Ng Eng Hen
Singapore
“I think we try to keep this virtuous state of affairs as long as we can to make sure that we can invest steadily. Year-to-year fluctuations would occur, whether it is economic, not so much in COVID-19, but remember the Global Financial Crisis? Everybody needs to take a haircut. If you have to take a haircut, you have to take a haircut.”
“Mr Chairman, as the World around us becomes more unpredictable and changes, the more we need to keep the strongest commitment to strengthen our own defences and, if needed, we must be willing to do more. Singapore celebrates 60 years of Independence this year.”
“MINDEF will continue to work with partners to encourage Singaporeans to raise their digital literacy, develop and maintain good cybersecurity habits, protect sensitive data and guard against scams, fake news and disinformation so as to make the digital domain a safer and more secure space.”
“The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) conducts regular mobilisation exercises (MOBEX) of our National Service (NS) forces. In a silent mobilisation, NSmen are notified through their personal contact numbers. Open mobilisations include the broadcast of unit code-words through mass media.”
“In 2020, the Ministry of Defence replied to a Parliamentary Question on this matter that the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) would likely occur around 2030 or beyond, after Changi Air Base and Tengah Air Base have been expanded to house the existing assets at PLAB.”
“When incidents or near-misses happen, as it did where one Hunter armoured fighting vehicle rear-ended another during Exercise Wallaby in Australia, thorough investigations are conducted and lessons learnt shared across the units.”
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“Sir, in respond to the first question, I took some pains to explain MINDEF's approach. And, obviously, we recognise that with so many people who are enlisted and called up, it is difficult to address specific wants and concerns. Basically, we apply whether it is for enlistment or call up for ICT, three principles of universality for a critical need and for equity. In terms of that particular example, I ended my reply by saying that we want to ensure, in terms of equity, that no enlistee will enter a university later than his peers, in general. That will be the principle in which we apply. Because there are different starting terms, depending whether you are in the southern hemisphere in Australia, and with private institutions, really you could start anytime. So whatever your starting month, it is subsumed under this principle that we try to ensure that wherever the majority of the cohort enters university for that year, that those who are subsequently enlisted later will enter the university the same year as their cohort. For the second point about the two call-ups within the same year because of the financial year, we will take that into account, look into that and respond to Mr Viswa when ready.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would not preclude any further changes but, generally, our philosophy is that we want to keep a differentiation between citizens and PRs and international students. Yet, at the same time, we are also aware of the competitiveness of our polytechnics and our universities in attracting students. So, we do not have a fixed timeline and fees for all institutions are reviewed from time to time. And if we feel that the market signals are correct as well as that it continues to be competitive and as the costs of education go up, there may be adjustments from time to time. SOCIAL STUDIES AS A SUBJECT IN SCHOOLS (Inclusion of more topics on Singapore's art and culture) 2. Ms Audrey Wong Wai Yen asked the Minister for Education with the proposal to expand Social Studies as a subject in schools (a) whether the subject will include more topics on Singapore's arts and culture, covering both traditional and contemporary arts; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider additional schemes to promote the understanding and appreciation of traditional Asian arts among students and teachers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the fee increases for Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) and international students (IS) attending our polytechnics are appropriate as they reflect a differentiation between Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents (PRs) and foreigners. Even after the increases, polytechnic fee at about $13,000 for a three-year course to obtain a diploma still remains highly subsidised and competitive. Let me just give two examples to illustrate, just for comparison. The first example: international students studying in Hong Kong pay as much as around $18,000 to attain an associate degree, which is quite similar to our polytechnic diploma. Similarly, courses which lead to foundation degrees in UK cost up to $52,000. So, $13,000 for a polytechnic diploma as compared to Hong Kong and the UK. Prospective students would know that our polytechnics offer a high quality of education and industry-relevant training. More importantly, to signal that we still welcome PRs and IS into the polytechnics, there are, in place, readily available financial loan assistance schemes to help these PR students and international students.”
“Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many people have been arrested in 2009 for illegal posting and hanging of advertisements and notices on public property; (b) what are the penalties imposed on the offenders; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider more stringent measures.”
“The performance of Malay students at the PSLE, 'O' and 'A' levels Mathematics and Sciences over the last 10 years has been stable. Other subjects like English and Malay have seen improvements over the same period. In 2001, there was a drop in the proportion of students scoring A* to C grades in PSLE but this was observed across all the ethnic groups and was due to earlier changes in the promotion criteria which allowed some students who previously would have been in the EM3 stream to sit for Standard PSLE Mathematics and Science papers. Some students who are weak in English would find difficulty in their Mathematics and Science PSLE examinations. This applies to students of all races, not just Malays. To address this, Learning Support programmes to improve English and Mathematics are available in all primary schools. These programmes are taught by trained teachers using specifically developed techniques to focus on and help weaker students improve and catch up with their peers. Schools will do their part in helping weaker students improve. But MOE also works in partnership with community groups such as Mendaki, parents support groups and other VWOs to provide extra support for these students. Parents and families, of all races, can support students by ensuring that they attend school regularly, motivating them to work hard, and adopting good habits like reading widely. Community and self-help groups can also help families deal with problem issues related to finances, jobs and relationships, in order to create a more supportive home environment. ILLEGAL POSTING OF NOTICES 22.”
“We have taken up the recommendation by the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee to provide for SCCs in the design of all new generation of primary schools. INCREASE IN HOUSING OPTIONS (Impact on HDB's housing policy) 20. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for National Development in view of the proliferation of housing options and the fact that demand for basic housing has shifted to that of quality housing, how will this impact HDB in terms of policy, eligibility criteria and pricing.”
“Schools employ a variety of initiatives to help students who are not coping in their studies – both during and after school. This is necessary as many such students require help with issues such as social and emotional management, attitude towards learning, and family-related problems. In primary schools, specialised early intervention programmes are provided for pupils who lack basic English literacy and numeracy skills. The key interventions are the Learning Support Programme (LSP) for English at P1 and P2, and Learning Support for Mathematics (LSM) at P1. These programmes are implemented by Learning Support Co-ordinators (LSCs) and LSM teachers who are qualified teachers specially trained by MOE. For other primary and secondary students who need additional help in their studies, remedial classes are organised and conducted by teachers based on the needs of the students. Schools are increasingly tapping on their Parent Support Groups, alumni members and other stakeholders to help run programmes and provide mentorship to motivate their students. Schools work collaboratively with Family Service Centres (FSCs) and other Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) to conduct courses and engage the students and their families. MOE provides additional resources to schools such as allied educators who provide counselling and guidance to the students, special needs support and assistance to teachers in academic and non-academic subjects. MOE has also worked with MCYS to increase the number of school-based Student Care Centres (SCCs) in primary schools to provide a conducive and safe learning environment for children who need supervision and support before and after school.”
“PRs comprise 10%, or about 26,000 of the enrolment in our national primary schools. This would be less than the 13% PR proportion in the resident population. About 2,600 PRs or around 10% of all PRs of primary school-going age are enrolled in international schools. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMES TO ASSIST STUDENTS 19. Mr Hri Kumar Nair asked the Minister for Education whether primary and secondary schools are required to implement any after-school programs to assist students who are not coping in their studies.”
“ITE’s current rate of non-completion is already among the lowest in the world for vocational institutions. Nevertheless, it will continue its efforts to help as many students as possible complete their course. For those who leave prematurely or without full certificates, ITE will continue to provide avenues for them to return to complete their training. Based on survey findings from the committee’s final report, more than half of the ITE students who leave early are, in fact, open to the prospect of re-enrolling sometime later. Assistance will also be given to help them pick up skills to be employable.”
“The Senior Minister of State for Education (Mr S Iswaran) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the attrition rate at the ITE has declined over the last few years, due to extensive efforts undertaken by ITE’s lecturers and staff. Latest data from ITE shows that 82% of the intake cohort from 2006 graduated from ITE with a full certificate. Of the 18% who left ITE prematurely, 69% obtained certification for at least one core module of study. In 2006, a committee on ITE Student Success was formed to identify reasons for attrition as well as recommend measures to address these. The study showed that ITE students drop out for a variety of reasons: peer and family influence, lack of drive, not being able to cope with their studies, job opportunities, and personal or family issues. Since then, several recommendations have been implemented to address the different causes of attrition. These include firstly, introducing a flexible curriculum framework to cater to students with different needs, abilities and aspirations; secondly, expanding student counselling and services to provide holistic support for students; thirdly, enhancing the professional development of ITE lecturers to improve teaching effectiveness; and fourthly, instituting team-building programmes to foster camaraderie and peer support among students. ITE closely monitors and assists the weakest students by giving them additional remedial lessons and counselling. With time, many of these programmes and measures should yield a higher success rate for ITE students. ITE will maintain the rigour of its courses to ensure acceptability by employers and will not lower standards in order to improve completion rates.”
“So, inextricably, the time exposed to any other language, whether it is Chinese, Malay or Indian, has come down and we are recognising this and we are trying to evolve our system to cater to a wider spread of ability, not only to help those who can manage to go as far as they can, to support the ones who are willing to take or can take the HCL but to also support those in the middle band as well as those who are weak and we think that we can do that by shifting our teaching methods to make it more relevant so that they indeed see the importance, as the Member has said, and we are trying to invite businessmen to come to schools to explain to them the importance, to even take them through certain aspects of Chinese history or Chinese culture or Chinese geography and I think that this needs to be a community's effort. I agree with the Member that it is more difficult because English has become more dominant but it is something that we wanted to do and MOE will study the details closely to see how we can do this, how we can support this but this will require the community's efforts as well. DROPOUT RATE AMONG ITE STUDENTS 4. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the dropout rate of students in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE); (b) whether there has been any studies done to ascertain the reasons for such dropouts; (c) whether more teaching resources as well as related services such as counselling will help to reduce the dropout rate; and (d) what happens to the students who dropout of ITE and how they are being assisted to acquire relevant skills to be employable.”
“The answer to both the questions is yes, we do want to maintain the standard of Chinese Language but I think there is also a broader challenge and one which we monitored quite closely and this is the language speaking environment in homes and society. Language is aural-oral, which means that you have to listen and speak it to learn it. That is the basis for learning a language and as the speaking environment changes, I think we have to take that into consideration. We have given figures that 20 years ago, about one in 10 Chinese households used English at home, it is now six in 10, a six-fold jump, quite a dramatic jump. It is not only for Chinese-speaking households, the same effect is seen in Indian households, it has jumped from three in 10 to six in 10 and even for Malay households where it has jumped from 0.5 who use English as the dominant language to 3.5 – nearly four in 10 Malay households use English as the predominant language. And not only at home but the time that they spend – their primary mode of communication on the Net – we did a survey of what students were communicating and because they are messaging, communicating on the Net, the predominant language is English, the lingua franca of the Internet. So their exposure to that has increased.”
“In direct response to the Member, students with good CL ability will continue to receive support if they offer Higher Chinese Language. Currently, about a quarter of our students are taking Higher Chinese at the PSLE and the "O" Levels. At the "A" Levels, students may opt to take Chinese Language and Literature at the Higher 2 or even the Higher 3 level instead of the Higher 1 level. Other "A" Level subjects are available for students to hone their Chinese Language skills or deepen their understanding of China. These include General Studies in Chinese, China Studies in Chinese, or History in Chinese. Beyond these formal subject offerings, MOE provides opportunities for greater depth of study and enrichment through special programmes. As you know, we have 15 SAP (Special Assistance Plan) primary schools and 10 SAP secondary schools, and each of them with their own school-based flagship programmes to nurture an interest in Chinese Language and culture. I am sure that many Members have visited these schools. They are very entrepreneurial, they have a lot of community support and very interesting programmes that they are conducting and we will encourage them and will give them adequate resources. The Bicultural Programme for Chinese spans the upper secondary to JC level and aims to groom a core of students with a confident grasp of Chinese Language and culture. This Programme enrols about 350 Singaporeans each year. In addition, we have the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP) which is also available at the "A" Levels, and this helps deepen students’ appreciation of Chinese Language and literature. As I have said, if more students do well in Chinese and there is demand for SAP school places, MOE is willing to consider setting up one more SAP school.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Nominated Member Mr Teo Siong Seng has asked for some assurance from my Ministry for parents who want their children to perform well in the Chinese language studies and the examinations. I have given much of the assurance during the recent Principals Ceremony and the press reported about it. But this is a useful occasion to reiterate. Let me, first, preface my remarks by giving the general directions of the Chinese language changes that we are going to undertake. And, as we have said, this is to respond to the ongoing trends in home language environments where the majority of Chinese households use English as the dominant language. But here I would agree with the Nominated Member of Parliament that the aim remains to help all students progress as far they can or want to because we do want to ensure that Chinese learning remains relevant and engaging, and help students learn the language in settings and modes which they are likely to use in their daily life. This dominant use of English – which is now 60% among all Chinese households and as well as Indian households – will mean a wider spread of capabilities in Chinese Language (CL) among students. The proposed CL approach is to cater to the entire spectrum and not only a select band. The NMP has asked for assurance and I would first say that, yes, we will continue to support those who can attain high levels of Chinese Language proficiency and I will give some details. But we must also recalibrate our expectations and teaching methods for the broad middle band from mainly English-speaking homes and for students who now face exceptional difficulties in learning the Chinese Language. We will provide more details during the upcoming Committee of Supply.”
“Our students’ performance in Chinese Language in the last PSLE examination was similar to the performance in previous years. Fourteen percent of candidates scored "A-star"s, and 68% scored "A"s. Eleven percent and 5% scored "B"s and "C"s respectively. The remaining students obtained "D", "E" or "U" grades. These figures exclude the 5% of students who took Foundation Level Chinese. APPLICATION FOR PERMITS FOR POLITICAL FUNCTIONS (Submission of speeches) 18. Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the rationale for the submission of MPs' speeches in the application for police permits when political parties organise public functions; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider discontinuing this practice.”
“The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 7 and 8, please?”
“The second measure we undertook was to revise the promotion criteria from Secondary Four Normal (Academic) to Secondary 5 in 2009 Secondary Four cohort. We wanted to ensure that those who did progress to Secondary Five would have a better chance, after taking their 'O' Levels, to enter polytechnics or junior colleges. And, indeed, we made it more stringent. Our approach in providing different educational pathways for students with different abilities and needs has worked well. When we look at the parameter and ask ourselves how many of the Primary 1 cohort finally get into ITE, JC or polytechnic, the answer is 93% now do – 30% in the junior colleges, 40% in the polytechnics, 20% in the ITE, and 3% to 4% in private education organisations. We will continue with our efforts to encourage as many students to further their studies in these Post Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs) as possible. POPULATION GROWTH (Adequacy of infrastructure and amenities) 7. Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the current infrastructure and amenities are adequate to meet the needs of our increasing population; and (b) whether reviews are being conducted to assess the impact of the current population growth on our urban living environment. 8. Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for National Development in light of our increasing population and housing demand where more land parcels are released for housing developments, what are the considerations given to ensure adequacy of supporting infrastructure to mitigate overcrowding and congestion and in the provision of communal and open spaces, transport, traffic flow and services.”
“These post-secondary qualifications provide students with good employability prospects, not the 'O' Levels. The labour market has changed and that is what we look for. So, for example, if a student progresses to Secondary 5 but then does poorly at the 'O' Levels, such that he cannot qualify for a polytechnic or junior college education or even ITE, he may not have chosen the most appropriate pathway. For these students, a more practical education at the ITE may have been more suited to their aptitude and provide them better employment prospects. For students whose chances of doing well enough at the 'O' Levels to qualify for polytechnics or junior colleges are low, opting for an ITE education after Secondary 4 may actually be a better choice than staying another year in Secondary 5 with the chances of doing well at the 'O' Levels very low. And indeed, to better help such students choose their appropriate educational pathway, MOE introduced two changes in recent years which indeed meant that fewer students would progress to Secondary 5. We actually wanted fewer students to progress to Secondary 5. The first of these measures was the introduction in January 2008 which allowed a direct pathway to ITE's Higher NITEC courses after the 'N' Levels, to provide an alternative to progressing to Secondary 5. The first beneficiaries were in 2007 and under this option, students can start their Higher NITEC studies a year earlier instead of having to take their 'O' Levels first. And I will tell Members that the response has been encouraging. More than 360 students enrolled in the course next year. They could have gone to Secondary Five, but they chose instead to go for this Higher NITEC course because we open it up, so that they can benefit from it, as they see the advantages.”
“Sir, the Member made observations about the decline in the percentage of Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students going to Secondary 5. I would like to say that that is not the most important parameter that MOE focuses on. But since she has asked the question, let me give figures for that first. Over the past 10 years, there has been a slight decline in the proportion of Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students progressing to the Secondary 5. Between 2000 and 2004, the proportion eligible to progress to Secondary 5 ranged between 78% and 80%. From 2005, it dropped slightly to between 75% and 77%. So there was a 2% to 3% drop. But there was a reason for it. It was due to earlier changes which allowed weaker students into the EM2 stream in primary schools. Remember we relaxed the criteria, which allowed some previously EM3 students to enter into EM2 and by 2005 onwards they would have reached Secondary 5 level and they have subsequently entered into the Normal (Academic) course. If you took out that group of students who, in the previous regime, would have not been able to take the Normal (Academic), in fact the proportion of those eligible to progress to Secondary 5 would have increased. For the 2009 Secondary 4 cohort, about 74% were eligible to Secondary 5. I have given the figures because the Member has asked but I mentioned at the outset, that that is not the parameter or the most important outcome we focus on. More importantly, MOE tracks the proportion of students, not Secondary 4 to Secondary 5 but who enter post-secondary educational institutions such as the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics or junior colleges because this is the more important determinant.”
“I agree with the Member that accessibility is important and that is why I gave figures for efforts to target the lower income households to ensure that these children do go to, if they want to, kindergartens and able to afford it. I gave some figures for certain programmes that we have started and we have reduced the percentage from lower income families who go to school without any pre-school, from about 5% to 2.5%. In other words, about over 97% of children do go to pre-school. And we have worked together with the grassroots organisations. The main reason for the remaining 2% is seldom financial. Many Members who have worked together at the constituency level with the RCs, we have given Members the names to go to households to knock on the doors, and Members know for themselves that the reason is not an issue of affordability. There are a variety of reasons that certain families do not put their children into pre-school education. PROMOTION OF NORMAL (ACADEMIC) STUDENTS 6. Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will provide the reasons for the decline in the percentage of Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students eligible for promotion to Secondary 5; and (b) what more can be done to help Normal Stream students advance to post-secondary education.”
“Sir, my primary response was not that. I do not want to reiterate my whole reply but my point was that pre-school education must provide age-appropriate programmes and should not be an extension of our formal school systems. And in formal systems, you indeed have, as what the Member says, the pressure for uniformity, for performance, for transparency. Pre-school education, as in many countries, is not formal for good educational reasons. It recognises that children should be allowed to develop and before school, they are still developing and that there is a richness from the diversity of programmes. There is no formally recognised universal programmes for pre-schools and this is the reason why educators have not pushed for this. I do not think that Singapore will be well-served if you push for formalised pre-school education.”
“Sir, I apologise. Can the Member rephrase his question so that I understand what he is asking?”
“Indeed that is the approach. In other words, while we want to ensure that is accessible, we may not want to say that it is a uniformed programme. And I think there is richness in the diversity of providers. As in now, in the landscape, you have PCF kindergartens that provide a certain aspect. You have also faith-based kindergartens that provide a certain aspect. Once you nationalise it, there is always the tendency to compare one kindergarten to the other, go to the extreme of asking us to rank kindergartens, and how they perform and to then compare what teachers are – that is the tendency. And I would say, especially so, for Asian cultures because if you look at landscape of Asian countries, it is hugely competitive. In Hong Kong, they register their children when they are pregnant for kindergarten. There is this great drive to want to start ahead. So, I think our focus is, one, to raise the teacher quality. Where it comes to affordability, to help lower and middle income households and make sure that it is affordable and to set general guidelines, broad parameters in the desired outcomes of education so to avoid this issue of trying to make children ready. If you make it accessible to all and there are opportunities, we would have provided a service for our citizens and allow them to develop at their own pace.”
“One, at the Government level – this is jointly steered by MOE and MCYS – which accredits diploma courses in order to improve the quality of training and trainers. We started the Pre-school Qualification Accreditation Committee in 2001. And in 2001, we set the minimum academic and professional qualifications to diploma requirement from January 2009. Over time, I see this increasing but we also have to pay to attract good teachers and I think that part of the grants, in a holistic manner, together with the raising of qualifications will attract better teachers into the pre-school sector.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me first touch on ensuring affordability. Indeed that is our main focus to ensure that it continues to be affordable to lower income families and middle income households. MOE provides targeted support and these measures were started over the last few years. Let me provide some examples. We are providing annual recurrent grants to kindergartens that meet our criteria and over the years, it has gone up. It started at $17 million a year and by 2013 it will go up to about $62 million a year. These grants to individual kindergartens that can meet the criteria – which are basically mainly for lower and middle income families – will help raise teacher quality as well as ensure that the fees are affordable. But in direct response to fees affordability for lower income families, let me remind the House that we have the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) and this is specifically intended to help lower income families. It defrays up to nearly 100% of fees at eligible kindergartens. And indeed, for needy families which cannot afford the initial expenses, for example, the registration fees, the books and the uniforms, they can also apply for a start-up grant of about $200 per child per year, this is what MCYS provides. And I know that Members also know that over and above this, many of our grassroots organisations – CCCs or self-help groups and PCF kindergartens – supplement these Government subsidies. As for teacher quality, that again indeed is a focus of our efforts but as I said in our reply, we are not prescriptive in what you teach, we just want to raise the quality of pre-school teachers and we are moving it in steps.”
“These efforts at first are led by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Masagos. As a result of previous measures, we have reduced the percentage of children from lower and middle income households entering primary one without any pre-school education, from 5% in 2006 to about 2.4% in 2009. These outreach efforts will continue.”
“It would deprive parents the ability to choose from a variety of early childhood care and education models and operators that best fit the needs of their child. MOE therefore intends to continue the present approach where we set only broad parameters rather than overly prescriptive guidelines for kindergarten education. We do want to ensure a baseline of quality in pre-school education while still preserving the diversity of options and models offered by the community and private sector. Consistent with this broad approach, we will continue to raise the quality of pre-school education by requiring higher teacher qualifications and providing resources and guidelines on best practices. But MOE will not prescribe what all pre-school must teach as we acknowledge that there is no universally accepted or codified model for kindergarten education. Our approach is consistent with other top-performing educational systems elsewhere, which too avoid starting formal or national school systems too early. Let me give some examples. In Finland which is a very high primary school education standard, children start formal education at age seven. Pre-school education is similarly not compulsory in Sweden. Closer home, from China to Hong Kong, Korea and Japan, pre-school education is neither compulsory nor organised as part of the formal school system. However, we will ensure that pre-school remains accessible and affordable to all. In particular, children from lower-income households do receive targeted support through existing financial assistance schemes and community-based support from grassroots organisations, self-help groups and PCF kindergartens. We have also increased pre-school participation by partnering community agencies to reach out children from lower income families.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, we are committed to provide a high quality and appropriate pre-school education that is accessible to all Singaporeans. But we should avoid a system where pre-school education becomes extensions of our formal school systems. MOE therefore has no plans to nationalise early childhood education. There are valid educational reasons that support this approach. The main focus in pre-school should primarily take into account the developmental needs of young children and provide age-appropriate programmes. Nationalising pre-schools to be part of the formal school system runs the risk of an over-emphasis on academic instruction and uniformity. It will increase pressure to accelerate pre-school children's numeracy and literacy skills at the expense of other developmental goals. This can be counter-productive, and dampen children's motivation and interest towards learning in the long run. Recently, a comprehensive review of primary school education undertaken by a group of researchers from the Cambridge University advocated raising the formal schooling age in England which is now at age five, to six or seven years old. Their reason is that this is to provide pre-school children with more time to establish positive attitudes to learning, confidence and social skills, as well as basic language skills. This is also why education experts recommend that pre-schools focus on teaching children social skills such as learning to work and relate with one another, expressing their thoughts and ideas and building confidence. These educational goals can be accomplished through a variety of ways. Indeed, a nationalised pre-school sector would tend towards conformity which is not ideal.”
“In October 2007, NEA tightened the allowable noise limits on Sundays and public holidays for construction sites near to residential premises, and increased the maximum fine for construction noise violations from $20,000 to $40,000. Singapore is a highly urbanised and compact city with vibrant economic activities, and noise nuisances cannot be eradicated completely. Nonetheless, we recognise that construction noise remains a concern for many residents. In 2008, NEA received about 14,200 (3) complaints on construction noise, up from about 9,200 in 2007. From January to October this year, NEA received over 10,400 complaints on construction noise. We are therefore currently reviewing the effectiveness and adequacy of the current regulatory regime for construction noise. In doing so, we will take into account feedback from the public as well as the views of relevant Government agencies and industry stakeholders. We expect to complete the review early next year and will provide an update on any new measures to be introduced thereafter. (3) The exact number of complaints received by NEA was 14,184 in 2008 and 9,228 in 2007 and 10,467 from January-October 2009. Column No : 1769 MICROCREDIT SCHEMES 26. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) whether it is viable in Singapore to encourage microcredit schemes similar to those started by the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to help alleviate the widening income gap and reduce the need for social support; and (b) whether Singapore’s highly regulated environment in terms of licensing requirements poses a barrier to simple start-ups which are the intended result of these microcredit schemes.”
“The degree programmes will be conducted within the premises of the five polytechnics, so that they can leverage on the polytechnics’ infrastructure where there are synergies, for example, for engineering laboratories. Nonetheless, each polytechnic will provide a dedicated space where SIT teaching and activities will take place. The polytechnics will also work closely with the overseas university partner to adapt the degree curriculum to ride on the strengths of the polytechnics’ own diplomas. Finally, SIT in conjunction with the polytechnics will also provide faculty expertise to conduct some of the courses. Given the calibre of our polytechnic graduates and SIT’s high standards in assessing its foreign partners, these degree programs will provide a high-quality tertiary education for our students. Column No : 1769 CONSTRUCTION WORKS NEAR HOSPITALS AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS (Prohibition on Sundays and public holidays) 25. Mr Calvin Cheng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether his Ministry will consider prohibiting all works on construction and building sites near hospitals and residential areas on Sundays and public holidays. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Under the National Environment Agency (NEA) Regulations, maximum allowable noise limits for construction sites are prescribed for different time periods of the day and for different types of premises affected by the construction noise. For example, the allowable noise level is stricter for construction sites near to schools and hospitals. My Ministry and NEA regularly review the regime for the control of construction noise.”
“The Ministry of Education announced in May 2009 that the Singapore Institute of Applied Technology would be set up to provide an improved upgrading pathway for deserving polytechnic graduates to obtain industry-relevant degrees. The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), as it will now be known, will provide approximately 2,000 full-time university places each year at the steady state, and will contribute towards the target university cohort participation rate of 30% by 2015. As negotiations are ongoing, further information with regard to details requested by the MP can only be available when the tie-ups with foreign Universities have been finalised. SIT is currently in advanced stages of discussions with several reputable overseas universities from the US, UK, Australia and Europe. In general, foreign partners will commit to deliver programmes in Singapore that will lead to the award of their University degrees. Some disciplines have been identified that build on our polytechnics’ strengths in Science and Technology, as well as support high-growth industries. These are in areas of Applied Sciences and Engineering, Digital Media, Health Sciences and Hospitality. The entire suite of course provisions for degrees in various disciplines will require time to be rolled out and will be spaced out till 2015. This is because each programme by foreign partners would need to be assessed by SIT to ensure that a rigorous and relevant curriculum has been developed by the overseas university and who will also send some of their faculty to Singapore to conduct these programmes.”
“Permanent Residents (PRs) comprised about 13% of the children admitted during the 2009 Primary One (P1) Registration Exercise. This is similar to the proportion of PRs in Singapore’s resident population. The majority of PRs were registered at or after Phase 2C, which is for children with no existing ties to the school. MOE regularly reviews the P1 Registration Exercise framework to ensure that all Singaporean children continue to have access to a primary school near their home. The enrolment of PRs adds diversity to our schools and there is educational value for Singaporean children to be exposed to children from different cultures from a young age. Singapore citizens enjoy privileges within the education system that PRs and international students do not. For instance, only Singapore citizens are eligible for Edusave Accounts, Edusave scholarships and awards, Post Secondary Education Accounts, Government top-ups, and other forms of Government financial assistance such as the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme, the Independent School Bursary and Short-term Study Assistance Scheme. PRs currently pay 20% more in school fees than Singapore citizens. MOE revises school fees for PRs and international students from time to time, to reflect larger subsidies for SCs. UPDATES ON SPORTS HUB (Public-private-partnership model) 5. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports if he can give an update on the public-private-partnership model upon which the Sports Hub is based and what is the state of progress and timeline for the completion of the Sports Hub.”
“The Government will reinforce the principle of family as the first line of care and support for our elderly. We will help families to fulfil this responsibility through our various policies. All these efforts will require investment from Government, and we are committed to doing so. Most of our elderly can and should be active, independent and socially engaged. Those who need care and their caregivers will be provided appropriate, accessible and affordable services. Those who are needy and vulnerable will be provided adequate assistance and help. With the support of all Members of the House, we are optimistic that this vision can be achieved. PREFERENTIAL ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION FEE AND CERTIFICATE OF ENTITLEMENT (Lost vehicle) 26. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport why the Preferential Additional Registration Fee and Certificate of Entitlement rebates are not granted to owners of vehicles that are reported lost in situations of a criminal breach of trust.”
“We plan to implement the programme in another 24 constituencies next year. Active ageing is ultimately a matter of personal responsibility. As friends, peers, family members and leaders in our community, we all need to support active ageing as a ground-up movement. The Wellness Programme is a platform, but it needs the commitment of advisors, grassroots leaders and community partners to reach out to more residents and to achieve our desired results. As our population ages, more elderly Singaporeans will need care in the coming years. The Centre for Enabled Living has been set up to strengthen community care and to better support our caregivers. The Centre will provide appropriate advice and referral that fit the needs of the care recipient and their family. It will expand training for caregivers and foreign domestic workers and promote schemes to help offset the cost of care. The Centre will also work closely with other agencies so that care is better coordinated across different services. At the policy level, MOH, MCYS, MND and other relevant agencies meet regularly to study the care and housing needs of an ageing population and to develop the network of community-based services. Our aim is to minimise the number of elderly who become vulnerable and needy. Thus we help people to acquire skills to stay employed for as long as they can and save for their retirement years. We help them to maintain good physical, mental and social wellbeing. And we help them to save for their healthcare and for their long-term care, if needed. The principle is self-reliance. However, there will be some elderly who become vulnerable and needy. ComCare provides the social safety net under our "Many Helping Hands" approach.”
“We are building on the work accomplished in recent years. The Council for Third Age was set up two years ago to champion active ageing. With the support of MCYS, it has re-branded the annual Senior Citizens' Week to the Active Ageing Festival. The Council also administers the Ministry's Golden Opportunities (GO!) Fund, which has seed-funded over 40 community projects with an outreach of 50,000 seniors. It has worked with tripartite partners to identify model employers of older workers. In the coming months, the Council will be focusing on inter-generational bonds in the family, community and the workplace. Employment, financial security and ageing-in-place are essential to active ageing. We are promoting re-employment and expanding our continuous education and training framework for seniors. We are also enhancing financial security through CPF LIFE, the 3Ms framework and studying how to help citizens finance their long-term care needs. Members would be aware of ongoing efforts to make our housing estates, public transport and living environment barrier-free. The Government will expand efforts to promote active ageing. One specific initiative is the Wellness Programme, which has been piloted in 12 constituencies and has benefited more than 8,000 seniors through health screenings and other activities. The People's Association will implement the Wellness Programme in partnership with grassroots leaders and leveraging on existing facilities such as our community clubs and RC centres. Those health-screened and found to be at-risk would be asked to follow up with their family doctors. Those who are sedentary will be invited to join physical activities such as brisk-walking and taichi. Those who are not in social groups will be encouraged to join one.”
“Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Prime Minister in mapping out future plans for an integrated holistic approach of service delivery to promote active ageing and general well-being of older persons, whether there will be an apex body to facilitate coordination between the various Ministries as elder care issues cut across several Ministries covering health, finance, accessibility, housing, employment etc. 25. Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Prime Minister in view of the ageing population (a) what are the long term plans to promote active ageing; and (b) what are the principles that will be used in considering measures to address the problem of the vulnerable and frail elderly in the community. Mr Lim Boon Heng: Let me take the Member's second question first. The Government recognises that addressing ageing issues requires a Whole-of-Government approach. As the Member says, some issues cut across several Ministries. Two years ago, the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, which I chair, was established to facilitate inter-agency coordination and collaboration on ageing issues. The committee is pursuing the four strategic thrusts of enhancing employability and financial security, enabling ageing-in-place, providing holistic and affordable healthcare and eldercare, and promoting active ageing. This arrangement has served us well so far. So there are no plans for a separate apex body. Let me now address the Member's other question. We have started work to prepare for an ageing population. Our aim is to enable our elderly to remain active, independent, financially secured and productively engaged with the wider community. In doing so, we ensure that Singapore remains a vibrant and dynamic society, and a good home for our young and old.”
“Police data indicate that from 1st October 2008 to 30th September 2009, 136 youths were arrested for loanshark and related harassment activities, of which almost half were students. Ultimately, parents are primary caregivers of their children. They must take responsibility to monitor the after-school activities of their children and know who their children are interacting with so as to provide timely guidance to their children. The reasons for school children being lured into working for such activities are complex. Even as we reiterate the responsibility of parents to mould their children’s character, schools can play a complementary reinforcing role in this respect. Schools raise awareness of their students to illegal activities through the formal curriculum and a variety of character development and life-skills programmes in order to teach them to discern right from wrong. The actions taken by schools include counselling and support, and as a last resort, disciplinary actions. Schools also engage the parents and community to work in partnership in nurturing our young holistically. Schools have adopted a variety of strategies to facilitate communication with parents and keep them informed about the needs of their children. Schools also collaborate with relevant agencies or authorities to guide students back on the right track. For example, MOE works with the Police to raise awareness at the school level through roadshows in schools and the provision of advisories. ACTIVE AGEING (Apex body and promotion plans) 24.”
“Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport in the light of recent cases of traffic accidents caused by speeding (a) how many vehicles involved in speeding accidents in the past two years were found with illegal engine modifications; (b) how many workshops involved in doing such modifications have been prosecuted in the past two years.”
“The Director-General for Education chairs a committee of education, health and social service professionals, which has been set up to regularly review the curricula on sexuality education and its effectiveness. MAINTENANCE OF DRAINS AND WATERWAYS 22. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) how the maintenance of the various drains and waterways is shared among PUB, Town Councils and other agencies; and (b) whether the cleaning frequency is synchronised among the different agencies to ensure an optimal state of cleanliness. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Maintenance of drains and waterways includes both cleaning and repair works. PUB maintains major waterways and all drains along public roads. Small drains within public housing estates are maintained by Town Councils, while small drains in private properties like condominiums, are maintained by their owners and management corporations. Different drains require different cleaning frequencies based on their type and location. Under performance based contracts, contractors clean the drains as often as necessary to ensure a minimum standard of cleanliness. In addition, while individual agencies are responsible for the maintenance of their drains, PUB also maintains oversight to manage flood risks from the drains. Drains and waterways are part of our water catchment. Stormwater collected is transported to our reservoirs and makes up our supply of drinking water. We all have a part to play in maintaining the cleanliness of our environment. We hope that the public will continue to take ownership of our drains and waterways, and help to keep them clean. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY SPEEDING 25.”
“To address this trend, MOE provides sexuality education in schools to complement the primary role that parents play in this area of their children’s behaviour and development. Age appropriate sexuality education is delivered through the formal curriculum on Health Education, Civic and Moral Education and Science as well as through the co-curricular programme "Growing Years", which seeks to equip students with the essential knowledge and skills to form healthy relationships with the opposite sex, while making responsible, values-based decisions on matters of sexuality. It advocates abstinence as the best option for teens and helps them to understand the risks and consequences of pre-marital sex. Teenagers are also educated about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including HIV, and protection against these diseases from a health perspective, through the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) programme, "Breaking Down Barriers". Students, who are likely to be sexually active, are given one-on-one counselling sessions by their Full Time School Counsellors or referred to other health services with parental consent. As parents are a child’s first educators, MOE has been working with HPB and MCYS to better equip parents to play their role through a programme called "Love Them. Talk About Sex". This programme seeks to raise parents’ awareness about the importance of sexuality education and give them tips on how to talk to their children about sexuality matters. The rise in teenage sexual activity is a trend seen in many countries. While MOE itself has not conducted specific research into the causes behind this trend, existing research and feedback from school counsellors suggest that the causes are multi-factorial.”
“Our secondary schools are not ranked as the Member has asked but receive different awards for various achievements. MOE will therefore provide information requested based on the top 10% of students, based on PSLE scores, where more than 60% live in HDB flats. Among the Secondary 1 students who enrolled in Integrated Programme (IP)(1) schools in 2009, more than half live in HDB flats. Our education system aims to provide opportunities for all students to go as far as possible, regardless of their home background. (1) Schools that offer IP to Secondary 1 students in 2009 are Anglo-Chinese (Independent), Dunman High, Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls' High, National Junior College, NUS High School Of Mathematics and Science, Raffles Girls' (Secondary), Raffles Institution and River Valley High. Column No : 1433 CLOSING INCOME GAP 8. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports what is the current gap between the top five and bottom five percent of Singaporeans in terms of per capita income and what measures are the Ministry taking to close this gap.”
“Eighty-two percent of students said they were comfortable with friends from a different religious background. They also expressed increasing confidence in Singapore's future. Seventy-four percent of students expressed the belief that Singapore will remain prosperous over the next five years, and that we will remain a leading economic centre in Asia. While these survey results are encouraging, MOE will continue to review its NE programmes and content periodically to ensure that they engage students and serve our overall objectives. MOE is also mindful that we will have to engage other stakeholders, including parents and the community, on this collective task to instil among our students a sense of rootedness to Singapore. Column No : 1433 STUDENTS IN HDB FLATS 7. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Education what proportion of students in the top 10 secondary schools in Singapore live in HDB flats.”
“When National Education (NE) in schools was launched in 1997, the stated objectives were to develop national cohesion, cultivate the instinct for survival and instil confidence in our future. These goals continue to be relevant but following the 2007 Report of the Committee on National Education, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has placed a greater emphasis on these goals, in addition to fostering a sense of belonging to Singapore. Programmes and outcomes related to NE are reviewed annually in all schools as part of the School Excellence Model where schools systematically assess enablers and processes in relation to key performance results linked to the Desired Outcomes of Education. Schools with consistently good NE programmes and outcomes are recognised in the yearly NE Awards. In the last nine years, there were 144 such schools which effectively infused NE into the school's formal and informal curriculum. In addition, these schools engaged key stakeholders and built sustained partnerships with community partners in relation to NE. For example, Evergreen Secondary School has a programme to teach students storytelling skills, leveraging on diverse media tools to convey the Singapore Story. The school also has a comprehensive emergency preparedness programme organised in conjunction with the local community. To ensure that students have basic knowledge about Singapore, an NE quiz is administered for Primary 6 and Secondary 4 students. MOE also surveys student perceptions and attitudes to obtain feedback on the effectiveness of our NE programmes. Our latest survey in 2008 showed that students had a sense of belonging to Singapore, with nine out of 10 students being proud to be Singaporean.”
“Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the safety guideline for the design of windows and open areas in high-rise housing apartments; (b) under what circumstances are grilles required to be installed at the window or balcony; and (c) whether the guideline will be reviewed to tighten the safety measures for residents.”
“Cyber wellness is an integral component of the Ministry of Education's third information and communication technology (ICT) masterplan for education (mp3) which was launched in August 2008. This included a framework to guide all schools in planning and developing cyber wellness programmes. The framework defines the principles to guide the actions of students, and processes to explore issues as well as partner parents in promoting cyber wellness among the students. Schools were also given a starter kit of resources in the form of lesson plans on topics, such as netiquette and cyberbullying. As parents play a critical role in managing their children's behaviours, MOE distributed a handbook containing parenting tips and warning signs to detect and deal with cyber-related issues of their children. This handbook was given to all primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institute in 2008. Starting in 2009, MOE will be monitoring the implementation of cyber wellness programmes in schools through mid- and end-of-year reviews of the implementation of ICT programmes by schools. The recent mid-year review indicated that all schools had put in place cyber wellness programmes. These included talks and seminars for parents to equip them with skills to manage cyber-related issues. MOE is also developing assessment tools, which will be piloted in 2011, to evaluate the effectiveness of cyber wellness programmes. Column No : 1421 HIGH-RISE APARTMENTS (Safety guideline for window design) 47.”
“Affected students and their families are also referred to the Family Service Centres and IMH for further support, where necessary. Column No : 1419 CYBER WELLNESS PROGRAMMES (Effectiveness) 46. Ms Joscelin Yeo asked the Minister for Education (a) what studies have been done to assess the effectiveness of the Ministry's current cyber wellness programmes; and (b) whether the current programmes contain a component to assist parents to detect and deal with cyber-related issues of their children.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) adopts a multi-pronged and multi-agency approach in helping students deal with issues such as gaming addictions and gang involvement. Students are influenced by family, peers, school and the wider society. Hence, there are multiple causes for gaming addiction and gang involvement, for example, dysfunctional family relationships and negative peer pressure. Although the root causes for both gaming addiction and gang involvement are broadly similar, there is no known local research that has studied the specific association between these two. There are research studies that have linked gaming addiction or, more specifically, exposure to violent game play to increases in aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviours in youths. MOE collaborates with external agencies and other Ministries through inter-ministry committees such as the Inter-Ministry Cyberwellness Steering Committee (ICSC), co-chaired by MOE and MICA, and the National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation (NYGR), chaired by Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee. Programmes have been developed to raise students' awareness of cyber wellness which include gaming addiction. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) also conducts talks for students on the dangers of gang involvement. At the school level, school counsellors are trained by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) on Managing Addictive Behaviour. They are equipped with the skills and knowledge to identify and render appropriate intervention and support for at-risk students. The Honorary Voluntary Special Constabularies (Hon VSCs), who are selected teachers in-charge of discipline in school, will liaise with SPF and provide advice to students who are at-risk of being involved in gangs.”
“Many students have also excelled in international competitions like the International Olympiad in Informatics. Students who are confident about the use of ICT also make for a more e-ready citizenry, paving the way for more innovative e-services to be implemented in Singapore. MOE will continue to take a balanced and judicious approach in its investment, paying due attention to ICT infrastructure, learning resources and capacity-building for educators. The use of ICT needs to move in tandem with changes in curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. FutureSchools are to push the frontiers of learning and teaching at a school-wide level to fully harness ICT to engage students in learning. To-date, six schools have been selected as FutureSchools. The next batch of FutureSchools will be selected in 2011. Our intent is to develop up to a total of 15 FutureSchools by 2015. This phased approach will ensure that the technologies proposed and employed can be the most up-to-date during the different phases and thus allow greater benefits. It will allow us to derive learning points from the first-phase to inform the implementation of later phases. It is thus a cost effective way for MOE to sustain innovations in our schools given the rapid rate of ICT change. Column No : 1413 LEASE BUYBACK SCHEME (Public response since launch) 37. Mr Terry Lee asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the public response since the launch of the Lease Buyback Scheme on 1st March 2009; (b) how many applicants were rejected and what were the main reasons for the rejections; (c) how will the Ministry help these rejected applicants; and (d) what is the total payout to the home owners to date.”
“Let me first address the more general questions about the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in education, before addressing the more specific questions relating to FutureSchools. ICT is an investment that we need to make to prepare our students for the 21st century. Through the use of ICT, our students develop competencies for self-directed and collaborative learning to succeed in a knowledge-based economy. ICT also allows learning experiences to be better customised according to the way each student learns best. Singapore is now into its third ICT masterplan in schools. We have equipped all our schools, trained teachers, and ICT is now part and parcel of the teaching and learning process. As part of the implementation of the third ICT masterplan, schools will integrate ICT into 50% of the curriculum time by 2014. Students learn critical ICT skills through different subjects, eg, keyboarding during lower primary English and use of spreadsheets during upper primary and secondary Mathematics. Apart from productivity tools and the Internet, students also participate in web2.0 collaborative learning environments with the use of mobile technologies and data collection tools. Schools use a self-evaluation tool to ascertain the proficiency of their students across the different core ICT skills. The ICT-enriched environment in our schools has brought about a shift in the way students learn. They are now more actively engaged in learning through interacting with not only text but interactive ICT tools such as dataloggers to deepen their understanding of concepts. With multimedia tools such as video cameras and web2.0 technologies such as wikis, students now collaboratively review and create knowledge with peers within and beyond their classrooms.”
“Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the factors considered by the Police before deciding whether to allow the closure of roads for any sporting events; (b) how many road closures for sporting events have there been in 2008 and 2009; and (c) whether there are any plans to minimise such road closures so that they do not inconvenience the residents who live near the locality of the road closures, especially in the Tanjong Rhu area.”