collaborative and personalised. For example, we have developed the iMTL Portal for students to engage in authentic and collaborative language tasks, such as commenting on a news video and giving feedback to one another's oral presentation. Students can even practise reading of certain passages at home with the portal and receive instant feedback from the speech evaluation engine on their narration. However, MOE recognises that efforts by schools alone are insufficient to make MTL a living language. We have thus been working with parents and community partners to provide a more immersive environment outside school that is conducive to the learning of MTL.”
“The Autonomous Universities have established their own frameworks and guidelines relating to remuneration and benefits for all categories of staff, including those in leadership positions. These frameworks and guidelines are endorsed by the universities' respective Boards of Trustees and take into account market conditions to enable them to recruit and retain the right people. Page: 127”
“Since 2008, the National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University have sponsored 17 and three Singapore Citizens respectively, for doctoral studies in foreign universities in academic disciplines, such as Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education. The Nanyang Technological University has also sponsored Singaporeans for doctoral studies overseas, though it did not award any in the recent few years. The Singapore University of Technology and Design and Singapore Institute of Technology are new universities and have not provided any sponsorship for doctoral studies thus far. While such sponsorship is one way for our Autonomous Universities to attract and develop Singaporeans as faculty members, the Universities also recruit faculty members directly to meet their diverse needs. With the increasing stature of our Autonomous Universities, they have been able to attract qualified faculty members from all local and overseas universities, and these recruits include Singaporeans.”
“To attract and retain quality teachers, MOE reviews the salaries of our teachers regularly against market benchmarks to ensure that they remain competitive. Teachers receive annual increments and can be promoted to a more senior grade, based on their performance and potential. Although they start at a lower starting salary, good Page: 154 performing teachers who are diploma holders can progress to senior positions in the Education Service, where they are remunerated appropriately. The salaries received by teachers depend on their grade, performance and years of service. The MOE Kindergartens started operations only recently in 2014. Teachers recruited for the MOE Kindergartens are paid based on their qualifications and experience, and their salaries are pegged to the market rate.”
“Periods set aside for Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), which include weekly assembly time, take up about two hours and two hours and 30 minutes per week in Primary and Secondary schools respectively. This constitutes about 10% of formal school hours. Co-curricular Activities (CCA) occur outside formal school hours and span 30 of the 40-week school year. On average, Secondary students spend five to six hours per week on CCA. In Primary school, CCA is optional and generally starts in Primary 3 or 4. Students spend an average of two to three hours per week on CCA. The curriculum time set aside for CCE and CCA cannot be replaced by academic lessons. Teachers use CCE periods and CCA time to facilitate students' learning and application of values and to build their character. A key component of CCE is the Values-In-Action programme, where students develop values, such as empathy and care for others, through serving the community. Schools nurture character and inculcate values through all subjects and programmes, not just during CCE and CCA. On top of these, schools also utilise other enrichment and life skills programmes, such as specialised workshops or learning journeys, to reinforce students' learning in CCE. Our schools adopt an integrated approach and seek the support of parents and our community in bringing out the best in every child.”
“Quality coaching does not focus only on skills and competencies in a particular sport. Importantly, for schools, sports are a particularly suitable avenue to develop the character of students. Hence, from 2012, MOE had required all sports instructors and coaches to attend a mandatory workshop to familiarise them with the Ministry's philosophy of anchoring sports education on values inculcation and character development. This workshop covers areas, such as character development in school sports, athlete-centred principles, sports safety and how coaches and instructors can partner schools to hone students' life skills and develop good character. This one workshop, however, cannot uplift the quality of coaching in schools. Quality coaching also comprises, amongst others, knowledge of sports science, motivation skills, injury prevention and rehabilitation. These are not covered in this workshop. Coaches themselves would need to continually upgrade their skills through the various coach development programmes that are available both locally and overseas. Since 2012, more than 1,100 coaches and instructors have completed the mandatory workshop. Those who have yet to attend the workshop will be allowed to register with MOE provisionally. However, they will be required to attend the workshop by end December 2015 to continue to remain on the registry.”
“While some of the academic content in that third year could possibly be covered locally, the overseas component allows students to learn in a different environment. The educational value of overseas programmes is more than just about their academic content. Overseas stints help develop cross-cultural awareness, independence and other soft skills in our students. Many students return with a stronger appreciation for and sense of responsibility to our society.”
“There are many collaboration programmes in our local Universities where students attend overseas attachments with partner universities. These include voluntary student exchange programmes and overseas work attachments. Typically, overseas programmes are compulsory for joint degree, dual masters and integrated degree and masters programmes where students are awarded jointly-validated qualifications from a local and foreign university. Our Universities have the autonomy to work with overseas partners on the structure and content of overseas programmes. These overseas components generally complement, rather than duplicate, the content covered locally, tapping on the relative strengths and Page: 129 niche areas of both our universities and foreign partners. For example, National University of Singapore (NUS) offers a joint degree programme in a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). Students in this programme have the opportunity to complement their learning of life sciences in NUS with a liberal arts education at UNC-CH. There will be instances where the academic content covered in overseas programmes could conceivably have been covered locally. For instance, the Renaissance Engineering Programme (REP) offered in Nanyang Technological University is a dual-degree programme which awards students a Bachelor of Engineering Science coupled with a Master of Science in Technology Management. As part of the programme, students are given the opportunity to attend a one-year immersion in their third year at the University of California, Berkeley or Imperial College of London, to pursue an engineering specialisation and courses on technology-related entrepreneurship.”
“The instructor registration policy was introduced as part of MOE’s efforts to support schools in procuring the services of suitable instructors for co-curricular and enrichment programmes. Instructors, including those who are freelancers, are mainly concerned about registering with MOE in time to bid for contracts with schools. The registration requirement will only start from January 2015. MOE has given instructors a long lead time of nine months to register from March 2014. As a pre-requisite for registration, sports instructors are required to attend a workshop on the standards for coaching co-organised by MOE and Sports Singapore. To ensure that there is sufficient time for instructors to meet the requirement, they are given till the end of 2015 to attend the workshop. Existing sports instructors who are unable to attend the course in the meantime can be given a provisional registration. MOE will continue to work closely with schools and partner agencies, such as Sports Singapore and the National Arts Council, to communicate the rationale and requirements of registration to instructors. Page: 128”
“I thank Mr Lim for his suggestion. Indeed, we will look into all these.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member Mr Lim Biow Chuan for his suggestion. First, on engagement with parents, indeed, that is our intention. As I had mentioned in my reply, we do want to engage our parents in helping them to detect signs of Page: 30 problems faced particularly by teenagers. We will work together with COMPASS as well as with the Parents' Support Group in this effort. On the Member's second suggestion of a buddy system, we do have a buddy system, particularly for beginning teachers. Every beginning teacher has a mentor and school leaders at various levels are expected to guide the teachers under their charge. But we will study if a more formalised buddy system can be put in place.”
“We share your concern to ensure that your children are protected from sexual predators. In conclusion, I wish to emphasise that there is a strong collective will and commitment among the whole teaching fraternity, schools and MOE to uphold the trust placed by parents and students in educators. We are deeply disappointed with the cases of misconduct that have happened. While we cannot completely prevent human failings, I want to assure Members that we do not tolerate such wrong-doers. Whenever we uncover any case of sexual misconduct between educators and students, they will be thoroughly investigated and the transgressors will be severely dealt with.”
“Despite these efforts, some educators have transgressed and fallen short of the standards of behaviour expected of them. The teaching fraternity has expressed outrage at these cases. MOE takes a very serious view of such misconduct by educators. My instruction is that if there is any complaint of improper behaviour, each and every case must be thoroughly investigated and, where there is evidence of violation of the Code or of criminal behaviour, the officer involved will be dealt with severely. MOE and the teaching fraternity are determined to uphold the trust and confidence that parents and the community have in our educators. MOE will work with schools to intensify the communication and engagement with teachers on the Professional Code of Conduct, make explicit the professional boundaries that must not be breached in educators' interactions with students, as well as step up vigilance to safeguard and protect our students. MOE is also going through the past cases of such incidents to draw relevant lessons from these. Page: 29 Students need not and should not be passive victims. Our schools teach them their right to safety and protection so that they can recognise unacceptable behaviour and seek help. At the Primary level, students are taught how to recognise abuse, to identify types of behaviour that are of concern or are socially unacceptable and how to seek help. At the Secondary level, students are taught what constitutes sexual grooming, how to protect themselves from others with malicious intent and help-seeking skills. We also seek the support of parents. Your close relationship and conversations with your children may enable early signs of problems faced by them to be detected for early intervention.”
“Mdm Speaker, MOE expects all our educators to know and to uphold the standards of conduct expected of them. We take a Page: 28 serious view of any form of misconduct, particularly those involving students. At the same time, we educate our students about their right to safety and protection. For all educators, MOE has made clear our expectations that they are to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the integrity of the profession and the trust placed in them. We have a stringent selection and screening system in place for teachers, including an interview by a panel of experienced senior educators. Besides intellectual and interpersonal qualities, individuals are also assessed for their motivation, sense of responsibility, understanding of accountability and commitment to the ethos of the teaching profession. When educators formally enter the service, there are a number of platforms to remind them of the values and beliefs that define the teaching profession and to reinforce the expectations of educators' conduct. These platforms include induction briefings for Beginning Teachers, discussion of case studies at the school level for all teachers and milestone programmes for key personnel. In 2012, in consultation with the fraternity, MOE codified the values, beliefs and conduct expected of educators. The Code of Professional Conduct for Educators was shared with all educators in 2013 to provide guidance on how educators are expected to carry themselves. Importantly, the Code sets out the boundaries educators are to observe in their relationship with students. Using the Code, school leaders have continued to conduct regular conversations with their staff to deepen the ethos of the profession.”
“Bilingualism is the cornerstone of our education system. All students in our Primary and Secondary schools are required to offer a Mother Tongue Language (MTL). Our goal is to support and enable every student to learn MTL to as high a level as he is capable of. The MTL curriculum is thus differentiated to cater to the needs of students with different starting points and MTL ability. Students are given exemption from taking MTL only under exceptional circumstances. There are two broad categories of students who can be given exemption: (a) those who join or rejoin the school system mid-stream without prior learning of the MTL; and (b) those with certified medical condition that would adversely affect their ability to cope with MTL. The top three medical conditions for which MTL exemptions have been granted are dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. MOE started to process applications for MTL exemptions electronically in 2005. The 2005 P1 cohort was thus the first cohort for which we can track exemption cases all the way from P1 to their PSLE year in 2010. From the 2010 PSLE cohort to the 2013 PSLE cohort, the Page: 88 proportion of students exempted from taking MTL has remained stable, at about 3.5% of each cohort. Page: 89”
“We are grateful to parents who participate proactively in enhancing the school experience for their and others' children, for example, through Parent Support Groups. We will continue to engage parents to support our schools to benefit our children. The community provides an authentic environment for learning beyond the classroom. We will collaborate with the community in Applied Learning Programmes and Learning for Life Programmes, aesthetics, sports and service learning activities. As part of our Values-in-Action programme, our schools will serve the needs of the community they are in, and the community can provide authentic learning experiences for our students and see our schools as valuable assets of the community. With rigorous programmes, dedicated teachers and committed partners, we are confident we can Bring Out the Best in Every Child – and provide every child with a compass and the skills to navigate the challenges of tomorrow. Page: 30”
“Our children will have access to these pathways, whatever their starting point: (a) a strong start for every child, including children from less advantaged families, through quality kindergarten curriculum resources refined in MOE's affordable pilot kindergartens and better quality preschool programmes across the sector; (b) a child who has fallen behind will benefit from support in the form of levelling-up programmes that ensure a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy skills; (c) a child who can benefit from a structured and supportive environment in after-school care, particularly where both parents are working, will benefit from a further expansion in Student Care Centres and places in our Primary schools and from the programmes that these centres offer in collaboration with VWOs and SHGs; (d) a child with financial difficulties will continue to be supported in all our institutions; and (e) our students with special education needs will also receive more support as we work with other agencies and the community to step up efforts to diagnose special education needs early and provide support through school-based programmes, specialised services, SPED schools and programmes in collaboration with employers to smoothen the transition from school to work for SPED students. Our teachers are our nation builders as they are instrumental in educating our next generation. We will recognise good teachers through a more robust career architecture and talent management framework. We will strengthen teacher training and ongoing professional development, infusing the latest local and international research findings where relevant via AST and NIE. Parents remain our most important partners.”
“A child will: (a) choose from a range of Secondary schools, each providing distinctive educational programmes catering to different strengths and interests and come to appreciate how learning in the classroom is applied in real-life and be interested to learn more in Applied Learning Programmes; develop values and character in our students and strengthen their people and social skills in Learning for Life Programmes; (b) experience more flexibility in subject offering at lower Secondary levels in all our schools, to cater to different strengths in different subjects; (c) choose from more publicly-funded University options, as places are increased from 13,000 to 16,000 by 2020, and graduate with skills sought by industry; and (d) develop deep skills relevant to the industry and take part in research, innovation and enterprise in the Polytechnics and ITE, as we continue to enhance applied pathways to better cater to our students' strengths and interests. All Singaporeans will benefit from: (a) increased capacity for continuing education established in close collaboration with the industry, to upgrade their skills and acquire new competencies; (b) stronger educational and career counselling on new career possibilities that make the best use of their interests, talents and capabilities; and (c) more productive and engaging learning via the use of technology, across all our schools and Institutes of Page: 29 Higher Learning.”
“Our children will receive a more holistic education and will experience: (a) age-appropriate preschool learning experiences, with Singapore-centric content; (b) closer interactions and guidance from co-form teachers in lower primary years; (c) wider access to Arts, Sports, Games, Outdoor Education and activities in Programme for Active Learning, to discover their interests and talents, and to develop values and socio-emotional skills from a young age; (d) better amenities, such as indoor sports halls, music rooms and so on and well-trained teachers for Physical, Art and Music Education in all our schools; (e) sound Character and Citizenship Education at all levels, with Values-in-Action projects that benefit the schools' immediate community and deepen our children's commitment to Singapore and fellow Singaporeans; and (f) less emphasis on chasing the last point with changing of PSLE T-score into broader bands of merit, creating time and space for our children to channel their energy towards also developing their other competencies. Our children will have opportunities to access a range of diverse pathways, each leading to peaks of excellence, to develop their strengths and interests to their fullest potential whatever their starting point and find success in their own way.”
“Broad and holistic education, to allow each child to discover their interests and strengths over a wide range of disciplines and create connections across different domains of knowledge; (b) depth: deep values and a deep commitment to Singapore and fellow Singaporeans, built on a strong core of values and character; depth and rigour in the foundation of numeracy and bilingual literacy, in critical and inventive thinking, in communication, collaboration and information skills and in civic-literacy, global-awareness and cross-cultural skills; and (c) length: lifelong learning, with age-appropriate learning at each stage catered to the child's pace of development; learning for the long haul of life and not just for exams. Page: 28 Four key shifts: (a) beyond academics: to a stronger focus on character, values and different ways of learning; (b) beyond theory: to a stronger focus on application to solve problems and create new things; (c) beyond qualifications: to a stronger focus on lifelong learning of deep skills and expertise; and (d) beyond schools: to a stronger focus on partnerships with parents and the community.”
“Our goal is to bring out the best in every child, in every domain of learning, in every school, at every stage of the learning journey, whatever the starting point. We will achieve this by working in partnership with parents and the community. Our Pioneer Generation of educators, through their hard work, dedication and perseverance, had contributed significantly to the strong fundamentals in our education system today. But the future our young will grow up in, will see greater complexities and challenges. Our children will need a compass and navigation skills, not a map with well-marked paths. A compass so that each child has a sense of direction, a sense of right and wrong, character and values, self-mastery, resilience and perseverance, compassion, empathy, leadership and social skills to work with others, and the heart to contribute to our community and nation. Navigation skills so that each child can analyse situations, apply knowledge to solve novel problems, collaborate and work in cross-cultural teams in a globalised information age, imagine and invent new possibilities and chart their own paths together as one people. Two key principles: (a) student-centric: our children will be our key focus and we will organise our educators and harness our resources to bring out the best in every child; and (b) values-driven: our children must develop a strong moral compass, forge robust character and acquire deep expertise and competencies to thrive in a fluid and unpredictable future. Three key dimensions: (a) breadth: broad in providing opportunities and multiple pathways, in an open and inclusive system, to develop different talents in each child to the fullest.”
“Currently, there are 169 schools providing a total of 630 overnight parking lots for school buses. When we receive new requests for overnight parking at specific schools, MOE will work with the school bus operators on the arrangements, while taking into consideration school safety and security. Page: 103”
“The skills required for social media etiquette and protocol are taught in the Cyber Wellness syllabus for primary and secondary schools. The syllabus is designed based on the principles of "Respect for Self and Others" and "Safe and Responsible Use" of technology. This syllabus is implemented as part of the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum in 2014. It focuses on equipping students with social-emotional competencies and sound values so that they can be safe, respectful and responsible users of ICT. Students learn to develop a healthy self-identity both online and offline, build safe and meaningful relationships, and make discerning choices. For example, in the topic on "Online Identity and Expression", students learn about what is appropriate to share about oneself and the consequences of insensitive remarks. For the topic on "Online Relationships", students learn about relationship management skills and ways to interact with socio-cultural sensitivity online. Students discuss authentic case scenarios on safe and responsible uses of the Internet. Teachers guide them through a reflection process so that students fully grasp the key points, change their attitudes and behaviours where needed.”
“With these changes, full-time ITE students can receive up to $1,200 per annum, depending on their household income, which is more than sufficient to cover the fees payable. Financial assistance will likewise be extended for up to an additional year beyond normal course duration for eligible students who need to repeat subjects. Besides MOE subsidies and financial assistance, ITE has also introduced several strategies to help students complete their course of study successfully, such as supporting students with weak academic foundation and providing special assistance to those who are at risk of dropping out. The polytechnic and ITE CET programmes are modular in nature, meaning that trainees have the flexibility to pause and continue their studies at a later date, within the maximum candidature period for the programme. As the modular CET framework was introduced only in 2012, it is too early to compute programme-level drop-out rates, but we can look at the completion rates at modular level to give an indication. For the AY2012, the average completion rate for polytechnic CET modules is about 87%. Page: 98”
“The tuition fees for the full-time Nitec and Higher Nitec courses are charged on a semester basis. For Academic Year (AY) 2014, the full tuition fees before Government subsidy are $5,175 per semester for Nitec, and $9,325 per semester for Higher Nitec. Singaporean students pay a small fraction of the tuition fees – $155 per semester for Nitec, and $280 per Page: 97 semester for Higher Nitec. On the other hand, the CET programmes offered at the polytechnics and ITE are conducted on a modular certificate basis, where a full CET programme is delivered in bite-sized modules to make it more manageable for adult learners to upgrade and attain their full CET qualification. The full fees before Government subsidy for such modules range between $1,140 and $3,400 per modular certificate for a CET programme at ITE and the polytechnics, depending on the level of study. However, after netting off the Government subsidy, the modular certificate fees payable by Singaporean students are much lower – between $105 and $1,000 per modular certificate. We review the fees regularly to ensure that they remain affordable for Singaporeans. Drop-out rates for the full-time Nitec and Higher Nitec programmes have improved significantly from about 35% in the 1990s to less than 20% today. Students are not likely to drop out because of high fees as MOE provides subsidies for students who need to repeat subjects for up to an additional year beyond the normal course duration of two years. ITE students who need financial assistance can also tap on Government bursaries. MOE has announced that from AY2014, these bursaries would be enhanced significantly, with increases in the bursary quanta, as well as changes to the income eligibility criteria, which would allow more students to qualify.”
“Schools will proactively identify students from low-income families who would benefit from such arrangement and encourage them to enrol in the school-based student care centres. To ensure affordability for students who are enrolled in student care centres and require financial assistance, they can apply for the ComCare Student Care Fee Assistance – a scheme administered by MSF. I would like to take this opportunity to assure the House that an education in our schools and post-secondary institutions will remain accessible to all Singaporeans. No Singaporean student will be left behind as a result of his or her family's financial circumstances.”
“From AY2014, these bursaries have been enhanced to significantly increase the bursary quanta and raise the income eligibility threshold to benefit more students. In addition, students in our publicly-funded polytechnics and universities can also take up the Tuition Fee Loan and Study Loan to cover their tuition fees and supplement their living expenses. Beyond direct financial assistance to the students, MOE also provides the Opportunity Fund which our schools, ITE and polytechnics can use for the provision of enrichment activities and other co-curricular development Page: 68 opportunities for Singaporean students from less advantaged backgrounds. The Fund can also be used to subsidise the purchase of computers for needy students in our schools under the IDA's NEU PC Plus Programme. Under this programme, the students can own a new computer at an affordable price. MOE also partners with the Self-Help Groups in reaching out to these families or students who need additional assistance beyond MOE. Our Self-Help Groups have in place student assistance and support schemes to help needy students. We are also heartened to know that external organisations and individuals have also been keen to provide additional support to needy students. The School Pocket Money Fund is an example where corporations and individuals have donated generously to complement the assistance provided by MOE. Beyond financial assistance, schools run programmes to support students to learn better in school. These include the Learning Support Programmes to help them level up academically. After-school care is another important area of learning support.”
“Mdm Speaker, MOE is committed to providing quality and affordable education to all Singaporeans regardless of their financial circumstances. Our education is highly subsidised at all levels and the Government provides a range of financial assistance schemes to assist those who may be in need. The MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) for Singaporeans in primary and secondary schools and JCs/Centralised Institutes has been enhanced over the years. In 2013, around 65,000 Singaporean students were on financial assistance in our schools. This was about 1.5 times the number of beneficiaries five years before, largely owing to changes to the criteria which enabled more students to be eligible. Students on financial assistance do not pay school and standard miscellaneous fees. They also benefit from free textbooks and uniforms. Students in primary schools who qualify for financial assistance are also provided with free breakfast. In addition, MOE provides every school with additional resources for school leaders to provide assistance to deserving students who may not meet the qualifying criteria. Singaporean students enrolled in subsidised programmes in our post-secondary educational institutions, namely our publicly-funded universities, polytechnics, Arts Institutions and ITE, benefit from the CDC-CCC bursaries or the MOE bursaries. In Academic Year (AY) 2013, around 47,000 Singaporean students in these post-secondary institutions received the CDC-CCC bursaries and MOE bursaries. This was about 2.5 times the number of beneficiaries five years before, largely due to the changes in criteria in AY2011 that enable more students to qualify.”
“I would like to assure Mr Lim Biow Chuan that MOE does not select the students. The student sample is selected by the OECD and the OECD has statistical agencies that advise them on how to ensure that the students they pick for the test are representative of the cohort of students in the entire school system. And it is just not in Singapore but all over the world. That is why the results are meaningful and comparable across different countries. I would like to assure Mr Lim that we have no hand in picking the students.”
“Our students' good performance attests to their deep conceptual understanding and good thinking skills honed through the rich learning experiences provided by our schools and teachers – both in the classroom and outside of the classroom, for instance, in activities such as co-curricular activities, learning journeys, and Values-in-Action projects of various forms. Teachers have also made learning relevant and engaging, and ensured that students learn to use their knowledge and skills in real-life situations. It also reflects the emphasis that our parents place on education. We will continue to work in partnership with parents to equip our students for the future.”
“Mdm Speaker, the purpose of our participation in PISA is not to get a good global ranking. Our objective is to find out how well our students are being equipped with important life skills that are important for their future. In the PISA study, a sample of 5,400 15-year-olds was randomly selected by OECD for the pen-and-paper tasks on reading, math and science. Half of these students then went on to do a combination of the computer-based math, reading or problem solving tasks. There was no preparation required of schools and students. PISA scores are meant to be reported at the national aggregate level, and not at the individual student or school level. The sampling technique used by OECD is such that scores at the individual and school level are not statistically meaningful. The test scores of individual students are not disclosed to the participants or to schools. Students do not have to make additional preparations for these tests. So, our participation in this study is unlikely to create stress to students. Page: 50 We have also been working closely with schools, parents and the community to drive home the message that we should work together to bring out the best in every child. Among others, this means equipping them with the moral compass and the navigation skills to apply their knowledge and exercise their creativity in various contexts and situations – including those which are unfamiliar and complex. The various PISA scores give us an additional source of input and an international benchmark. The more detailed PISA findings in terms of the proportions of our students achieving at various proficiency levels also enable us to review the effectiveness of our teaching and learning strategies in levelling up the competencies of all students.”
“I would like to assure the Member that the Universities are mindful of keeping their operations efficient. And in fact, management of cost is always an important issue which the councils of the Universities have been looking at and will continue to do so.”
“MOE periodically reviews the Government financial assistance schemes to ensure that these are adequate for Singaporean students in need. MOE is significantly enhancing the Government bursaries from AY2014 for students studying at tertiary institutions. With the enhancements, the household per capita income cut-off to qualify for the Government bursaries has been raised from $1,700 to $1,900 per month. This means that more students will qualify for the bursaries. The bursary quanta have also been increased by between $200 and $700. With these changes, undergraduates can receive up to $3,600 per annum and Polytechnic students can receive up to $2,000 per annum, depending on their household income. Besides Government bursaries, there are also other financial assistance schemes offered by the tertiary institutions, foundations, private and professional organisations, community groups and self-help groups. Students can, therefore, tap on a range of financial assistance schemes. With the Government subsidies and the range of financial assistance schemes, a Singaporean student from the bottom two-thirds of households by income, for instance, need not worry about direct cash outlay, as up to 100% of the tuition fees and a portion of living expenses can be covered through a combination of financial assistance and Government loans. Students from the 75th and 90th percentile can similarly tap on such loans to finance the bulk of their education cost, which are interest-free during the course of study. Page: 49 Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister whether the Universities can do more to cap the cost increases in delivering quality tertiary education.”
“Mdm Speaker, MOE seeks to keep tertiary education affordable and accessible to our students, by providing significant subsidies for all students and by providing a range of financial assistance. The Government provides substantial subsidies for tertiary education, at about 75% and 85% of the total education cost at the Universities and Polytechnics respectively. Over the past five years, from 2009 to 2013, costs at the publicly-funded tertiary institutions have increased on average by about 4% per year. In contrast, fee adjustments for these institutions have been modest over the same period. Under the cohort-based fee system, undergraduates pay the same fees throughout the duration of the course. The average annual fee increases were lower, at 1% to 1.6% per year for each student cohort for the bulk of the courses. Page: 48 Polytechnic fees, which are lower, rose by $50 or about 2% on average over the past five years. We review and adjust the tuition fees on an annual basis, taking into account the cost of delivering quality tertiary education, while mindful of the prevailing economic situation. Where economic conditions have been difficult, the tertiary institutions have deferred fee increases, such as in Academic Year (AY) 2009 due to the economic downturn. The fee increases help institutions to partially defray rising costs. The revised fees compare favourably with overseas tertiary institutions. From AY2014, the Polytechnics will adopt the cohort-based fee system. This means that the student will pay the same fees for the entire duration of the course. This is a significant change, as the fee structure provides tertiary students with greater certainty regarding tuition fees and helps them to better plan the financing of their studies.”
“On Page: 28 whether liquidated damages will be pursued, the answer is, yes, we will pursue liquidated damages if a student is in breach. 12.30 pm”
“Madam, may I address the question raised by Mr Yee Jenn Jong. First, he asked about the Student Care Centres. In fact, it is because of our very close consultation with parents that we are aware of the demand for these Student Care Centres. The Member asked about the numbers and what is holding us back. First, the fact that there is this demand shows that many parents have confidence in the Student Care Centres in our schools. So, in 2011, I asked our officials to work on increasing the number of Student Care Centres, and I am happy to say that in 2010, we have 40. By December 2013, we have 80. We doubled the number from 2010, from 40 to 80, but, most significantly, in terms of enrolment numbers, we raised it from 2,500 in 2010 to 7,500. In other words, the Student Care Centres have doubled in numbers but tripled in enrolment. What it means is that many more of them are expanding intakes even within the same centre. What we want to do is to do it systemically, to ensure that it is of high quality because when the students are entrusted to the Student Care Centre, we have to ensure that high quality is maintained. Members are aware of the manpower crunch in many sectors, but whatever it is, we have got to make sure that we do it systemically and ensure quality. The Minister for MSF will also speak on Student Care Centres outside of the schools. The Member also asked about the deferment of cases. Indeed, as the Member had mentioned, the deferment is on a case-by-case basis. So, why is it that some might be longer? Let me clarify that in my written reply to the Member's question on deferment for not more than six years, it was with reference to particular years that the Member mentioned in his question.”
“I thank Mr Png Eng Huat for making a very clear statement that he is not against having international students in our system. Indeed, we too want to make sure that they fulfil their part of it as well.”
“What we have been doing and what we will continue to do is to engage all our educators very intensely over the coming months to make sure that as far as implementation is concerned, our schools, our educators, take the lead. We encourage the schools to come up with innovative ways of bringing this about. I am very happy to say that, for instance, in a few weeks' time, we will be having our MOE ExCEL Fest which is a major innovation platform for each and every one of our schools to highlight what they have done, what pilots they have tried and those that have worked well. We are also working with our Academy of Singapore Teachers as well as the various teachers' academies and they will be doing a lot more to engage our educators. And I am confident that while change will take time, it will happen. Page: 25”