Lee Chiaw Meng
Singapore
“" I think it is an opportune time for the Minister to examine the whole issue of statutory contributions rather than its individual components.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I seek clarification from the First Deputy Prime Minister. This is related to a certain provision in the Companies Act. I believe that section 69N of the Companies Act empowers a company to write to a member of the company to disclose the beneficial ownership of the shares.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I disagree. Is the Minister, therefore, saying that the HDB policy and the PWD policy is this: "We will cross the bridge when we come to it."? With such a policy they will not consider building any road until they have built a housing estate or until a big traffic jam occurs.”
“Sir, I believe the present differential between the Upper Timescale and the Superscale 'H' grades is about 33%. Whilst I appreciate the Minister's contention to retain the distinction between the Timescale officers and the Superscale officers, would not the Minister consider that 33% is too big a gap?”
“I think the best strategy s for us to adopt whatever development that is carried out elsewhere and provide our own innovations to it. The third question the Member asked is how successful we have been in developing Singapore into a brain and service centre, Sir, it is a bit difficult to quantify.”
“To reduce opportunity for cheating, the Bill requires instruments used for trade to be tested by an inspector of Weights and Measures and manufacturers and repairers of weighing instruments to be licensed. Further, shortweight and misrepresentation of goods sold will be regarded as an offence.”
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“I am not exactly saying that, Mr Speaker, Sir. But if the principals have not approached M.P.s, of course, I cannot blame the M.P.s. But the principals have been advised to do so. It should not be difficult for the M.P.s, to recommend 15 members of the public to the principals to sit on these committees. In fact, many schools have parents and teachers associations before the new advisory committees were set up. In many instances, it is just a matter of getting the same people to serve on the other committees. The Member for Paya Lebar has, raised the point about the necessary improvements to be made in the examination questions of the Ministry. Most of the examination questions are set not just by one examiner but by a board of examiners who consider the' examination questions in detail. It is unfortunate that sometimes certain mistakes do occur. But, by and large, an examination is just a means of ascertaining the standard which has been attained by a student. So the question of too wide a syllabus does not arise. We do not want to tell the students, "We are going to ask you this, question. Therefore, you study this question properly." We are trying to test what they know and not what they do not know. The question of limiting the syllabus so that the teachers will know exactly what to set as an examination question is not correct from any educational point of view. With regard to practical work, I am afraid we cannot institute a centre for' practical work in respect of science' subjects. We have too many centres already. The Member for Paya Lebar will appreciate that most of the examination questions are set by the science teachers themselves --- Mr Tay Boon Too rose ---”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it would appear then that I need not answer the question, since as the Member for Moulmein says, the profession and the Ministry are in the same boat! Anyway, to those who are dedicated to their profession we always show the carrot, and to those who are not, we show the stick. [Interruption.] Not from the Ministry, as the Member for Moulmein has himself pointed out. As for teachers being asked to do non-professional work, I think it is very difficult to distinguish professional work from non-professional work for teachers. A teacher does not only teach but he also builds up the personality and character of the students. He may therefore have to do some non- teaching work in order to achieve this aim. If I recall correctly, the Member for Serangoon Gardens did ask a question in this House about the duties of principals some time ago, and this was answered. In teaching, it is also necessary 'to perform certain duties pertaining to the education system as a whole, such as the filling up of forms and the supplying of statistics to the Ministry for the purpose of planning. This is indirectly professional work contributing to the education profession. As regards school advisory committees, I realise that 200 multiplied by 15 gives 3,000, which is a large number. Mr Speaker, Sir, the principals have been advised to consult the Members of Parliament of their respective constituencies for suitable persons to be on these committees. If they fail to do so, it means that they have little liaison with the Members of Parliament and with the community.”
“In that case, my Minister's Political Secretary will answer. As the term "extracurricular activities" suggests, students should take part in these activities only outside the normal school hours, except under very special circumstances where they have to be undertaken during school hours. Such occasions are very rare and the principal should get the permission of the Ministry first. If the Member feels that there are any cases he can quote which demand a special investigation by the Ministry, we shall be delighted to have that information. With regard to the efficiency of the administration, my Minister has already given his reply, and I do not think I should go into that. The Member for Sembawang also asked why his question about the flag-raising ceremony has not been answered. We have known of instances where during the flag- raising ceremony the discipline was not very well maintained. However, the principals concerned have been warned and advised to rectify the position. In fact, the Ministry is rather concerned about such lack of discipline. With regard to uniforms, it is not possible to have a standard pattern of school uniform throughout the island. There are many schools which have long traditions, and they would be very reluctant to change the pattern of their uniforms. Some schools have pure white, some white and yellow. I do not think it is really a very serious matter. I think most schools would prefer to keep their own tradition. Mr Speaker, Sir, as for raised by the Member for the Ministry would not like the failure of the teaching We do not - Mr Sia Khoon Seong rose - Dr Lee Chiaw Meng resumed his seat.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, since my Minister was cut off after 15 minutes, I hope I will have time to answer.”
“Sir, if there is such a case, we shall investigate it first and ascertain the circumstances in which the excess money came to be used. If it should transpire that as a result of investigation further action is necessary the case will be looked into further. NATIONAL MUSEUM (Better utilisation of facilities by schools for educational purposes) 13. Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Education what relationship exists between schools and the National Museum; and if his Ministry will con sider arrangements with the appropriate authority for the better utilisation of the facilities of the Museum by schools for educational purposes, such as lecture-tours of the Museum for students, etc.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the three questions can be conveniently answered together. For the Tree-Planting Campaign and Competition, the Ministry of Education authorised principals of schools the use of the Sports Fund, Science Fund and Miscellaneous Fund. Restrictions, how ever, were placed on the use of such funds. Utilisation of the Sports Fund was restricted to purchase of top soil, fertilisers and sludge and for the transportation of sludge; utilisation of the Science Fund was restricted to purchase of tree saplings and rooted or unrooted cuttings for potted plants which could not be obtained free of charge from the Botanic Gardens and the Woodleigh Nursery; and the utilisation of the Miscellaneous Fund was limited to a maximum of $200 for the purchase of materials such as tree-guards, pots and bricks which could not be obtained from the Central Supplies Office. The amount spent by schools ranged from approximately $50 to $200. This variation in the total expenditure and also the variation of expenditure from the Miscellaneous Fund were due to differences between schools in available resources and facilities and in the sizes 'of school grounds. In the campaign and competition some schools were fortunate enough to obtain voluntary contributions of potted plants, saplings and bricks from teachers, parents, old boys and well-wishers, through the assistance of School Advisory Committees, Parent / Teacher Associations and Old Boys' Associations.”
“Sir, we review our policy every year but I do not anticipate major changes. SCHOOL TREE-PLANTING AND GARDENING COMPETITION (Particulars of expenditure) 12. Mr Tay Boon Too asked the Minister for Education (a) how much was spent by each school for the recent tree-planting and gardening competition; (b) from what source was the expenditure met; and (c) what percentage per school of the expenditure came from the school's miscellaneous fund.”
“They are the President's Scholarships valued at $3,000 per annum and the Merit Scholarships valued at $2,400 per annum. Both are awarded on the basis of academic 'excellence in the Higher School Certificate examination and outstanding performance in extra-curricular acti vities. The Merit bursaries valued at $1,500 per annum for degree courses and $1,000 per annum for technician courses are also awarded on the basis of merit alone, irrespective of financial circumstances. Special bursaries are set aside for Malays who gain entry to any institution of higher learning and who qualify for assistance on financial grounds. The amount of such bursaries varies according to the need. All scholarship and bursary holders are bonded to serve the Government on completion of their studies. For those who are unable to get a scholarship or a bursary, interest-free study loans of the same amount as bursary awards are available. Students who obtain such loans are not bonded to serve the Government but are required to repay their loans by instalments within three years of completing their studies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, according to the scheme of educa-~ tional service, a specialist teacher is one who is employed to teach such subjects as English, Mathematics, Science, Geography and History at Secondary 111 and higher levels. This, is a dying category and no new appointments have been made in this grade since January 1968. EXEMPTION OF SCHOOL FEES IN 1968 AND AWARDS OF SCHOLAR-SHIPS AND BURSARIES (Particulars) 11. Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Education (a) how many Secondary IV and pre-University students have been exempted from pay-ing school fees in 1968; and (h) how many students in the University of Singapore, Nanyang University, Singa-, pore Polytechnic and Ngee Ann College are scholarship or bursary holders, and' if he will give details of the various scholarships and bursaries awarded. Dr Lee Chiaw Meng (for the Minister for Education)(In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, 7,389 Secondary IV and 1,240 pre- University students have been exempted from paying school fees in 1968. But I would like to stress this point. Although the other students are paying their school fees, the Government has to subsidise every secondary school student to the extent of about $300 each year. Thirty-three scholarships and 759 bursaries were awarded and 147 study loans were made to a total of 939 students in the University of Singapore, Nanyang University, the Singapore Polytechnic and Ngee Ann College in 1968. I would also like to point out that although these students are paying from $450 to $540 on fees, each student in these institutions of higher learning is subsidised by Government by a sum varying from $2,000 to $7,000. In fact the fees paid by these students is negligible. There are two types of scholarship open to Singapore citizens pursuing higher studies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to date, there are the following official types of schools: Government Schools Primary schools Primary cum Vocational schools Secondary schools Secondary Technical schools Secondary Vocational schools. With effect from January 1969 there will be only three official types: Primary schools Secondary schools Secondary Technical schools Government-aided schools Primary schools Secondary schools Full schools (i.e. schools with both primary and secondary classes.) Trade school. As to the second part of the question, Sir, there are three official types of specialist teachers on the staff of Government and Government-aided schools (full and secondary schools), namely: (a) Grade I (drawing allowance of $240 p.m.) (b) Grade II (drawing allowance of $180 p.m.) (c) Grade III (drawing allowance of $120 p.m.). As to the third part of the question, Sir, the principle governing the current staffing of such schools is to ensure that schools are adequately staffed with teachers to teach the subjects on the curriculum at primary and secondary levels. Special care is taken to see that adequate provision is given for teaching second languages, technical and voca tional subjects including domestic science. The governing principle bears close relation to the number of classes in a school, the level of instruction, and the type of subjects, whether second language, technical or vocational.”
“Sir, I am referring to Educational Television. PRIMARY SCHOOL ENROLMENT OF CHILDREN NEAR THEIR HOMES 8. Mr P. Selvadurai asked the Minister for Education if he will take steps that will result in primary school children not being enrolled in schools many miles away from the areas in which they live.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the possibility of using the television medium as an extension of the vocational and technical education programme is being considered by the Ministry. The basic theory of engineering science for workers in industries is also included in this study. A preliminary survey shows that such programmes could be mounted provided adequate staff and finance could be made available.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I will say "reluctance" but not "unco-operative". The reluctance of employers is due more to the lack of personnel to conduct these courses. For such courses to be effective, there must be suitable and adequate supervisory personnel. At this stage of development and industrialisation, most of the industries, I am afraid, are not adequately equipped with such personnel. RADIO AND TELEVISION COURSE ON ENGINEERING SCIENCE 7. Mr Low Guan Onn asked the Minister for Education, with the emphasis now on technical education, if the Government will consider conducting a weekend radio and television course on the basic theory of engineering science for the benefit of those workers in industries who have the practical skills but lack theoretical knowledge, as such knowledge will upgrade the quality of their skills and improve the standard of goods produced.”
“Sir, I assure the hon. Member for Kallang that we will consider this matter very carefully.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry is aware that active participation of industry at various levels in some form of in-plant training scheme is essential. We do get the co-operation of some industrial establishments in providing short-term training, conducted within the institutional training period during vacation. As industry in Singapore is now undergoing development and expansion, many d~ not have the necessary supervisors and industrial training officers to organise effective on-the-job training programmes. With a greater output of vocational-technical graduates from our institutions by 1970, the question of promoting this facet of technical education by suitable legislative measures or fiscal relief may be considered, if co-operation from industry is still not adequately forthcoming by then. Inche Abdul Aziz Karim (Kallang): Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Parliamentary Secretary consider measures to see that apprentices and trainees are not exploited as cheap labour if legislation is introduced?”
“(b) Teachers As for scholarships to teachers in technical education, the Government has already approved a total of 28 awards for training overseas in 1969 under various schemes such as the Colombo Plan, the Commonwealth Teacher Training Bursary and the United Nations Development Programme. Such training covers a wide range of technical subjects in fields like machine shop and fitting, motor vehicles, welding and sheet metal, electrical installation and maintenance, shipbuilding and drafting, building, woodworking, trade skill testing and trade standard, wood carving, modelling and sculpture, in Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Fifty-six bursaries were awarded this year to technical student teachers at the Teachers' Training College. For next year provision has been requested for 150 fresh awards for full-time technical teacher training. ON-THE-JOB TRAINING IN INDUSTRIES (Legislation for compulsory intake of students) 6. Mr Low Guan Onn asked the Minister for Education, in view of the reluctance and unco- operative attitude of employers to offer on-the-job training opportunities for short periods of time to students of Vocational Institutes, the Polytechnic and the Universities, if the Government will consider introducing legislation to make it compulsory for industries to take in a quota of students for such training each year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not possible at this juncture to state how many awards in the field of technical education will be offered in 1969 to university students and teachers as the 1969 Budget proposals have yet to be passed by Parliament. Awards made this year are generally renewed next year subject to satisfactory progress and conduct, while fresh awards would largely depend on the availability of suitable applicants to meet the needs of industry and institutions in both the public and private sectors. A greater allocation of the voted provisions will most assuredly be made to those who take courses of study that will enable them to contribute a useful role to society on graduation. The following information will, however, indicate the encouragement given in the field of technical education. (a) University students Out of a total of 87 new awards which included scholarships, bursaries and study loans made this year for the 1968/69 session, 84 awards were for students in the Singapore Polytechnic and three for students in Ngee Ann College. Of the awards for students in the Singapore Polytechnic, four awards were for professional courses, 29 awards were for degree courses and 51 were for technician courses. The three awards for students in Ngee Ann College were for Mechanical Engineering. In addition to these awards, there were 60 new awards for overseas training under various technical assistance schemes in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and France. A total number of 131 scholarships and bursaries were renewed for students in the Singapore Polytechnic and Ngee Ann College this year. Of this total number of renewals, 128 were for students in the Singapore Polytechnic and three for students in Ngee Ann College.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, major adjustments and changes have been made in teacher education to meet the relevant needs of the Republic. With the emphasis on technical education, the training of technical teachers has been greatly stepped up at the Teachers' Training College. At present, the College is conducting three special technical courses in addition to the normal technical ones. The special courses are the industrial arts course, a crash craft teacher training programme for holders of the School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate. The third course is for the re- training of non-technical qualified teachers in metalwork, woodwork and basic electricity. To meet the shortage of technical teachers, student- teachers who joined the first year part-time general course were encouraged to opt for the technical course. Several in-service courses, both professional and non-professional, are being conducted and planned to promote professionalism within the teaching profession and also to inculcate greater awareness of the political, economic and social changes in the Republic. These courses have been designed as part of the general further teacher education programme. Emphasis has also been laid on courses conducted in the teaching of English and Chinese as second languages. NANYANG UNIVERSITY (Honours degree courses) 3. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Education, since the Nanyang University degrees are recognised by the Government and some Departments of the University are adequately staffed and equipped, if he will ask the Council of the University to look into the possibility of the University offering honours degree courses as from the next academic year.”
“Sir, the majority of those rejected had the minimum qualifications, but, off- hand, I cannot give the exact figure. If the hon. Member so desires, he can give notice of another question. TEACHER EDUCATION (Adjustments or changes) 2. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Education what adjustments or changes have been made in teacher education to meet the needs of the country at this stage of its development.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my original answer to the hon. Member for Serangoon Gardens answers this supplementary question. E.T.V. has been successful and that is why we are planning expansion. UPPER THOMSON ROAD (Effect of widening on residents and shop-keepers) 3. Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for Law and National Development (a) when work will commence to widen Upper Thomson Road between 4¾ m.s. and 6½ m.s.; and (b) what measures he proposes to take to safeguard the interests of the residents and shop-keepers who will be directly affected by the project.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the expansion of E.T.V. in relation to radio broadcasts to schools is still under consideration. The running up of the E.T.V. Service and the running down of radio broadcasts to schools has still to be worked out.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, (a) a continuous system of evaluating the effectiveness of E.T.V. programmes has been in operation ever since the Singapore Educational Television Service was launched by the Ministry of Education in January 1967. All secondary schools in the Republic are required to send in weekly returns containing information on the reception of programmes telecast in the previous week. This information is processed and analysed by machine and the findings are used for effecting further improvement in future programmes. In addition, courses on evaluation and utilisation of E.T.V. programmes are conducted periodically for all E.T.V. officers and teachers using the programmes. (b) Plans for the expansion of the E.T.V. Service were submitted to the Economic Planning Unit of the Ministry of Finance as early as April 1967. In July the E.P.U. conducted an independent survey of the effectiveness of E.T.V. and reported that expansion should not be embarked upon until the service has consolidated itself. Subsequently, the E.P.U. relented on this decision and recommended expansion. More recently, an internationally known expert on E.T.V. was provided by the Ford Foundation at the request of the Government to make recommendations concerning the E.T.V. Service. This expert has submitted a favourable report recommending expansion. Whether the service is to be expanded now is purely a question of financial consideration.”
“The smaller ad hoc committees are established under various circumstances. For instance, if my Ministry require advice on technical education, we set up a small committee under the Ministry of Education to provide such advice.”
“There have, in fact, been a couple of advisory committees on educational policy. Since the Educational Advisory Council is so ineffective, I would say it will die a natural death.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I explained earlier, seeking advice from a large committee is inefficient. We find it more efficient to seek advice from small committees or from individual members. As this method has been so effective, we find that it has not been necessary to convene the Educational Advisory Council since 1962.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with due respect to the Member for Serangoon Gardens, I must point out that it is not possible to list all the administrative duties of a school principal, just as it is impossible to make an exhaustive list of the work expected of a Member of Parliament. In general terms, I would say that a principal is expected to do whatever is necessary to ensure that his school functions efficiently. Similarly, a teacher is expected to carry out administrative duties related to the administration of his own class and the extra-curricular activities of which he is in charge. NATIONAL DEFENCE FUND (Contributions from teachers) 7. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Defence (a) what are the total amounts of money donated to the National Defence Fund by teachers of the four language streams, respectively, up to a latest convenient date; and (b) what is the average sum contributed per teacher from each language stream, respectively.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the two visiting Inspectors of Schools from the United Kingdom, whose services were made available by the British Government at the request of the Singapore Government, were asked to conduct courses on school inspection and supervision of teaching for our Inspectors and T.T.C. supervisors, and courses on school administration for primary and secondary school principals. Altogether four such courses were conducted between 1st April, 1968, and 18th May, 1968. Each course comprised 20 one-hour lectures and each lecture was followed by a discussion. The terms of reference of the two visiting inspectors did not call for a report. However, they did submit a 20-page report entitled A Report on Education in Singapore at the end of their assignment. There is no intention of reorganising the Inspectorate as a result of this report. SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS (Administrative work) 6. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Education what administrative work is required of (a) a head of school; and (b) a teacher.”
“The driving licence books referred to by the Member for Punggol are books issued when Singapore was a Colony. These are being replaced by books bearing the words "Singapore - Driver's Licence" as and when licensees apply for replacements. The charge is $5 for each replacement. However, legislation is being drafted to provide for driving licences to be renewed at post offices. When this scheme is implemented, all the existing driving licence books will, on renewal, be replaced free of charge by new driving licence books bearing the words "Republic of Singapore - Driving Licence".”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to reply. A total of 11 different types of scholarships, fellowships, training courses and training bursaries were awarded to various officers of my Ministry in 1966 and 1967. A total of 108 officers received such awards, 82 of them being teachers, 15 T.T.C. lecturers, five Inspectors of Schools, three principals of schools and three officers attached to my Ministry Headquarters. Of the 108 officers, 50 have completed their training, comprising 30 teachers, 10 T.T.C. lecturers, four Inspectors of Schools, three principals of schools and three other officers attached to the Ministry Headquarters. With regard to the last part of the question, Sir, all but seven of the 50 are being utilised for the purpose for which they have been trained. Of the seven, one has recently been selected by the Public Service Commission for posting to an oversea mission. Six are attached to secondary schools. It is possible that at the time of return there may be no suitable vacancies to hold the officers according to their specialised training. In such cases, they are often posted to secondary schools as a temporary measure. Those from aided schools are generally returned to the aided schools concerned. Such officers remain in the secondary schools until suitable vacancies occur or until the next promotion exercise. NEW DRIVER'S LICENCE BOOKS 7. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Communications whether he will consider issuing new driver's licence books to holders of old books which bear the words "Colony of Singapore". The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications (Mr Phua Bah Lee) (for the Minister for Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to answer.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to reply. The education system is still in the process of being reorganised and it is still too early to know the full effects of such a reorganisation. Plans are being considered to provide re-training of general teachers so that they can be deployed for vocational and technical education. AWARDS OF SCHOLARSHIPS, ETC., TO MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OFFICERS IN 1966 AND 1967 (Particulars) 6. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Education (a) what scholarships, fellowships, study-grants, etc. offering professional (including technical training) and administrative training have been awarded to various applicants from the Ministry of Education in 1966 and 1967; (b) how many officers from the various categories of officers have received such awards; (c) how many such officers have completed their training courses; and (d) how these officers have been and are being utilised for purposes for which they have been trained since the completion of their training courses.”
“(3) Very often teachers of English are called upon to help with translations and other chores because of their fluency in English. My Ministry has taken steps to ascertain the number of such teachers who wish to be transferred back to English schools. At the same time, a circular has been issued inviting applicants from English-medium teachers who are genuinely interested in teaching English as a second language. Those who apply will be given special training in the teaching of English as a second language and posted to Chinese schools as replacements for those who opt to be posted back to English schools. The question of monotony and excessive work will also be ameliorated when science and technical subjects are taught in the English medium in the next few years. JOO CHIAT (Flushing of drains) 5. Mr Yeoh Ghim Seng asked the Minister for Health if he will inform the House of the measures his Ministry has taken or proposes to take to ensure the adequate flushing of all drains, including outlet drains, in the Joo Chiat Constituency, as choked drains and stagnant waters are not conducive to the health of the residents in the area.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to reply. It is true that some of the teachers teaching English in Pre-University classes in Chinese secondary schools possess only the School Certificate qualification. However, this situation has to be viewed in the light of the following factors: (1) The standard of English in the non-English medium school is generally pitched at a level two years below that of a corresponding class in the English school. That is to say, Pre-University I students in non-English schools are doing Secondary III English. (2) Since 1965 special in-service courses in the teaching of English as a second language have been conducted for teachers of English in non-English schools. Of the 1,292 English teachers in Chinese schools, 794 have successfully completed the course and another 402 are currently undergoing training. (3) Of the 212 teachers of English currently teaching in 21 Chinese secondary schools with Pre-University classes, 26 are graduates; five have had special training abroad in the teaching of English as a second language, and 14 possess the Higher School Certificate. As and when more graduates are available, they will be posted to Chinese secondary schools to teach English in the Pre-University classes. In answer to the second part of the question, Sir, some teachers of English in Chinese schools prefer to be posted back to English schools for three main reasons: (1) Being used to the environment of an English school, they find it difficult to adapt them selves to the situation in a Chinese school where the main language of instruction and school administration is Chinese. (2) As teachers of English, they teach no other subjects. Consequently, they find their work somewhat monotonous and the amount of corrections excessive.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to reply. Complaints made by teachers against principals are investigated. Disciplinary action would be taken against the teachers concerned if such complaints, after investigation, are found to be malicious. There are, however, not many known cases of teachers complaining openly against their principals. This may be due to the fact that correspondence between teachers and the Ministry is conducted through the principal. Since January 1967 there have been four such cases. In one case, the principal was dismissed. In the second, the allegation was unfounded but as the complainants were anonymous, no further action could be taken. In the third case, some of the allegations were partly true and the principal was sent for and advised. In the fourth case, the allegation was unsubstantiated and the teacher, a temporary officer, was reprimanded. He has since left the service. TEACHERS OF ENGLISH IN CHINESE SCHOOLS 4. Mr Ho Kah Leong asked the Minister for Education if he is aware (a) that some Cambridge School Certificate holders teach English not only in secondary classes but also in Pre-University classes in Chinese schools; and (b) that some English teachers regard posting to Chinese schools as a drudgery and try their best to be transferred away; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter.”
“if we consider the types of returns we look for, by and large, the largest number of returns sent out related to examination divisions, of which no less than 31 were sent out during the first half of this year. These are unlikely to diminish because we still have to know who will be taking what examinations. But others of a recurrent nature pertaining to personal data will be minimised in the future. TEACHERS' COMPLAINTS AGAINST PRINCIPALS 3. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Education whether complaints made by teachers against their principals are investigated; and what action is taken against the teachers concerned if, on investigation, the complaints are found to be unfounded and unfair.”
“Now that confrontation is over and security is no longer a major problem, the system of relaying messages by telephone is only resorted to in emergencies, such as the evacuation of students when schools in certain areas are flooded. In answer to the last part of the question, Sir, an efficient system of data registration and maintenance is being devised. All teachers have completed a pro forma in which their personal particulars, details of qualifications, teaching experience, service matters, extracurricular activities, community service, in-service courses attended, etc, are entered. These returns are currently being processed for computer programming so that essential information may be made available at short notice for the purpose of educational planning, and it is expected that the frequency of having to submit returns of this nature will diminish.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been asked by my Minister to reply. During the first five months of this year, schools were requested to submit a total of 82 returns. This cannot by any stretch of the imagination be regarded as an unduly large number in view of the fact that my Ministry administers 593 schools with 19,160 teachers, 2,550 non-teaching staff and 530,000 students. The majority of the returns are of an annual recurrent nature, such as those relating to staff and student data for the purpose of compiling the Ministry's statistical bulletins, nominal rolls for the four streams for 15 school examinations at different levels - the Primary School Leaving Examination, the School Certificate, the Higher School Certificate, the Secondary Vocational School Certificate, the National Language Certificate examinations; returns in respect of bursaries, scholarships and training awards; and returns seeking the schools' proposals for special or recurrent expenditure for the preparation of the next year's budget estimates. Other circulars seeking information on an ad hoc basis are sent to schools only when strictly necessary. In all cases, information is sought from schools only when such information cannot be obtained from any other source. With regard to the second part of the question, Sir, a system of relaying urgent messages or instructions to schools by telephone was first introduced during confrontation. Under this system, my Ministry would telephone a number of designated schools which would in turn relay the message to schools in their area. The aim of this system was to get the message through to all the schools as quickly as possible and to avoid overloading a few telephone lines.”
“There will be a new department created within the Ministry of Education to plan, co-ordinate and administer our technical education and industrial training at the sub-professional level. This department will be supervised by a Cabinet Committee, as outlined in the Addendum to the President's Speech under the head Ministry of Education. Plans are already being drawn up to launch a crash programme for the training of craft teachers to man the new vocational institutes and training centres which I have just mentioned. May I assure the Member for Serangoon Gardens that the computer does not play a very important part in the selection of applicants. In case there is a large number of applicants, it comes in only in the grading of applicants and the preliminary short-listing. All applicants will be interviewed as in the case of other teachers-in-training. The sub-professional stream of the Polytechnic, that is the technician course, will be enlarged, and there will be more vocational institutes. The present vocational schools will be reorganised, converted and their syllabuses modified. They will no longer be regarded as schools for drop-outs. Industrial Training Centres will be established to provide the in-plant training facilities to complement the institutional training. We hope that by next year we will be able to see physically the first of these changes, and by 1971, we will have some 30,000 students in the technical and vocational streams. By then, the ratio will be in the region of three and a half to one. Sir, we are embarking on a very bold and ambitious programme to develop our human resources. They are vital to our plans on industrialisation and economic development and, therefore, our very survival. We are confident that we will succeed. 2.42 p.m.”
“Sir, may I be permitted to go briefly into the types of personnel that we require to meet our industrial needs? We have engineers, planners, etc, at the professional level, and down the ladder, we have senior technicians, technicians, craftsmen and operatives. The senior technicians, whom we generally call technical assistants, are trained at the Singapore Polytechnic for the Technician Diploma. Already, we have the cream of the secondary school students taking these courses. Some of them even have the Higher School Certificate. Last year, for example, the Polytechnic received about 2,000 applications for about 700 vacancies. Then we have technicians and craftsmen, such as the Craft Diploma graduates of the Singapore Vocational Institute. Already two such institutes are being built and more will be constructed in the next few years. They are, in fact, the key personnel in factories, and we are very short of them. Lower down, we have the vocational schools which unfortunately are considered to be for the "drop-outs". We will rectify this. After leaving school, these students will have a period of in-plant or industrial training to qualify as operatives specialising in one type of trade. The institutional training in a vocational school provides a general background education, while the in-plant training will be so orientated as to meet the requirements of our industries from time to time. Sir, in order to attract the best brains to technical education and industry, we must ensure that there is a continuous ladder to the top for those who are capable and those who want to go into this stream. We must provide a parallel outlet to the present academic stream.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I was saying yesterday when the House adjourned, it is time to reorganise our educational system to keep pace with our industrialisation success. Let us review our present position. Last year, of the 144,000 students in secondary schools, only 18,000 were in technical and vocational schools. The ratio is about seven to one. Last year, we produced 417 engineers and scientists as compared with 178 at the sub-professional level. We compare very poorly with other industrialised countries. Take Japan for example; for every five secondary school students, two are in the technical and vocational schools, and for every professional engineer they produce, there are about five supporting skilled technicians. At the same time, we need skilled workmen to build and repair ships and sailors and officers to man them, personnel to run our hotels, builders to meet the demands created by our plans on housing, urban renewal and development. In short, in order that our plans on industrialisation and economic development may continue to be successful, as it has been, we must have sufficient and capable human talent in the top strata, but, more important, we must also provide a much larger group of supporting personnel in the lower echelons. We need to reorganise our educational system to meet this demand. Mr Speaker, Sir, may I digress a bit? When we reorganise our secondary education system, we also keep in mind the womenfolk of this country. I can assure the Member for Delta that the only outlet for women is not in bars as waitresses or as dance hostesses. For example, at the Productivity Centre of the Economic Development Board, a course is run exclusively for girls. I now come back to the main issue.”
“Yes, Sir, as I was saying, The Mirror quotes a survey carried out by Business International on the relative attractiveness and investment environment of eight major cities in this region. Of the 22 factors considered important, only three are related to the geographical situation: the rest are related to human factors. Indeed, it must be so, otherwise our surrounding islands would become very serious competitors. We do not have any rich natural resources other than our two million people and the knowledge and infrastructure they possess. Our Government considers it to be our paramount responsibility to accelerate the pace of development and formation of our human capital, and we will spare no effort in achieving this goal. Hon. Members may recall that almost nine years ago when our Party first took office, we laid down our three main principles on education. One of them is to put emphasis on practical subjects like Mathematics and Science, so that our citizens are taught to use their hands and their brains. We must break the "white-collar" consciousness which must belong only to the past. The ground work has been laid successfully and it is time to reorganise our education system to keep pace with our industrialisation success. In short, we have achieved in our economic development more than what we promised and at a much faster rate than we planned. 7.00 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I join the Prime Minister in thanking the President for his gracious speech which outlines our Government's policies for the crucial period ahead. In moving the motion, the Prime Minister has correctly pointed out the principal factors that made Singapore what it is today, namely, our human resources, our strategic geographical location, our infrastructure and experience in commerce, industry and communications. Sir, may I be permitted to refer to an article in The Mirror dated 18th March, 1968, quoting a survey carried out by Business International ---”