Josephine Teo
Singapore
“The Government's risk-calibrated approach to data security in artificial intelligence (AI) systems was explained in a written reply, given on 9 January 2024, to related questions asked by Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Gerald Giam.”
“Access to frontier models is helpful for specific use cases, such as advanced research and cybersecurity. However, these form a small proportion of artificial intelligence (AI) demand. For most industry, Government and research uses, capable models are already available.”
“The Government tracks the development of technical standards for identifying artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, including watermarking and digital provenance approaches, as part of broader efforts to manage AI-related risks.”
“Upon receiving a valid report of intimate image abuse, the Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered by law to direct Online Service Providers (OSPs) to disable access by Singapore users to the specified harmful online material. This direction may be extended to cover identical copies found on the platform.”
“The Government is committed to keeping children safe online. We have announced plans to extend age assurance requirements to designated social media services, including requiring platforms to keep users under 13 off their services.”
“Under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025, the Commissioner of Online Safety is empowered to issue directions to platforms to remove specified harmful content, including intimate image abuse.”
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“But that is not all. To be inclusive, growth must also benefit workers who are somehow caught in low-wage jobs. These are workers with poor skills who often get stuck in low-wage jobs. The jobs may pay poor salaries for two reasons. The first is that they are easily cheap-sourced with little consideration for quality. When service buyers award contracts based on price alone, service providers have no incentive to upgrade the skills of their workers or the quality of their services. Cleaning jobs fall into this category. Wages remain depressed unless buyers move from cheap-sourcing to best-sourcing. Mdm Wong Mee Lan, another 59-year-old cleaner was one such worker who experienced the difference in wages because of the shift from cheap-sourcing to best-sourcing. She worked for cleaning contractor Gallant Sanitary Works and was deployed to PSA Corp. In 2010, e2i approached PSA Corp to tell them about the Best Sourcing Initiatives (BSI), particularly the Early Adopters Scheme (BSI-EAS). The Best Sourcing Initiative Early Adopters Scheme encourages service buyers to award contracts based on quality and performance standards, in addition to price considerations. PSA agreed to come on board the programme. Gallant Sanitary's greater emphasis on quality during the bidding process gave it an edge. With a fresh contract in hand, it sent staff for in-house training and Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) training. It invested in new machinery to improve productivity. After the training, Mdm Wong was given additional responsibility, this time to coach her newer colleagues in their jobs so that they can do them better. And the company, to recognise her better skills and enlarged job scope, gave her a pay rise from $800 a month to $1,050 per month.”
“Thirty-five per cent are 50 years or older and 10% are 60 years or older. The transition for workers like Mdm Goh is never easy. They have to confront their fears and insecurities. In the case of Mdm Goh, she had no experience in the sales line or in the retail industry. But she was willing to ask for help, willing to learn a new skill, and move into a new sector. And there are many workers like her who have benefited from the new jobs created by growth. Efforts by the e2i and others, such as the CDCs and the self-help groups help vulnerable workers, including older and less-educated workers, get new skills to take up these jobs. As a result, resident unemployment has gone down to 3.1% from 4.8% a year ago. More importantly, the employment rate of workers aged 55 to 64 has gone up from 47% in 2005 to 59% today, a 12% improvement over the course of five years. Brother Heng Chee How and Brother Terry Lee from the labour movement, who are both closely involved in promoting re-employment, will speak on this too. Sir, the employment rate of women aged 25 to 64 and above has also improved, from 59% in 2005 to 66% in 2010. So that is an improvement that is quite significant too. My fellow MP Mdm Halimah Yacob, who heads NTUC's Women's Development Secretariat, will elaborate on the back-to-work initiatives that have made such a positive impact on so many families. Sir, if you ask Ang Hin Kee, the CEO of e2i, what keeps his team of 100 going, he will tell you it is the satisfaction of knowing that e2i not only places vulnerable workers in new jobs but equips them with skills to help them stay employable. This is what inclusive growth should look like – giving vulnerable workers the means to take up jobs created by a growing economy, and helping them to stay employable.”
“To be meaningful to working people, growth must provide three things: (i) opportunities for the large majority to enjoy higher incomes and quality of life, (ii) jobs for those who do not have one; and (iii) improved incomes and prospects for low-wage workers. Sir, I will focus on the second and third groups, that is, the no-wage and the low-wage workers as they are at greater risk of being left behind. Mr Speaker, Sir, unemployed Singaporeans tend to fall within three categories: (i) those without educational qualifications or skills; (ii) mature workers who are retrenched as their companies restructure; and (iii) women who left the workforce for a period of time to care for their families. How have they fared in the last few years? Did the growing economy create new jobs for them? Sir, a few months ago, 59-year-old Mdm Goh Guek Choo lost her job as a production operator. She has only primary school education and faced the prospect of long-term unemployment. Though she has not stepped into a classroom for more than 21 years, which was when she started work as a production operator, she signed up for several courses at e2i through an outreach event to build up her confidence and to pick up new skills. To e2i's pleasant surprise, even before she finished the training programme, she had plucked up the courage, walked into a store at the newly opened Nex Mall in Serangoon to ask for an interview. Her determination got her successfully placed as a sales-cum-cashier assistant. She started work last week. Mdm Goh is an example of the 32,000 job seekers that e2i has helped to get jobs in the last two years, many in growth sectors such as the integrated resorts, retail and healthcare sectors. More than 3,000 of those placed have primary education or below.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to move this motion*. I beg to move, That this House reaffirms its commitment to inclusive economic growth and calls on the Government to continue doing more to support low-skilled and low-wage workers so that all Singaporeans may share the fruits of our prosperity through better skills, better jobs and better incomes. Sir, in November 2006, President Nathan addressed this House at the opening of the 11th Parliament. He spoke on the overall theme of Singapore as a competitive economy and an inclusive society. Today's motion is not about why we need to build an inclusive society. This is already a well-recognised national imperative. Neither is this motion to highlight the challenges faced by low-income families and to call the Government into action. The challenges are well known and the measures to tackle them well in place. Rather, today's motion examines the progress of efforts to bring about inclusive growth, whether we should persist or change course, and what needs greater attention. Several Members will be speaking on this motion. It is my hope that we will have an energetic, focused and constructive debate on the current efforts to promote inclusive growth. Firstly, how effective they have been? Secondly, what should be the way forward? And, thirdly, what more could be done? To answer the first question of how effective we have been, we have to ask what inclusive growth means. There are many ways for Government to share the fruits of prosperity. For example, it can build better homes, transport networks, schools and hospitals. It can also increase financial assistance to the needy. All of these are important ways of sharing. As a labour MP, I think inclusivity must be seen in employment.”
“Some parents prefer their children to be home-schooled. I think this is a group less worrying. But there is a group that could come from dysfunctional families and they have very complicated problems to deal with. So, while I understand and appreciate the good intentions behind calls for compulsory early childhood education, I think the question we really need to consider is whether legislating compulsory early childhood education is really going to help those families resolve their multi-faceted problems that they face. And I have said this before that I did not think so. Making a law is quite easy but how do we enforce it? If we throw the parents in jail, have we made things better or worse for their very young children – the very people we are seeking to help? I think we will be better off taking a differentiated approach. To address the needs of the vast majority, we should raise quality and improve affordability of ECE. To address the problems of the very small minority who risk being marginalised in early childhood education, we should adopt community-based approaches to help the families get back on their feet. Sir, in conclusion, no one doubts the importance and value of early childhood education. The Prime Minister had given his backing and MOE had made firm commitments. We have started serious work and I think we should remain steadfast in our efforts. 3.18 pm”
“The Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS), for example, can only help those whose net household incomes are below $1,500 per month. Sir, I would like to ask MOE whether we should consider introducing a different tier of financial assistance for those who earn more than that but not that much more. I hope MOE can update us on the steps taken to make early childhood education more affordable, particularly to the children from the lower-income families and also the lower middle-income families. Sir, I have touched on issues relating to the quality and affordability of ECE. I believe that these are important issues but they should not lead us to conclude that early childhood education should be made compulsory, and I would like to say something about that. Today, more than 97% of our children in a given cohort already attend some form of early childhood education – in the kindergarten or in a childcare centre. This is evidently the result of the close partnership between MOE, MCYS and especially the community agencies to reach out to families to encourage them to enrol their children in kindergarten or childcare. I would like to commend their efforts in this endeavour and note that every child is important and so the Government should not rest on its laurels but re-double its efforts to reach out to parents for each successive cohort. In other words, 97% is good, but let us work towards 100%. From my interaction with teachers, there are a variety of reasons why some children do not attend kindergarten or childcare. Some could be residing overseas and there are a variety of factors – not everyone resides overseas because they have got a good job – some have very complex situations and have reasons that they are not able to be in Singapore.”
“With that as a caveat, I would like MOE to update us on the implementation of the Framework and to share with us some of the observations from the centres which were involved in the pilot phase. Let me now turn to the second priority, which is to continue investing in early childhood educators. Over the past few years, MOE has introduced new guidelines to raise the minimum academic, language and professional requirements for both new and incumbent pre-school teachers. I believe that this is a step in the right direction and will, in the long term, raise the calibre of early childhood educators. However, it is also important that these teachers stay in the system and are provided with opportunities for continual professional development and training. In the current expanding economy, there is certainly greater demand for talents across the board. The challenge would be to make the ECE sector attractive enough to retain the talents that have been recruited. In this regard, I would like MOE to update us on the effectiveness of the measures that have already been put in place to uplift the quality of early childhood educators as well as what MOE has done to ensure that high quality teachers continue to stay in the profession and are given opportunities to continually develop professionally. Sir, the third priority is to keep ECE accessible and affordable. Research has shown that quality ECE is especially beneficial to children from the lower-income families. However, compared to the fees paid at the primary and secondary school levels, fees for ECE are still high. For those who cannot afford quality ECE and yet are in the greatest need for it, Government's assistance is critical but not all are able to access.”
“MOE also committed then to start pilot-testing the voluntary Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework for kindergartens. Earlier this year, MOE revealed that grants to eligible kindergarten operators more than doubled from $17 million in 2008 to $36 million in 2009 and was expected to reach $62 million by 2013, thus fulfilling the promise by the Prime Minister to increase funding support for ECE. Also, 90% of kindergartens had undergone training for the Quality Assurance Framework and, in fact, 80% of the kindergartens conducted self-appraisals. In addition, MOE would support a new experimental kindergarten to be established at Temasek Polytechnic. Sir, it seems to me now that what is needed is not necessarily another review. What we need more of is sustained effort and, better still, renewed vigour as the initiatives gather momentum. Therefore, Mr Speaker, Sir, my call to MOE is to step up its efforts, build on the momentum, do more, sooner rather than later. Specifically, there are three areas I think deserve priority attention. First is to ensure quality. Sir, I had previously raised my concerns that parents use price as a proxy for quality when selecting a suitable kindergarten or childcare centre for their children as there was simply no other means for them to make an informed decision. Therefore, the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework will help parents to make better assessments. However, Sir, quality does not equate to uniformity. Parents have told me that they appreciate the wide range of choices available, so please do not take it away. The purpose of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework is not to create identical curricula, approaches or methods but to reassure parents that baseline requirements are met.”
“Make it more accessible, that means more centres. Make it more affordable, that means bigger subsidies per child. Make it higher quality, raise the standard". On kindergartens, the Prime Minister said, and I quote again: "We have already got Government spending money on the kindergartens. I think we should push this up substantially, that we can raise the standard. We can have better syllabuses, better run institutions, higher quality environment so that the kids grow up much more confident and particularly for those whose backgrounds are not so ideal at home, they will be able to make it in kindergarten and start from a more equal starting point when they go to school." So, Mr Speaker, Sir, it seems to me that in addition to the Committee to improve pre-school education, chaired by Mr Masagos, the comprehensive review which Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan is calling for has taken place somewhere within the Ministry of Education, sometime in 2008. I do not know this for a fact, but why do I say so? Well, let me just recount a few of the follow-ups reported during the Committee of Supply in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, responding to Members' proposed cuts, Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen announced a new Advanced Diploma in Kindergarten Education teaching which would offer up to 100 training places that year for mid-career professionals and fresh graduates or Diploma holders to become kindergarten teachers. Responding specifically to my request, then Senior Parliamentary Secretary Masagos said MOE had developed a Professional Development Framework to help kindergartens identify training needs and prioritise areas for professional development of their staff.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to speak on this motion. Sir, I have spoken in this House on early childhood education (ECE) in every Budget debate since 2007. I use the term ECE instead of pre-school education, because the educators themselves tell me it is their preference. ECE professionals, and that include those in childcare as well as in kindergartens, believe that their work is not just about preparing the children for academic life starting from primary school, which is what pre-school education would generally be taken to mean. ECE is more holistic than that. My fellow Members who have consistently raised issues about ECE in recent years include Dr Amy Khor, Dr Lily Neo and Mr Michael Palmer. Our common concerns have been in three areas: first, the need to ensure quality; second, the need to invest in teacher training and development; and, third, the need to keep ECE accessible and affordable. The Ministry of Education has been moderately responsive when Members raised concerns or put forward suggestions. My observation is that a welcome boost was given when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation in the National Day Rally in 2008. If I may just refresh the memories of Members, in August 2008, the Prime Minister tackled the issue of Singapore's low fertility rate when making his annual address to Singaporeans. He identified four areas where the Government would take action to arrest the problem and one of these had to do with early childcare arrangements. Prime Minister Lee said that the women he had met in feedback sessions told him early childhood arrangements were a major concern for parents. He said, and I quote: "I think we should do more to build up the childcare sector. We should do three things.”
“I would still like to ask the question: is the MOE satisfied that this is the rate of obesity that we can live with or does MOE have a specific target to want to work towards and to put in the resources to try and bring down the rate of obesity? The reason I asked is because while all the rates have been quite stable, they are still quite high and I think we should not be satisfied with this current rate of obesity in our school children, given that obesity can lead to a lifetime of issues.”
“Mr Speaker, I have three supplementary questions for the Minister of State. I am glad to note that the rate of obesity has not increased, but it has remained stubbornly around the 10% range. My first question is: what steps will the MOE take to reduce the rate of obesity among the students? My second supplementary question is to ask how effective are the programmes, such as the Healthy Eating in Schools programmes and the Holistic Health Framework (HHF) in combating obesity among school children. The third question is whether there are sufficient health and nutrition experts in the schools to help bring down the rate of obesity.”
“Secondly, the areas that the PME could raise his issues on are also limited to the three main areas under the new mechanism, ie, salary claims, breach of individual contracts and retrenchment benefits. Under the limited representation coverage of the Industrial Relations Act, unfair dismissal is also one area that the unions could represent their members on. So, I hope that in time to come, MOM could expand the coverage of the dispute resolution framework to also include unfair dismissal. Sir, I would like to just make some concluding remarks in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [For vernacular speech, please refer to Appendix A*.] I know that some employers, especially those from SMEs, have some reservations and concerns about the amendment. To these employers, I would like to give two suggestions. *Cols. 1625-1626. First, if you have always treated your employees well, you do not need to be worried at all because the union will, consistent with our practice all along, be reasonable in handling industrial disputes. Second, for those companies that are not yet unionised, I urge them to reconsider their position, because harmonious labour-management relations can have a very strong and positive impact on business success. I, myself, support this Bill and I hope that employers will also understand and support this mediation mechanism which has been very carefully considered by the tripartite partners. 6.04 pm”
“They should also be reputable individuals in their own fields of expertise so that they have the credibility with the mediating parties. I hope that MOM could consider these attributes in the appointment of the tripartite mediation advisers. Also, under the new framework, employers could still object to the PMEs being represented by the union under three different categories, namely, senior management, employees involved in industrial relation functions and employees with functions that may give rise to conflict of interest. Sir, in theory, this is to afford a level of comfort to employers in their staff management. In practice, we are concerned with the over-titling of PMEs so as to exclude them from being represented by the unions. So, in determining whether an employer's objection is valid, I urge MOM to put in place an impartial and effective body and process to review the actual job scope function, duties and powers of the PME in question. This is to ensure that PMEs would not fall out of the dispute resolution framework which is the safety net only because of the titles that they are holding. My third point is on the future developments that we hope to see MOM making with regard to this framework. The proposed dispute resolution mechanism is a step forward towards better employment protection for the PMEs. However, even with the tripartite mediation process, the results are not enforceable on either party. The employer could choose not to accept the advice of the tripartite body and the PME may still have to pursue his case under the civil courts. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister how he intends to ensure the effectiveness of the process.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have just three points to make. The first is that my union, the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees Union, fully supports the dispute resolution framework. Currently, only PMEs who earn a basic salary of $2,500 and below can go through the Labour Court for salary claims. Under the new framework, this cap will be increased to $4,500. The increase in salary limit will provide many PMEs a much less costly avenue than engaging a lawyer to pursue their claims in the civil courts. In addition to salary claims, PMEs who are General Branch Members working in non-unionised companies and who earn up to a basic salary of $4,500 can also refer issues on retrenchment benefits and breach of individual employment contracts. Our mediation advisers would also be able to support our members at the meeting. An added benefit for union members is that employers now have an obligation, under law, to attend the mediation meetings. This is a great improvement as we have previously experienced difficulties in getting some of the employers to show up. A lot of time and effort were wasted in arranging the meetings as the employer representatives may not turn up at the last minute, so we support this. My second point is to raise some concerns on the effectiveness of this framework. One of the factors that determine the effectiveness of the mediation process is really the quality and the experience of the advisers appointed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Employment terms and conditions vary across industries and so, ideally, the mediation advisers should have a wealth of knowledge about the best practices in the industry that the mediating parties belong to.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, some parents whose children have greater difficulty learning Mother Tongue had come to believe that reducing the weightage for MTL at PSLE would have been helpful to them. And they have since expressed some disappointment that the MTL weightage is going to remain unchanged. I would like to ask the Minister whether the needs of this group of students – who are weaker in the learning of Mother Tongue – have their needs been fully taken into account and how will the review be helpful to this group of students?”
“Sir, I refer to the document that was distributed by the Minister yesterday on the changes to the foreign worker levy, and I refer to the Annex that shows us the levy rates for the construction sector. Although, in general, levies are supposed to go up over time, in the construction sector for the unskilled worker's levy, in fact, it appears to be a reduction. Currently, it is $470 for unskilled workers but come 1st July 2012, there is no unskilled worker levy but only a basic skilled worker levy, and that is actually $300 which is lower than what it is today. So I hope the Minister could share with us what exactly is going to be the difference between an unskilled construction worker whom we have in abundance today and what is so much of an improvement when we say that they are basic skilled. Is it realistic for us to be able to reduce or eliminate unskilled workers in construction? On a broader issue, I would like to ask the Minister how he thinks the whole process of skills definition and testing could be improved, so that we help the employers to accurately identify the proficient foreign workers. For example, is it possible to do the testing even before the foreign workers arrive in Singapore?”
“Several months ago, in the middle of the night, my domestic helper came running into my room shouting, "M'am, M'am, come! My room is raining!" So I thought to myself, "What is she talking about?" It was pouring cats and dogs outside but how can it rain indoors? So, I ran to her room and true enough, water was dripping from the false ceiling, creating puddles on the floor! As it happened, the foreign worker employed by the contractor of my neighbour, who had been rebuilding his house and had been called in the day before, because water patches had started to form in the false ceiling. But instead of patching up the cracks with cement or plaster, the poor chap had apparently used masking tape! I really did not know whether to laugh or cry, but although it might have been a funny incident for me, but at the workplace where safety and health are really very important, it might not be so funny. Sir, I hope that MOM could seriously address the issue of "skills", how to define them for each sector and how to test for these skills at the point of entry. Also, I think we need to put in effort to ensure that there is really no cheating during these tests. Perhaps, MOM would also want to consider how they can reduce the churn of foreign workers, because churn contributes to reduced productivity. Quality of foreign workers”
“Madam, each time I say something about foreign workers, I seem to get myself into trouble. In August last year, I called on Government to put productivity first and review the foreign worker policy, the news report earned me sharp responses from two Ministers. Last week, I again spoke on foreign workers. This time is to reject MP Low Thia Khiang's proposal to scrap the foreign worker levy. The newspaper reports said he called me a "pretentious fox riding on the tiger's might". But never mind, something good came out of both episodes. Government has eventually decided to focus on productivity and adjust the foreign worker policy. And on reading reports of MP Low's remarks, many people came forward to express their support for which I am grateful. Sir, I hope I am three times lucky, that something good will come of this cut. Madam, the foreign worker policy is not just a matter of adjusting levies. To successfully transit to a productivity-driven economy, it is equally important that the productivity levels of our foreign workers are improved as they comprise one-third of our workforce. One issue that, I think, needs to be seriously looked into is how we define "skills". Just last week, a union leader asked me at a dialogue, "are we so sure that our foreign workers are skilled? We do not mind if they are really skilled workers because it would add value, but some of them are really not that skilled even if they are given the skills levy." Another person, a veteran of the training industry, told me over dinner that, in fact, there are testers who find ways to be creative and to enable the foreign workers to pass the tests to certify them as "skilled". And my own experience does not give me confidence.”
“Mdm Susila is a 48-year old widow living in Toa Payoh, she has three school-going children, her husband died two years ago after a bout of illness. Her HDB flat is gone and she now rents a room from a landlord. She earns $800 to $900 per month working in two jobs. One of her sons has behavioural problems and requires counselling. She is barely making ends meet and, frankly speaking, her home situation is quite difficult. So, for low-wage workers like Mdm Susila, CET is an alien concept – it is too big a word – and training to upgrade her skills to improve her job potential is really very far from her mind. Madam, I would like to raise the concern that traditional methods of delivering our continuing education and training may not work for all low-wage workers and their SME employers. I think that, perhaps, the Ministry of Manpower should consider besides the tax incentives that we have put in place, whether through the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) we should seriously consider expanding some of the new methods of training delivery that have already been pioneered and piloted. Examples include the on-site bite-sized training concepts and also we could introduce ideas like using mobile buses at housing estates and industrial estates to make it easier for these workers to access to training. The other idea I suggest is that MOM consider that we might have to use vernacular languages to outreach and expand the course offerings so that they, perhaps, could be available in mother tongues too. And we may need to find ways to fund these kinds of programmes more generously. In some of the cases, I think even community support networks might need to be put in place.”
“[Laughter] Just one final point for the Minister. Compared to the Korean Hangul, the 581 characters for the Chinese Language is a much lower threshold. We hope it might inspire the Minister. Perhaps one day, we have the privilege of hearing him speak in Mandarin in Parliament. On that note, Sir, thank you for your indulgence. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $8,599,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,064,740,100 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.”
“Some are a little bit more radical, but not unimaginable, such as the Institute of Special Education by Ms Denise Phua, a later start in school time by Mdm Cynthia Phua, and the forced holiday time by Mr Lim Biow Chuan. Like Ms Denise Phua, we will adopt the best practice –”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, MOE's budget is second only to defence at about more than 3.5% of our GDP. The number of cuts this time round and the total time for the MOE is among the highest. Even though there is no single hot button issue, there have been no lack of ideas and requests from my fellow Members of Parliament. So I would thank the Minister, the Senior Ministers of State, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their replies, updates and announcements. We would like to take the opportunity to thank our teaching force as well as MOE staff for their passion and dedication. I see quite a number of people in the gallery and I assume that they are from the Education Ministry. We do not know what has brought them here. But we hope this has been a useful debate for you too. I am glad to note that some of the changes that we will be implementing are good developments. These include subject specialists for Physical Education and certainly from the Labour Movement, I thank the Ministry for not just considering increasing their professionalism, but it has also taken into consideration that there is continued employability. They, in fact, have the assurance of a career even beyond the years that they can continue as PE teachers. There are other improvements, such as greater use of ICT, the experimental kindergartens and satellite partnerships for SAP schools. These are very good developments. At the same time, I would like to urge the Ministry to continue to look into some of the other suggestions that we have put forward. Some of these suggestions could be categorised as continuous improvements, such as suggestions for Edusave.”
“And if the graduands for the diploma programmes of such NCIs can advance to the SIT to achieve a degree, would that be helpful to them? The final clarification is for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Masagos Zulkifli. He talked about the increased grants to the kindergarten sector. I think that is a good development; but still I would like to ask him on a per child basis, how does the funding to kindergartens compare to primary schools? Are these levels of funding adequate?”
“Sir, I have four clarifications. The first two are for the Minister. Yesterday, the Minister talked about overseas programmes which exposed our students to other cultures. I could be wrong; but my impression is that many of these programmes are headed towards Europe; China is a very frequent destination. I wonder how these destinations are chosen and I do not seem to come across many destinations that are ASEAN-related. Could we not do more of those so that they are more affordable and more of our students can participate in them, especially the lower-income families? The second is on the fees for the Singapore University of Technology and Design. My appreciation to the Minister for explaining the funding model. I have no issue with that; but I would like to know if we could introduce a needs-blind policy in all our four universities to ensure that the financial burden on lower-income families is not excessive and that we preserve this ability of social uplifting for these students who are able to make it to such universities but perhaps find it financially a burden? The third clarification is for the Senior Minister of State, Mr Iswaran. He talked about the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). I welcome the new announcements on the implementation, but I would like to ask him whether the SIT is an avenue for our polytechnic diploma holders, whether this avenue of upgrading could be made available also to the graduands of the WSQ programmes. We have already invested tremendous effort in building up the WSQ landscape and indeed some of the institutions, such as the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore, are already given the status of national CET institute.”
“The third issue, Sir, is the teachers. Specifically, I would like MOE to update us on the progress on efforts to help in service teachers attain the criterion of a B4 in "O" level English. Many operators have given me the feedback that the teachers are finding it very difficult to meet the mark. They are also not convinced that it is needed because "O" level English is very different from the English they need to use in early childhood education. So, the teachers, some of whom are really good with children and are very competent, have had to leave the sector. Can MOE please look into improving the bridging programmes and English or to review the standard so that good teachers have a way of remaining in this talent-starved sector. Finally, compared to their counterparts in mainstream schools, early childhood educators lag far behind in terms of salary and career development opportunities . Although MOE has made available scholarships, for professional development, the take-up rate appears to be slow and this often attributed to the perceived lack of career development opportunities. I propose that a multi-agency task force be set up involving MOE, MCYS, WDA, the operators' association and the education services union to address the issues and propose solutions holistically, otherwise, we cannot attract and retain talents in early children education. Ensuring quality pre-school education”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I have three issues to raise. Let me start with the first – Affordability of early childhood education. Compared to the fees paid at the primary and secondary school levels, fees for childhood education are high. This is a financial burden for young families especially those who are just married with new financial commitments and those who have to begin to take of elderly parents. There are parents with the means to pay over $1,000 in fees for their pre-school children, by no means am I suggesting that we subsidise such parents. Government should focus on lower- and middle-income earners, commit more funding for early childhood education. While I agree that there is no need to nationalise pre-school education, I hope that for lower- and middle-income families, Government can increase funding to make early childhood education as affordable as primary school education. The second issue is quality. I am concerned that parents use price as a proxy for quality when selecting a suitable pre-school centre for their children. This is highly unsatisfactory as most parents are not professional educators and they currently have no other means of knowing whether the quality of the teachers and the programmes are up to mark. MOE should implement its quality assurance framework soon. The framework should cover both kindergartens and childcare centres since we are growing the number of childcare centres to meet the needs of young working families. Accreditation can be voluntary but Government can create incentives for operators to come on board, for example, providing better access to professional development opportunities for their teaching staff. This will help to create a virtuous cycle when good operators are supported to become better.”
“The review should be informed by research relevant to our circumstances, and be not based on opinions and personal experiences only. We should adopt a differentiated approach so that children with varied language abilities can do well and be proficient at different levels. At the same time, I hope MOE can leverage on efforts already proven to be effective in promoting language excellence. For example, MOE could consider doubling the number of places for the bicultural studies programme and giving out more scholarships to encourage the students who are prepared to put in the effort to achieve excellence in Chinese language or in their mother tongue. A differentiated approach will help us to achieve both a high floor and a high ceiling in the teaching of mother tongues. Chinese "B"”
“Madam, several months ago, the debate on our bilingual policy sounded to me like an argument between the Chinese-cans and the Chinese-cannots. This is unfortunate. There is no doubt that Singapore's environment today is overwhelmingly English-oriented. Outside of schools, Singaporeans no longer need to use their mother tongues, whether to get jobs, leisure and entertainment, or services. This has gravely affected the learning of all mother tongues, not just Chinese. MOE is thus right to initiate a review of teaching methods. However, it would not be accurate to base our review on the assumption that mother tongues have become more like foreign languages in Singapore. Take Chinese language, for example. There are at least three Chinese language newspapers, two free-to-air television channels and five radio stations. Whether at the bus interchange, retail outlets or restaurants, Mandarin and dialects can be heard on a daily basis. Every housing estate, which over 80% of Singaporeans live in, have shops and hawker stalls with Chinese signboards. In a typical city in US, or European or Australian city, such a language environment can be found only in Chinatown. But not in Singapore, not now anyway. While we do not need to use our mother tongues, we can if we want to. So, I hope the MOE does not adopt a defeatist attitude when reviewing the teaching of our mother tongues and end up eroding our language environment to our own detriment. We should frame the review more positively, not as a win-lose argument between the Chinese-cans and Chinese-cannots, but as a collective challenge to allow all our children to reach their highest potential in learning their mother-tongues.”
“I hope the MOE will engage all of these stakeholders actively in the Debate about the future of education in Singapore. All-round education”
“While we are busy fitting our children out with new and better wings through 21st century competencies and a more rounded education, we must not forget to help them develop their moral compass and their national identity. In times of uncertainty and crises, rootedness and resilience are what will carry us through. In pursuing holistic education in the 21st century, the roles of teachers will shift. From their primary role as a dispenser of information, teachers are more likely to become conductors of learning symphonies, helping students turn information into knowledge, knowledge into wisdom, and wisdom into contributions for a better world. Schools too will be changed, from "buildings" to "nerve centres", connecting teachers, students and the community to the wealth of knowledge that exists in the world. All of these will have an impact on the way we spend each dollar set aside for education. What new investments are needed? Should we continue to think in terms of funding for the primary, secondary, tertiary levels? Or is it more meaningful for us to think in terms of budgets for outcomes like Basic Literacy, 21st Century Competencies, Character Development? How should the Ministry's KPIs be adjusted? Madam, education is a constant work in progress but because we already have a well-functioning system, the possibilities for greater heights of achievements are endless. However, as Albert Einstein cautioned, "We cannot solve problems using the same kind of thinking we had when we first created them." We need new thinking and courage to make bold changes. It is a transformation that should engage all the stakeholders in Singapore. These include our parents and employers, our educators, our lawmakers, community leaders, and most of all our students.”
“Also, it has become common place for sport-CCA groups to take in only pupils who have the potential to compete and win medals for the school. This elite mindset is a great pity because sports should be for everyone. Through sports, we learn how to collaborate with one another, to have a winner's spirit and to take failure in our stride. We have no one else to blame for our "strawberry" generation if we do not develop resilience in our young through the rough and tumble of sports. I would like to know what steps MOE will take to promote more inclusive enrolment in sports-CCAs? Besides curriculum time, we also need to strengthen the teaching staff and recognise their professionalism. There is a shortage of teachers trained to teach Art. Often, Art teachers have to double-up and teach other subjects. It would be better to have subject specialists for Art, just as we do for Mathematics, Science and English, to encourage professionalism. MOE should also set targets for each school to have minimum staffing of Art specialists. Madam, I believe increased curriculum time and teacher development are still insufficient. I would like to encourage MOE to send a strong signal to parents and students by introducing three new categories in the Edusave Merit Bursary Awards for achievements in Sports, Art and Music. I suggest that MOE studies the feasibility in the next few months, establish the criteria and target to recognise 1,000 of such non-academic achievers each year beginning in school year 2011. In conclusion, Madam, it is said that there are only two lasting bequests we can give to our children. One is roots and the other is wings.”
“We are well placed to do so and, in the process, can create new advantages for our young in a globalised world, much like the way we have created an advantage through bilingualism. Do not get me wrong. The traditional 3Rs – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, are still needed. But new competencies for our young are needed for the 21st century. This is because education in the 21st century will not just involve finding the right answers, but asking the right questions. An educated person will no longer be content with knowing the "what" and "how", but instead, wants to be convicted about the "why". Education, properly carried out, will not only enable a person to fulfil his potential, but to discover his passion and purpose, and to live his life with everyday greatness. I have previously written about the new 3Rs – Roundedness, Rootedness and Resilience. New 21st century competencies such as critical inquiry and inventive thinking can and should be developed for a more rounded education. How should the curriculum be updated to reflect these new needs and to benefit all students? Besides academic achievement, we also need to put more emphasis on whole-person development, in other words, holistic education. The teaching of PE and Art, for example, has much room for improvement. To be sure, whenever we visit schools, there are always showcases of sporting or artistic talents. But, "one swallow does not a summer make", so I often wonder if we are just being shown the isolated achievements of a few. At present, curriculum time for PE and Art is very limited. PE time for Primary 1 and Primary 2 is only one hour a week whereas from Primary 3 onwards, it is one and a half hours. In secondary school, it is back to one hour a week.”
“Our education system is being depended upon to prepare young Singaporeans for jobs and technologies that do not yet exist, to solve problems we cannot yet identify, for a lifespan that may be much longer than we can imagine. Given such a backdrop, what kinds of change are needed to be meaningful and useful? First, we need to consider new meanings of literacy. We typically define a literate as a person who can read and write. But in the increasingly connected world where information availability is growing at exponential rates, reading and writing are grossly insufficient. Literacy should be expanded to include the skill of understanding complexity and related to the skill of understanding complexity are multi-cultural sensitivity, context-setting and decision-making skills. Without these new skills, a person may well be handicapped in the new world. Take for example, multi-cultural sensitivity. Today, how confident are we that young Singaporeans have a pan-Asian outlook? Can they name the capitals of 10 Asian countries? Can they say something meaningful and interesting about the different Asian cultures? Have they visited some of our closest neighbours in ASEAN and made friends there? And yet if they do not, how do they help the businesses based in Singapore, whether MNCs or GLCs, navigate these complex environments and achieve their pan-Asian ambitions? How possible is it for us to become a Global-Asia hub, a strategy proposed by the ESC, if we do not cultivate multi-cultural literacy in our young? Singapore should take the lead to expand educators' understanding of literacy and build new skills in our students.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, our education system has worked well and we have much to be thankful for. Therefore, it is natural to prefer incremental changes that do not rock the boat too much. We should affirm the efforts of the MOE which has, over the years, taken bold actions to update our education system to keep it current, even if they unsettle parents and students. Though we have made continuous improvements, I wonder if the change from within is happening as quickly as the change from without. Consider the fact that today's 5-year old pre-schooler will likely remain in the workforce till the year 2070, perhaps even later. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 5.05 pm Remember that five years ago, when the pre-schooler was born, the iPhone did not exist and yet, over Chinese New Year, more than half the people I met owned one. The computer in our mobile phones today is a million times cheaper, a thousand times more powerful and about a hundred thousand times smaller than a computer in 1965, the year Singapore achieved independence. We can hardly imagine what the world will look like in five years, much less 60. The US Department of Statistics estimated that the average learner today will have 10 to 14 jobs by the time they are 38. The top 10 in-demand jobs today did not exist in 2004. Many of today's University courses did not exist 10 years ago, eg, Nanotechnology, New Media, E-business and Renewable Energy. What will our students study in 10 years? How will teachers cope with the generation of totally wired teens?”
“Mr Chairman, the Group of 20 has replaced the Group of 7 as the key driver of cooperation on international economic matters. Singapore is not a member of the G20. At the same time, Singapore is an active member of the 3G, the Global Governance Group, an informal coalition of small and medium UN member states which aims to channel views into the G20 process. I would like to ask the Minister how effective the 3G has been. Is there a growing risk that non-G20 members, even those in the 3G will be marginalised? What steps can Singapore take and what role can we play through and beyond the 3G to secure our interest in international agreements? Singapore is an important financial hub and ranks among the top 10 nations in the world, in terms of our foreign reserves. Does the Minister foresee Singapore becoming a permanent member of the G20 on that basis? Singapore in G20”
“Yes, just a quick response. Sir, I am born in the Year of the Monkey. I do not want to be a tiger, a wolf or a fox. I am puzzled by the Member's description of the foreign worker levy and comparing it to opium because earlier, he had said that there is no denying that our economy needs foreign workers. So I thought opium is bad. I thought we thought of them as being health supplements. But too much of health supplements is also bad. And that is precisely the recognition that we have made. Sir, the Member talks about it being the Government's job to allocate the quotas. I challenge him to come up with a way in which this can be done in an efficient manner that will meet the needs of businesses in a fair way and also does not allow for any corruptibility to arise. Whenever there are quotas, whenever there are controls, there will always be efforts to circumvent them. This is natural human behaviour. To try and introduce an alternative system to a pricing mechanism is a very dangerous suggestion to make. It opens up a whole Pandora's box of difficulties that we have to overcome. At this moment, when we need to direct most of our resources to help the economy make the transformation, to saddle ourselves with unnecessary problems is, I think, completely unwise. And I repeat my point that for myself, for the union leaders and the members I represent, we totally and firmly reject this very disastrous idea.”
“Union leaders have noted that the investments in CET are good for the workers, but they also point out that the National Productivity Fund and Productivity and Innovation Credit benefit businesses directly. These productivity measures, if implemented correctly, must lead to improved bottom-lines. This could be due to increased revenues or cost reductions, or both, when the workers demonstrate better and improved efficiency and quality. The productivity gains enjoyed by businesses should be shared so that workers are motivated to find even more ways to contribute to productivity improvements. Some companies, such as SIA Engineering Company, have already introduced such gain-sharing plans and seen good results. Therefore, promoting gain-sharing will ensure greater alignment of interests between businesses and their employees, to further boost the productivity drive. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me conclude by noting that the road ahead will be long, and it may sometimes be winding, because achieving productivity and innovation-driven growth is easier said than done. Now that we have started, we should also commit to supporting and encouraging one another to stay the course, whatever the challenges. I have provided several suggestions to the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo, to set targets and to ensure inclusive growth. I hope these suggestions can be considered and incorporated into the Council’s plans. Sir, I support the Budget.”
“The other three are: (i) Financial Security and Lifelong Employability for Singaporeans; (ii) Progressive Workplaces; and (iii) Customer Responsiveness. In order to stay focused on the goal of inclusive growth, perhaps it is time for us to add "Sustained Wage Growth" to the list of desired outcomes. And we could introduce two related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). One KPI is, of course, labour-productivity growth. Another KPI could be our wage share of GDP. Listing these as KPIs does not mean that we hard-code any targets. Nor does it mean that the responsibility lies solely with the Ministry of Manpower. For example, one of the Ministry’s KPIs is "Employment Rate for Residents Aged 60-64". There is no magic number we target to achieve but as a result of such a KPI, we regularly benchmark ourselves against international leaders. Also, the Ministry of Manpower has a variety of initiatives which it implements with the tripartite partners. Listing the KPIs is simply a discipline for us to measure and monitor performance, so that we can take corrective action before it is too late. Finally, I would like to suggest to Deputy Prime Minister Teo’s Council to consider promoting gain-sharing plans as a sustainable and fair way for companies and businesses to implement productivity initiatives. In speaking with union leaders and workers, one oft-heard concern is whether the productivity revival means the workers have to work longer and harder for the same pay. While workers appreciate that this may be necessary for business competitiveness in the short term, such situations are not sustainable.”
“In social services, for example, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) are already required to "bid" for opportunities to deliver services in various housing estates with Government funding support. Likewise, the National Research Foundation has grant calls and selectively funds groups whose research proposals are aligned to our strategic R&D thrusts. Healthy competition among researchers and social service providers can lead to better quality. Sir, recently, I visited the Taiwan Design Centre. It is an industry-led organisation which seeks to improve the international market access of Taiwan manufacturers through superior design. It receives only partial Government funding for its activities which it has to actively "bid" for such funding. Other sources of funding are needed and they include membership fees and consultancy service fees. In other words, the Taiwan Design Centre must make itself relevant to its members in order to survive. We need our business associations to have the same vitality as the Taiwan Design Centre and, of course, our very own Singapore Furniture Industry Council. So I urge the Council to consider a bidding system for Government funding to business associations, coupled with clearly spelt-out industry redevelopment targets. This will help to promote greater accountability and quality. Sir, we must remember that the reason for pursuing productivity-driven growth is to enable Singaporeans to enjoy sustainable wage growth at all levels. If we look at the Ministry of Manpower's stated desired outcomes in the Budget estimates, we see very clearly stated "Globally Competitive Workforce", which is one of the desired outcomes.”
“The Security Industry Regulatory Department (SIRD) of the Singapore Police Force – was prepared to work with the labour movement to undertake the industry redevelopment efforts, providing much policy support which became the key driving force for the industry players to come on board the job re-creation programme. I think it is quite safe to say that without the SIRD's involvement, it is very hard to imagine the breakthroughs achieved by the industry. However, in some sectors, policy support by Government agencies may be lacking. Agencies tend to take the view that regulation will increase compliance cost. While that is true, we must not shy away from introducing policies that promote healthy growth of specific sectors. To overcome the inertia, I urge Deputy Prime Minister Teo's Council to identify industry sectors which could be redeveloped and to hold specific agencies accountable for their redevelopment. Sir, a third type of target is for the business associations. Government is committing $100 million over five years to scale up support for business associations to drive productivity at the industry level, and to facilitate international market access for their members. Such support is welcome but also worrying. Just look at some National Sports Associations. Right at the outset, an effective governance structure must be in place to ensure that the funding to business associations is put to good use. The Government could consider introducing a "bidding" system for business associations to qualify for funding of industry-wide initiatives. Such an approach is not entirely new.”
“One suggestion is for the Council to set targets, or critical milestones which will help us to assess progress and alert us when we need to make adjustments along the way. I believe we will need three types of targets. First, we need to set sectoral targets, tied to international benchmarks. We have set a macro target of 2% to 3% productivity growth per annum for the whole economy. This is too broad. Some sectors have more room for productivity improvement than others. Setting sectoral targets does not mean that we will necessarily achieve them. But what gets measured gets done. Therefore, setting the target is a way of putting pressure on the stakeholders in that particular sector and it helps to marshall the energies of all involved to move ahead together in a more concerted way. For example, the construction sector which is due to receive around one quarter of the first $1 billion of the National Productivity Fund. It is a very big commitment to make. And for good accountability, we must know the international benchmark and annual growth target for the sector in order to approve the funds. The second type of target may be even more important. To achieve economic transformation and productivity breakthroughs, whole industries may need to be redeveloped and jobs re-created. A positive example for successful industry redevelopment and job re-creation is the security industry. The security business used to suffer from poor public image. Contracts were awarded purely on cost. Today, professionalism of security personnel has increased tremendously. Contracts are now awarded based on cost and quality factors.”
“He ignores the many practical steps taken by the Government to transform the lives of low-wage Singaporeans through Workfare and investments in upgrading their skills. He also neglects to acknowledge the highly effective measures to arrest job losses during the worst ever global financial crisis. How many countries around us, besides Singapore, have been able to keep unemployment low at just 3.4% at the height of the recession. Sir, I am quite shocked by Mr Low's suggestion to remove the foreign workers' levy altogether. Sir, how does Mr Low propose that the Government allocates the foreign worker quota efficiently to businesses without a levy mechanism? Would it be right for civil servants to pretend to know all about market demand and supply? What about the social costs of foreign workers? Removing the levies is turning a blind eye to the social disamenities they create. Without the levies, foreign workers are even cheaper and even more attractive to businesses, and some of these businesses will find loopholes to get round the quotas, to get more of the cheaper foreign workers. So, the phenomenon of phantom workers which MOM has worked very hard to try and eradicate will become a very present feature. How do we deal with those kinds of issues? Removing the foreign workers' levy would also reduce further the incentive by businesses to raise productivity which we need in order for Singaporeans to enjoy sustained wage growth. Sir, I can speak on behalf of our union leaders that we totally and firmly reject Mr Low's disastrous suggestion to remove the foreign workers' levy as it will harm the interests of our workers. Let me now return to my own suggestions which I offered to the Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In the long road ahead to transform our economy, we are now taking the first step. I thank the Finance Minister for taking a medium-term view when making the budget commitments over five years. This sends a strong signal that sustained efforts are needed, and sets the clear expectation that results may not be apparent until after several years. As we start the journey, we have equipped ourselves with a few key tools. The Economic Strategies Committee's (ESC) recommendations serve as a compass, pointing us in the direction in which the economy must change. The Budget provides resources for the journey. The National Productivity Fund, and the Productivity and Innovation Credits are like food for sustenance and health supplements, energising the businesses to break new ground. Investments in Continuing Education and Training will give our workers sturdy shoes to handle any terrain. Workfare enhancements are like the raincoat and sun block to shield Singaporeans who encounter harsh weather along the way, to help them gain new strength and to journey on. While these tools are useful, they do not guarantee success. Close coordination by the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will play a critical role. To improve our chances, I would like to provide some suggestions to the Council but before I share my suggestions, please allow me to respond to some points made by the hon. Member Mr Low Thia Khiang. Mr Low has levelled many criticisms against the Government but offered no viable alternatives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, one supplementary question. I would like to ask the Minister how far the fee differentiation is likely to go. In the UK, international students may pay three to four times the fees paid by the local students, whereas in Australia the difference could be even sharper, sometimes five to six times higher. Does the Minister foresee fee differentiation in Singapore between the local and the foreign students going as far as in the UK and Australia?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I also thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Two supplementary questions from me. Minister said that the Ministry was committed to making early childhood education accessible and affordable for Singaporeans. Would the Minister agree that the fees that parents have to pay now to early childhood educators are far higher than what has to be paid for primary school education and whether pre-primary education could be made as affordable as primary school education? The second question relates to the Minister's point about increasing teachers' qualification. Does the Ministry also have a plan to help in the continuing education, training and career development for early childhood educators as a way of ensuring that in this sector, the quality of our teachers remains high and keeps up to the same standard that we have come to expect of our national school system?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his clarifications. There is one point that I hope he can respond to more fully. On the fee protection for our local students, is it not important enough that the MOE would consider making it a requirement for registration of all PEIs, rather than leaving it as a feature of the EduTrust certification, which not all PEIs are required to pursue? Could he please comment on that?”
“As a result, accountability for any misconduct by the PEI can be traced back to the actual persons who exert direct control and influence over the PEI. In addition, by stipulating the requirement that managers appointed must be fit and proper persons, we ensure that "bad-hats" who were previously operating errant PEIs would not be able do further harm simply by incorporating another school under a new name. However, what if the "bad hat" names other persons as "managers" and controls the enterprise from behind the scenes? Is the law able to take such cases in hand? Sir, in conclusion, regulation is only one part of the proposed work of the CPE. I understand the Council will also be responsible for facilitating the development of the private education sector. This is an apt role. I strongly support a CPE that will also invest time and resources to help build up the capabilities of private education institutions. This will help the industry to level up faster, in both academic rigour and quality. I call on the Council to take steps to restore the public confidence in our PEIs, in particular, to restore the credibility of the Singapore brand in overseas markets where it has been tarnished by rogue operators. I am optimistic that the new regulatory framework comprising the Enhanced Registration Framework and the EduTrust Certification Scheme will raise the standards of private education in Singapore. Sir, I support the Bill.”
“It should be the rule rather than the exception that PEIs provide students with ready access to information on the school or their programmes to help them make informed choices before enrolling in courses. However, as the Minister has noted, these measures are effective only when coupled with consumer education efforts. In this regard, what steps will the Council for Private Education take to help consumers to become more knowledgeable and savvy about the private education market? Could the Senior Minister of State please elaborate? Third, on the protection of the Singapore brand. There is a need to ensure that PEIs attain and maintain standards in terms of quality of academic delivery as well as professional and ethical conduct. In fact, quality and integrity are the core attributes of the Singapore brand, which we must work hard to protect. In this regard, I support the move to impose regular renewal of registration for PEIs so that they are motivated to upkeep standards on a continual basis. I am pleased to note that in designing the EduTrust Certification Scheme, the Ministry has broadened the coverage to include academic processes, school administration, quality assurance, financial health, corporate governance, student welfare and protection. In doing so, the comprehensiveness of the EduTrust Scheme serves to set a higher quality bar for PEIs to aspire to. For the better PEIs which are successful in attaining the Gold, Silver or Bronze categories of EduTrust certification, it sets them apart in the eyes of prospective students. I also commend the move to establish clearer accountability for the conduct and practices of PEIs. The Bill clearly defines who a manager of a PEI is and his prescribed duties under the Bill.”
“Given that the student often has fewer resources to seek redress, such a requirement means that aggrieved students will now have access to cost-effective and expeditious dispute resolution. Overall, these measures protecting the students are effective only if actively enforced. In that connection, could the Senior Minister of State please tell the House what stage of development the Council is at and whether it has the adequate resources to enforce these new laws? Sir, I would like to move to the subject of protection of bona fide PEIs. When a "black sheep" operator in an industry sector is not held to account for its actions, the whole sector suffers from loss of public confidence. From the complaints lodged with CASE against the PEIs, it would appear that misrepresentation and mis-selling are not uncommon practices amongst PEIs. Such cases rose from 1,130 in 2006 to 1,368 last year – about 20% increase over a course of two years. Most of these cases involve misrepresentation, failure to honour promises and unsatisfactory services by recruitment agents. So we must put a stop to dubious marketing practices which use untrue or baseless claims. They mislead unsuspecting students and unfairly disadvantage bona fide operators. Therefore, I fully support the provision to curb misleading advertisements by PEIs. At the same time, the stipulation on disclosure of key information such as course fees, refund policy, course duration and articulation pathways, will enhance the level of transparency in our private education market. This policy has the added advantage of addressing the information asymmetry between PEIs and students.”