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.”
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“8% of the Elective Literature candidates passed the subject and the distinction rates were 40.8% and 34.0% respectively. For the "N(A)" level Full Literature, the pass rate was 90% and distinction rate was 38.1%. As both students' performance in English Language and the candidature for Literature have not varied significantly, it is not possible to infer any correlation between the take-up rates for Literature and English Language performance in schools. To promote Literature, MOE organises regularly sharing sessions on the teaching of Literature and a biennial Literature Seminar for teachers. A special interest group has been set up for Literature teachers to share ideas and resources. MOE also reviews and revises the Literature syllabus to make the subject accessible to and interesting for students. Page: 146”
“Literature is a compulsory subject for all students at the lower secondary levels. At the upper secondary levels, before 2001, "O" level students could offer one or two of the following Humanities subjects: Literature, History and Geography. From 20011, all upper secondary students offered a Combined Humanities subject comprising a Social Studies component and one of the following Electives: Literature, Geography or History. Students could also offer Literature, Geography or History as a second Full Humanities subject. Page: 145 The candidature for Literature at "O" level in 1992 was 16,970 (47.9% of the Secondary 4 cohort). Over the next 10 years, the candidature decreased to 7,322 (21.8% of the cohort) in 2001. The "N(A)" candidature also decreased from 3,383 (26.5% of the Secondary 4 cohort) to 428 (4.2% of the cohort) in 2001. From 2002 to 2012, the candidature for Full Literature in English at "O" and "N(A)" levels has been fairly consistent. Each year, there are more than 3,000 (9%) "O" level students and more than 200 (2.5%) "N(A)" level students for Full Literature. In addition, there are about 3,000 (9%) "O" level students and about 400 (3.5%) "N(A)" level students for Elective Literature. The number of schools offering Full Literature at "O" level has been fairly stable between 2002 and 2012. In 2012, 77 schools (50% of the total number of schools with "O" level course) offer the subject at "O" level and 13 schools (10% of the total number of schools with "N(A)" course) offer it at "N(A)" level. Students' performance in Literature in English at "O" and "N" level has been consistent over the years, with passes at about 90% and distinction rates of over 30%. In 2012, for example, 95.8% of the "O" Level Full Literature candidates and 91.”
“Over the past 10 years, about 200 local Polytechnic graduates have been admitted to the Architecture, Dentistry, Law and Medicine undergraduate courses in NUS and SMU. A Polytechnic diploma is a work-ready qualification. Many Polytechnic graduates, therefore, progress directly into the workforce. Of the local Polytechnic graduates who apply to degree programmes, the majority apply to Engineering, Computing and Business. Far fewer apply to Architecture, Dentistry, Law and Medicine. The intakes for Dentistry, Law and Medicine are also small, and admissions to these programmes are, therefore, very competitive.”
“There have been 25 cases of unnatural deaths at the Autonomous Universities (AUs) over a 10-year period, between 2003 and 2012. As the AUs do not have access to the coroner’s reports, they do not know how many of these are suicide cases. Attempted suicide cases are also not usually reported to the AUs. The AUs take the psychological well-being of their students, faculty and staff seriously. They promote the psychological well-being and awareness of psycho-social health of all members of the University community through key measures. First, they make available to students basic education and publicity, such as talks, workshops and campaigns, to raise awareness of psychological well-being. Second, they offer specialised clinical services, such as counselling services and help-lines. Third, they have developed crisis management Page: 148 frameworks, which are activated in time of need. The Universities also provide additional in-residence support for students who are staying on campus. Such support takes the form of on-going pastoral care, residential programmes geared towards the promotion of the holistic development of students and peer support from student leaders.”
“The Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme was introduced in 2004 to promote holistic education by recognising a more diverse range of student achievements and talents as criteria for school admissions, other than academic performance at the national examinations. Schools which admit DSA students based on their sporting talents offer programmes to further develop their strengths in these areas. MOE does not track whether these students continue to pursue their sports on a professional or full-time basis after graduation. However, between 2010 and 2012, about 250 of current or former DSA students represented Singapore at the national level in their respective sports. The DSA student must achieve a PSLE result that allows him to be admitted into a course (for example, Express course) offered by the DSA school. As such, the lowest PSLE score that a student being admitted to RI or RGS must achieve is 188. Of the first two batches of DSA students in RI and RGS, more than 90% had completed their "A" levels and were eligible for degree courses in our Autonomous Universities (AUs). Overall, DSA has broadened the definition of success and promoted holistic education by reducing the emphasis on national examination results. As with all of our policies, we will continue to regularly review and improve the DSA scheme. Page: 151”
“In each cohort, around 9,500 students who studied in the Normal Technical (N(T)) and Normal Academic (N(A)) courses progressed on to ITE. Around 7,500 students who studied in the N(T) and N(A) courses progressed on to the polytechnics, some after first completing a NITEC and Higher NITEC in ITE. Regardless of their initial qualifications, there are opportunities for all Singaporeans to pursue continuing education and training even after starting work. Page: 150”
“The guidelines on the amount of space in the Autonomous Universities that can be leased out for commercial use are set by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Under URA’s guidelines, Autonomous Universities are allowed to provide space for commercial uses of up to 5% of the total Gross Floor Area of their campus or 30,000 square metres, whichever is lower.”
“For the 2012 PSLE, the lowest median aggregate score recorded by a Primary school was 160 while the highest median aggregate score was 240. If we include Gifted Education Programme (GEP) students, the highest median score would be 247. There are many complex factors that could affect a student’s PSLE aggregate score. Individual motivation, discipline, effort, learning difficulties and academic aptitude of the student all play a role. Parents' commitment to their children's education and amount of home supervision is also important. International studies show that in all countries, students' test scores are correlated with the socio-economic and educational background of parents. We have 187 Primary schools, spread across the island, each with its own catchment of students. Given the complex factors that affect students' performance and the spread of students, we see a range of students' test scores across our schools. We should, however, interpret the highest and lowest median with caution. The school that had the lowest median also has several students who were in the top 10% of the PSLE cohort. In fact, all Primary schools, even those with lower median aggregate scores, have students who scored in the top 10% nationally for PSLE. Beyond test scores, our schools, including those with lower median scores, provide opportunities for students to develop themselves. Schools, in their own ways, excel in co-curricular activities and provide academic and other support for the students' overall development. It is important that we move away from Page: 144 judging a school by just its test scores.”
“MOE recognises the importance of appropriately assessing whether students have learnt the knowledge and skills in the curriculum. Therefore, MOE has established guidelines in the curriculum and engages schools to ensure that they set appropriate and balanced assessments. Page: 134 Each subject syllabus developed by MOE is accompanied by teaching and learning guides, including guidelines for the setting of assessment tasks. Teachers undergo training so that they will be able to set appropriate assessment tasks. Besides guidelines and training for teachers, MOE regularly engages school leaders on the need for sound assessment practices, including the setting of balanced test and examination papers. MOE also provides feedback on the quality of school examination papers. These help to raise awareness as well as promote good practices. From time to time, we receive feedback about inappropriate test items. MOE will continue to provide guidance and support to schools to improve assessment practices.”
“The Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and ITE have all adopted the Tripartite Advisory on Best Sourcing Practices in 2012 for the procurement of new outsourcing contracts. As of 1 December 2012, existing contracts under our Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and ITE covered a total of 2,332 outsourced cleaners and 260 outsourced security guards. Following the release of the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners' (TCC) recommendations of a Progressive Wage Model for cleaners in October 2012, our Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics and ITE have been encouraging their service providers to pay wages according to the Progressive Wage Model and will be reviewing their future contracts to make this a requirement.”
“Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools play an important role in nurturing bilingual and bicultural students well-versed in the Chinese language and culture. SAP schools seek to cultivate students’ interest in Chinese language-related studies, and groom cultural transmitters, for example, journalists/reporters for the Chinese media or language specialists like Chinese language teachers. To provide students in SAP schools with an immersive language environment, assembly periods and most of the non-examination subjects are conducted in Chinese. SAP schools also emphasises the transmission of cultural values that are relevant to our Singapore context. The plan is for our SAP schools to continue to seek more effective ways of nurturing bilingual and bicultural students. This is a challenging task as students are exposed, through the internet and mass media, to a variety of cultural norms. For students to benefit fully from and contribute in the SAP environment, a basic grounding in the Chinese language is important. To meet the diverse educational interests and needs of our students, our schools offer a variety of programmes. Each school develops its own initiatives and creates positive experiences that allow students to discover and develop their strengths, and maximise their potential. As the global landscape and our local context evolve, MOE will continue to review our education policies to remain relevant. Page: 133”
“When testing conditions are altered for students with special needs, it has to be done in an even-handed, fair and transparent manner. The annotation practice is not intended to indicate a disability or discriminate against the test taker. It indicates that a student has taken the examination under conditions that are different from those who take the examinations under the standard prescribed conditions. No detail of the student’s condition and access arrangements appear on the certificate. The annotation does not affect students' progression to the next level of study. Page: 169”
“Generally, there are two categories of applications for special arrangements for students sitting for national examinations. Applications for access arrangements by students with sensory and physical disabilities are reviewed by qualified medical specialists. Applications from students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, ADHD and autism, are evaluated by an MOE panel of education psychologists, based on each candidate's specific needs. Students and parents are informed at the point of Page: 168 application that the result slips and certificates will be annotated. Over the past 10 years, the number of applications from students with physical and sensory disabilities has remained relatively stable at less than 1.5% of candidates for all examination levels. The number of requests for access arrangements for learning disabilities has increased to about 2% of candidates for all examination levels. Access arrangements that involve significant modification of the examination are annotated. These include exemption from a component in a subject (for example, oral examination); extended time17; exemption from answering certain types of questions, for example, questions with graphic stimulus or questions related to measurements, constructions and drawings, tessellations and symmetry; and special assistance through the use of readers or scribes. These access arrangements are granted to enable candidates with special needs access to the national examinations, by giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities and receive recognition for their academic achievements. Standardised testing condition is an important principle of fair examinations.”
“On the average, over the past five years, about 30% of the international students who had scholarships received First Class Honours. Another 35% received Second Class (Upper) Honours, and a fifth obtained Second Class (Lower) Honours. The remaining 15% of the IS scholars graduated with either a Third Class Honours or without honours.”
“In the 2012 PSLE, 15 Primary schools had more than 20% of its graduating cohort attaining T-scores of 250 and above, and 61 Primary schools had less than 5% of its graduating cohort attaining T-scores of 250 and above. Almost all Primary schools nurtured students who attained T-scores of 250 and above. The quality of a primary school is not measured by the number of its students who attain high PSLE T-scores. Instead, our Primary schools seek to understand the profile and needs of their students, develop each student holistically, in academic and non-academic areas, and prepare them for further education and for life. This lays a strong foundation for all students to develop to their fullest potential. Page: 167”
“International scholars are subject to stringent academic standards in order to continue receiving scholarship funding. International scholars in NUS, NTU and SUTD are required to maintain a Grade Point Average of 3.5 out of 5, and 3.4 out of 4, if they are in SMU. This is monitored every semester and is similar to the renewal criteria for the undergraduate scholarships for local students. Similarly, pre-tertiary scholars have to achieve good promotional examination results, which would enable them to progress to the next level, in order for their scholarships to be renewed. In addition, all scholars are expected to maintain a clean disciplinary record, with no unfavourable reports from their schools, universities or hostel staff. Less than 2% of international scholars have had their scholarships terminated due to poor academic results.”
“Teachers accompany students on local or overseas learning journeys to care for and facilitate the various learning activities during the trip. This role requires much attention and effort from teachers. Hence, the Ministry does not encourage teachers to bring their family members along on such trips. However, there may be extenuating circumstances that result in schools allowing teachers to have their family members on such trips. In doing so, schools must ensure that the teachers could still carry out their duties effectively, and any cost incurred by the family members must be borne by the teachers themselves.”
“The Joint-Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey will be carried out by an independent survey company from 2012. This approach is similar to that for the Polytechnics' Joint-Graduate Employment Survey, for which an independent survey company has been appointed since 2005. The tender to conduct the 2012 Polytechnics' Joint-Graduate Employment Survey was awarded in July this year, while the 2012 tender for the Autonomous Universities was awarded in October. For both tenders, the award was made on the basis that the successful bidder met all the tender Page: 165 specifications and provided the best value for money in terms of price, quality, timeliness and after-sales services.”
“The Quality Assurance Framework for Universities (QAFU) helps to enhance the quality of our universities through a systematic process involving institutional self-learning and external review. Under this framework, an External Review Panel is convened to conduct an independent evaluation of each university's self-assessment report and recommend areas for improvement by the university. The panel comprises independent local and Page: 164 international industry leaders, professionals and eminent academics. The universities are required to address the recommendations raised by the panel by following up with concrete action plans. The QAFU is conducted once every five years so as to allow the university sufficient time to implement their action plans from the previous external audit. When QAFU was first launched in 2003, the intention was to do the audit once every three years. However, the feedback from members of the External Review Panel was that a three-year cycle was too short, as it did not allow enough time for the universities to implement the necessary changes after each round. A decision was subsequently made to conduct the audit once every five years instead. The costs of each audit carried out on NUS, NTU and SMU between 2009 and 2011 ranged from $120,000 to $170,000. An audit typically lasts for five days and the bulk of the costs incurred is attributable to honoraria for the panel members, as well as air tickets, accommodation and local transportation for the international panel members.”
“The National Service Recognition Award (NSRA) was implemented in 2011, with a component of this monetary award going into the Post-Secondary Education Accounts (PSEAs) of eligible NSmen. Since then, about 61,000 NSmen have received an NSRA top-up to their PSEA. About 14,000, or 23% of them, have used the account to finance post-secondary education on Government-subsidised courses. MOE does not capture data on the number of NSmen who are pursuing non-subsidised degree courses at private institutions, for which the PSEA cannot be used. These NSmen can tap on education loans offered by commercial banks or financial assistance schemes offered by the institutions themselves to finance their studies.”
“In the three years from 2009 to 2011, around 1,000 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents per year enrolled in part-time diploma programmes at the polytechnics and received subsidies from the Government. Prior to the recent revisions to the part-time diploma framework in 2011, the normal duration of a part-time diploma course, which varied from course to course, was three to five years. Individuals were allowed to take up to 10 years to complete their course. This flexibility was provided for adult trainees as some Page: 141 needed extra time to learn, or needed to defer their training at some point to juggle family, work or other personal demands. Hence, trainees from the same starting cohort may not graduate at the same time. The long duration which trainees are allowed to complete their training makes it difficult to be precise in tracking the success rate by cohorts. Broadly, about 60% to 70% of each starting cohort would have completed within the normal duration of the course. Since 2011, the part-time diploma courses have been revamped to be more flexible and compact to cater to the needs of working adults. The course structure has been modularised, to comprise five modular certificates stacking up to a full diploma. The duration has also been shortened by 25% to 50% and, generally, can be completed within 2½ years. Over the financial years from 2009 to 2011, the Government provided $30 million in subsidies, that is, $10 million per year, to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents undertaking part-time diploma training.”
“As we evolve our education system over the next decade, we will reaffirm and preserve the strengths that we have built up over the years, but yet be bold in refreshing or recalibrating in areas where a better balance must be struck. Page: 135”
“Education is fundamentally about helping each individual to discover and develop his or her interests, talents and strengths. It is about developing the whole person, enabling each individual to lead a full, creative and meaningful life. At the same time, education helps all of us to appreciate our roles and responsibilities to our fellow men, as citizens of our nation and of a global community. This enables us to build a cohesive and harmonious society. MOE's policies and programmes thus aim to achieve these two overarching objectives, guided by the needs of the future, while building on the strengths of our education system. We aim to help each child build a rigorous grounding in the key academic foundations of literacy and numeracy, and at the higher levels, knowledge of science and humanities. On top of this, we seek to develop 21st Century Competencies – information and communication skills, critical and inventive thinking, and civil literacy, global awareness and cross-cultural skills – centred around values, character, and social-emotional competencies that enable us to succeed and interact meaningfully with others. These are critical in an increasingly interconnected, information-rich world. We will be student-centric in our approach, by creating multiple pathways to cater to the different needs of every child. We want each child to learn at their own pace, in an environment that supports their needs, so that they can progress as far as possible. To succeed, we will also need to forge a strong partnership with parents and the community.”
“The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is in the midst of its admissions exercise for AY2013 and there is healthy interest in SUTD from prospective students. For AY2012, SUTD had an intake of 340 students. It expects a comparable or better intake for AY2013, although the actual number of students admitted will depend on the quality and profile of students who apply. SUTD takes a holistic approach in evaluating students’ applications to ensure that there is a "right fit". The design-focused Engineering and Architecture curriculum and pedagogy developed and delivered in collaboration with MIT requires students to be not only academically strong, but also have a passion for design and technology, and enjoy a rigorous and multi-disciplinary course of study. SUTD will fill as many places as possible within the planned capacity, while ensuring that students who are admitted can cope with the demands of its programme.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for her support. Today, the entry scores provide some indication or a guide to parents in terms of the schools that their children can apply to. But, as in all measures, we will Page: 38 be looking at it together with other issues that are relevant to the posting of Secondary school students.”
“MOE has reviewed and decided to stop the practice of releasing the names of the top Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scorers. Instead, MOE provided the media with a list of students from various schools who have performed well in both academic and non-academic aspects and/or have shown resilience and determination in overcoming the odds to excel in their education. The change is aimed at recognising students for their holistic development and all-round excellence, and not just their academic performance only. Education is a long journey. The PSLE marks the conclusion of one stage of a child's learning journey and the beginning of another. It is important to help our students to develop the disposition to embark on this long journey. We want to encourage them to persevere, to pursue learning along appropriate pathways and help them to succeed in each milestone. We hope parents will join us to encourage their children to develop a love for learning and become life-long learners. The decision to stop releasing the list of top scorers is not to address PSLE stress per se or to move away from merit. It is to signal and align our practices with the emphasis on holistic development and all-round excellence.”
“Mdm Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 11 and 12 together?”
“Between 2001 and 2011, boys and girls were relatively evenly distributed in the middle three quintile performance bands at the PSLE. In 2011, the proportions of girls scoring in the second, third and fourth quintiles were 20%, 20% and 21% respectively, while the corresponding percentages of boys were 20%, 20% and 19%.”
“About 1,600 students (3%) of the 2012 Primary school cohort were exempted from taking their mother tongue languages. Of these students, about half entered our schools mid-stream and have not studied any of the mother tongue languages. The rest of the students were exempted on medical grounds as they have learning disabilities. For the PSLE, a pupil exempted from mother tongue is assessed based on his performance in English, Mathematics and Science. The total score of these three subjects is statistically adjusted so that it reflects an aggregate score comparable to those of his peers who offer mother tongue and have similar total scores for these three subjects. Page: 1299”
“MOE regularly reviews and refines our approaches towards customising learning for our students so as to support our students to achieve their fullest potential. MOE will continue to do so. The different academic streams are designed with different curriculum and pedagogies, to cater to our students’ different learning pace, learning aptitudes and learning styles. This allows our schools to provide the appropriate support to all students to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Students are allowed to transfer between streams, and such transfers are assessed by schools on a case-by-case basis. In addition, within each stream, students have the flexibility to take subjects that are pegged at a higher level from their stream if their schools assess that this is in their best interest. For example, about 4,500 (or 35%) of Secondary 4 N(A) students offered one or more subjects at the GCE "O" Level in 2011. Some Secondary 4 N(T) students also take up to two subjects at the N(A) level. So, what Dr Intan is suggesting is already taking place to some extent. Nevertheless, we are studying how we can provide even greater flexibility to students. More importantly, we will continue to ensure that each pathway can lead to opportunities for subsequent academic or skills upgrading. Page: 1296”
“The Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme seeks to promote holistic education by recognising a more diverse range of student achievements, abilities and interests as criteria for school admission, other than performance at the national examinations, that is, PSLE. Under the DSA scheme, students are admitted based on their strengths in the niche areas of the participating schools. Autonomous Schools offering the Integrated Programme (IP) have full autonomy over the admissions of their IP students, but only admitted between 25%-40% of their IP students through DSA in 2011. Autonomous Schools offering the "O" level Programme are allowed to admit up to 10% of their Secondary 1 intake through DSA. Both admissions via DSA or PSLE results are based on merit and transparent criteria. Overall, DSA has served to broaden the definition of success and promote holistic education by reducing the emphasis on national examination results. MOE will continue to monitor and refine the DSA Scheme where necessary to ensure that it remains relevant and effective. Page: 1164”
“The $700 million will come from both Government funding and NTU's own funds. This will cover the construction of new learning facilities and residential halls to cater to NTU's increasing enrolment over the years. The new learning facilities will encourage students from diverse backgrounds to interact with and collaborate with each other. The new residential halls will provide more students with the opportunity to participate in residential learning programmes. This is part of NTU's continual efforts to improve the learning environment for its students in order to better equip them for work in a globalised economy. The Universities review tuition fees each year in consultation with MOE. Any fee increase is considered carefully, taking into consideration the cost of delivering quality university education and prevailing economic conditions. With regard to infrastructure development, the Government provides a significant subsidy, with the remaining cost spread across the enrolment at universities and amortised over the economic lifespan of facilities. We do not expect this new project to have a significant impact on fees. The Government remains committed to ensuring the affordability of post-Secondary education and reviews the expenditure of the Universities annually. We will also continue to provide financial assistance for students from low-income families. Page: 1164”
“Around 40% of students in Raffles Girls' Primary School, Methodist Girls' Primary School, Henry Park Primary School, Anglo Chinese Primary School, Nanyang Primary School and Tao Nan School live in HDB flats. This broadly reflects the mix of residential housing in the vicinity of these schools7. Overall, about 80% of all Primary school students reside in HDB flats. MOE does not have a definition of "neighbourhood schools". Page: 1163”
“All our schools are aware of the need to nurture students to become effective communicators. As such, the inculcation of written and oral skills in students is a key aspect of the "through-train" Integrated Programme (IP) and mainstream "O" level system. The IP curriculum is designed to broaden students' educational experiences, including communication skills, critical thinking and creativity. A programme common to IP schools is independent research studies. The interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the programme lends itself very well to the teaching and learning of communication skills. Emphasis is placed on independent learning, and assessment takes many different forms. Students have to produce written reports and demonstrate oral communication skills through oral presentations of their research projects. In addition, the students are regularly provided with class-based assessment tasks on effective communication skills through the various subjects. With the emphasis on written and oral communication skills in the IP schools, the students' ability to communicate effectively will be further enhanced. Page: 1162”
“Schools are given the autonomy to manage their canteens within guidelines set by the Ministry of Education. Currently, around 75% of school canteen stalls are leased directly to individual stallholders under the Individual Stallholders System. The remaining 25% of canteens are contracted to vendors under the Single Tender System. Most of these vendors, in turn, sublet the stalls to individual stallholders. These vendors also undertake canteen administration on behalf of the schools. Page: 1150 Recent survey results showed that overall satisfaction is comparable for the two systems in letting out canteen stalls. The average canteen food prices are slightly higher under the Single Tender System, by about 5% for primary and 7% for secondary schools. Given the schools' experience, MOE will encourage more schools to adopt the Individual Stallholders System. Page: 1150”
“We need motorists to play their part by slowing down in the vicinity of schools, teachers and parents to reinforce correct road safety behaviour in our students, and students to exercise personal responsibility for their own safety. Page: 1149”
“Current measures to boost road safety around our schools include four specific measures: (1) An Enhanced School Zone is provided at all Primary schools to alert motorists driving along roads near the school to slow down and to watch out for young children crossing the road. Features of the Enhanced School Zone include red textured surfaces, and prominent traffic signs. Page: 1149 (2) Traffic impact studies are conducted by traffic consultants for all new Primary schools and holding sites to ensure optimal traffic arrangements within and around the vicinity. (3) Schools conduct regular road safety talks, including at the beginning of every school year, to remind students of correct road safety behaviour. (4) Schools deploy staff within their grounds and at the immediate external environment to help maintain safety for students and manage vehicular movement at arrival and dismissal times. Arising from more recent road accidents in the vicinity of some schools, all our schools have conducted a fresh risk assessment of road safety in and around the school. Schools have found that the measures in place are adequate, although the assessments have led to enhancements in some instances. For example, Dunman Secondary School worked with LTA to raise the zebra crossing outside the school to make it more visible to motorists and to slow down the traffic. Railings were also fitted to deter pedestrians from dashing across the road and to steer them to use the proper pedestrian crossing. MOE and schools will continue to work with LTA and Traffic Police to review the adequacy of road safety measures around our schools. The safety of students using roads around the school is the responsibility of all.”
“There will be a few cases where scholarship recipients are found to have engaged in conduct unbecoming of a scholarship holder. Such cases will have their scholarship terminated, and they could be liable for liquidated damages. On average, around 3% of international scholars have had their scholarships terminated or had to pay liquidated damages. Most of these were due to the scholars not meeting the stringent scholarship renewal criteria. Only a small number of scholarships had been terminated for misconduct. Page: 1147”
“Mr Lim Biow Chuan had earlier asked a similar question on the scholarship selection criteria. Scholars are selected based on their academic and non-academic achievements, as well as their conduct and character at the point of application. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a panel comprising senior management and experienced educators, including school principals. On integrating international students, MOE had given a reply to an earlier question in 2008 by Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. Our schools and institutes help international students to integrate into our society by creating opportunities for students to interact and to share common experiences. Schools make use of organised school activities, co-curricular activities (CCAs) and community involvement programmes to promote interaction between local and international students. Schools also mount activities which facilitate integration, including orientation programmes and cultural awareness classes. Through the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum, international students also learn about Singapore and national issues, as well as our values and norms. Integration efforts are continued in our Polytechnics and Universities through the International Student Offices and Offices of Student Life. There are orientation programmes, buddy schemes, host family programmes and a variety of campus and off-campus activities. There is also a good mix of local and international students in the residence halls to facilitate interaction. Page: 1147 Many ASEAN scholars have gone on to make valuable contributions to their schools, Singapore and the region. They have also helped to promote a better understanding of our region among our students. But no system is perfect.”
“I believe NUS has earlier explained the position. In the earlier case, NUS had sent out an internal circular to its students warning the students about the severity of making inappropriate remarks and, in that context, had made mention about what happened to a particular student. So, these are two different cases because the statutes and the way the NUS has been dealing with disciplinary offences is to ensure that sufficient measures are put in place to safeguard the integrity of the proceedings. Page: 1051”
“Mr Yee has asked about the circumstances in which the scholars may have the scholarships terminated. International scholars have had their scholarships terminated or had to pay liquidated damages mainly because many of the scholars were not able to meet the stringent scholarship renewal criteria, and a small number of scholarship holders had been terminated for misconduct.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe the Member has filed a parliamentary question on this which will be taken up later. But, with your permission, may I answer that part of the question?”
“I thank the Member for the follow-up question. The punishments that are meted out to specific cases are governed by what is in the University statutes. Therefore, we must respect what is done. At the same time, the Board of Discipline has been convened to deal with such matters and, indeed, those are serious matters which the Board would then have to take into account and, as I said before, I am confident that the university management takes matters seriously and will do the right thing.”
“I thank the Member for the questions. I share the concern and disappointment of Members, as well as of the public, on the conduct of the student in question. The conduct of the student is reprehensible and unbecoming of a scholar. The Ministry does not condone this, nor does NUS. I am confident that NUS takes the matter seriously and will do the right thing. The Member has asked about the selection process. Every panel selecting individuals for particular positions, whether it is for employment, scholarship or entry into professional areas, exercises the best judgement at the point of entry. From time to time, despite the best care that is exercised at that point, lapses do occur. So, companies have to terminate employees and professional bodies from time to time have to take disciplinary action. In the same light, it is important for a proper disciplinary process to be undertaken and for action to be taken and punishment meted out. The Member has asked whether regular reminders should be provided to students. Indeed, this is something that Universities will do. The Member has also asked about the transparency of the process. NUS has convened a Board of Discipline. The proceedings are governed by the NUS Statutes and Regulations to safeguard the integrity of the disciplinary proceedings. NUS has explained its policy on the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore enjoys close ties with our ASEAN neighbours. The ASEAN scholarship is offered to promising pre-tertiary and tertiary ASEAN students to promote mutual understanding and goodwill in the region. ASEAN students add diversity and vibrancy to our educational institutions. Singaporean students interacting with international students enjoy the opportunity to learn from other cultures and experiences and become more prepared for the global marketplace. Scholars are selected based on their academic and non-academic achievements, as well as their conduct and character at the point of application. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a panel comprising senior management and experienced educators, including school principals.”
“Given the immersive Chinese language environment where most of the non-examination subjects are taught in Chinese and even the assembly periods are conducted in Chinese, all students are required to offer Higher Chinese or Chinese as their Mother Tongue language. Students who offer a non-Chinese Mother Tongue may find it more difficult to benefit from such an environment. SAP schools recognise the need for their students to have opportunities for inter-ethnic interaction and engagement with students from other schools. They have made special efforts to promote such interaction and engagement, including: (1) Introducing Conversational Malay Programme as an elective to enable the students to communicate with Malay-speaking peers in the community and the region; (2) Ensuring that there are adequate opportunities for interactions with students from other schools through Community Involvement Projects, inter-school, cluster-based and community-based activities. In addition, the SAP schools have mounted various innovative programmes and activities, such as pen-pal programmes with other schools, learning non-Chinese games and performance arts from peers in other schools, and, in return, teaching them Chinese games or arts. The programmes and activities are reviewed continually. Page: 1025”
“The mission of Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools is to nurture bilingual and bicultural students who are steeped in Chinese language and culture. Over the years, SAP schools have nurtured a core group of citizens who are bilingual and bicultural, as part of our efforts to develop a deeper appreciation of cultural values and heritage. The SAP schools have also been effective in cultivating students' interest in Chinese language-related studies, in grooming cultural transmitters (for example, Lianhe Zaobao journalists) and language specialists (for example, Chinese language teachers) for the Chinese community in Singapore. In 2007, a SAP Schools Review Taskforce, chaired by then Minister of State Gan Kim Yong, was formed to review the SAP schools and recommend initiatives to enable SAP schools to enrich the learning of Chinese language and traditional values, and to strengthen the SAP school ethos. Since then, MOE and schools have implemented the review recommendations and achieved steady progress. Every SAP school has its own flagship programmes related to the learning of the Chinese language and culture. For example, Chung Cheng High (Main) offers courses, such as Chinese Internet broadcasting, film-making and drama, to all lower secondary students. Other programmes which are unique to the SAP schools include: (1) enrichment modules in Chinese, such as Introduction to Contemporary China; (2) more opportunities for overseas immersion in China; (3) the teaching of Chinese traditional values in Civics and Moral Education; (4) integrating the Chinese language curriculum with non-examination subjects like Social Studies, Art, Music and PE. Page: 1025 SAP schools remain important in our education landscape.”
“As one Overseas Singaporean who wrote in recently by e-mail put it: "Having been through different experiences, it is undeniable that we want different things in life, and have different ways in which we want to fulfil these dreams and hopes. Regardless of how we do it, I just hope that we can all do this together, responsibly, sincerely and not forgetting that we all stand by the common vision of wanting to create a better Singapore, both for ourselves and for our future generations." Ultimately, it is my hope that we will arrive through these conversations among ourselves at a better appreciation of the different perspectives that Singaporeans hold, and that we will, as a society, find some consensus around what matters most to us. The price of entry to the National Conversation is not race or creed, political affiliation or social ideology. The price of entry is whether you belong to the "We" in "We, the citizens of Singapore …" So long as you can say those words, you belong. Page: 1020”
“We want this to be an inclusive exercise, and reach out to Singaporeans from all walks of life. We have thus set up various platforms for Singaporeans to join in the conversation, through e-mail, our website and Facebook page. In addition to our online platforms, we want to reach out to those who might not be so articulate, through platforms, such as our citizen dialogues. Page: 1020 We will have dialogues in different formats, including in communal settings, to encourage as many people as possible to share their views. One example is the dialogue with elderly residents held in Yuhua Food Centre on 2 October, involving skits in various Chinese dialects, which the residents enjoyed. The Yuhua dialogue was facilitated by Yuhua MP Grace Fu along with OSC Committee members Lim Ru Ping and Lee Huay Leng, illustrating how our OSC Committee members play an important role in expanding the national conversation's reach to all Singaporeans. I hope fellow Singaporeans will take the initiative to join platforms they find meaningful. In addition to our online engagement through Facebook, email and a variety of face-to-face Citizen Dialogues, we will also conduct a national survey that will reach out to some 4,000 Singaporeans, to find out what matters most to them. I appreciate that this organic approach, with a range of modalities, can appear unstructured and untidy to some. We have taken this course because we do want to create space and suitable platforms for all Singaporeans, even those who are usually more reticent, to give their views. All Singaporeans are free to contribute, regardless of whether they agree with existing norms and policies.”
“Over the past few weeks, I have been heartened to see so much interest and positive energy around the National Conversation. Many Singaporeans, some more vocal than others, have contributed thoughtful views about their hopes and aspirations for Singapore in the future, and what values we want to have as Singaporeans. The Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) is first and foremost about putting Singaporeans at the heart of our concerns. It is an opportunity for us to come together as Singaporeans and have a serious conversation about serious topics: What is the Singapore we want to see in the future? What matters most? And where do we want to go as a country, as a people? It is also an opportunity for us to examine the changes that are going on around us and how these will affect our future. To enable Singaporeans to surface their hopes, aspirations and concerns, we have kept the start of this conversation more open-ended. As the conversation progresses, my Committee will collate the diverse inputs to identify the emerging themes that matter most to Singaporeans. At a suitable time, possibly around February or March of next year, we will finalise a set of themes which we can then study in greater detail. Some of these themes may relate to our values and ideals; some may relate to our hopes and aspirations for the future; some may relate to the nature of our society. We should not prejudge what these themes might be at this point. Once the themes emerge, we will work with Singaporeans to see how and what programmes or policies may address their aspirations and concerns; reflect on the choices and the trade-offs that we may have to make; and consider what each of us – the Government, communities, families and individuals – can do to create the Singapore that we desire.”