Ng Chee Meng
Singapore
“I note the intent of the OJT and agree with the objectives behind the proposal, and it will be studied, considered in our NTUC's work, even as we chart possibilities in career counselling for the youths, and do possible pathways to innovate with the IHLs in career guidance and matches into internship and other possibilities.”
“I began this speech with the questions on many workers' minds: how can I take part in the AI growth and benefit from it? How can I translate into fair opportunities for me? Singapore has invested much in education and the skills of our workforce.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Government for responding to NTUC's and our Platform Work Association's calls to support sectors most affected by the recent fuel price increases. The measures announced for platform drivers and riders will go some way in easing the pressures on their livelihoods. I have two clarifications.”
“Family members who have mental health conditions or degenerative diseases, such as dementia, which is becoming more common, who may require high supervision but may not necessarily qualify for the three ADL criteria today. Preventive Healthcare in the Community”
“However, there is one group that I am particularly concerned about – the 13,000 or so who are out of the workforce to care for their elderly. I note from MOM's data that this group is largely female, single, 50 and above, non-tertiary educated and do not have any or any recent work experience. We think that there is scope to do more.”
“Chairman, our young graduates are entering the workforce at a time in a disrupted age. AI is becoming more advanced, even at entry-level tasks. And throughout their careers, they will need to adapt and pivot several times, as the pace of change and skills obsolescence increases.”
The complete record
Every one of 434 lines we hold for Ng Chee Meng, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 9.
“The achievements of Singaporean students in the Angus Ross Prize were an additional testimony to the performance of our Literature students. The discontinuation of the prize is unlikely to have a significant impact on our students' interest in studying Literature at "A" level. This motivation is more associated with our students’ passion for the subject and efforts by our Literature teachers to make the subject come alive for students. The Ministry of Education does not award a top academic award for any individual subject, and it is not necessary to start doing so now. While quality performance in examinations remains important, it is more important for us to emphasise the quality of our students' learning experience throughout the entire "A" level course.”
“Around 7,800 Primary 1 students are enrolled in Student Care Centres (SCCs) registered with the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Among these students, 4,800 are enrolled in school-based SCCs whilst the rest are enrolled in community-based SCCs. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has increased the number of school-based SCCs from less than 50 five years ago to 147 today. The overall enrolment has risen from 3,000 to more than 18,000 students. MOE will continue to expand the places in each school-based SCC and expand the number of schools with SCCs, at a pace that does not cause quality to be compromised.”
“There are about 16,000 certified early childhood educators as at end-2016. About 3,000 students are currently undergoing training. On average, about 1,800 students graduate from early childhood courses every year.”
“Mdm Speaker, the answer to the first question is likely to be yes and yes, in its early days. And whether a driver can drive for another service operator, the answer is also yes. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Ng Chee Meng.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“Madam, I take the Member's point. We can take a look at it. I do understand that a licensing fee of 0.01% does not constitute a large proportion. Like I have said, I take the Member's point. We can take a look at it and see how a level field can be achieved over time as what we had done last year.”
“Madam, for the conversion, I have two points. One is that taxi companies have already started their own version of PHC, so there is enough market space for them to do the necessary calculations for a viable business model. To give them a double benefit, it is premature and probably not the right thing to do either. So, for that, we will just leave the space for the businesses to consider their own business models and viability.”
“For such non-compliant PAB and PMD devices, once you are non-compliant, you are liable to be seized. But as most things operational on the ground, much of the executive judgement is left to the enforcement officers and we will leave it as that. Sometimes, a person may really not know that he has contravened something and it was done before this law was passed and, for all the different complexities, I will trust the officers on the ground to make the judgement call. The key point is all these offences are seizable offences.”
“Thank you. I do apologise I did not get to that point. It is taken into account under the SAE International J3016, where there are different categories of automation. Under our laws, it will be under levels 3, 4 and 5 from high automation to full automation which is driverless. So, it is a range that we put these vehicles under this framework law.”
“Before I conclude, Mdm Speaker, I just want to address Mr Azmoon's story about him going green. I applaud that. but the incentives to get more people like the Member to go green would be taken under other initiatives. Mdm Speaker, in summary, this Bill seeks to update our regulations to cater to various innovations in the land transport sector, most notably the AV technology and private hire car services, while continuing to ensure the safety of the public. It is a balanced stance to ensure commuters' interest, drivers' welfare and business, as many of the Members have raised points about. With that, Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. 7.02 pm”
“Mr Sitoh Yih Pin commented that Power-assisted Bicycles (PABs) are similar to lower-powered motorcycles and called for compulsory road safety training for PAB users. The new technical requirements for PABs, introduced last year, limit PABs to a maximum device speed of 25 km/h, which is roughly my cycling speed. The motor must also be cut off when the user is not pedalling. So, if there is no pedalling power, he really cannot get the vehicle to go faster. In our view, this is more akin to being a bicycle with power assistance. Thus, we have assessed that we do not need to mandate road safety training for PAB users. We will continue, of course, to work with the Traffic Police to educate PAB users on safe behaviour and practices, regardless of whether it is more like a motorcycle or more like a bicycle. Nevertheless, safety for them is important. Mr Dennis Tan asked about seizure procedures and requirements. I did not quite get the full query, but I would try and answer to take in all the questions. LTA has the power to seize PMDs and PABs as long as there are any behavioural offences, such as speeding and reckless driving. These are offences for seizure, including illegal modifications that do not meet what has been stipulated in terms of the width of the vehicle, the weight of the vehicle and the speed limits structurally placed on the vehicle. Any of these is a seizable offence. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah expressed concerns that illegally modified private hire cars could pose a danger to the safety of commuters. I fully agree with the Member. We take a very serious view of illegal modifications, whether it is of private hire cars or private cars. We will continue to ensure that motorists who illegally modify their vehicles are taken to task.”
“Drivers are advised to carefully read the terms and conditions and ensure that they are fully aware of their rights and obligations, before signing up with an operator. Perhaps we could suugest that the National Private Hire Vehicles Association may wish to take this up with the various operators. Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Louis Ng asked how we would regulate ride-sharing services, such as GrabHitch. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked how we would regulate what seems to be PHC services that ferry school children to and from school. I believe Er Dr Lee Bee Wah was referring to was Schoolber, which helps parents roster themselves to carpool to send their children to school using their own private cars. I would like to clarify that GrabHitch and Schoolber are carpooling services, not to be confused with PHC services. Our regulations allow a driver to use private vehicles to give rides to others travelling to the same destination or in the same direction as himself and for the driver to collect a small fee on a cost-recovery basis, not for profit. This is different from PHC services, where the intent is for the drivers to provide rides as a source of income. Hence, we do not intend to regulate carpooling services. Commuters who are thinking of using such services should assess for themselves their own comfort with the services, in particular, service, including the Chihuahua case. Over-regulation of this budding initiative will most likely curtail the growth between private arrangements. If they are not comfortable with such safety issues or have reservations, they may want to use licensed taxis or PHC services or licensed school bus services, if they are really not comfortable with this pooling service.”
“The affected PHC booking service provider will also be given ample opportunity to present its case to LTA. Mr Dennis Tan also expressed concerns that it would not be fair for LTA to penalise all drivers affiliated to any particular PHC booking service because of the irresponsible action of a few. I would like to clarify that drivers affiliated with a PHC booking service provider who has been imposed with a general suspension order do not lose their vocation licences and they can continue to drive for other PHC booking service providers, just like taxi drivers. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about the criteria for PHC Driver's Vocational Licence holders, such as nationality and minimum age. There are no changes to the criteria announced last year. Non-Singapore citizens will be granted a PHC Drivers' Vocational Licence only if they are employees of chauffeured services companies. And as for a minimum age criterion, our view is that requiring PHC drivers to have a minimum driving experience of two years should be adequate to reasonably ensure passenger safety. And, the number of years of driving experience may, in fact, be more important than age. When the age was set at 30 for taxi drivers, it was meant to persuade drivers not to take this on early in their life as a permanent vocation. Mr Ang Hin Kee suggested that the Government ensure that PHC drivers are free to switch platforms whenever they deem necessary. Agreements between drivers and PHC booking service operators, including the possibility of switching to driving for other operators, should be left as a commercial decision, as per my answer to Mr Yee Chia Hsing. Let the market decide.”
“Hence, in discussing a level playing field, we need to recognise that it would have to be in the total context of not just regulations, but also concessions. Mr Ang Kin Kee raised two questions on the general suspension order. First, whether LTA will permanently disallow a PHC booking service provider who has received multiple suspension orders from operating its services. The suspension order, including the possibility of multiple orders, is a significant regulatory threat which we believe will be sufficient to make service providers take the rules seriously. We will consider stronger regulation if and when necessary. Second, Mr Ang asked if LTA will set up a feedback channel to update and inform commuters when a particular PHC booking service operator has been suspended. LTA will ensure that sufficient notice and publicity to both drivers and commuters are given before a suspension order commences. LTA will study the best channels to do so. Mr Dennis Tan asked if such a suspension order may be too harsh given that PHC booking service providers are operating somewhat differently from the taxi industry. But I would like to assure him that this actually commensurates with the powers that LTA has over other transport service providers today. To put this in context, as I think Mr Ang also mentioned just now, LTA has the power today to revoke or suspend the licences of taxi operators which do not comply with LTA's licensing conditions or directives. A general suspension order has the same effect as a licence suspension. Like a licence suspension or revocation, the general suspension order is also a power of last resort to be applied only if they are serious and repeated breaches on our rules.”
“Therefore, it would not be right to allow taxi companies to enjoy these concessions on the one hand and then, later, re-registering the vehicle as a private hire car. Mr Louis Ng asked why private hire cars must adhere to the child seat rule but taxis need not. The child seat rule is imposed on all vehicles for safety reasons. But the Government has allowed a concession for taxis for practicality reasons, as taxis can be street hailed, and it would be quite unreasonable to expect all taxi drivers to ensure that their taxis come equipped with booster seats and child restraints at all times, or to turn away street hail passengers with children. Private hire cars (PHCs), on the other hand, are pre-booked and passengers can indicate if they require booster seats or child restraints when making the booking. The Government's exemption of taxis from the child seat rule is the outcome of trying to balance between practicality on the one hand and safety on the other. Having said this, I do take your point that an argument can, indeed, be made to similarly exempt private hire cars from the child seat rule. But for now, we have decided to err on the side of ensuring the safety of child passengers on PHCs. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah expressed concern over congestion at taxi stands. Our intent is for taxi stands to remain solely for the use of taxis. This is also in line with our intent to keep the street hail market solely for taxis. Mdm Speaker, these discussions on various aspects of taxi and PHC services also illustrate that while the two serve similar markets, there are key differences not only in how we regulate them, but the concessions available to them.”
“We take issues related to the safety of commuters very seriously. This is why we will be requiring private hire car drivers to obtain a vocational licence. And when we do so, this vocational licence framework will impose on private hire car drivers the same demerit point system that is currently applied across the taxi drivers today. Private hire car drivers will also have to abide, under this framework, to similar Conduct Rules as taxi drivers − cleanliness, dressing and all those. As we are not planning to license private hire car booking service operators for now, there will be no licencing fees. This light-touch approach allows the industry, which is still evolving, to continue to innovate and benefit commuters, but also, at the same time, ensures commuter safety. I believe this is an appropriate approach for now, but we will continue to monitor closely and adjust as needed. Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked whether we can allow taxi companies to convert part of their taxi fleets to private hire cars and if we will limit the losses which operators, such as Uber and Grab, can incur. The role of Government is to put in place an appropriate regulatory framework for businesses to operate. I do not believe and we should not be taking on the responsibility for their profits or losses as a Government. Operators must make their own business decisions and the market will impose the necessary discipline over a period of time. As for the conversion of taxis to private hire cars, taxi companies today enjoy some concessions which are not applicable to private hire cars. For example, taxi companies today pay the Prevailing Quota Premium (PQP) for Category A vehicles for all their taxis, despite the fact that many of the taxis belong to Category B of the COE system.”
“Mr Louis Ng asked about the rationale for the maximum penalty of $5,000 for first-time offenders who obstruct AVs during trials. We have set a relatively high bar to deter acts of interference, some of which could cause the AV to behave in a way that endangers the safety of other road users. Five thousand dollars is the maximum penalty for the offence and the Courts will be able to calibrate the actual fine to the severity of the circumstances and consequences of any offence or accident. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Thomas Chua, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Mr Henry Kwek raised concerns that the advent of new technologies like AVs and private hire cars may disrupt the livelihood of Singaporeans. This is something that we are equally concerned about. But as we have all said, rather than impeding the adoption of these technologies, which are beneficial to all Singaporeans, we should focus our efforts on helping our transport workforce adapt to these inevitable disruptions over a 10- to 15-year timeframe. Together with our unions and companies, we can help our drivers upgrade their skills and perhaps take on higher value and better paying jobs. And I am equally happy, like Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, that companies are coming out with novel rental schemes, including dual shifts and hourly rates, so that taxi drivers can be helped with their earnings. Next, let me address Members' questions on private hire cars. Several Members spoke about levelling the playing field between taxis and private hire cars. Mr Melvin Yong asked if we will impose Quality of Service standards on private hire car operators. Mr Louis Ng would like a Code of Conduct to be imposed on private hire car drivers. Mr Ang Hin Kee suggested that we impose a licensing fee on private hire car booking service operators.”
“Indeed, this is the reason LTA, together with JTC Corp, in partnership with NTU, have started a Centre for Excellence for Testing and Research of Autonomous Vehicles. This organisation called CETRAN will spearhead the development of AV testing requirements. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked if our road and public transport network can accommodate AVs. A key requirement of the trials initiated by LTA is that the AVs can operate on our existing roads with minimal supporting structure. Globally, the industry is also gearing towards such infrastructure-light AVs. So, the short answer is yes, the trials will guide the AVs towards infrastructure-light modifications. Mr Melvin Yong asked what the penalties are for AV trial participants who do not buy the appropriate insurance or fail to place the stipulated security deposit with LTA. Companies or individuals which do not or fail to do so will not be issued a test licence to conduct AV trials. Mr Melvin Yong asked if LTA would consider mandating that trial data be transmitted real-time to LTA's Intelligent Transport System Centre. Currently, the answer is that trial participants are not required to do so, but I take that point and we are already requiring LTA to get this system set up for real-time transmission in the longer term for all the AV trials. Mr Melvin Yong also asked if AVs would be subjected to COE should there be an increase in AVs being trialled on our roads. In the longer term, when AV technology is mature and deployed widely in public, there does not seem to be any reason why we should exempt them from our COE system. But again, these are early days. We will review the policy at an appropriate point in time.”
“Mr Henry Kwek also asked if the insurance industry is being consulted. LTA is studying these complex issues, together with representatives from the AV, motor, legal and insurance industries, and this is part of the work set up under MOT's Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore. This is an 18-member strong Committee comprising senior members in Singapore public agencies, public sector and some global organisations. So, it is quite an experienced Committee. In the meantime, LTA has been discussing these issues with foreign counterparts that have also similar test-beds. On liability, the traditional basis of claims for negligence may not work so well − as Mr Dennis Tan has said − where there is no driver in control of a vehicle. When presented with novel technologies, Courts often try to draw analogies to legal constructs for other existing technologies. In the case of AVs, the Courts have autopilot systems for airplanes and autopilot navigational systems for maritime vessels, and product liability law to draw references from. As with accidents involving human-driven vehicles, it is likely that issues of liability for AVs will be resolved through proof of fault and existing common law. We will require all test AVs to log travel data to facilitate accident investigations and liability claims. But having said this, these are early days yet. A lot of detailed studies will have to be done, including the point raised by Mr Dennis Tan on the future framework, whether this class of vehicles requires licensing. I think this will be an area to be studied. Mr Azmoon Ahmad and Mr Melvin Yong asked about the issue of certification.”
“Mdm Speaker, I thank the Members for their queries and suggestions. Let me try to address the many queries in turn, grouped into: AVs, private hire cars and, finally, enforcement. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Dennis Tan and Mr Azmoon Ahmad raised pertinent issues about AVs. As we all noted, AV technology is not yet mature. During trials, accidents are to be expected. The LTA has put in place a robust regulatory framework for AV trials to minimise the possibility of accidents. First, AVs must demonstrate basic roadworthiness and capabilities by passing a safety assessment, before they can even be trialled on the roads. Second, AVs developers must have robust accident mitigation plans for the trials, including having a safety driver who is trained to swiftly take control of the AV, whenever necessary. In answer to Mr Dennis Tan, these drivers have a Class 3 licence and they have no demerit points. This need for a safety driver can be waived after the AV developers have proven the competency of their AVs to LTA's full satisfaction of navigating our infrastructure and roads. Third, trials are allowed to start only on lightly used roads like the one we have at one-north. When the AVs are able to demonstrate higher competencies, they will be allowed to trial in more complex environments, including some of our public roads. The proposed RTA provisions will give LTA the flexibility to impose additional requirements or amend requirements, as the need arises, because, in many of these trials, there may be unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, giving LTA the flexibility is the sensible thing to do. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Azmoon Ahmad and Mr Melvin Yong asked about the legal implications and many potential liability issues when AVs are involved in road accidents.”
“When operators renew or expand their fleet, new cars usually come with airbags. This cost is already incorporated into the price of a car and, therefore, it is a part of the business cost. When we talk about retrofitting airbags into existing cars, then that is a different proposition as that comes with more technical and cost challenges. We should allow time to take its natural course so that old cars in our system will eventually be phased out and all new cars will have airbags.”
“We impose the same safety requirements on taxis and private hire cars as on private cars. Seat belts for the driver and front and back seat passengers are mandatory. However, we have not made airbags mandatory, as they are generally considered by the industry to be a supporting feature to supplement seat belts. If seat belts are used properly, the injury risks to passengers are already greatly reduced. There is no international agreement on norms on the installation of airbags. Nevertheless, all the taxi companies in Singapore have taken the initiative to procure taxis with airbags when expanding or renewing their fleet. Today, about 70% of all taxis in Singapore are equipped with airbags, compared to about 23% five years ago.”
“Schools set their own internal guidelines in managing prizes won by student representatives in competitions. This is done based on factors, such as the school's education philosophy, type of prizes and competition rules. Some schools have a practice that book vouchers are shared equally amongst team members. When cash prizes are given, winners may be encouraged to donate a portion of the cash to support needy students or for their own Co-curricular Activity (CCA). This inculcates in our students a sense of gratitude to the larger community supporting them in the competition, and to pay it forward to benefit fellow students through the school programmes. The preparation for, and experience of the competition are the most valuable aspects. This is the educational value the students gain, irrespective of prizes won. We will remind schools to explain the purpose of their management of cash prizes to students and parents clearly.”
“In addition, the Ministry of Education (MOE) plays an active role in supporting and strengthening the quality of preschool education. We are piloting a few MOE Kindergartens as an added quality and affordable option in the landscape. They also serve as incubators for the development of appropriate teaching resources and best practices in kindergarten education, which are shared with other preschool operators. This complements other efforts to raise the quality of preschool education in the sector, such as strengthening teacher training and developing a kindergarten curriculum for the sector. We have made good progress with our current approach to preschool provision. Today, more than 90% of Singaporean children aged five to six years are enrolled in a preschool. In addition, after subsidies, lower-income families can pay as little as $1 a month for their child to attend pre-school. We will continue to monitor and review our policies for the preschool sector to ensure that every child has access to good quality and affordable preschool.”
“Today, we have a diversified preschool sector, comprising commercial operators, non-profit operators, publicly funded operators, as well as a few Government-run kindergartens. A key benefit of this market-based approach is that it provides parents with a diverse range of programmes to choose from, so as to best cater to their preferences and the different needs of their young children. That said, given the large number of operators participating in this sector, it is not surprising that fees, resources and quality will vary across pre-schools. A nationalised system has the potential to provide more consistent quality and affordability, but this system may not cater to the preferences of every parent. Internationally, countries have adopted different approaches to early childhood care and education depending on their specific contexts. While some jurisdictions have a state-run preschool system, places, such as Hong Kong and Australia, adopt a similar approach as ours where private operators and the community play a significant role prior to formal primary education. We recognise that the private sector and the community have built expertise over the years, and we value them as partners in our endeavour to ensure a strong start for every child. Hence, our priority now is to work together to raise the accessibility, affordability and quality of preschool. One important strategy has been to establish and partner closely with Anchor Operators and Partner Operators in the sector whose preschools are subject to additional conditions, such as fee caps and quality requirements. Today, close to half of Singaporean children are benefiting from quality and affordable programmes in these preschools. We hope that this will continue to grow.”
“As our schools continue to strengthen their efforts in nurturing such traits in students, we recognise that such cultural shifts will take time and need to be reinforced at home.”
“To better prepare our students to thrive in the future, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has identified a set of 21st Century Competencies to develop in all students. Critical and Inventive Thinking is one of the competencies to be developed. By nurturing our students to be more inventive in their thinking, they will be more ready to think out of the box. Critical and Inventive Thinking is developed through both the academic curriculum and the co-curricular programmes. Our efforts in this area have been building up steadily over the years. During lessons, teachers stimulate curiosity and creativity in their students through the use of inquiry-based pedagogies, and novel and open-ended learning tasks. Such approaches encourage students to challenge assumptions, explore new possibilities and embrace uncertainties. Such dispositions are also nurtured through authentic learning experiences in Values-in-Action projects and co-curricular activities, where students have to identify problems that need to be solved and come up with creative solutions. We have also been providing students with more opportunities for applied learning. This will enable them to apply skills and knowledge gained in the classroom to address real-world problems. Examples of such opportunities include the Applied Learning Programme and Learning for Life Programme in primary and secondary schools, as well as Advanced Elective Modules and Applied Subjects in secondary schools. To help students grow in their confidence to take calculated risks, our schools seek to provide a learning environment where students can feel safe to make choices, try new ideas and recover from setbacks. We need to help students find more intrinsic motivations in their learning so that they are driven more by a sense of passion.”
“The Ministry of Education’s (MOE) senior management recognises the importance of tripartism for Singapore. At the Ministry level, there is strong partnership between MOE senior officials and the unions representing our employees. These include four teachers’ unions (Singapore Teachers' Union, Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union, Singapore Malay Teachers' Union and Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees. Regular dialogues are conducted, during which the Ministry shares its plans and policies with the unions, and the unions share their ideas, plans and feedback with Ministry officials. Collaboration opportunities are also discussed during these dialogue sessions. To reinforce the importance of tripartism among our school leaders, we have introduced a labour-management relations module in the leadership programme for senior educators. This newly introduced module helps senior educators to better understand the role of tripartism in Singapore and how strong employee-management relations in MOE help contribute to a strong education system. The Member has suggested that MOE strengthen knowledge of tripartism through its zonal-sharing platforms. I am glad to share that MOE has been engaging our cluster superintendents to enhance their understanding on the role of tripartism and our collaboration with the unions.”
“Mdm Speaker, on a yearly basis, LTA reviews up to 24 roads based on accident trends that occur each year. On top of that, we also take into account public feedback and review specific roads that residents may have issues with, to lend better clarity and ease of use. If I may offer to the Member, perhaps, we can take this offline, and if specific areas require review, LTA will gladly do so.”
“The Traffic Police does not generally track and categorise accidents by the cause of vehicles going against the flow of traffic. However, for fatal accidents specifically, their data show that three have occurred in the past three years as a result of this behaviour. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) takes reference from international standards in the design and installation of road signs and markings. In addition, LTA engages independent specialist road safety engineers to review the clarity and effectiveness of our road signs and markings for new roads and undertakes regular safety audits of existing roads. Drivers should be extra careful and slow down if they are not familiar with the roads.”
“I thank the Member for the question. The basic answer is yes, to a basic level to be able to monitor signs of distress, from the teachers and the year head. For the counsellors, they will have a little bit more in-depth training.”
“I thank the Member for the question. He may or may not be there, depending on the circumstances of the event. When the counsellor, teacher or the year head is at the Police station, there will be a proper handover to the Appropriate Adult. If there is no Appropriate Adult present, the school counsellor would have to make a judgement call to stay with the young person until such an adult shows up. So, this would be operational management and we trust the judgement of the school personnel to make the best call.”
“I thank the Member for the supplementary question. For the counsellor in question, he is familiar to the young suspect. According to the Review Committee, an Appropriate Adult is more suitable because in a Police investigation, the person in attendance should be neutral. While a school counsellor may be in a better place to support the well-being of the young person, in those circumstances, he or she may not be neutral. So, that is one part of the answer. Second, for the school counsellor, whether he or she is accompanying the young adult, a certain level of flexibility would be required, given the school's circumstances. So, beyond the school counsellors specifically, we have decided to include the teacher, or the year head, who is familiar to the student to accompany him or her to the Police station. In this way, this flexibility will actually have a wider space to support the young person.”
“These efforts by our schools, other Government agencies, parents and the community, will support the well-being of young persons under investigation.”
“Mdm Speaker, the Ministry of Education is part of a multi-agency review committee formed to consider the State Coroner's suggestions. The committee is led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and includes the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Attorney-General's Chambers. As announced by the Minister for Home Affairs last week, the committee has undertaken a comprehensive review of the investigation processes for young persons. Following the recommendations, we will implement further measures that will provide enhanced support for the well-being of young persons under Police investigation. These measures will be implemented in schools by February 2017. Any young person conveyed from one of our schools to the Police station for an interview will generally be accompanied by an appointed school personnel familiar to the young person. This could be his or her teacher, the year head or the school counsellor. The school will provide the Police relevant information for all cases to better understand the young person's personal circumstances. The Police will inform the parent about the arrest as soon as possible. The review committee has also recommended the implementation of an Appropriate Adult (AA) scheme for young suspects, as announced by the Minister for Home Affairs last week. This Appropriate Adult will provide emotional support and observe the young person for signs of psychological distress during the interview by law enforcement agencies. Thereafter, the school personnel will keep in touch with the parent to work out the follow-on and follow-up steps to look after the young person's well-being. This includes monitoring his or her well-being and making counselling support available.”
“The food and beverages (F&B) sold in school canteens must comply with the Health Promotion Board's (HPB’s) guidelines. In particular, only drinks with sugar content equal to or less than six grammes per 100 millilitres (g/100 ml) are allowed to be sold. This is a reduction from the previous guideline of seven g/100 ml. Our teachers encourage students to drink plain water and schools have installed water fountains for their convenience. HPB's other guidelines require stallholders to use healthier ingredients and to include four food groups – carbohydrates, proteins, fruit and vegetables. There are no guidelines on caffeine. Similarly, our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are actively working with HPB and their F&B operators to provide and promote healthier options on campus. Healthier options include lower calorie meals, meals with higher nutrition value, for example, wholegrains, and lower sugar beverages. Currently, over 50 F&B outlets, representing about 30% of the total number of F&B outlets at the IHLs, offer healthier options under the HPB’s Healthier Dining Programme. The IHLs are working with the other F&B outlets to increase participation in this programme.”
“SEAB will take into consideration the circumstances of the incident and various other information, including the candidates' performance in the school’s preliminary examination for Mathematics, their performance in the GCE "O" level Mathematics examination and the cohort's performance in the GCE "O" level Mathematics examination. This is a rare and unfortunate incident, and I assure Members that my colleagues are working very conscientiously not just to make sure it does not recur, but also to facilitate a fair assessment for each affected student in this case.”
“In 2016, schools could offer different "O" level Mathematics examination papers to Secondary 5 Normal (Academic) (N(A)) students due to a change in syllabus. However, the topics examined under the old and revised syllabi are largely comparable. While the Secondary 4 Express students are the first batch to take the examination under the revised syllabus, the old syllabus is still available for the Secondary 5N(A) students. On 20 October 2016, 73 Secondary 5N(A) candidates from two schools mistakenly sat for "O" level Mathematics Paper 1 under the new syllabus. This error was caused by their schools registering them using the wrong syllabus code. Upon discovering the error, the two schools and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) took immediate steps to ensure that the affected candidates would sit for the correct Paper 2 the following day. This was, indeed, the case the next day. Schools have processes in place to ensure the accuracy of the examination registration, and both affected schools acknowledged that such an error could have been avoided if checks in the registration processes were more thorough, especially in instances where two different syllabi were offered for the same subject. The two schools have reviewed their processes and tightened checks for future examination registration. SEAB is working with the two schools and the University of Cambridge International Examinations to ensure that the affected candidates will be fairly assessed in the GCE "O" level Mathematics Paper 1 examination.”
“Our schools seek to establish positive and mutually respectful partnerships with parents. In doing so, they are supported with resources, such as a Parent Engagement Guide, and teachers are also given training in parent engagement skills. In cases where teachers need help in engaging parents, they can seek advice and guidance from their school leaders. When needed, school leaders will engage the parents directly. With regard to work-related stress, measures have been put in place to support and guide schools in teacher work allocation. We also regularly review resources provided to schools, including manpower support, to ensure that schools are able to implement their programmes well while keeping the work assigned to teachers manageable. In addition, teachers are provided with protected vacation time to enable them to rest and recharge. Our teachers are strongly encouraged to share and discuss their concerns about workload with their supervisors and school leaders. Should they need emotional and psychological support, there are dedicated professional counsellors within the Ministry of Education who provide counselling support to individual teachers. These professional counsellors also conduct workshops for teachers in areas, such as managing difficult conversations and work with the teachers on stress management. Page: 135 The well-being of our teachers is important and we will continue to support them in managing their work and workload.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) currently does not track the number of teachers who give tuition. Teachers are allowed to provide private tuition outside school hours as long as it does not exceed six hours a week and does not adversely affect their work in school. They are not required to seek permission to do so. MOE has an interest in ensuring that such activities do not adversely affect teachers' ability to discharge their duties. The Ministry is planning to collect information on such activities on a regular basis and is considering different options for doing so.”
“Students learn about personal safety and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) Sexuality Education curriculum. They are taught how to recognise sexual abuse and harassment, acquire skills to protect themselves both in real life and online, and understand the laws in Singapore that protect them. They also learn that they have the right to safety and protection and to seek help from trusted adults, such as their parents, teachers and school counsellors. Teachers look out for signs of distress in students and refer them to the school counsellor or other professional support where necessary. Suspected cases of sexual abuse are managed sensitively. Guidelines are provided by Child Protection Services, Ministry of Social and Family Development, for reporting such cases, and MOE and schools work closely with Child Protection Services to support affected students. For teachers and staff who experienced harassment or abuse at work, they are advised to seek the support and guidance of their school leaders. Those who are psychologically or emotionally affected will be supported by professional counsellors. MOE takes a serious view of any inappropriate conduct that is committed against our teachers and staff and will investigate and take the appropriate action in each and every case.”
“A student with special education needs may be considered for exemption from Mother Tongue Language (MTL) if he or she has certified Special Educational Needs (SEN) that severely affect his or her ability to cope with learning MTL and with overall learning. In the assessment of severe learning disabilities, one key consideration is how well the child responds to instructions given by the teacher. Regardless of the compensatory approach used, the child’s rate of response to instruction is an important indicator of possible learning disabilities. Children with more severe learning disabilities have been observed to show a relatively poor rate of response to instructions, and to have persistent difficulties in learning despite receiving appropriate teaching and intervention. The MTL exemption is given to students with SEN who are not coping well with their overall studies. This is to help reduce their total academic load so that they can cope better with the learning of other subjects. When reviewing applications for MTL exemption from students with SEN, the consideration is not just whether they have diagnosed special needs, but also how they are coping with their overall learning. Students with SEN who are coping with their overall studies but have difficulty with the Standard MTL curriculum, should consider the option of taking MTL at Foundation level, which is less demanding, instead of seeking MTL exemption. The Foundation MTL curriculum at Primary 5 and 6, and the MTL "B" curriculum at secondary and junior college levels are focused on the development of oral and listening skills and have a much reduced demand on writing skills.”
“Over the course of the review of the PSLE scoring system, MOE solicited views from various key stakeholders, including educators, parents and members of the public. Our engagements first started during the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) exercise in 2013, which touched on changes to the PSLE, amongst other education issues. Since then, MOE has run several rounds of focus group discussions and dialogues with our educators and other stakeholders, to test various proposals on PSLE scoring and Secondary 1 (S1) posting with them. Page: 120 The PSLE scoring system review was, therefore, well-informed by the feedback from educators, as well as the professional advice from our education and assessment specialists, including the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board. These professional inputs help ensure that our policy recommendations for the revised system are robustly tested to be educationally sound and meaningful. Apart from policy design, our educators have provided useful feedback on implementation issues, which MOE will be taking into consideration. This includes feedback regarding school-based assessments in our Primary schools, as well as ways in which students and parents can be supported in choosing Secondary schools that best meet each student's learning needs and interests. In the lead up to the implementation of the new PSLE scoring system, MOE will continue to partner educators and other key stakeholders to ensure that the changes are smoothly implemented.”
“Form teachers are provided with time to foster positive teacher-student relationships and all teachers are equipped to provide the first line of care and support. Twenty-four-hour helplines supported by agencies, such as SOS and Singapore Children's Society, are printed in all school handbooks.”
“Every school has a trained school counsellor. Teachers refer students who show signs of distress to their school counsellor who is trained to support students with psychological and mental health-related issues, such as anxiety, depression, relationship problems and suicidal behaviours. Students who are assessed by school counsellors to be at high risk of suicide or severe mental health disorders are referred to multidisciplinary Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) teams and other social service agencies to provide additional professional support for the students and their families. When a student suicide occurs, MOE immediately activates the CARE (Caring Actions in Support of an Emergency) teams to help staff and students cope with the psychological distress caused by the incident. These CARE teams comprise teachers and school counsellors in the school and MOE HQ who have been specially trained to handle sessions with affected students and to monitor and strengthen their coping skills. Students are reminded to be supportive of one another and to encourage their friends to seek help from a trusted adult when they feel overwhelmed. Parents are also provided with relevant information and resources to support their children. MOE has stepped up efforts to nurture the social and emotional competencies of students. From Primary school through to Secondary school, students are explicitly taught time management, relationship management, coping strategies and ways to maintain good mental well-being, such as deep breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. They also have opportunities to practise and reflect on their social and emotional learning during camps and co-curricular activities.”
“All teachers have the basic professional awareness of special needs. Some teachers undergo more training to enable them to plan and differentiate the instructional Page: 81 strategies to support the learning of these students. With greater awareness and knowledge in special needs, teachers are also able to inculcate empathy and respect of differences in their students and to foster an inclusive class culture. Students learn specific ways to demonstrate care for people with special needs, such as reaching out to make friends, including them in activities, and volunteering to help them. Beyond the classroom lessons, Co-Curricular Activities and Values in Action programmes also create opportunities for students to interact and put their values into practice. Over the past five years, about 180 students each year, mostly at the Primary level, have moved on to SPED schools. These are students with severe special educational needs and behavioural issues.”
“This allows SG Enable to work with students and their families in the final schooling year to place students in appropriate jobs or job training pathways based on their interests, strengths and preferences. After they graduate, students receive customised job training, including structured internships with support from Job Coaches, to prepare them for eventual employment. SG Enable also provides internship opportunities for special needs students in tertiary institutions. Employers may approach SG Enable for advice on, and support for, employing persons with disabilities. They can use the Open Door Programme for funding job redesign, workplace modification and training; and can also benefit from the Special Employment Credit when they hire persons with disabilities to offset cost of wages.”
“Each year, about 300 students graduate from the SPED schools. Due to the diverse range of disability profiles, these students have different degrees of readiness for work or further studies. About one in three move on to regular employment in a wide range of Page: 80 industries, including Retail, Hospitality, Medical Services and Food & Beverage. About half move on to sheltered workshops or day activity and care centres. About 10% move on to further studies. A proactive, whole-of-Government approach is adopted in helping students and persons with disabilities gain employment in order to live independently and be integrated in society. MOE has put in place various measures to better prepare students in SPED schools for employment. (a) A Framework for Vocational Education guides SPED schools to develop a structured curriculum to equip students with life skills and work habits to be employable. This includes participation in authentic and structured work experience. (b) Students who obtained either the ITE Skills Certification at Metta School or Workforce Skills Qualification at Delta Senior School may apply for jobs in the open market or attend further training as long as they meet the prerequisites for the courses, for example, the national ITE Certificate. Persons with disabilities can seek employment assistance and training opportunities from SG Enable. In 2014, MOE collaborated with MSF and SG Enable to develop the School-to-Work (S2W) Transition Programme for students who have potential for work but may not benefit from the certification programmes. The programme begins in the student's final year of schooling and continues for up to one year after he/she graduates.”
“Education officers are generally appointed on permanent service and not on contract service. As such, if they do leave, it is through resignation and not because of the non-renewal of contracts. The top three reasons for resignation cited by officers are for childcare, other family considerations and a desire for a change of job. The top two reasons for officers taking no-pay leave are for childcare and the accompanying of spouse who is going overseas. The third common reason is to attend to other private matters, but this makes up a small number.”
“Education officers are generally appointed on permanent service rather than on contract service. As such, if they do leave, it is through resignation and not because of the non-renewal of contracts. The annual resignation rate for education officers has remained low at around 3% over the past few years. The percentage of education officers on no-pay leave8 has been about 2% in the past few years. The average duration of no-pay leave for officers who returned from no-pay leave in the past few years has been about two years.”
“The Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) are also involved in such training exercises and drills, and there is a robust relationship between the schools and the communities for effective collaboration in emergency responses. Ultimately, the key to addressing the growing security threats lies in greater community vigilance. Safety and security are a shared responsibility and each of us has a role to play. MOE will continue to review and update our school security and emergency plans, and to work with the Police and MHA to deter terrorist or criminal activity in our schools, and to respond effectively.”