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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“This will help those students who need additional aid, to cover the portion of schooling expenses that is not already covered by their existing bursaries and loans, and their post-secondary education account. To help new graduates, MOE will also suspend the loan repayments on the tuition fee loan and study loan, for a year. They need not pay interest on their outstanding loan during the period of suspension. Taken together, MOE will provide $24 million more in financial assistance measures – this is 120% more compared to last year – and this will benefit at least 50,000 MOE-FAS recipients in our schools for the Financial Assistance Scheme and about 30,000 students in our post-secondary institutions. We will do more, if necessary. Our goal to build a world class education system will also extend to the private education sector. We have got good institutions – INSEAD, Chicago School of Business and Digipen Institute of Technology, etc. To strengthen Singapore’s position as a global education hub, the private education industry must be of good quality and offer a diversity of options. During the Committee of Supply Debate in March last year, MOE announced that we would introduce a Private Education Bill which will provide for the setting up of a Council for Private Education with the powers to regulate the private education sector. Senior Minister of State Lui will give an update on the broad features of the regulatory regime, and address the specific queries posed by members. If the Bill is passed by this House, the Council’s role will be multi-faceted. It will play an important part in enhancing the quality of the private education sector and look after the interests of students.”
“I recognise that some breadwinners may face disruptive employment and temporary financial difficulties and yet not meet our eligibility criteria for existing schemes. To provide flexibility to schools and principals, MOE will therefore provide each school with a one-off sum of $10,000 and a further $10,000 top-up for those with more than 10% of their students who are on the MOE-FAS. So in other words, if you have more lower income students you get $20,000. In total, $5.4 million will be provided for this discretionary scheme for the School Advisory or School Management Committees to manage. I think they have more sensitivity there to give them this money, they can decide whether specific students need to be helped and by how much, and how the money can be used. This will exist on top of our Financial Assistance Scheme. For post-secondary educational institutions, MOE will spend $11 million this year to introduce a new short-term study assistance scheme for all undergraduates, polytechnic and ITE students whose household incomes fall within the bottom two-thirds of the population. So in other words, this addresses up to the 66th percentile of households. This scheme will be for two years, for Academic Years 2009 and 2010. The extra assistance will be worth up to about $2,060 per student per year, and the actual quantum given out will depend on the level of study and the help needed by the individual students. And students will have to tap on existing financial assistance before being considered for this short-term study assistance schemes. So this is a scheme that rides above all other schemes if you exhaust them.”
“This new diploma course offers a shorter training duration compared to the current courses. The course can be completed on a part-time basis within 700 or 900 hours over 10 months, approximately half the time compared to the current courses, and the reason is that they are more focused on pedagogy and less on the child-care elements because the kindergarten teachers will need to focus more on educational aspects. It will lead to a specialist diploma in early childhood care and education. ADKET will provide much needed teachers to raise the quality of pre-school education. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Masagos will provide an update on these efforts later. In total, an estimated 7,500 teaching and teaching-support jobs will be available in the education sector, of which 3,700 will come from the post-secondary institutions and the kindergarten sector. Let me talk about financial assistance and a point raised by Dr Lily Neo and other members. MOE is mindful that many families will be affected by the economic downturn. We will maintain the approach that no child will be denied a quality education because he cannot afford it. This is why general education is almost fully subsidised by the Government, and we have a number of Financial Assistance Schemes to help. Last year, in 2008, the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (MOE-FAS) benefited a total of 44,900 students, about 45,000 students – about 10% of our entire cohort – compared to 42,200 in 2007. We have also increased the contributions to Edusave Accounts for pupils from the current $180 to $200 per year for primary students, and $220 to $240 per year for secondary students. To help needy students, MOE will spend an additional $7.3 million for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) this year.”
“For example, to equip our Allied Educators (Teaching and Learning), they will undergo a three-month specialist diploma training programme at NIE. NIE also provides these courses for counselling and supporting children with special educational needs. In total, the training will cost $13 million or, on average, $20,000 for each Allied Educator we train, fully sponsored. In addition, MOE will recruit mid-career professionals with strong language skills, who can come in as language facilitators, to complement our language teachers in our primary schools. We speak what we hear, this is what educators tell us, we speak the way we hear. And MOE wants to provide students with a longer exposure in a better language environment with these facilitators. We know that there may be retired or semi-retired people who speak well. We want to make use of them, bring them into our schools, spend time with our students, read, interact with them, to improve the language environment. Mid-career professionals with leadership and managerial experience can also contribute as Vice-Principals (Administration), forming part of the school leadership team. 4.45 pm Within MOE-HQ, my Ministry is also looking at high calibre young graduates who are keen on policy-making and want to contribute to shape the future of the education system. In all, we will be recruiting to fill close to 3,800 positions in 2009, about an increase of 600 positions. The local post-secondary institutions too, will take this opportunity to recruit staff. Let me now talk about kindergarten teachers. To meet the large demand for well-trained kindergarten teachers, a new Advanced Diploma for Kindergarten Education-Teaching (ADKET) has been developed by the Singapore Polytechnic.”
“The plans that MOE have, to step up to build a world-class education system, will allow us to accelerate our hiring plans and recruit additional teachers from amongst fresh graduates and mid-career professionals. As Dr Ong Seh Hong suggested, there are indeed good quality candidates who are unable to secure a job in the current economic downturn, a point also raised by Ms Denise Phua. This year, we target to recruit 3,000 teachers. Let me make one point abundantly clear, and I agree with Dr Ong and Ms Phua. We will continue to be rigorous in our selection of teachers and ensure that only those with the passion, aptitude and commitment to teach are selected. If this means that we will not meet recruitment targets – so be it. We would rather hire less to get the type of teachers we want, to maintain a quality teaching force. They are targets, but they need not be fulfilled if we cannot find the right type of teachers. My Ministry will also increase the hiring of Allied Educators (AEDs) who partner teachers and provide specialised support in areas like counselling, teaching and learning and special educational needs. We aim to recruit 500 Allied Educators (Teaching and Learning) this year, 200 more than earlier planned, and around 90 Allied Educators (Counselling and Learning and Behavioural Support). These allied educators will provide much needed support to enrich learning experiences as well as cater to those with special needs, a point raised by Ms Phua, and "occasional needs" of mainstream students in their growing-up years. All our Allied Educators will receive full sponsored training to help prepare them for their specialised roles in schools.”
“Our students should be developed holistically and an over-emphasis on exam grades can be detrimental. This is especially so for lower primary students, who can be discouraged to form good habits of learning or lose confidence because of unrealistic expectations. It is against this backdrop that the PERI Committee recommended bite-size assessments for lower primary students. They think that this will be more appropriate to form stronger fundamentals for the many school years ahead for these students. But amidst all the correspondence that have been going to the press, I note the concern by parents that this might mean that students would be less prepared for the PSLE. They say "Look, if you don't test them in Primary One and Primary Two, it will be worse in Primary Six". Let me provide an assurance that if MOE accepts those recommendations which the PERI Committee will put out, MOE will monitor students’ performance to ensure that there is no fall in standards of performance for PSLE subjects. And we will only roll it out at a pace at which we know how to assess progress using different types of assessments. It is clear that in order to realise the quality improvements that the Committee has proposed, processes and also mindsets of all stakeholders must be aligned. If we want teachers to engage each student to spark their love for learning and develop them fully, we have to ensure that the way we assess student outcomes, assess schools, and how parents respond to new initiatives must work in support of our goals and the desired outcomes in education, and, again, a point raised by Dr Lily Neo.”
“Denmark has long avoided a culture of testing and evaluation in the spirit of being egalitarian. Last year, a team from MOE visited Denmark and learnt that they are now in the midst of reforms to introduce national tests at selected grades, so that schools can provide feedback on students and school outcomes. South Korea also did away with national assessments. I visited them in November/December last year and the principals I spoke to there want the national assessments back, because they say without it, they cannot tell how they are doing. They do not know how to gauge their students or their schools. Japan is another example of how we should make calibrated changes, and not be too quick to discard what works well. And Japan is interesting, because it is almost like Singapore. In response to public pressure to reduce stress levels for primary school children, Japan, since the late 1970s, has reduced the amount of materials taught as well as the number of teaching hours. Makes sense – reduce stress, less content, less teaching hours. Now they are seeking to reverse this move, because of a drop in their rankings in international benchmarking studies in Mathematics and Science. Last year, Japan announced an increase in classroom hours for major subjects for the first time in 30 years, in a bid to curb falling standards. We should therefore keep the PSLE, but it cannot be the only measure or drive all of our educational efforts. And I think this was the point that Mr Teo Ser Luck was referring to. I do not think that he was against testing, he was saying that singular drive of just one metric, distorting all other educational outcomes, is detrimental. And, indeed, it is.”
“Beyond this, MOE may need to build Centres of Excellence, to help schools in areas such as arts, music and sports development. To implement these recommendations, as I said, will need sizeable resources, not only in financial terms, but of sustained effort. So I would characterise the time frame of the PERI report as a building phase of 10 years of infrastructure, enhanced curriculum and pedagogy. Initial projections for both infrastructure and more trained teachers indicate that it will cost MOE around $4.5 billion more over the next 10 years. But beyond this, we will also have to develop capabilities in our teachers to better engage and employ different modes of assessments. Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu will address specific queries related to the report, but let me address one question which has been brought up by Dr Ong Seh Hong and Mr Teo Ser Luck about the place for Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). In any educational system, assessments are necessary to provide feedback on the overall standards and performance of individual schools as well as students. Among most educators now, there is little, if any, argument that testing is required. There was a phase in the evolution of educational thought leaders that if you motivated students to do well and learn on their own, they would. Very few educators believe that. Most people believe that what you test counts, and what you test, people will study. Testing counts and more systems are trying to move back to that. For Singapore, the PSLE has been critical in playing that role. In countries that did away or avoided the assessment systems, have regretted it, because they have basically witnessed a decline in standards. Take Denmark, for example.”
“I have been gratified by the numerous responses from the press, the members of the public, parents and other stakeholders, because we may disagree on the details, the implementation issues, but there is broad support that we need to enhance our primary school education. There have been many worthwhile suggestions from the public that should be considered by the Committee. I also welcome views from Members of this House during this COS, or even after it, before they finalised the report in March. But lest we be distracted by the numerous details, we should focus on the key strategic thrusts recommended by Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu’s Committee. When I read the report, I asked what are they asking for and what needs to be done. It is a sizeable bill. Firstly, it is clear that to achieve what they have asked for will require significant resources and long-term commitment. Around 80 existing primary schools will need to be expanded with better facilities. We need to build 18 more new schools. More teachers will be needed to improve the teacher-student ratio by a further 20% in 2015. And to provide for a more rounded education with greater emphasis on love for learning, appreciation of aesthetics, sports and arts, we will also need to re-train and add to the teaching force to provide these capabilities. And this was the point that Dr Lily Neo was talking about. She was saying that you need to re-task, re-orientate and train the 14,000 primary school teachers we have in our system. And it is clear that the enhanced curriculum for primary schools will require more space and time that single-session schools provide, and more facilities for outdoor and experiential learning.”
“This is worth doing and I am glad to report that the Presidents of both universities that I visited in China have formed Committees to evaluate this proposal and will be coming to Singapore in the next few months to further explore this link-up. This downturn also provides us an opportunity to accelerate major initiatives. The primary school review is one clear example. Staff in MOE together with principals and educational specialists had been studying ways to improve our curriculum to make it better suited for the "21st century" environment and challenges, a point raised by Dr Lily Neo. We wanted to introduce new programs, provide more time and space to better develop character and soft skills and imbue the correct values into our students. This downturn provided an opportunity to accelerate these worthwhile goals. I appointed Senior Minister of State, Ms Grace Fu, to lead a Committee and come up with a road map on the priorities, programmes and resources that are needed to adopt these curriculum changes and bring primary education to the next level. This Committee is called PERI, and they released their preliminary report and recommendations in early January. It is a good report and Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu’s Committee has done an excellent job in seeking the views from all stakeholders and formulating key strategies and practical recommendations that will help to improve the primary school education. You know they have garnered enough feedback when there are two views to every point, and proponents and those who disagree, in equal numbers, and that is education.”
“Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore also discovered the genetic sequences of five different SARS virus strains, and their research was instrumental in the development of a diagnostic test kit. Our neighbourhood has also changed. The next few decades will witness the rise of Asia, as China and India build up their capabilities and extend their influence. The United States, despite the massive loss of wealth in this financial turmoil, will still be the dominant world power and scientific powerhouse for the foreseeable future. So it is in this context that we must position the new university. We cannot know the future, but we can make linkages that will prepare us well for it. This was the idea behind forming partnerships with leading institutes in US and China for the new university. We have received good proposals from top US universities to be a partner, and we are evaluating. For China, the idea of a tripartite partnership was brought up by Prime Minister Lee and Senior Minister Goh during their visits with senior Chinese leaders last year, who agreed that the proposal should be followed up. In December last year, I visited two leading universities in China and met up with their Presidents and senior staff, and discussed a partnership proposal. The possibility of a trans-Pacific Singapore-US-China partnership through a campus here in Singapore has gained interest, with the prospect of students and faculty from the three partners exchanging ideas and collaborating on long-term projects. It is a significant challenge, we do not underestimate it, may be hard to make it work, but if done well, I think it will benefit the institutions, the students, the faculty in the countries.”
“To increase the proportion of each cohort entering into our public universities from the present 25% to 30% by 2015, the Prime Minister had already announced the set-up of the New University. Let me provide some updates because some Members have asked for it. The New University at the East Coast will offer a unique opportunity to create something different and valuable to our educational landscape. They call it ab initio or tabula rasa – a clean slate. It is an academician's dream job, as a potter who moulds from a fresh cake of clay. This is something which Assoc. Prof. Mehta would be familiar with. The New University will be established at a time with different circumstances and challenges, compared to National University of Singapore or Nanyang Technological University and even Singapore Management University which was established only nine years ago. I am not referring to the current financial crisis, which will pass. The financial crisis will not threaten our physical survival. But there are critical issues that do and will continue to exist when the crisis is over – global warming, sustainability, energy, food security and pandemics, to name the more important ones. These complex problems will need advances in science and technology to help solve, if not mitigate, their impact. Universities and scientific institutions here can play a valuable role in these efforts. Many of us will remember that in the last SARS crisis, mass screening of body temperatures helped restore confidence and sped up recovery. Some of you may not know that it was our Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) who worked with industry partners to develop the Infrared Fever Screening System, which was then adopted worldwide as a frontline defence during the SARS outbreak.”
“Under the Polytechnic-Foreign Specialised Institution (Poly-FSI) framework, polytechnic graduates can take degree courses in niche areas with an industry-oriented focus. This year, six degree programmes – in Early Childhood Education, Retail Management, Naval Architecture, Food Technology, Creative Producing and Optometry – admitted around 300 students. We will have more than double the places available to 700 over the next few years. The Poly-FSI scheme has shown that there are industry-oriented degree courses which are attractive to polytechnic graduates and are aligned with Singapore's economic needs and are valued by the industry. There is a demand for these types of courses and MOE is now studying different ways to expand and accelerate such degree upgrading opportunities for polytechnic graduates. We will announce details in the later half of this year. [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) in the Chair] 4.28 pm Our existing Universities are limited by numbers of teaching staff and physical space in taking in more students. They also need to ensure that admitted students can take the rigour and pass these courses. But, within these constraints, more places will be provided by our existing Universities this year. So this year, there will be 15,210 university places, which is 900 places more than last year. So, in reply to Mr Chiam See Tong – yes, we are providing more places where there is an ability for both on space and students who can have the aptitude and capability to pass their courses. This means that we will cater to slightly over 25% of the student cohort being admitted into universities. This was a target that we had set to be achieved in 2010, so we are one year ahead of all these targets.”
“These initial successes indicate that such schools do complement and strengthen our educational enterprise. Where appropriate, we can add more of them. The new School of Science and Technology which starts next year is one example. It will cater to those with talents in applied learning and, hopefully, nurture more technopreneurs for Singapore. Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked about more opportunities in the post-secondary sector, and this was echoed by Dr Ong Seh Hong as well Mr Chiam See Tong. The ITE will step up its programmes to provide skilled manpower for Singapore's needs. Earlier this year, an external review panel – these were experts and leaders from Germany, Australia and the United States – visited the ITE. They were impressed by the high levels of student engagement and employability of ITE graduates. They also liked our idea of regional campuses under the "One ITE System, Three Colleges". ITE will, therefore, push ahead with its plans to build two more comprehensive campuses for its Colleges. Senior Minister of State Mr Lui will elaborate more on these developments later. With the increasing demand for a polytechnic education, MOE will increase the number of places available at the five polytechnics this year. There will be an increase of 700 places compared to last year, for a total 25,700 places, which is about 42.5 % of the cohort. It has been going up steadily. It was about 4% less, I think, five years ago. This reflects both the academic ability of students as well as the attractiveness of the polytechnic type of education. We have also provided more opportunities for polytechnic graduates to upgrade themselves.”
“These new elective subjects are developed by ITE and MOE. ITE lecturers are seconded to these schools to teach these subjects. Students can then take these new elective subjects at the 'N' level for progression to ITE. It is these little experiments, test beds that we find new innovations to help craft and make our education richer and more responsive to different talents. If it succeeds, we will scale it up and that allows our students of different academic aptitudes to progress. Let me give you another example. ITE has also piloted a new pathway to Higher Nitec courses, this time, for Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students. This was implemented last year. This is, if you like, a "through-train" – what Mr Teo Ser Luck referred to, but not quite a PSLE, which I will talk about later – that is, instead of taking their 'O' levels, they take these courses which allow them to obtain an ITE qualification earlier. So for those who are not quite inclined that way, they do not waste one year taking the 'O' levels and struggle with it. Some of them fail. But they take these courses at the Normal (Academic) Secondary 4 level to allow them to progress to ITE. Three hundred and sixty students from the first intake successfully completed their first semester at ITE. This was done in secondary school. Those who do well can progress to the Polytechnics. Schools for students with talents in specific fields are also bearing fruit. The first batch of NUS High School students who graduated last year have done well in international events and competitions. The School of the Arts admitted its first batch of students last year. The Sports School is also making a mark in its own niche.”
“Since 2004, as Mr Liang Eng Hwa noted, the Direct School Admissions have enabled students with specific talents to enter schools of their choice, not solely based on their PSLE results. Let me share with you some of the results of our Direct School Admissions system. This year, over 2000 students from 155 primary schools – not a few select schools – which are 90% of the entire population of primary schools successfully gained a place in over 60 secondary schools that participated in DSA. This was based on specific talents they have. Without the DSA, many of these students would not have been admitted based on their PSLE results. Subject-based banding in primary schools has enabled students to learn at their appropriate level for each subject. At the Secondary level, we have provided more bridges and students can move across to their appropriate stream or take subjects at different levels. 1,100 students moved to a higher stream last year, and 25% of Normal course students took at least one higher level subject. In other words, if they are a Normal (Technical), they took one level higher, and all Normal (Academic) taking at a higher level. We will continue to open up pathways and bridges for secondary students. Let me give one exciting example where we have expanded the choice of subjects to cater to different learning styles and, in this case, Normal (Technical) students. Three schools – Bedok Town, Shuqun and Siling Secondary – are implementing innovations in teaching the Normal (Technical) course. They have introduced new electives. What are they? They are Computer and Networking (Siling Secondary), Electrical Technology and Applications (Bedok Town Secondary) and Mobile Robotics (Shuqun Secondary).”
“So, some of the ideas are indeed implemented, but we will do more and we will see how we can extend the reach, as well as the effectiveness of our IT programmes. We will use these resources to strategically build on the strong foundations that underpin our system. First and foremost, we will continue to recruit a steady stream of passionate and competent teachers. This was a point brought up by Dr Lily Neo and Ms Denise Phua. No education system can rise above its teachers and we will invest heavily in their training and further expand their exposure, so that they can take on leadership roles as principals and specialists. Only then can schools rise in standards and students develop to their full potential, as the quality of teachers and teaching improves. I wish that we could just set up satellite schools and hope that they do just as well – an RGS or a Henry Park School here in the North, East, South or West – and just put a name to it, then, perhaps, people will believe it and recruit and put their students in and take it just as well. We found out that parents are more sophisticated than that – they go in, check out the teachers, find out where this teacher had taught, and also the facilities. So, as much as we want to accelerate good schools, we are finally dependent on principals and teachers. And we will invest heavily in them to be able to produce more RGSes, more Henry Parks, more good schools. Second, MOE will continue to shape our education system to be more responsive to students with different aptitudes, styles and pace of learning. We have already initiated some programmes to provide flexibility.”
“But every time we make a change, it is a calculated one, we ask principals, we make sure that it can be implemented, we consult and make sure that everyone understands where we are going, because how we got here is very important. And it is easy to lose that strength in the educational system from just simple changes, whether it is a change in emphasis on languages or Mathematics, as we have seen in other systems. We scan the newspapers every week in MOE on news on foreign institutions to reproduce its spread to the top management in MOE. It helps us to learn what others have done right, or where others have gotten into trouble. I am excited about our ideas, as I have said, and I think we might want to visit some of the institutions to learn from them. But we are always cautious when we do make changes. Despite this downturn, we will continue spending on education and, indeed, accelerate some major initiatives. For this financial year, the educational budget has increased by 5.5% to $8.7 billion. MOE projects that the spending on education will increase by 25% to $11 billion by 2013. And this will include changes on our IT system, again a point raised by Ms Denise Phua. We recently launched the ICT Masterplan III, and this will include the scaling up of resources to schools, not only the top schools, but all schools in the neighbourhood and, if we can, to extend it even to other schools. Some of the points raised by Ms Denise Phua have already been instituted. Children can access, eg, under the school corporate system, lesson plans. I suppose their parents can look over their shoulders to see their test scores as well, if we put it there.”
“What I would like to do is to provide the larger backdrop of MOE's plans to steer and build further our education system over the next few years. Despite economic uncertainties, we must, and will, continually invest in building up our human capital. Indeed, we have been spending steadily over the last decade. We spend around 3% to 4% of our GDP on public education, roughly $5 billion in 1998 to about $8.7 billion for FY 2009. It has been money well spent because we have made progress. Our education system is internationally respected for its rigorous standards. We have a competent and motivated professional teaching workforce led by capable principals. We produce quality students who are welcomed by top institutions in Singapore and world-wide. But, more importantly, our education system has benefited all students across the spectrum of academic abilities. As a whole, they excel in international comparisons in Mathematics, Science and the languages. Almost 99% of each cohort receives at least 10 years of education and enter the workforce with employability and marketability. Singapore was ranked first by the World Competitiveness Yearbook in 2008 for having an education system that best meets the needs of a competitive economy. McKinsey also named Singapore as one of the world's top-performing education systems in 2007. These achievements should neither make us proud nor complacent, but careful to preserve and improve on what we have built. So when Ms Denise Phua said, "Be bold". She did not quite say, "take a chance". I was excited by what she saw in the educational village.”
“We should have a wide spread of programmes and institutions that provide individuals with different strengths and at various stages of their life, opportunities to develop themselves and become more productive. We must have institutions that build character and values, and I agree here again with Prof. Mehta. A world-class education system must have all three elements, but tension will always exist between them. For example, when we try to provide universal access, we run the risk of lowering standards – this is a problem that the United Kingdom now has to grapple with in its tertiary sector. Peaks of excellence which benefit select students require large resources which could have been better spent to provide opportunities for the masses. The Ivy League Universities with their large endowments exemplify this. We live with these tensions, never completely resolving them but always adjusting and finding opportunities to approach a golden mean. These three essential elements serve as guide posts in our quest. We will use this downturn to step up our efforts, so that when we emerge in the upturn, we will have a better education system that will benefit this and future generations of Singaporeans. 4.15 pm Dr Lily Neo has hit the nail on the head, when she says that forward-looking planning is essential, and that we must keep an eye on longer term fundamentals. Looking ahead, our education system must continue to evolve in Singapore, to respond to the needs of a changing economy. Senior Minister of State, Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Masagos, will provide details and respond to the specifics of Members' questions.”
“Specifically for education, there are opportunities that we can seize in this downturn to continue building a world-class education system. Let me explain what I mean. To me, three essential elements characterise such an education system. One, it is an education system that is respected for its high standards and has peaks of excellence comparable with top institutions worldwide. This not only refers to universities, but schools, ITE and polytechnics. We should aim for them to be the best in their class. So I agree with Assoc. Prof. Kalyani Mehta that we should not just look at the worth of an individual because of his academic output. Indeed, that is not our education philosophy when we built our institutions. I do not spend less on an ITE student because I deem that he will be paid less when he graduates, than I do, say, on a JC student. In fact, in terms of resources, we spend about the same – $12,000 per year. It has never been our prevailing philosophy to spend less when we think that you cannot give out more. We spend enough to bring out the full potential and to build the institution to bring it to the best in that class. Two, our education system provides universal access based on merit, with bridges for students to cross over to different institutions, as they progress. Poor or rich, Singaporeans should be able to rise through education. Those without financial means should find support to do so. But in the same vein, those who are well-to-do, should not be held back. Third, it must be responsive to the diverse palette of talents and learning needs.”
“Sir, first let me thank the Members who have spoken, for their comments and questions. My apologies to Ms Denise Phua – I did not bring my leather jacket and I do not think I possess one but let me think about it. It is clear that the financial meltdown around us has dominated this year's Budget and Committee of Supply. And as you read the newspapers, no wonder, superlatives have flowed fast and furious about this. It has been described as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and likely the century. It has caused the most rapid rise in unemployment amongst OECD countries since the early 1990s. A bank run has occurred in the United Kingdom, not seen since 1866 and the list goes on. Singapore, of course has not been spared. MTI’s projection of minus 2% to 5% makes it possibly the worst recession since its independence. The Straits Times Index (STI) has lost 50% of its value in 2008, the largest annual drop in its 42-year history. A good friend remarked that he opens the newspapers nowadays with fear each passing day, certain that more bad news would come. Indeed, we are in difficult times. No one can be certain how long this downturn will last and it will get worse before it starts to recover, but there are good reasons that Singaporeans should remain optimistic. Despite the turbulence, our society remains cohesive and confident. We have a stable, responsive and effective Government. It is this cohesive society led by a good Government that will see us through this crisis. In years of plenty, we have spent prudently and put aside reserves, that we can now draw on for dire consequences and circumstances like the present one.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2009/2010, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“The number of candidates enrolled in NIE's Bachelor of Art/ Bachelor of Science in Education programme (BA/BSc programme) has risen from 175 in AY2006/07 to 470 in AY2008/09. On average, about 70% of the candidates enrolled have 'A' level qualifications while the rest are Polytechnic Diploma holders. Admitted 'A' level candidates have a minimum of three 'A' level passes. Candidates from the Polytechnics would have equivalent qualifications. In addition, all the enrolled candidates have to clear an interview which seeks to assess their aptitude and interest in teaching. All candidates admitted into the BA/BSc programme must have at least a B3 in their GCE 'O' level English Language Examinations or a B3 in their General Paper or equivalent. FORMER SINGAPORE BADMINTON HALL (Development Plans) 8. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Law if he will provide details on the plans for development of the former Singapore Badminton Hall at Guillemard Road.”
“Furthermore, families that cannot afford the initial costs related to sending their children to kindergarten (e.g. registration fee, uniforms) may also be considered for a Start-up Grant of up to $200 per child per year. Children who attend childcare centres receive a universal child care subsidy. Over and above the universal child care subsidy, working parents with monthly household income not exceeding $1,800 can also apply for the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare (CFAC). For those who need further help, community-based support is available through the Grassroots Organisations, self-help groups and PCF kindergartens, to supplement the government subsidies. For example, CDAC and MENDAKI provide additional financial assistance to needy families, under the Pre-School Assistance and Support Scheme (PASS) and Education Trust Fund (ETF) initiatives respectively. Advisers and grassroots leaders can also tap on the Citizens' Consultative Committees' (CCC) Welfare and Education Fund, and the ComCare Fund to assist their residents who need financial support to send their children to pre-school. In short, families who need help will have access to financial and other assistance. NIE'S BACHELOR OF EDUCATION PROGRAMME (Enrolment) 7. Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for Education in each of the past three years (a) how many persons were enrolled in NIE's Bachelor of Education programme; and (b) of these, how many had two A-Level passes.”
“Preliminary joint efforts by MOE, MCYS and grassroots organisations in the outreach programme to reduce the percentage of children not attending pre-school are bearing results. Measures included volunteers from the Grassroots Organisations visiting families with five-year old children who are not attending pre-school to understand their reasons and to encourage them to do so. Places in PCF kindergartens were offered and help for financial assistance given, if necessary. MOE has also been working with primary schools to identify six-year old children who are not attending pre-school at the point of the Primary One registration exercise. Based on self declared information, families were identified and encouraged by the Self-Help Groups to register their children in PCF kindergartens. With these efforts in place, we have reduced the percentage of those entering Primary 1 without any pre-school education from more than 4% to about 2.5%. Despite these improvements, these efforts should be continued and stepped up as the families concerned would have multiple problems, often beyond the need for financial help. MOE, MCYS and the Grassroots Organisations will continue their efforts in the coming years. For financial help, there are many schemes in place. The Baby Bonus Scheme was enhanced in August 2008, and the monies in their Child Development Account (CDA) can be used by parents to pay pre-school fees. Children receive a cash gift and enjoy matching Government contributions in the CDA. In addition, a number of financial assistance schemes have also been put in place to help children from lower-income families. MCYS provides a fee subsidy under its Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) for children from low-income families.”
“There are no passing criteria set for the GCE 'A' Level examination. All students who pass at least one subject in the GCE 'A' Level examination will receive a certificate indicating their results. In 2007, the first batch of Integrated Programme (IP) students from Hwa Chong Institution, National Junior College and Raffles Junior College sat for the 'A' Level examination. 98.2% of IP students obtained a pass in three H2 subjects and General Paper/Knowledge and Inquiry, similar to the performance of the previous cohort of non-IP students in the same schools. As with previous cohorts from these schools before IP was introduced, there were a few students who did not meet the minimum criteria to apply for admission to the National University of Singapore or the Nanyang Technological University. These students have chosen to repeat their 'A' Levels, or apply to overseas educational institutions using their 'A' Level and school-based results. The first batch of IP students from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) took the International Baccalaureate (IB) examination in November 2007. All of them were awarded the IB Diploma, including one student who re-sat for one paper in May 2008. PRE-SCHOOL ATTENDANCE 6. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Education (a) how many children did not attend pre-school this year; (b) how effective are the measures taken to address this issue; and (c) whether the Ministry expects the problem to exacerbate in 2009 in view of the current economic downturn.”
“Our universities have acquired familiarity and knowledge with the various qualifications presented by overseas applicants, and are able to select top students from different education systems accordingly. INCREASE IN CHILDCARE SUBSIDY (Effect on affordability) 4. Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports in light of the recent increase in Government childcare subsidy for working mothers (a) has there been an increase in the number of children put into childcare centres; (b) how many childcare centres raised their fees after the Government increased the subsidy; (c) are there cases of profiteering by these childcare centres; and (d) how much more do these mothers have to top-up in fees in order to put their children in childcare.”
“Over the past three years, about one out of every two Singapore citizens who applied to the three local universities received at least one offer from the publicly-funded universities. Most local students apply to university using the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-levels or polytechnic diploma qualifications. However, there are a small number of local students who apply with other qualifications. These include students who have International Baccalaureate qualifications, and those who have undergone an overseas education. All applicants to our universities, whether local or international, must have completed the equivalent of at least 12 years of formal education leading to a high school qualification or equivalent. As such, applicants with international qualifications tend to be of the same age as local applicants. In a few countries, admission to university is possible after 10 or 11 years of formal education. Applicants from these countries may be considered for admission, but only if they provide evidence of very strong academic achievement. In addition, there is a very small number of university applicants who have qualified under special circumstances. For example, a few young talents aged between 14 and 17 have been accepted by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music for their exceptional gift in music. Admission to our universities for both local and international students is based on merit. No local student who qualifies for admission to our universities is denied a place. International students must also meet the entry criteria but, as there is a 20% cap on the number of international students, non-Singaporeans are, in practice, subject to more stringent entry criteria than Singaporeans.”
“Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what plans does the Ministry intend to put in place to reinforce the Tribunal for Maintenance of Parents, so as to ensure that children who can afford to financially support their parents carry out this responsibility; (b) how effective is the Tribunal in carrying out its role and functions; and (c) who is responsible for the enforcement of maintenance orders issued by the Tribunal.”
“Pupils with special needs are enrolled into mainstream schools if they can benefit from its curriculum. They include children with mild learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and mild autism and a smaller number of pupils with physical and sensory impairments. All pupils with special needs in the mainstream schools have access to Physical Education (PE) and Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs). Similar to their peers, the extent to which they are able to develop their skills in sports does depend on their interest and aptitude. To facilitate, the schools do customise CCA and PE activities to enable better participation. For example, for pupils with mild autism, the use of simple visual cues can enable the pupil to follow the routines and games instruction more effectively. In addition, schools consult closely with parents of pupils with physical disabilities to understand the comfort and safety level of physically disabled pupil when engaging in sports or physical activities. This is to ensure that we do not place undue harm to the pupil or his peers. For secondary schools designated to meet the needs of students with sensory impairment, the visually impaired (VI) and hearing impaired (HI) students who join these designated secondary schools are provided with an alternative CCA programme. MOE and the schools also work with the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) to organise activities and competitions for the disabled students. Column No : 663 TRIBUNAL FOR MAINTENANCE OF PARENTS (Effectiveness of enforcement) 36.”
“The Council will also be given the necessary powers to direct corrective measures if operators publish misleading advertisements. As a benchmark of higher quality, the EduTrust certification scheme will be introduced. Private schools can apply to be certified, if they can satisfy certain academic, financial and student welfare requirements. This serves as a useful incentive for better quality private schools to differentiate themselves in the market place. Aside from implementing an effective regulatory framework, the Council will also play a facilitation role to promote a better understanding of the private education sector through consumer awareness and public education programmes. Such efforts aim to help potential students be more discerning about various educational options available and to make informed choices. These enhancements to the private education regulatory framework will enable Singapore to better position itself as an education hub. For prospective students, it will provide more information about the quality of the provider and degrees offered. MOE intends to move the Bill in 2009, after providing for a sufficient period of consultation with stakeholders. Column No : 651 INTERIM STADIUMS FOR KEY SPORTING EVENTS (Provision) 25. Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports while awaiting for the completion of the new Sports Hub, whether the Ministry has plans to provide Singapore's sporting fraternity with a reasonably sized interim stadium(s) for key sporting events and, if so, whether these will be able to meet the international standards in terms of safety, security, comfort, lighting and ambience.”
“However, given the growth of the private education industry in recent years, MOE intends to strengthen the current regulatory framework. This was announced this year during the Committee of Supply debate in March. As announced, a new Private Education Bill is being drafted for the introduction of an enhanced regulatory framework which will comprise three components: the establishment of an independent Council for Private Education; an enhanced registration regime; and a voluntary certification system called EduTrust for those that meet higher standards. Under the enhanced registration regime, registration will have a specified validity period. Private schools will be required to provide early notification of changes to the recognition and accreditation status of their foreign university partners. To better deal with private schools that violate conditions of registration, graduated penalties, including fines, would be introduced. Imposing penalties that are in proportion to the severity of the breaches would serve as useful deterrence against poor standards or behaviour, while giving errant schools the opportunity to rectify their violations. Schools that have repeatedly violated conditions will risk being de-registered and not allowed to operate. One area which we will seek to address more effectively is misrepresentation by private schools in their advertisements and promotional materials. We intend to set clearer rules under the new regulatory regime to curb false and misleading advertisements. This will cover the proper use of quality labels, symbols and trademarks by private schools in advertisements and for these schools to refrain from untruthful claims about the school and its courses.”
“The current regulatory regime for private education, in place for two decades, is essentially a "light-touch" approach. To be registered, a private school will have to meet basic requirements to have appropriate physical facilities that meet building and fire safety standards. For professional aspects, the requirements are also basic. For example, to teach secondary level subjects, the teacher’s qualification should be at least 'A' level or equivalent. Private education institutions can also choose to register their external degree programmes with MOE. Only registered programmes are allowed to enrol foreign students. To be registered, the university awarding the degree must be either accredited by a national accreditation body in its home country or recognised by its own government. As at end-2007, there were 1,100 registered external degree programmes offered by universities from 20 countries through the private schools. As there exists a wide variety of such registered degrees, across countries and even from within the same country, universities and standards do differ considerably. MOE has been careful, therefore, to inform the public through various platforms that registration does not represent endorsement or assessment of the quality of the external degree. Private schools or external degree programme providers do use the label "registered by MOE" but MOE ensures that they cannot substitute registration for any other term that may suggest quality or convey more than what registration stands for. The current "light-touch" regulatory regime may have been appropriate for a budding private education industry with a few players.”
“MOE plans to provide all primary and secondary schools with an Indoor Sports Hall by 2014. To date, Indoor Sports Halls have been built in 12 schools and 80 schools are on track to have their Indoor Sports Halls completed by early 2010. In view of the Government's decision to defer certain public construction projects, MOE has deferred the construction of Indoor Sports Halls for 25 schools originally scheduled for completion by end 2009 to end 2010. The Indoor Sports Hall for the remaining 206 schools will be implemented in phases between 2010 and 2014. APPENDICES”
“They have also taken part in competitions like the Green Wave Environmental Care Competition organised by Sembawang Shipyard and National Weather Study Project (NWSP) Competition sponsored by Senoko Power Limited. In the 2007 NWSP Competition, about 67% of our schools took part in the competition. Through their participation in the NWSP Competition, our students are better able to relate the impact of climate change to their daily activities. Our schools have sufficient funds drawn from their annual budgets to participate in environmental education activities. It is not necessary to provide a separate budget for such activities. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND A ROOTED LOCAL POPULACE 1. Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the need for a rooted local populace in Singapore, whether the future immigration policies will be tightened since our recent population statistics reveal that citizens comprise only 65% of the total population.”
“MOE recognises the importance of environmental education in the education of our students. Within the existing curriculum, subjects such as Social Studies and Civics and Moral Education promote environmental awareness and responsibility. Through discussions, hands-on activities and self reflection, students learn to appreciate the natural environment and about ways to protect it. Environmental education is a key focus in Geography which is compulsory subject at the lower secondary level. At the lower secondary level, students study about managing the changing environment in topics like land supply, water resources, pollution, global warming and ozone depletion. At the upper secondary level, students study about climate change, resource depletion, food security, environmental management and sustainable development. These topics are discussed using real-world examples and case studies drawn from both the developed and developing countries. Outside the classroom, there are several programmes and activities to help raise students' awareness and appreciation of the environment and its management. The Community Involvement Programme in many schools involve students in taking care of the school environment, waste minimisation and nature conservation. Schools have Environmental Clubs whereby students undertake environmental projects like recycling in the schools and the neighbourhoods and participate in programmes like the Seashore Life Programme by NEA and HBSC and the Adopt-A-Park Scheme by NParks. Our schools have also participated in activities such as Clean and Green Week and Earth Day.”
“Universities and other Government agencies also provide students with information about future career prospects to help young Singaporeans make more informed choices about their courses and careers. EDUCATING STUDENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (Budget for schools) 63. Er Edwin Khew Teck Fook asked the Minister for Education whether his Ministry is considering to set aside budget for schools to teach and be actively involved in educating their students in all expects of the environment and sustainable development.”
“MOE recognises that Singapore needs to produce enough professionals with expertise in Science and Technology to drive the knowledge industries in our economy. For the student, such qualifications also are highly valued by industry and attract better pay. This is why courses in Science and Technology related disciplines already receive higher subsidies compared to other general disciplines. To facilitate, universities also provide more spaces into Science and Technology disciplines, which make up about 55% of total enrolment. Scholarships from public sector agencies are also skewed towards providing for students from these disciplines. Currently, about 61% of the scholars holding scholarships from public sector agencies are from the Science and Technology disciplines. In 2007, three-quarters of all scholars in the three local universities were in the Science and Technology disciplines. In addition, there are also scholarships from the private sector for Science and Technology disciplines. The bond periods for these scholarships range from three to six years, and reflect the value of the scholarship provided as well as the talent development plans of the parent organisation. In practice, Government agencies and companies compete for good students and bond periods are reviewed periodically to maintain the attractiveness of the scholarships. Bursaries serve a different need to ensure that all deserving candidates of a university or polytechnic education are not deprived of the opportunity because they cannot afford educational expenses. They are awarded on the basis of financial need and are not confined to specific fields of study.”
“In the US, the game was rated "Mature", indicating that the game is meant for those 17 and above. The UK and Europe gave the game an 18 rating, while in Australia the game was given their highest rating of MA15+. It is also rated 18 in Japan. Local retailers are required to check the age of customers at the point of sale. The MDA has ensured that video game retailers comply with the age restriction by conducting checks on the retailers and distributing the classification guidelines to the retailers. With regard to public education, MDA has been reaching out to gamers, children, parents and game retailers through publicity materials and the media to educate the public about the classification system, and to address parents' concerns about video games. They are also working with industry and community to reach out to the public through major events such as the World Cyber Championships that were held here in August. In summary, recognising that game contents do at times contain mature themes, MDA has put in place a classification system, enforcement mea sures and public education initiatives to encourage responsible and healthy gaming in Singapore. Parents with young children should also exercise judgment when they purchase games for their children.”
“Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) why was Grand Theft Auto IV, a computer game that allows players to simulate driving drunk, stealing cars, dealing in drugs, visiting strip clubs, robbing ladies and knocking down pedestrians, allowed by the Media Development Authority (MDA) to be sold in Singapore; and (b) how does MDA's approval for the sale of the game align with the concerted efforts of Ministry of Home Affairs to encourage Singaporeans of all ages to stay clear of crime, drugs and gangsterism. The Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts (RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew) (for the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts): Mr Speaker, Sir, Media Development Authority (MDA) launched Video Games Classification in April this year to allow more choice for adult gamers while according the appropriate level of protection for the young. The ratings and content advisory allow parents to make informed choices about the video games available in the market. At the same time, MDA has put in place enforcement measures and has also embarked on public education initiatives to promote the broader theme of gaming wellness while raising awareness of the classification system. Under the Video Games Classification system, the game Grand Theft Auto IV was released with an M18 rating, that is, it is restricted for sale to those who are 18 years and above. When rating the game, the MDA took careful consideration of the content, themes and storyline found in the game, recognising that adults are better equipped to discern fact from fiction. The rating given to the game is in line with that in other countries which have similar rating systems.”
“Sir, the overall view for the universities, the NRF, the Research Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) chaired by the Prime Minister is to build an environment where there are avenues and opportunities for researchers. At the same time, we also recognise that if you want to jump-start the system, if you want to climb ahead, you will have to bring in people who have already been investing their time and energy into research. Otherwise, you have to re-learn the cycle and you are not very steep in your learning curve. I think that would be the major thrust of our efforts. I think we have succeeded. Members would have read of luminaries and very strong academics who have been persuaded by our environment to re-locate here and many of them, for example, are in the prime of their research careers. Recently, NTU started another Research Centre of Excellence (RCE) on earth observatory, and a whole team of expert volcanologists who are experts in earth quakes, chose to site here from Stamford. Even though, we are near the ring of fire, we do not have volcanoes in Singapore, but yet they chose to site here. So that is one indication of the success that we have. This will create the environment where Singaporean researchers will benefit. They will be exposed to scientists and researchers of high calibre, whose work is at the cutting edge, and they will, in turn, also take on many of the roles. Many of our own local scientists have indeed gained world recognition. GRAND THEFT AUTO IV (Approval for sale) 3.”
“In terms of citations per faculty member, NUS has moved up in rank from the 115th-122nd band in 2006, to the 61st-67th rank band in 2007. NTU too has moved up about 40 places. With these efforts, our universities are gradually climbing up in terms of international research benchmarks. Our universities adopt internationally-used indicators like those employed by the THES and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities. Besides the number of citations per faculty, other indicators, like the number of high quality publications and the number of patents filed and granted, are used to measure their progress. Beyond quantitative measures, the MOE and the universities rely on qualitative assessments by experts and international academic leaders. For example, the Academic Research Council (ARC) was formed in June 2006 and is chaired now by Dr Robert Brown who is President of Boston University and former Provost of MIT. MOE does not cap the number of research groups that research fund recipients can belong to. This was the specific question asked by the Member. However, when assessing research proposals for funding, expert and evaluation panels do take into account the ability of the researcher to provide the level of commitment needed for the success of the project.”
“The Government announced its plan to increase its Research and Development (R&D) expenditure from 2.25% of GDP in 2004 to 3% by 2010. As part of this plan, MOE's Academic Research Fund (AcRF) to support research in our universities was nearly tripled to a total sum of about $1.4 billion for five years starting from FY2006 when compared to the preceding same period. From this, MOE sets aside $250 million for the establishment of Research Centres of Excellence (RCEs) at our universities to fund programmes that will generate research of global impact. RCEs are co-funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), which provides another $500 million, making a total of $750 million. Our universities have geared up their research activities and quality, in tandem with the increased funding. We have already seen some promising indicators of progress. Let me cite some: (1) Number of postgraduate research students funded by the AcRF currently stands at 4,676. This is a 13% increase from 2006 and 65% increase compared to 2001; (2) Number of projects funded increased from 30 in 2006 to 53 in 2007, representing an increase in funding from $24 million to $42 million; (3) Three RCEs have been approved over the past two years. One such RCE is the Centre for Quantum Technology at NUS, where a team of three researchers recently won the prestigious 2008 National Science Award for their outstanding theoretical and experimental studies in the field of quantum cryptography; and (4) NUS and NTU have improved their performance on the research indicators. This was asked by Mr Zainudin. One such indicator is published by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES).”
“Sir, as I have mentioned, MOE is not keen to link population policies and school admissions. I think this is a better way of doing it. We have done it before where we have linked it and you get different outcomes. I think our schools should serve primarily the educational goals of the child, and this is what explains our reluctance. RESEARCH WORK IN UNIVERSITIES 2. Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Education since research has been identified as a key pillar of our economic advancement (a) what is the progress of our efforts to promote more research work in our universities; (b) how do the universities measure the success of research work; (c) whether the quality of research and the processes that are used to measure it are comparable to world standards; and (d) as research is a knowledge-intensive and time-demanding process, what is the maximum number of research groups that research fund recipients can belong to.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, up to the late s, priority admissions into schools for Primary One (P1) were used to support population policies. Following a review, the Government decided in 1992 to de-link P1 registration from population policies, even though they were an effective measure for some schools. The reason to de-link registration into schools with population policies was guided by this principle that primary school admissions should be determined by educational goals, wherever possible. So if you look at the current criteria, proximity to home is a key criterion for admission so that a young child does not have to travel a long distance to go to school. Having siblings studying in the same school is another criterion as this is convenient for parents; allows the older sibling to help the younger child and builds school ties. We give priority to key stakeholders, such as the children of old boys or girls, members of the school advisory committees and parent volunteers as it strengthens community and parental support for the schools. So the criteria I have listed are primarily driven to meet educational goals and the current scheme reflects a careful balance of the various factors that serve the educational interest of the child and the school. Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Mr Minister, for the answer. The Minister mentioned just now that it was effective for the population growth and based on the feedback from my residents, they are asking for this to be re-introduced. I hope that the Minister will consider this.”
“The Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) also conducts 'Emotional First Aid' talks and workshops to equip youths with information on where one could seek help and knowledge to identify suicide warning signs so that they can look out for their friends who may be going through difficult times. In addition, youths in distress can email SOS or call their 24-hour hotline. Despite these efforts to prevent suicides, a few cases still occur each year. They showed no early warning signals or signs of trouble, which alerted teachers and other school staff to act. We will persist in our efforts to prevent suicides and MOE will continue to work closely with our partners, such as the IMH, to develop strategies for early detection of mental illness and intervention for students in need. While schools and the wider community can support and educate our youths, the support from the home is also paramount. Parents and family members can help their youths set realistic expectations for themselves and develop the resilience and strength of character which will enable them to ride the challenges of life. (1) The age range of 10 to 24 is based on the range used by the Department of Statistics for published resident population figures. (2) Rate of youth suicide per 100,000. SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE 24. Mr Gautam Banerjee asked the Acting Minister for Manpower what action is the Government planning to take given the findings of the recent Research Study on Workplace Sexual Harassment 2008 by AWARE, which concluded that workplace sexual harassment in Singapore is clearly a growing social challenge that warrants attention and action both by Government and employers.”
“SEL helps students acquire a set of social-emotional competencies, which will enable our students to better understand themselves, interact effectively with others and cope with life's challenges, thereby inoculating them against succumbing to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. This is further augmented by the Mind Your Mind (MYM) programme, a school-based mental health education package, targeted at primary and secondary school students. The package is jointly developed by Health Promotion Board (HPB) and MOE, and covers topics such as stress and anger management, building positive self-esteem and depression. To help students in need of support, every school has a tiered-referral system in place to facilitate the early identification and extension of help to them. At the first tier are our teachers who are trained to identify students who show signs that they are troubled and provide the necessary basic support, including referring students to counsellors in school who form the second tier of support. Complex cases are referred to the third tier of support, which can involve guidance specialists from MOE, mental health professionals or the relevant social service agencies. Our post secondary institutions and universities also have their equivalent of student support services and programmes to cater to the mental health needs of their students. In addition, HPB runs an online peer support network and disseminate pertinent mental wellness messages using such youth-centric communication channels.”
“The incidence of suicide for all residents between ages 10 to 24 (1) years has not shown any increasing trend over the past few years. According to data from the birth and death registry of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the incidence (2) for this age group was 7.2 in 2003, 5.8 in 2004, 6.1 in 2005, 4.9 in 2006 and 6.7 in 2007. Among these, suicides involving students varied from 10 to 19 cases per year. The figures are given in Table 1: Table 1: Number of Cases of Suicide involving Students Year Student Population Total for all Residents (between 10 and 24) Pri and Sec Schools and JCs/CI Post-Sec Institutions and Universities Total for Student Population 2003 14 5 19 50 2004 6 5 11 41 2005 6 4 10 44 2006 5 6 11 36 2007 5 7 12 49 While the numbers have not been rising, every suicide is regrettable and MOE's has adopted a comprehensive approach that aims prevent such incidences. Measures have been developed over the years based on the Ministry's research on suicide prevention and inputs from external partners and experts which include psychiatrists and clinical psychologists from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The key elements of this approach are: (i) building protective factors in our students, (ii) identifying at-risk students for early support, and (iii) channelling students with suicidal tendencies to the appropriate psychological, medical and other necessary resources for intervention. Our schools build protective factors within students themselves primarily through the provision of social and emotional learning (SEL).”
“Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) how many childcare centres are currently located at workplaces such as office buildings; (b) what is the percentage of this figure compared to childcare centres islandwide; and (c) what incentives are available for childcare operators to set up centres at workplaces.”