Masagos Zulkifli B M M
Singapore
“Coordination between Early Intervention (EI) centres, families and preschools is important for the continuity of support for children with developmental needs.”
“The Taxi Subsidy Scheme supports persons with disabilities (PwDs) who are unable to take public transport, by providing means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of taxi travel to school, work and employment-related training supported by SG Enable.”
“The Skills and Salary Guidelines published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) guides social service agencies (SSAs) to pay their employees fair and competitive remuneration and maintain the sector's attractiveness. The Guidelines are adjusted so that salaries remain competitive with comparable roles in competing markets.”
“Staff turnover rates vary across social service agencies (SSAs). An individual's decision to leave an organisation is influenced by a myriad of factors, of which pay is only one.”
“Beyond the requirement of a structured daily programme, community-based SCFA administrators have the flexibility to offer programmes and additional enrichment activities that meet the needs of their students. MSF does not track staff salaries and turnover of SCCs in general nor those that administer SCFA.”
“Male preschool educators comprised about 1% of the early childhood workforce in each of the last five years. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has not issued guidelines pertaining to the rules set by preschool centres specific to the conduct of male preschool educators.”
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“We have also rolled out targeted programmes at the pre-school, primary school and secondary school levels to support the students who need additional help, and to keep our youths engaged in schools. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders, including parents, the community and other agencies, to ensure that educational opportunities are available for all.”
“I will elaborate more on the early intervention efforts for youths at-risk at MHA’s COS debate. But I must stress the critical role that parents play in creating a nurturing home environment and help youths build social skills. Dr Lily Neo quoted a Singapore Children's Society's survey that 25% of young respondents said that they were bullied in school. The prevalence of school bullying can be misleading when it is just taken at face value, without a deeper understanding of how the figure was derived. We must qualify to say that the figures represent an entire spectrum of bullying behaviours, which range from "teasing" and "being excluded" to the more severe forms of bullying. Where bullying involves hurting, frightening or intimidating others using power or strength, MOE would like to clarify that these incidents are indeed infrequent and the numbers have so far remained low. Nevertheless, I want to assure Dr Lily Neo that MOE regards bullying in schools as a serious matter. We will take the necessary measures to ensure that schools provide a safe and conducive learning environment for all our students. Schools are provided with comprehensive guidelines to manage discipline issues, and this includes bullying. Teachers also educate their students on what bullying is and its negative repercussions, how they should effectively seek help in the event they encounter bullying and enable them to help themselves and support their peers if affected. I will now conclude. It is MOE's commitment that the education system allows every child to be provided with the opportunity to achieve the best he can be. We are doing the right things – by focusing on the educators to improve quality, affordability and accessibility of pre-school education.”
“Students also have the opportunity to do industrial attachments and internships, as an integral part of the schools' programmes. We hope these approaches will allow our secondary students to enjoy their learning and acknowledge its relevance in a real-life context. This enhances the level of student engagement in school and helps pre-empt school drop-outs. Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked how we can help at-risk youth to stay in school. MOE’s initiatives to strengthen targeted support for learners are important, not just to help students level up, but also keep them engaged in schools by adapting to their learning needs and preferences. The overall dropout rate, or the percentage of the Primary 1 cohort who do not complete secondary education, has further reduced from 1.2% in 2009 to 1% in 2010. This is an improvement over the dropout rate of about 3% before the Committee on Reducing Attrition in Education, which I chair, was first formed in 2006. In addition, a MOE internal survey of students showed that students generally felt satisfied with their school experiences and there has been a positive trend over the years. Even then, schools continue to monitor the level of student engagement closely. Schools adopt proactive measures such as the provision of pastoral care, social-emotional learning and career guidance programmes to help students build self-esteem, take responsibility for their actions and develop purposefulness in life. Active participation in school activities, such as CCAs, is another effective way of engaging students. In addition, MOE collaborates with other Ministries, such as MCYS, MOH, MHA, and the community, such as Family Service Centres and self-help groups.”
“Initially a very quiet and reserved girl, she blossomed under the FLAiR programme to show great progress in her reading, writing and listening skills. FLAiR seeks to develop at an early age, important communication skills and their love for acquiring knowledge through reading books, writing, speaking and listening. But proper reading, writing and numeracy skills may not be as developed for some. For these students, MOE has instituted additional programmes to help students level up when they first enter Primary Schools. The Learning Support Programmes for English and Mathematics are administered by additional teachers to help students who had less prior exposure and require more support. These programmes help students acquire a stronger foundation of the English Language and Mathematics especially. 4.45 pm At the secondary school level, innovations are introduced to customise to the learning needs of students. MOE also recognises that some students are more technically inclined and prefer a more hands-on pedagogical approach. Since 2005, schools can offer 20 to 30-hour elective modules (EMs) to enrich the learning experience of their Normal (Academic), or Normal (Technical) students. These modules are intended to develop students’ interests and strengths in specific areas, as well as introduce students to a course of study in post-secondary education institutes. Some of the EMs also provide credit points for advanced standing for any NITEC courses at ITE. Since 2007, MOE has also worked with three secondary schools, termed "N(T) Mark II schools", to pilot innovations in the N(T) course. These schools work closely with MOE and ITE to customise their curricula to bring about a greater focus on practice-oriented skills.”
“These qualities are equally important to all students, and especially so for students from less privileged backgrounds. Specifying that weaker students be excused from CCA would curtail many meaningful activities and developmental opportunities for our students. Over-imposing curriculum on our students also does not address the fact that some children learn better through different means. While we are on the issue of CCAs, Nominated MP Joscelin Yeo makes an assertion that, deprived of a choice of a CCA, a student committed suicide. We should be sympathetic to any family that has suffered a suicide within, and acknowledge that the reasons for suicides are multi-faceted, complex and, many times, very personal. What the Member should really show is that there is evidence that for every or many suicides, the victim had the first choice of CCA deprived, instead of picking up a single and local report to make her case. Going back to Mr Hri Kumar's point, MOE's approach is to ensure that targeted programmes are put in place at various levels to ensure that our learners receive appropriate help. This is precisely what Mr Lim Biow Chuan suggested. Because almost all our children attend pre-school, a targeted programme called Focused Language Assistance in Reading (FLAiR) is provided to children found to require additional assistance in English. As some children lack exposure at home, FLAiR provides the opportunity to be exposed to reading materials, writing experiences, and speaking and listening to English Language in an engaging and fun way. A good example of a child who has benefited from FLAiR is Prathira d/o Palanivelu from PCF Jalan Besar Blk 106.”
“I also announced the Experimental Kindergarten at Temasek Polytechnic at the Committee of Supply (COS) last year. They have commenced operations this year. I visited the centre and am convinced that they will contribute to this innovation drive. Temasek Polytechnic will bring into the Experimental Kindergarten, the whole eco-system of its various departments and complemencies. Together, they will serve both as a centre for research in curriculum and pedagogy in early childhood education – and as a test bed for research to be applied to Singapore's local context. Ensuring that our children start early in pre-school is one of the many effective means to level up society through education. Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mr Hri Kumar are correct to say that even then, MOE should be concerned about students who continue to require additional support to help them level up, especially if these students are less able to afford external assistance. Mr Hri Kumar talked about a school model which starts at 7.00 am and ends at 7.00 pm, with two to three hours homework after school. This is even longer than the working hours of adults. Mr Hri Kumar then suggested making it compulsory for students to attend extra classes after school, and to even restrict students’ choices of CCAs, so that they will not spend too much time on CCAs. As Mr Hri Kumar admitted himself, such an approach is indeed "draconian". This is not the approach that MOE takes. CCAs are an important part of school life and play a key role in the holistic development of our students, which no student should be deprived of. A well-organised and well-implemented CCA can inculcate values and develop qualities, such as resilience, fair play, discipline and team spirit.”
“But unlike the school sector which has only one main employer, which is MOE, and one pre-service training provider, which is NIE, the pre-school sector is more diverse and MOE's quality assurance structures must reflect this difference. The Pre-school Qualification Accreditation Committee (PQAC), jointly steered by MOE and MCYS, sets standards for certificate and diploma level pre-school teacher preparation courses, and accredits courses that have met these standards. Apart from investing in teacher quality, MOE launched the new Singapore Pre-school Accreditation Framework (SPARK) in November 2010, to help kindergartens and childcare centres improve the quality of their programmes and to learn to benchmark themselves against recognised quality standards. Information on pre-schools that participated in SPARK and have attained accreditation will be listed on the MOE website. Since January 2011, pre-schools have started applying for quality assessments by MOE’s SPARK assessors. MOE hopes that with the widespread adoption of SPARK over the next few years, the quality rating of pre-schools will help parents make informed and objective choices about the right pre-school for their children, a concern raised by Mrs Josephine Teo. An update on the accreditation outcomes of SPARK will be provided later this year. Mrs Josephine Teo also pointed out that innovation is one way to uplift the quality of the pre-school sector. Indeed, kindergartens are encouraged to engage in innovative practices, and to experiment with new ideas to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in pre-school. More than half a million dollars have been awarded by MOE to 144 kindergartens through the Kindergarten Innovation Grant since 2008.”
“MOE and MCYS have disbursed a total of $5.08 million for 311 scholarships, teaching awards and bursaries since 2008. These are tenable for incumbent teachers, principals, and pre-service teachers from childcare centres and not-for-profit kindergartens to upgrade themselves professionally. MOE and MCYS will do more. Starting from 2011, MOE and MCYS will provide up to 1,400 scholarships, bursaries and teaching awards over three years. This will cost up to $21 million over the next three years and, if fully awarded, will represent more than a four-fold increase when compared to the amount we have awarded in the previous three years. This additional support will help grow a pool of well-qualified pre-school educators through attracting new entrants into the sector, as well as providing opportunities for professional upgrading for existing educators. Some educators may wish to consider developing their leadership skills to take on leadership positions, in which case the leadership courses would be appropriate; while others may opt to deepen their skills in the teaching area, and hence pursue certificate courses in areas such as Music and Movement, Drama, or Chinese Education. These awards are, therefore, tenable at different Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) courses to meet the various upgrading needs of pre-school educators. Mrs Josephine Teo asked if a NIE type of pre-school education set-up could be considered for the training of early childhood educators. I would like to assure Mrs Teo that MOE and MCYS are putting in place such a system.”
“I am happy to update that MOE is well on the way to meeting the 2013 target. Latest figures show that 77.4% of kindergartens and 69.6% of childcare centres have already achieved this target. [Mdm Deputy Speaker (Ms Indranee Rajah) in the Chair] 4.32 pm Next, on enhancing accessibility and affordability of pre-school education. MOE and their partners have been painstakingly knocking on doors to ensure that no child, especially those from lower-income families, is deprived of a pre-school education. MOE's commitment and persistence have paid off. I am happy to update that the percentage of Primary 1-going age children who did not attend pre-school in 2010 was 1.1% – down from 5% just five years ago in 2006. Let me thank all the grassroots partners, MCYS and the Singapore Children’s Society for their continued support in the annual exercise to reach out to our children. MCYS and the community groups provide financial assistance to the lower- income families. This year, the Minister for Finance announced additional support for MCYS’ financial assistance schemes for pre-school education and childcare fees. He also announced a new Child Development Credit Scheme, where the credit can be used for pre-school fees for all Singaporean children aged six and below. On top of these targeted financial assistance, MOE has invested $150 million in the pre-school sector over the last five years to support the pre-school initiatives that MOE has introduced. We have seen good progress as outlined earlier. We plan to double MOE’s investment in pre-school education over the next five years to $290 million, to continue to uplift the quality of the pre-school sector. Madam, investing in high quality teachers and school leaders is an imperative for MOE.”
“The Minister spoke of MOE's commitment in ensuring that all Singaporeans have access to quality education, and equal access to opportunities to excel to the best that they can be. I will further elaborate on MOE’s efforts in ensuring quality and accessibility for pre-school education, and highlight some of the targeted support that MOE provides for our learners. MOE recognises that pre-school education is important. MOE discussed this at length during the debate on the parliamentary Motion raised by Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan. I will therefore refrain from repeating myself and highlight only the key points. Let me use the opportunity arising from the cuts raised by Mrs Josephine Teo, Dr Mohamad Maliki and Mr Christopher de Souza to briefly provide a progress update on some of MOE's initiatives. First, a recap of raising teacher quality. From January 2009, MOE and MCYS require all new teachers to have minimum entry academic qualifications of five "O"-Level credits, including a B4 in English. Incumbent teachers are also required to attain a basic level of English proficiency. Before this, in 2006, the minimum requirement for pre-school teachers was only three "O"-Level credits, including English. On top of the academic requirements, all pre-school teachers are required to attain the Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education-Teaching (DECCE-T). As of January 2011, 86% of kindergarten teachers and 70% of childcare teachers have attained the DECCE-T or are undergoing training for it, as compared to 55% of kindergarten teachers and 46% of childcare teachers just five years ago. To help boost the overall quality of teachers over time, we set a target for all pre-schools to have at least 75% of all its teachers meeting the new requirements by January 2013.”
“Mr Speaker, there is no sinister reason why we communicate this along ethnic lines. Basically, like myself, when the Malay community performs well and the top students are announced, I celebrate just like my community does, and even my wife, when she opens the newspaper in the morning. I think this practice is consistent. We will continue with it. We are celebrating for the four races – Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian – 98% of the community in Singapore. CONSTRUCTION OF NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY 5. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport with the building of the North-South Expressway (NSE) in highly urbanised areas (a) what are the considerations taken to minimise the impact of noise levels on residents when the NSE is in operation; (b) why certain segments of the NSE are not designed as a full tunnel; and (c) what is the total cost of the project and duration of the construction.”
“MOE will do as many studies as it sees fit and relevant to the context of our needs. And when we have developed this, we will share it with the House.”
“Sir, I thank the Member for raising the questions. Certainly, we always do comparisons. We have to take into context though that the operating environment of Singapore and the children are totally different from that of Finland. The kinds of ethnic groups that we have in Singapore as well as in Finland are also different. The level of commitment of the parents towards the school or the children's schooling is also very different. However, we take note of the Member's request and if there is a publication on the comparison study, we will share with the House.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the words after "life" in line 2 to the end be left out, and there to insert the words: supports the Government’s efforts to enhance the quality, accessibility and affordability of pre-school education for all Singaporeans and urges the Government to continue to review, monitor and improve pre-school education in Singapore so as to ensure equal opportunities for all." The full amended motion is as follows: "Pre-School Education: That this House, with a view to better preparing our children for school and life, supports the Government’s efforts to enhance the quality, accessibility and affordability of pre-school education for all Singaporeans and urges the Government to continue to review, monitor and improve pre-school education in Singapore so as to ensure equal opportunities for all".”
“May I request the Clerk of Parliament to distribute to hon. Members a copy of the proposed amendment to the motion? [Copies of amendment distributed to hon. Members. ]”
“Government should provide adequate funding to ensure universal access and to progressively improve professional standards and teacher quality. We can work with providers to upgrade the overall quality of their pre-schools and recognise those who have attained high standards. And we should certainly avoid, by regulation, pushing pre-schools to accelerate formal learning to get their students more ready for Primary 1 as this will be at the expense of the other developmental aspects of the child. Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the efforts that MOE and MCYS have been putting into improving the quality, accessibility and affordability of the pre-school sector, I would like to conclude by proposing an amendment to the motion on Pre-School Education.”
“Cheston is only one of many talents in our school system that was discovered and nurtured in many broad areas; in arts, in sports and even leadership. MOE shares Mr Viswa’s desire to ensure that Singapore continues to provide equal opportunities for all. We are gratified that our top students in PSLE every year come from a big spread of schools and not merely from a few primary schools. The top 5% of students in the PSLE come from more than 95% of our primary schools and across all socio-economic groups. Also, one in five of the top one-third of PSLE students come from the lower-third of households by home background, ie, lower socio-economic groups and parents with lower educational qualifications. Such trends are also observed in the Higher Education sector – one in eight undergraduates in our public universities come from households who live in 1- to 3-room flats. These statistics show that our education system provides opportunities for every child to advance based on merit, regardless of family background. In summary, MOE agrees that pre-school education is important. We have invested considerable efforts and provided more funding to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of pre-school education. We have been making good progress and plan to do more. The Pre-school Review Committee does not support the approach for pre-school to be part of the formal education sector or made compulsory. It would also be unwise to prescribe for operators uniform curriculum and modes of delivery or introduce inappropriate academic standards, even if it is for 50% of the curriculum. Instead, we must ensure that all our pre-schools meet good minimum standards and that all children can afford to attend these pre-schools.”
“Furthermore, our experiences from these learning intervention programmes suggest that prior pre-school experience is not the key factor influencing a child’s ability to learn within the formal schooling system. Factors such as a good home environment and continued support for learning are equally important. Mr Viswa acknowledged this – his parents played a key role in his success in school despite he not having attended pre-school. This is true when Mr Viswa was young and will be true even when his grandchildren become parents. As a supportive home environment does make a difference to pupils’ academic performance in school, children who have families that would engage them in literacy-related activities and those whose parents or care-givers supervise them at home and encourage them to read, progress faster in reading than others who do not have such support. I would like to assure Ms Audrey Wong that, besides literacy and numeracy skills, we also aim to develop our children holistically, and to give children who are gifted in non-academic areas the opportunity to shine. Let me share one example with Members. Cheston Tan started playing the violin in Primary 3 at Fuchun Primary after watching a group of violinists perform in the school. He topped the ABRSM Grade 1 examination in 2006 and took the Grade 8 examination in 2008. All in four years at Fuchun! We hear that Cheston is now at the School of The Arts (SOTA) where he is part of the school’s string ensemble. Cheston was on the MOE's Financial Assistance Scheme. No head start in music, no Yamaha lessons. He is where he is because he had the opportunity to pursue and demonstrate his talent in school.”
“But as much as we want to ensure that pre-school education is accessible to all children, we need the support of parents and families as they, too, play a large and important role in the education of their children. Our measures seek to ensure good affordable pre-school education for all, especially the lower socio-economic groups. This is a more targeted approach and requires more effort to work with relevant stakeholders to remove the barriers for those in need. In fact, it is much harder but more productive than simply legislating it to be compulsory. In the process, the society gets involved, it becomes more emphatic, becomes part of the solution; and it contributes to making our society a caring society. Through these efforts, we have ensured that almost all our children, regardless of family background, have access to quality programmes at affordable fees. Mr Viswa asserts that there are "crash courses in schools at Primary 1 to level up their reading and numeracy skills to "pump-prime'' a child in a few months when other children have taken two whole years (of kindergarten) to achieve the same!" This is not the approach of our Learning Support Programme (LSP) and Learning Support for Mathematics (LSM) programmes. It is an unfair characterisation of the efforts that dedicated teachers put in to help children. Under the LSP and LSM, our professionals accept that children learn best at their own pace to reach their inherent full potential. We do not pump-prime them but provide additional support in literacy or numeracy. Some may take longer than others and teachers will customise their teaching according to the needs of each child.”
“For children who cannot afford pre-school, our outreach team has worked closely with pre-school providers and community support groups to emplace these children and make available financial assistance support, including MCYS’ schemes and support from community groups. This approach has yielded good results. For parents who are not aware of the value of pre-school education, MOE has launched an awareness campaign to help parents, especially in lower-income families, to understand the importance of pre-school education. However, as Mr Viswa also acknowledges, these families have problems that are often more complex and require a holistic approach. That is why MOE and MCYS have heavily involved grassroots organisations and voluntary welfare organisations to offer a more comprehensive solution. This approach to achieve universal participation in pre-school has worked. Today, almost all Singaporean children attend pre-school. Our participation rate is among the highest in the world. The percentage of six-year-olds or children of K2-going age in the 2010 cohort who are not attending pre-school has fallen to 1.2%, down from 2.1% in 2009 and 5% from 2006. Of the 1.2% who do not attend pre-school, some of them are residing overseas and are enrolled in a school outside Singapore. Others are attending lessons in enrichment centres, or are enrolled in special education schools, or home-schooled. Furthermore, the pilot partnership with the Singapore Children Society had successfully reduced the number of uncontactable children and families to 113 this year, a significant improvement from the 350 quoted by Mr Viswa, which is for the cohort in 2009. We intend to continue to enhance our efforts so as to further improve on this number for 2011.”
“MOE has also established professional sharing forums to ensure that best practices and successful innovative ideas can be widely spread and adopted by others. The sharing of innovative projects and innovative practices at the relevant professional platforms helps to build up a culture of innovation and encourage other pre-schools to embark on innovative projects of their own. As the hon. Member Mrs Josephine Teo noted, expenditure by MOE alone in grants tied to the quality of teachers hired has doubled from $17 million in 2008 to $36 million last year, and is expected to reach up to $62 million by 2013. Mrs Teo has also asked whether we could do more for those who have just missed the qualification for KiFAS or CFAC. We will certainly look at that. Both MOE and MCYS spend this in a targeted manner so that while quality is being raised, pre-school remains affordable for all, especially those from the lower-income families. Indeed, no child should be denied the right to education because his parents cannot afford it. My colleague from MCYS will elaborate on this later. Despite our best efforts to keep pre-school affordable, there are still those who do not attend pre-school. MOE and MCYS have been working closely with community groups to reach out to these families by painstakingly knocking on doors to find them and to encourage their parents to place them into kindergartens or childcare centres. Some of these children are based overseas or home-schooled but, more often than not, these students come from two broad categories of families: those who cannot afford pre-school education without assistance and those who are not aware or do not value it.”
“We want a good quality pre-school sector but this does not mean that we should force all providers to be uniform. Unlike formal school education, experts agree that there is room for diverse approaches in the pre-school sector. Indeed, this focus on quality and minimum standards, not uniformity, has encouraged a variety of pre-school programmes with different approaches and models, such as the Project Approach, Reggio Emilia Approach, HighScope Model and Montessori Method. They all provide a curriculum that is appropriate for the stage of development of the child, encompassing child-centredness, holistic development and active learning through purposeful play. Parents with different preferences may choose the pre-school option that best meets the needs of their child. Here, I would like to add that quality pre-school education can be affordable. MOE, in collaboration with the Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore) (AECES), gives Outstanding Kindergarten Awards each year to recognise quality teachers and kindergartens that have implemented impactful and innovative projects. Over 2009 and 2010, 30 kindergartens have won Distinction or Merit Awards for innovations and high-quality programmes in their pre-schools. They did not come from those who charged the highest fees. The majority – 21 out of 30 – charge fees at around the average or below. This is testimony that quality pre-school education can be affordable. The Government will continue to provide generous funding to the pre-school sector to encourage innovation through the Pre-School Innovation Grant which, since 2008, has funded 171 innovative projects.”
“Likewise, childcare centres have also begun using this instrument to raise the quality of educational programmes. MOE's target is to have 85% of all kindergartens and childcare centres participate in the external assessment by 2013. The widespread adoption of SPARK over the next few years will further strengthen baseline standard as I am sure that, over time, parents will only want to send their child to pre-schools that have obtained accreditation. As the sector develops, the accreditation framework can evolve to motivate operators to further improve quality standards. We have observed that the kindergartens that have adopted the instrument are more aware of the gaps in their processes and practices and are, therefore, able to put in place more targeted and effective efforts at raising their centres' quality. The principal of the PCF kindergarten at Nee Soon East Block 408 shared that after being trained in the use of the quality assurance instrument, she and her staff are now more aware of the need to plan ahead and set targets for their centre. This year, the kindergarten was awarded the MOE-AECES Kindergarten Best Learning Centre Award for having successfully enhanced their curriculum and designed their learning centres to provide holistic development opportunities for their children which are integrated and focused on play-based activities. Mr Speaker, Sir, my Committee does not support NMP Viswa’s proposal to limit the choice or options available to parents by imposing more regulations on curriculum and fees for pre-schools. This is unnecessarily prescriptive and stifling for operators. Parents can decide for themselves if the pre-school is worth the money they spend.”
“MOE had earlier announced the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework in 2008. Since then, we have made progress in developing, testing and validating the Quality Rating Scale (QRS). Yesterday morning, the Singapore Pre-School Accreditation Framework (SPARK) was launched officially at the Kindergarten Learning Forum. This is what the Framework Booklet looks like [indicating ]. All pre-schools can participate in SPARK by using the QRS for self-assessment to improve the quality of their own programmes. When they are ready, they can also seek external assessment by MOE-accredited assessors. A good SPARK rating or accreditation status is endorsement of the quality of a pre-school programme. Information on pre-schools that participated in SPARK and have attained accreditation will be listed in the MOE website from June 2011, so that parents can make more informed choices in their selection of pre-school programmes for their children. Using SPARK, each pre-school would be measured in seven key areas: (1) leadership; (2) planning and administration; (3) staff management; (4) resources; (5) curriculum; (6) pedagogy; and (7) health, hygiene and safety. The approach of allowing the providers to sign themselves up for quality improvements and according them recognition is working. Providers know that it is in their own interest to do so as parents will look for these quality marks before deciding enrolment to their pre-schools. Before the official launch of SPARK, MOE had already distributed the quality assurance instrument to kindergartens in November 2009 and childcare centres in 2010 for them to practise self-assessment. So far, 81% of our kindergartens have already begun using the instrument to guide them to improve their quality.”
“Further, to develop professional capacity within the pre-school sector, there are also annual professional sharing platforms, such as the Child Care Seminar, Kindergarten Conference and the Kindergarten Learning Forum. In fact, I was at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Kindergarten Learning Forum yesterday morning. Let me now touch on raising the standards of pre-schools. MOE provides clear guidelines as well as teaching resources to support educational programmes in all kindergartens and childcare centres based on best practices in early childhood education. In 2000, we delineated the Desired Outcomes of Pre-School Education, in consultation with pre-school practitioners and professionals to define the skills and dispositions that children should know at the end of their pre-school education. Mr Viswa had asked for MOE to consider stipulating a core curriculum for all kindergartens. In fact, MOE developed the Kindergarten Curriculum Framework in 2003 outlining the key learning principles and supporting teaching and learning resources for children aged four to six. A more detailed Kindergarten Curriculum Guide was disseminated to all pre-schools in 2008. Most pre-schools in Singapore take reference from the Curriculum Framework and Guide to provide opportunities for children to acquire a set of key knowledge, skills and dispositions in the early years. To ensure that all kindergartens are adequately resourced to provide quality pre-school education, teaching and learning resources grants are offered by MOE to not-for-profit kindergartens. In 2009, MOE distributed a total of $2.2 million to the 352 kindergartens who applied for the grants. Together with teacher and programme quality, MOE seeks to improve the way centres are managed.”
“Third, to develop a quality assurance and accreditation scheme to raise the overall quality of pre-schools as well as to facilitate the decisions of parents when they enrol their children into pre-school. I am happy to update the House that positive outcomes have already been achieved in each of these three areas. Firstly, for teacher quality, we have raised the minimum academic qualifications of pre-school teachers in both kindergartens and childcare centres since January 2009. All new pre-school teachers must now have a minimum of five "O" level credits, including a credit in English Language, and a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education-Teaching (DECCE-T). As a result, the pre-school sector now recruits teachers from the middle one-third of the academic cohort as opposed to the bottom one-third of the academic cohort in the past. MOE has set a target for pre-school centres to have three-quarters of their teachers meet the abovementioned qualifications by 2013. The hon. Member Ms Wong asked about the progress of this policy. I am pleased to announce that as at end October 2010, 72.1% of our kindergartens and 68.2% of childcare centres have already met this target. But, mind you, this started from a base of less than 20% when we started out in 2006. We are raising minimum qualifications steadily by allowing a reasonable time for those already in the sector to upgrade. MOE and MCYS provide scholarships, bursaries and training awards for incumbent teachers, principals and pre-service teachers from not-for-profit childcare centres and kindergartens. Since 2008, MOE and MCYS have disbursed a total of $3.8 million for 302 scholarship, teaching award and bursary holders. I hope this addressed the question that the hon. Member Mrs Teo asked just now.”
“Instead, the Committee formulated plans and provided more funds to improve the pre-school sector by focusing on four key thrusts: (1) Improving quality through regulatory requirements and setting acceptable standards for all providers; (2) Targeted assistance and funding for lower-income families to ensure affordability and access to pre-schools; (3) Focusing pre-school on holistic development and not inappropriate formal education at too early an age; and (4) Providing more funds and grants to improve teacher quality and overall quality of centres. Arising from the Committee's work, we have implemented a number of new initiatives since 2008. Allow me to share with the House the results of these initiatives where MOE and MCYS have been working closely together with kindergarten and childcare providers as well as community groups. Mr Speaker, let me assure the Members of this House that MOE does take the lead to ensure that pre-school education is of good quality. MOE has not focused its work solely to address the anxiety of parents, on which the hon. Member Ms Wong has premised her support for the motion. I found at least four times she used the word "anxiety" in various forms in her speech, and if we add the word "daunting", that will be five. Instead, the pre-school going children's interest is the centre of our focus. MOE has, therefore, been working on the three key leverage areas identified by the Committee to raise the baseline quality of education across the pre-school sector. First, to require higher qualifications for teachers and principals in the pre-school sector. Second, to provide resources and sharing of best practices to enhance the quality of programmes within the pre-school sector.”
“Unlike primary school education, there is little evidence or consensus to support any specific pre-school programme or that it should be compulsory or be made part of the public education system to better prepare students to be ready for primary school. We certainly cannot say that simply by attending pre-school children will do better later. As experts counsel, the more important element is the supportive environment for growth either at home or in the pre-school. In Finland and Sweden – countries renowned for high performing primary and secondary students – participation in pre-school education is voluntary and formal schooling starts later at seven years old. Closer to home, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan also do not mandate compulsory pre-school education. Mr Viswa's assertion that OECD nations are moving towards a more universalised system is inaccurate. Currently, most of the OECD countries do not mandate compulsory pre-school education. Instead, similar to the approach Singapore is taking, they try to ensure that all children have access to quality pre-schools. Singapore's targeted approach to ensure accessibility and affordability, and focus on quality, is indeed in line with what these countries are doing. Guided by these insights and best practices, the Committee did not support the approach for pre-school to be either part of or structured primarily to make students ready for the formal public education sector.”
“In fact, to counteract this trend, they recommended that the formal schooling age in England be raised from age five to six years old, in line with other Scandinavian countries which start formal schooling later. The main reason was to give children sufficient time to establish positive attitudes and build their confidence, and develop their social and language skills through active play-based learning as compared to the structured, subject-based curriculum of formal schooling. Allow me to quote from this Report which counteracts some of the NMP's proposals, from page 491, paragraph 24 of the report: "There is evidence that the well intentioned requirement to narrow the gap in outcomes for the most vulnerable children is leading to pressure to skew an otherwise holistic and balanced curriculum in order to meet goals that are not all appropriate for all children." From page 169: "Nor is there evidence indicating that children from deprived backgrounds – who are presumed to be main beneficiaries – gain from an early start to formal school." Let me quote further, from page 172: "The Report therefore recommended extending the early years phase (ie, pre-school) to age six and seven so as to allow more time for 'curiosity and confidence, social and oral skills (that) would be more likely to flourish in play-based developmentally appropriate education and care'. Such a move would also signal an acceptance of the oft-repeated warnings that too-formal-too-soon may be dangerously counterproductive." For these sound educational reasons, very few countries mandate pre-school education.”
“Experts further warn that an over-emphasis during the pre-school years on academic instruction, uniformity or comparisons of individual performances to narrow the gap, would not benefit a child's overall development, motivation and interest in learning subsequently. For these reasons, the Committee did not support the approach that NMP Viswa has recommended. NMP Viswa, in his speech, has pointedly urged all of us to "accept the reality that kindergartens today, unlike in the 1960s and 1970s, play a more significantly critical role in preparing our children for primary school" and for pre-schools to "ensure that our children are adequately prepared for Primary 1". Even though his intentions are certainly well meaning and may garner support from some parents, developmental and education experts specifically warn against ratcheting up pre-school learning outcomes to be too focused on preparing children to become "ready" for primary school. Such an approach ignores the spectrum of potential and pace of development which exist normally in pre-school children. We should accept the fact that young children have different potentials and develop at different speeds. Attempts to accelerate in pre-school discrete outcomes, like numeracy and literacy, to reduce learning gaps between children through academic focus and structure are therefore not recommended. A recent comprehensive review of primary education by a group of researchers from Cambridge University in 2010, led by Prof. Robin Alexander – and I hold the Report in my hand – warned against this specific danger of prematurely formalising pre-school.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the NMPs have urged the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of pre-school education in Singapore. The Government has, in fact, conducted a recent review. In 2008, we presented to this House the recommendations of the joint MOE-MCYS Steering Committee for improving the quality of pre-school education which I chaired. The Steering Committee shared the concerns expressed by NMP Viswa that our education system, including the pre-school sector, continues to provide opportunities for all to reach their full potential and level up. In particular, the Committee focused on two areas to achieve this goal of education as a social leveller: first, we aimed for universal access to pre-school and specifically looked at removing barriers which prevented children from low-income families from doing so and, second, we wanted to raise the overall quality of pre-school education through improving teacher quality and standards. As the NMPs have pointed out, there is good information from educational experts that the right type of pre-school education can better produce educational outcomes with social and economic benefits in the longer term, especially for children from disadvantaged families. However, the Committee was also careful to note the views of experts who warned against pre-school becoming extensions of formal school systems, where early childhood years become overly structured and focused on preparing children for primary school. Educational approaches must be appropriate for the child's stage of development. Pre-schools should generally adopt a play-based approach and allow the child to develop in that environment.”
“We must be mindful not to move everything we cannot achieve in primary schools to pre-schools. [Laughter]. We are also mindful of the need for preventive care and that we can also provide guidance for practitioners in our pre-schools as well as to their parents. The Member is right: parents tend to overindulge in their children's food habits and therefore it is good and timely that we work with the pre-schools to provide the information as early as possible, given also that most of our students attend pre-schools. 2.06 pm”
“Mr Speaker, for the first question on whether there are any comparisons with other countries: I do not have the figures but we do compare. I can say that at our biennial Education for Health Conference which is attended, not only by our school practitioners, but also by practitioners around the world, I get only accolades from them for the way that we have managed health issues in our schools and for maintaining a stable obesity rate among our students. But if the Member wants to have more specific figures, perhaps he can file a parliamentary question for it. Secondly, whether there are guidelines for our schools to provide healthy food, healthy nutrition. Apart from educating them during curriculum hours, we work with HPB to educate the canteen operators to provide healthy nutritional food that would form a balanced diet. Those that have attained a particular standard set by HPB get the title "A Model Tuckshop".”
“The new CHERISH framework has shifted from only looking at obesity rate towards looking at progress because reducing obesity is not an overnight thing. We can give them pills, we can inject them and maybe they will lose weight. But I think that is not what we want them to do. What we want to do is to have a healthy disposition towards life and, for some students, it may take a lifetime. Maybe it would take them as long as they are in school and maybe they would only start slimming down after they have left school. So for that matter, what we want to ensure is that students internalise why they have to be healthy so that even if they are obese, they do undertake rigorous exercises so that they can fall within the healthy weight and height norms. To target a particular obesity rate, it must be based on some science or evidence that this is the obesity rate that we should look for. For now, while we do not have a particular target rate, we are happy that the obesity rate has been stable and is not increasing.”
“While this HHF is still new, I am happy to note that all schools that I have visited have already incorporated HHF – Holistic Health Framework – into their Health Education framework in place of the old TAF programmes that they had previously. On the third question of whether there are enough health and nutritionists to help schools: we use the services of Health Promotion Board (HPB) as well as NGOs like the National Nutritionist Dietetics Society to help schools address specific issues around health. Sometimes, it could be around nutrition, sometimes it could be around healthy eating, including for those who are underweight, to make sure that they also have a varied diet and not just look at trying to maintain a slim look.”
“Managing the obesity rate in our population of students is definitely one of the focus of schools. In fact, I chair the Healthy Youth Committee with representatives from HDB, MOH, IMH, MCYS, MOE, SSC and various practitioners of the sports and health industry. The reason we are incorporating a lot of people is basically as the Member has mentioned just now – the Holistic Health Framework (HHF) does not just address the issue of obesity. We have to expand the scope of concern of our students around social health and mental health as a more encompassing approach to impact the students' physical well-being. That is why IMH is on board. To answer the question on whether we should reduce the rate, it is something that we continue to do. But, it is not always an easy thing when students come from primary school, a little more obese than they should be. And after we have done a lot of work on them, parents at home overindulge in them and they have less physical activities during the school holidays. We find that after the school holidays, many students actually gained weight. So we ask Members who have children, to help schools and teachers in reducing the obesity rate. On the second question of whether Healthy Eating and HHF have taken root: I have visited many schools and they have moved away from over focusing on obesity or underweight, for that matter, and looking at the broad spectrum of health issues that students should be educated in. This includes mental health. The children should know that they should really get help if they feel depressed and that it is normal to get help when they feel depressed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in 2009, the obesity rate, defined as the proportion of students whose weight is more than 20% above the average for their height, was 10% for primary schools, 10% for secondary schools, and ranged from 6% in JCs to 23% at the ITE. We, however, do not have data on obesity for the polytechnics. Obesity rates among school students have remained relatively stable in the past decade. The obesity rate among ITE students rose from 18% in 2005 to 23% in 2009. Based on Weight-for-Height norms, the national obesity rate of our students in primary schools, secondary schools and JCs for the past decade has been stable around 9.7%. The data is available for the Members.”
“Funding is always available. It is up to the schools and zones to tap on various funds available to them to participate in recreational and non-competitive sports. Column No : 1853 OBESITY RATE AMONG STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS 6. Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the obesity rate among students in (i) primary schools (ii) secondary schools and (iii) post-secondary institutions; and (b) whether the obesity rate had increased over the past decade.”
“Students who do not participate in sports CCA may be in other CCAs. If you consider dance, for example, it may not be classified as sports, but it is very rigorous and is a good exercise, and many dancers stay very slim. In other CCAs, students are also participating in some form of physical exercise and competition. In addition, for students who do not participate in sports competition, there are many other opportunities for them to participate in Physical Education (PE) and the Sports Education Programme (SEP), which is co-funded by Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and MOE. Students have good exposure to various sports and activities and they all can participate in some form of competition. On whether or not MOE will increase the funding for sports CCA, MOE has already created various levels of participation. For example, we have already started the Youth Sports Academy (YSA) for various sports this year as a follow up to the Junior Sports Academy (JSA), so that students with sports talent can be nurtured by the best coaches. Er Lee Bee Wah: Sir, what I meant is: for those students who do not play competitively but they would like to have recreational sports.”
“We certainly share the concern of the Member and we will continue to look at the situation and monitor it. If we should re-classify all these drugs that should be prescribed for specific use and not for abuse, we will certainly take action on that. S-PASS AND WORK PERMIT APPROVALS 8. Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Manpower what are the criteria for approving S-Pass and Work Permit applications for jobs that do not traditionally come with paper qualifications such as cooks, cultural performers and trade workers.”
“We asked the inmates for permission for the grassroot leaders to approach their families, and then provide scaffolding care for their families to look out for the support that they need in terms of financing, housing, children's schooling and so forth, so that they do not fall into dysfunctionality when their spouses are in prison. For those who are highly dysfunctional, we also tap on agencies like MENDAKI, which provides wrap-around care. They have piloted some successful family cases where the families are brought from the brink of dysfunctionality back into functioning within the society. We must also look at other upstream issues that affect our community and somehow get them into offending. As the Minister for Home Affairs has announced just now, part of the recommendations of CPR is the formation of the Central Youth Guidance Office (CYGO) under MCYS, which should look at various initiatives by various Ministries, so that they are streamlined, co-ordinated and no gaps in between them, so that all youths upstream can access the services that youths should get. For youths who are in school, they get the kind of the services and support they want. But there are also youths who are out of school or in the transition of being out of school whom I think we need to fill the gap for. CYGO will, among other things, be looking at these issues.”
“While they have finished their sentence, they actually have to confront new challenges when they come out to the community. Therefore, among other things, the Committee on the Prevention of Re-offending (CPR) has looked at how the community can help the prisons and the authorities to reduce recidivism rate, to give better scaffolding for ex-offenders depending on the degree of risk of re-offending. For those who have very high risk of re-offending, we provide case management framework for them which is overseen by Singapore After-Care Association (SACA) as well as Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA). In addition to that, the Committee also recommended that they go down to the locality, so that these offenders are not only given support for their individual needs, they are also given support to re-integrate better with their families. The case management support for this group of offenders require the case managers to work with the local Family Service Centres (FSCs) so that in the first few months after their integration to the community, they are well integrated and can settle down. For those who are at lower risk of re-offending, SACA and SANA, together with MHA, have started to recruit volunteers to start what we call a "befriending service". Six months before they are released from prison, volunteers will start to write to these prisoners, with their consent, so that they can start to visit, write letters, befriend them and continue to be their friend after their release from prison. We are also concerned about the families. Since the recommendations have been put up, we are now piloting family outreach, piloted by our Member, Mr Maliki Osman in Admiralty.”
“Mr Speaker, we agree with the Member that looking out for new drugs that will threaten our community is one of the initiatives that keeps the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on its toes, to make sure that these drugs do not come in the community before it becomes a menace. In the early 1990s, we focused on tackling the growth of heroin. After introducing a comprehensive anti-drugs strategy in 1994, we saw the drug situation in Singapore drastically improved. But now and over time, we see that psychotropic drugs, as Mr Christopher de Souza mentioned, have begun to surface as one of the emerging threats in Singapore. But we must continue with our anti-drugs control and not succumb to international pressures to allow other forms of drugs reduction – what they call harm reduction in Europe and US, where they give needles to people who are drug abusers. They look at this situation as a health issue rather than a social menace. Therefore, we will continue to look at the threats of heroin and other psychotropic drugs. Moving forward, we will continue to keep abreast of the developments, examining the measures and see what we can do to ensure that, not only do we re-classify these drugs as drugs we ban from Singapore as a drug subject to abuse, but to also to ensure that our students, children and youths continue to be educated to stay away from drugs. On the issue of rehabilitation and recidivism, our Committee that concluded quite recently discovered that the issue of offenders re-offending is actually quite a complex issue. Indeed, for many of them, the situations they face when they leave the prison are very complex. To that extent, the Yellow Ribbon programme called for the community to support them, to open the second prison.”
“5% for the cohort released in 2007, this is still low by international standards. We think it will hover around that rate. The recidivism rates for ex-offenders who committed crimes against persons, property offences and drug offences had increased for the cohorts released in 2005 to 2007. The recidivism rates for those who committed crimes against persons rose from 18.3% to 21.1%, while that of property offenders rose from 37.5% to 39.1%. The recidivism rate for drug offenders increased from 21.6% to 25.5% for 2005 to 2007. Singapore has managed to achieve these results because of our tough laws and the efforts of each and every member of the Home Team. In addition, we have enjoyed strong support from the public. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on developing and grooming our officers to be ready for future challenges, and deepening our engagement with community partners and members of the public. The recommendations of the recent Committee on the prevention of re-offending, which I chaired, point to the need for the community to provide aftercare support for ex-prisoners. Studies and experience in many countries point to the need for a strong collaboration between the authorities and the community to better ensure that ex-prisoners integrate into the community and that their rehabilitation needs such as for employment, positive social peers and other forms of support are met.”
“Mr Christopher de Souza has asked for the incidence and recidivism rates for offences against persons, offences against property, and drug offences. These rates are requested for the period 2008 to the present as compared to the period of 2005 to end of 2007. Comparing the two periods, both incidences of offences against persons and property offences have decreased. From 2005 to 2007, the incidence of offences against persons averaged about 97 per 100,000 population, and this decreased to 91 per 100,000 from 2008 to September 2010. The incidence of offences against property also decreased from an average of 602 per 100,000 population for the period 2005 to 2007, compared to 508 per 100,000 population for 2008 to September 2010. The number of drug abusers arrested in recent years has gone down compared to the 2005 to 2007 period. The number of drug abusers arrested increased from 793 in 2005 to 2,211 in 2007. Since 2008,the number of abusers arrested has stabilised. One thousand, nine hundred and twenty-five abusers were arrested in 2008, 1,883 in 2009, and 1,328 in the first nine months of this year. Prison measures the recidivism rate as a percentage of local inmates who were released in any particular year and who were subsequently convicted and imprisoned again for a new offence within two years following their release. We are only able to compare the recidivism rate for the period of 2005 to 2007 since the tracking period for the 2008 release cohort will only be completed at the end of this year. Singapore’s recidivism rate has declined over the years from about 44.4% for the cohort released in 1998 to an all-time low of about 23.7% for the cohort released in 2004. Although the recidivism rate has since increased slightly to about 26.”
“Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Sir, Singapore has two Water Agreements with Malaysia, one expiring in 2011, and the other one in 2061. Sir, over the years, Singapore has built up its local water supply with new reservoir schemes, NEWater and desalinated water. With these new sources, we have diversified our water supply and built up a robust system. We will not need to renew the first Water Agreement when it expires in 2011. We have augmented our local catchments with the Marina, Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs. Singapore's water catchment area will increase from half to two-thirds of our land area when these three reservoirs are completed by 2011. NEWater supply capacity is also being ramped up concurrently. With the completion of the NEWater plant at Changi in 2010, NEWater will be able to meet 30% of Singapore's water needs. In addition, the desalination plant completed in 2005 can further meet about 10% of Singapore's water needs. As the production of NEWater and desalinated water are independent of rainfall, they can be used to supplement local water stocks in an extended dry spell, like the one experienced in February this year, which was the driest February on record. Over the next few years, we will be building a second desalination plant, so as to further enhance the drought resilience of our water supply, and ensure reliability for Singapore's water users. Water pricing is an important element of our water conservation efforts. Water tariffs need to be reviewed from time to time, to reflect the higher costs of producing water from these newer sources and other general cost increases. Sir, the Government will study any proposal to revise tariffs carefully, particularly its impact on low income households. 3.00 pm ”
“I empathise with the Member for such a harrowing incident. Certainly, the Traffic Police takes a serious view especially of motorcyclists using pedestrian footways. But we have to look at this phenomenon in proportion to the number of accidents that actually happen on the roads to the motorcyclists themselves. Last year, about 4,500 motorcyclists were killed or injured, of which 100 of them were actually killed, including the riders and about 10 pillion riders. So in proportion to the number of accidents on pavements, there were about 14 accidents that resulted in injuries from 2005 to this day. So, in proportion, the number of injuries actually far outweighed those on our roads than on the footways. We will continue to enforce in proportion. I think we have to put our people on the ground where it matters most, that is, put our education programmes in proportion, again to ensuring motorists take due care to ensure that they understand their own vulnerabilities when they are on the road and to respect the rights of use of other users on the road and not to use the footpaths when they are travelling from one place to another. SINGAPORE'S WATER AGREEMENTS WITH MALAYSIA  13. Mrs Mildred Tan asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in light of the expiry of the first of our Water Agreements with Malaysia next year, whether the Minister can give an update on Singapore's attempt to be self-sufficient in water and whether this will mean an increase in water tariffs for Singaporeans in the future.  Mr Speaker: You have about three minutes, Dr Yaacob.  The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Assoc. Prof.”
“The offence can be compounded with a composition amount not exceeding $1,000. In 2009, more than 1,000 summonses were issued to motorcyclists for riding on footways. This is an increase of 28% over the previous year. The Traffic Police takes strict enforcement action against motorcyclists who endanger themselves or others by riding on footways of roads recklessly or without due regard of others. The Traffic Police also engages key stakeholders, such as motorcycle clubs or organisations that employ a large fleet of riders, to remind the motorcyclists of the importance of obeying road traffic rules and to practise safe riding behaviours at all times. Some of these organisations take part in the "Ride Safe Ambassador" scheme, where the supervisors of teams of riders help spread road safety messages to fellow riders. In 2009, the Traffic Police conducted more than 30 safe riding talks targeted at motorcyclists. As part of the "Ride Safe" campaign, the Traffic Police displayed table top advertisements and lamp post banners in tertiary education institutions such as NUS, NTU and polytechnics to promote road safety awareness among young riders. Members would have seen the key message last year was "Ride Safe. Don't Speed". The advertisements and banners also highlighted riding offences and their penalties. As Traffic Police continues with enforcement action and public education programmes, like cyclists, motorcyclists must play their part in ensuring a safer road environment for all. They can do so by observing the road traffic rules at all times, not riding on footways of roads, and adopting a safety-conscious mindset. This will go a long way towards ensuring that other road users can also enjoy a safe and pleasant journey on our roads.”
“The number of accidents that involved cyclists on the road is not huge. Of the 583 accidents that were reported involving cyclists in 2009, 1.9% involved cyclists and pedestrians, and the rest involved cyclists and motorists. So, on the one hand, we talk about footways just now, it is not a huge problem in terms of injuries. But yes, I agree with the Member that there is a much bigger problem when it comes to cyclists on the road. There are existing regulations and laws that we can enforce against motorists to make sure that they give enough space, for example, when they are overtaking cyclists. But we are also mindful that cyclists should be aware of their own vulnerabilities when they are riding on the road. When they do not give enough time to signal correctly or to move against traffic flow, that, inevitably, exposes them to the dangers of cycling on the road. MOTORCYCLISTS ON PEDESTRIAN PAVEMENTS 12. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many traffic summonses have been issued against motorcyclists in the past 12 months for riding along pedestrian pavements; and (b) what actions will the Traffic Police take to reduce such dangerous practices.  Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, motorcyclists are prohibited from riding on footways of roads under Rule 28 of the Road Traffic (Bicycles) Rules. This offence can be compounded with a composition amount of $70. However, if prosecuted in court, the motorcyclist can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed up to three months. It is also an offence for motorcyclists to ride on HDB common property and open spaces such as void decks under the by-laws of most Town Councils.”
“There was another question on barriers to prevent cyclists cycling to bus stops. This is an infrastructure issue. Perhaps, it should be best directed to LTA or MOT.  Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, I received feedback from quite a number of motorists that very often, they have near-miss accidents because of the lack of headlights or the back reflector lights on bicycles. I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary whether the Ministry would be stepping up action to take action against those cyclists.”