Ong Pang Boon
Singapore
“At the same time, our shoulders should be broad enough to accept criticism and even admit mistakes if need be, and be prepared to make the necessary changes. This does not mean pandering to the baser instincts of the people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry will certainly give every assistance to the villagers in clearing the debris, especially if they are left over by the contractors. I will appreciate if the Member can also let the Ministry know who are these contractors and we will prosecute them. CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE (Progress) 2.”
“The Ministry is now monitoring the results of the programme and is happy to note that there are some improvements in the cleanliness of our public toilets. It would prosecute managements of public toilets who fail to provide proper maintenance.”
“A comprehensive programme to monitor the air and sea environment in the vicinity of the Complex has been drawn up. Engineers and technicians from the Ministry and other departments have been sent for overseas training on the surveillance of petrochemical complexes.”
“The professional or other misconduct for the purposes of revocation must be of such a nature as to render, in the opinion of the Attorney-General, the notary public unfit to practise as such. This amendment is dealt with in clause 4 of the Bill.”
“All flats of the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) including those at Blair Plain are rented out to employees on monthly tenancies and are not provided as part of their terms and conditions of service. These flats are therefore not service quarters.”
The complete record
Every one of 668 lines we hold for Ong Pang Boon, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 14.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st January, 1969, to 31st March, 1970, and ask leave to sit again on Monday, 16th December, 1968.”
“However, I must point out that the Regional English Language Centre was established with substantial foreign aid, amounting to 50 per cent of the total capital cost and recurrent cost for five years. If similar financial assistance is available for a Regional Chinese Language Centre from private sources, particularly from the large Chinese dailies and publishers who have a vested interest in seeing more readers of Chinese publications, I am sure that the Government will be only too willing to consider such a project. All these changes pose a challenge to both teachers and pupils, but it is a challenge that has to be taken up. Bilingualism in our schools must succeed if we are to build a cohesive yet tolerant society, and technical education must also succeed if we are to keep pace with the new status of Singapore as an independent and forward-looking state moving towards rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. With the co- operation of teachers, pupils and parents, succeed we shall. 4.10 p.m.”
“As many English-medium trained teachers as we can spare will be sent to non-English medium schools to teach Mathematics and Science. In addition, intensive three-year courses in English with a scientific language bias will be organised for those teachers who are currently teaching Mathematics and Science in the Chinese, Malay or Tamil language medium to enable them to attain proficiency in the English language for teaching these subjects. Another nagging fear is that the use of the second language as a medium of instruction might lead to a lowering of standards in the first language and in the subjects taught in the second language. On this point, surveys conducted by my Ministry have shown that there is no basis for such fears. For example, English was first used in 1966 to teach Mathematics in certain Government Chinese-medium Primary I classes. A survey conducted at the end of a year revealed that these children had gained fluency in English without any loss in their standard of attainment in Mathematics and Chinese. Moreover, the use of the second language as a medium of instruction is introduced gradually, beginning with Primary I, and every effort is made to ensure that syllabuses and textbooks are carefully graded and chosen. A suggestion has been made that a Regional Chinese Language Centre should be set up similar to the Regional English Language Centre established in Singapore under the auspices of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Council. I welcome this sugges tion as a means of further improving the teaching of Chinese both as a first and as a second language.”
“It should be obvious that a small community of two million people cannot survive in four water- tight language compartments, with no common language of communication. In the past, our efforts to promote bilingualism were confined to increasing the allocation of time to the second language and im proving teaching methods. It has become clear that these measures by themselves are not enough to produce the desired results. This is because children have little opportunity to use the second language outside the periods allotted to it on the timetable. By using the second language as a medium of instruc tion, children would be exposed to that language for a much longer period and, moreover, would be compelled to speak it, write it and use it as a tool of communication. For those children whose second language is English, it is logical to use that language for teaching Mathematics, Science and eventually technical subjects, since English has long been accepted as an international language in these fields. For the other children whose second language is Chinese or Malay or Tamil, it is equally logical to use the second language for teaching subjects which have affinities with their own language and culture, subjects such as History and Civics. Some doubts have been expressed in the press on the wisdom of using the second language as a medium of instruction. The critics fear that the teachers who are called upon to teach Mathematics and Science in English in non-English medium schools may not themselves have a sufficiently good command of English. I should like to give the assurance that everything possible will be done to avoid such a situation. The changes in the language medium of instruction in certain subjects will be carried out in gradual stages.”
“The emphasis on the improvement of the quality of education at all levels will continue. Steps have been taken and will be taken to improve school curricula, textbooks, teaching aids and techniques, teacher training and further training, educational testing, health education and extra- curricular activities. Greater stress will be laid on bilingualism in schools. Increasing use will be made of the second language as the medium of instruction in certain sub jects. In 1966, Mathematics was taught in English in Government Primary I Chinese-medium classes on an experimental basis. As the experiment proved successful, it was extended to Primary II classes. This year, English is used for teaching Mathematics in Government Chinese Primary I, II and III classes, and in Malay and Tamil Primary I classes. The same language is used this year for teaching Science in Government Chinese Primary I classes and in all Malay and most of the Tamil Primary I classes. The use of English to teach Science and Mathematics in non-English medium schools will thus be extended gradually to Primary VI and it is expected that the same gradual process will be introduced in Government-aided non-English medium schools beginning in 1970. On the other hand, a start has been made this year to use Chinese as the medium of instruction for civics in English-medium primary classes for pupils whose second language is Chinese. It is intended that the same arrangement will apply to History by 1970. As an added measure to increase language proficiency, oral tests in the second language will be introduced next year in the Primary School Leaving Examination. Bilingualism must be emphasised in schools if we are to build a multi-racial society with a national identity.”
“The Singapore Vocational Institute itself will be expanded with the addition of a three-storey building to provide for an enrolment of 2,500 as compared with the present capacity of 2,000. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 3.59 p.m. To provide the necessary teachers for the swing towards technical education, a massive training and retraining scheme is already under way. In August this year, 371 general education teachers began their 36-week part-time re-training to become craft teachers in one of three subjects: Metalwork, Woodwork and Basic Electricity. Another batch of 85 general education teachers have been selected to undergo full- time re-training conducted by the Economic Industrial Development Agency. At this point, I must add that teachers have responded admirably to the re-training scheme. The training programme will move into top gear next year with the expansion of the technical wing of the Teachers' Training College. This will be carried out with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme. Members are no doubt aware that the Government has emphasised technical and vocational education since 1960. These changes in technical education have been proposed so that the education can meet more effectively the manpower needs of our industrialisation programme. It is widely recognised that the present predominantly academic type of education has produced an inadequate number of skilled workers and technicians. The shift to an education with a larger technician content and practical training will cut down the number of unemployable secondary school-leavers and increase the inflow of skilled manpower to our rapidly expand ing industries. Changes in other aspects of educational policy will also be made.”
“Each course will lead to the award of a Trade Certificate, and the acquisition of a number of Trade Certificates will qualify the holder for the craft certificate awarded by the vocational institutes. Students who have completed Secondary II can also compete for direct entry into vocational institutes of which two more will be established by 1970. A National Technical Institute will also be established by 1970 to train industrial technicians. It will provide advanced craft courses for those who have completed courses in vocational institutes. The changes which I have just listed call for a heavy outlay in new plant and conversion of existing facilities. Four new vocational institutes will he established, two of them to function in their new premises in 1969 and the other two in 1970. Six vocational schools will be paired with six academic schools within the same compound with improved workshop facilities to provide for a technical stream. Three other vocational schools will be converted into industrial training centres to provide a variety of short-term trade courses and another industrial training centre will be established at Telok Blangah, making four centres in all. Twenty units of centralised workshops will be created to provide practical training for all the boys and 50 per cent of the girls in Secondary I and II, and additional machinery will be installed in three of the nine existing technical schools to convert them into technical high schools offering courses from Secondary III to Pre-U classes. Pending the construction of its own building, the nucleus of the proposed National Technical Institute will be housed temporarily in the Singapore Vocational Institute in 1969 to provide courses in advanced mechanical engine ering practice and shipbuilding.”
“Pupils who are in Vocational I this year will, however, continue with Vocational II next year. (b) The secondary school system will be re- structured so as to direct a much larger number of pupils than at present to technical education. Begin ning with Secondary I classes next year, a new common curriculum will be introduced for all Secondary I and II pupils in all types of schools and in all four language streams. This new curriculum provides for all boys and 50 per cent of the girls to take a combination of academic and technical subjects, including workshop practice. Domestic Science-will be a compulsory sub ject for all girls. However, for girls who are also taking technical subjects, Domestic Science will not be an examination subject and a modified syllabus will be followed. The introduction of this, new curriculum for Secondary I and II will mean that the streaming of students into academic, technical, or commercial education will not be undertaken until Secondary III. The objections which have been raised hitherto against streaming from Secondary I have thereby been removed. (c) After completion of Secondary II, students will either proceed to Secondary III and IV and then on to Pre-University as at present, or branch off to a variety of new educational establishments to train as craftsmen and technicians. (d) For students who branch off to technical training after completing Secondary II, four industrial training centres will be established to provide courses in electrical, building and metal trades. These courses, varying in duration between six months and two years, will concentrate on the acquisition of a specialised skill through practical work.”
“Similarly, out of the total provision of $30.9 million in the development estimates for the Education Ministry for the next 15 months, $21 million, or slightly more than two-thirds of the total, is earmarked for the Technical Education Department, leaving only $9.9 million for the General Education Department. The Technical Education Department will have sufficient funds to carry out major development projects to provide the necessary facilities for the massive expansion of technical and vocational education. On the General Education side, only minor provision is made for replacements and extensions of existing schools. On an overall basis, there will still be enough places in primary schools for a number of years to come, although the population shift to new satellite towns and major housing estates has created shortages in certain areas, and consequently it will not be possible for all Primary 1 pupils to be admitted to schools near their homes. As the estimates reflect the changes in educational policy, I should like to take this opportunity to outline what these changes are, and to explain briefly the rationale behind the changes: (a) The present vocational schools will be abolished. As from next year, those who are not successful in the Primary School Leaving Examination and who are 14 years of age and above, will not be posted to vocational schools. However, they will be given the opportunity to apply for admission to special classes which will be organised by the Adult Education Board. These classes will provide intensive instruction in languages and training in certain basic skills to enable them to seek employment or further vocational training in the various new types of training establishments set up by the Technical Education Department.”
“Sir, I should like, first of all, to draw the attention of the House to certain salient features in the 1969 estimates of educational expenditure. Members will have noticed that for the first time in the history of the Republic's Budget, Education has dropped to second place behind Defence as the State's biggest spender. This does not mean that we are spending less on Education in order to spend more on Defence. It does show, however, that there are other and more urgent demands on the public purse than Education and the order of priorities has, at least for the time being, changed. The 1969 estimates of educational expenditure are presented, also for the first time, under two main departments: General Education Department and Technical Education Department, each with its own P.E., O.C.A.R., O.C.S.E., and development estimates. This reflects the importance which my Ministry places on technical education, and the separate administrative machinery which has been created to implement the new policy. The ordinary estimates for the Education Ministry totals $198.8 million for the next 15 months. On a proportionate basis, this works out to $159 million for 12 months or a 4.8 per cent increase over the 1968 estimates. Compared with previous years, the 1969 provision represents a very small increase indeed - for example, in 1965, the percentage increase was 13.8 per cent, 1966-19.7 per cent, 1967-11 per cent, and 1968 the percentage increase was 5.8 per cent. Much of the increase in 1969 is due to normal increments in the personal emoluments of existing posts. Of the 362 new posts created for 1969, 336 are for the Technical Education Department and only 26 for the General Education Department. This again underscores the new emphasis on technical and vocational education.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, liaison between schools and the National Museum with regard to the better utilisation of museum facilities has not been adequately established, as the National Museum is not as yet in a position to provide a proper museum school service to cope with the increasing interest and requests from schools. The Ministry of Education is considering arrangements with the appropriate authorities for the provision, of a museum school service. The organisa tion of such a service will depend upon the secondment of suitable teachers to the National Museum as museum education officers. New posts will have to be created in the National Museum's establishment so that the secondment of teachers can be effected. It will take some time for all these establishment problems to be sorted out, although in principle the idea of organising a school museum service has been - acceptable as a very desirable educational development. ANNUAL BUDGET STATEMENT Order read for resumption of debate on Question [3rd December, 1968], "That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1st January, 1969 to 31st March, 1970." - [The Minister for Finance]. Question again proposed. 3.02p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no plan to build any primary school in the Tiong Bahru Constituency. GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-AIDED SCHOOLS (Particulars of schools and specialist teachers and principle on staffing) 10. Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Education (a) what are the various official types of Government and Government-aided schools to date; (b) what are the different official kinds of specialist teachers on the staffs in those schools today, that is, the specialist teachers as distinct from the general teachers like the Normal Trained and Certificate in Education teachers; and (c) what is the principle governing the current staffing of such schools.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, during the registration exercise carried out in July this year, a total of 55,526 children were'-registered for admission to Primary I in 1969. Of this number, 51,242 or 92.3 per cent of these children will be admitted to schools of their parents' choice and only 4,284 or 7.7 per cent need be posted to schools other than of their parents' choice, because such children were registered in excess of the maximum intake of the schools con cerned. All the 4,284 children registered in excess have already been posted to schools which have vacancies near their homes. TIONG BAHRU CONSTITUENCY (Building of more schools) 9. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Education, as there are only two primary schools, one Chinese and the other English, in the Tiong Bahru. Constituency, and in view of the development of more Housing and Development Board housing estates in that constituency, if his Ministry plans to build more schools in that Constituency what are the types of schools that will be built, and when they will be built.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the University of Singapore now admits Nanyang University graduates as candidates for Master's degrees. Generally, for admission as a candidate for a Master's degree, a person must be a graduate of the University of Singapore or a graduate of such other university as the Senate may approve, and must have obtained a degree with honours and must submit evidence of adequate training and ability to under-lake the proposed course. However, exceptions are made for graduates of universities which do not award degrees with honours. Graduates of such universities, including Nanyang University, can therefore be considered for admission as Master's candidates provided the Faculties concerned are of the view that they are of exceptional merit. They must take a qualifying examination of a standard equivalent to that of the University's own honours examination. If the Senate is assured by the Faculties concerned that the candidates have reached the honours level in the qualifying examination, it will then consider their admission as Master's candidates in the normal manner. The University of Singapore has admitted two Nanyang University B.A, graduates to the Master's courses in Arts. Five Nanyang University B.Sc, graduates who have obtained the Diploma in Fisheries from the University of Singapore have also been admitted as Master of Science candidates doing research in the field of fishing. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION (Number to be offered to teachers and University students in 1969) 5. Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Education, in view of the Government's policy of encouraging technical education, how many scholar ships in this field will be offered in 1969 to (a) University students, and (b) teachers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is learnt from the Nanyang University authorities that the University proposes to introduce, as from the next academic session, honours degree courses in a number of departments that are well staffed and equipped. It is also learnt that those departments which are not yet ready to offer honours degree courses will do so as and when staff and facilities have reached a comparable standard. NANYANG UNIVERSITY GRADUATES (Admission to higher degree courses at University of Singapore) 4. Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Education if he will as-certain from the University of Singapore authorities whether consideration has been given to the admission of Nan-yang University graduates to higher degree courses at the University of Singapore.”
“Now that there is leadership in the University of Singapore, I am sure there will be a revival of research activities in Southeast Asian affairs in the university. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Ong Pang Boon]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. SINGAPORE TELEPHONE BOARD (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.20 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am glad that the proposed Institute has evoked among our Back-benchers such a lively interest in Southeast Asian affairs. This awareness that the countries around us have a bearing on our development and our survival, certainly augurs well for our country. I do not propose to reply in detail to all the comments made by Members of this House, as they are all in support of the Bill to establish this proposed Institute. However, a number of questions have been raised by the Member for Sembawang and I propose to answer some of them. The Director of the Institute has been appointed and he will assume duty probably from the 1st of July this year. He is Prof. Harry J. Benda, Professor of History, Yale University, and now con currently Acting Director of the Southeast Asian Studies Programme in Yale University. The University of Singapore has lent the Institute one of its large bungalows within its grounds. Alterations and additions are being carried out to this bungalow and work is expected to be completed in the first week of June. This will be the temporary home of the Institute until it moves to the three top floors of the new University of Singapore library building which is planned for completion in roughly two years' time. The Government has set aside a sum of $262,000 in this year's Budget to expand the Institute. The Member for Katong has raised the point that the Director should as far as possible be a local man. I am sure the Government is quite alive to this problem. If a suitable local candidate is available he will be appointed. As for the area study programmes to be carried out in our universities, 1 am sure the Minister for Science and Technology will look into this problem.”
“The Board will, therefore, represent a wide spectrum of interests: academic, professional, commercial, charitable and governmental. It will be invested with all such powers as may be necessary to enable it to carry out its functions, including the power to approve the budget and research programme of the Institute. The day-to-day administration of the Institute will be the responsibility of a ten-member Executive Committee headed by the Director who will be the chief administrative and academic officer of the Institute. Three members of this committee will be appointed by the Board of Trustees from amongst its own members. Three other members will be staff members of the Institute appointed by the Director, and the remaining three members will be appointed by the Minister. The Bill provides for Government grants-in-aid to be made by the Minister to the Institute from time to time. It is hoped, however, that substantial financial aid will be forthcoming from foundations and from private individuals. Accordingly, provision is made for all donations to the Institute to be exempted from income tax. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 2.41 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies will be the first of its kind to be established in this part of the world. It will be a centre of research into the history, the people, and the cultures of Southeast Asian countries. The Institute will have no teaching functions and will not, therefore, duplicate the work of the existing institutions of higher learning. Its functions will be pure research and nothing else. To provide the research material a library will be built up which will eventually be one of the best in Asia on Southeast Asian affairs. Internationally known authorities on South-east Asia, both local and from overseas, will be appointed as research fellows of the Institute to conduct research. Local graduates of promise will be sent to established centres of Southeast Asian Studies in overseas universities to do post-graduate degrees before joining the staff of the Institute. In this way it is hoped that the Institute will become a repository of scholarly information on as well as a generator of analytical studies of Southeast Asian affairs. The research activities of the Institute will increase our understanding of our neighbours and help us to play our role more effectively in this part of the world. This Bill seeks to establish the Institute as an autonomous body governed by a 24-member Board of Trustees. The Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and four members are to be appointed by the President. Three other members are to be appointed by the President on the nomination of such professional bodies as the President may consult. Other members are to be appointees of the Chambers of Commerce, local foundations and universities with the Director of the Institute as an ex-officio member.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have informed the House just now, 31 of these anonymous complaints were substantiated. There are various reasons why the complainants at times are not willing to disclose their identities. So long as we exercise caution, I think it is not necessary to discontinue this practice of taking up anonymous complaints which appear to be serious and also likely to be true. PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD (Expansion of sub-collection centre at Lim Tua Tow Road Market) 3. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will ascertain from the Public Utilities Board whether the Board plans to expand its sub-collection centre at the Lim Tua Tow Road Market, which is inadequate, or to set up additional such centres in the surrounding areas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, all these 189 complaints warranted investigations. Those which appeared to be frivolous and mischievous had already been ignored.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are no hard and fast rules in regard to the action to be taken arising from anonymous complaints. If the allegations are frivolous and obviously unfounded, the complaints are ignored. If they are of a serious nature and appear to be plausible, an investigation is carried out. If they are substantiated as a result of investigation, suitable remedial or disciplinary action is taken. If the results of the investigation show that the allegations are mischievous and unfounded, an attempt is made to trace the complainant and bring him to book. Such attempts have been successful in a number of cases although the complainants had written their letters anonymously and had given fictitious names and addresses. In 1967, no less than 189 investigations were carried out.”
“In education above all else, we must move with prudence and w it h caution, especially in a small multi-racial and multi-lingual nation whose economy and whose survival depends on stability. Let us not forget the trials and tribulations that we have undergone as a result of educational reform in the not too distant past. Let us look beyond our shores to nations with much older educational systems and see for ourselves the troubles that they are undergoing right now. Let us remember that with over a quarter of our entire population in school, any change that we make will affect every man, woman and child in our Republic directly or indirectly. Let us remember too that any experiment we perform in education has to use children for guinea pigs and any mistake we make now will show up only in the next generation. 3.54 p.m.”
“And taking into account two chances of repeat between Primary I and Secondary II and two more years of secondary schooling after Secondary II in one form or another, we would have to provide in excess of 10 years of education for a great number of pupils. This was something we could not afford even in the days when there was no need to build up a defence capability. However, I am firmly of the view, which is backed by professional officers of my Ministry, that every child should have eight years of general education before he is channelled into technical, vocational or academic education. We are of this view, firstly, because 14 years is considered the minimum age at which a child is mature enough to begin specialisation. And, secondly, because eight years is considered the minimum period necessary for acquiring the basic language and mathematical skills with which to learn other specialised skills. With eight years of general education, a child of average intelligence will, in fact, have reached the Secondary II level. For others with less than average intelligence, they may have reached only Primary 6 or Secondary I level. There is, therefore, a fundamental difference between channelling at Secondary II and channelling after eight years of general education. That eight years of general education before specialisation is desirable is indisputable. But the question is whether we can afford even this more modest proposal as a result of the build-up in defence. The decision does not rest with my Ministry or the Ministry of Finance. It rests with the Government and it can only be made after very careful weighing of our priorities. In conclusion, let me say a few words for the benefit of those who are impatient for change. There is no advantage in change for change's sake.”
“One is a study of the motives for choosing teaching as a career published under the title of Why Teach, and the other is a study of the trainee teacher's attitude towards supervision of classroom teaching which will be published soon. A number of other research projects are either in progress or at the planning stage in both the Teachers' Training College and the Ministry's department of research. Finally, we come to the fourth and last objective - that of extending integration to the aided schools. Here, we have formulated no hard and fast rule. The initiative for integration should come from the aided schools themselves. But clearly there is need for something to be done soon. As of last year, there were 87 integrated schools, all of them Government schools with a total enrolment of over 130,000. To date, there is not a single integrated aided school. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me next turn to some of the suggestions made by Members of this House. One Member suggested that the Primary School Leaving Examination be abolished and a new examination be instituted at Secondary II level. Another Member suggested that channelling of students into the technical, vocational and academic streams should be done at the Secondary II level rather than after Primary 6. These two suggestions which are inter-related are professionally sound. As a matter of fact, the very same proposals were incorporated in a paper on educational policy submitted by my Ministry to the Government some years ago. The difficulty in accepting such a proposition is that it would mean automatic promotion to the secondary school for all.”
“m, for other students in the lower forms of the afternoon session, and they do not have exclusive use of the playing field and other facilities. With the opening of the first junior college, pre-university education in Singapore will enter a new phase and students will enjoy a corporate life much more akin to that of a university. Research of the right kind will also help us achieve quality mainly by eliminating waste. The Member for Katong has suggested that we should set up an independent research unit. I would have thought that the University of Singapore would have been the ideal place for education research. But apparently nothing much has been done there apart from dissertations by students for their Master's degree in Education. In the absence of leadership in educational research from the obvious quarter, my Ministry has had to set up its own modest research and statistics department. This department has been in existence for barely a year and some of its established posts have yet to be filled. Nevertheless, it has already completed three small projects: a survey of educational wastage in Singapore in the past two years, a study of the correlation of the performance of 200 pupils in the 1960 Primary School Leaving Examination and their performance in the 1964 School Certificate Examination, a survey of the teaching of Mathematics using English as the medium of instruction in Government Chinese Primary I and Primary II classes. In the Teachers' Training College too, there has been a revival of research activity. During the past year, two modest projects were completed.”
“If there is any truth in this observation, the way to bilingualism would seem to lie in beginning formal education in the mother tongue for a few years, then switching to English as the medium of instruction whilst retaining the mother tongue as a second language. To achieve quality in education the first prerequisite is better teachers. Better teachers require better teacher training, and better teacher training means, amongst other things, full-time teacher training. Two years ago, we made the first tentative reversion to full-time training and the first batch of teachers so trained have just passed out from the Teachers' Training College. More and more of such teachers will be trained in the years to come while the number of part-time trainees will be reduced correspondingly. In two or three years' time, we shall not be recruiting part-time trainees at all. Next, quality in education demands better facilities. In the provision of school buildings, playing fields, sports and other equipment, we in Singapore are second to none in Asia. Unfortunately, we have still to use our schools for two shifts. A gradual reversion to single-session schools will be made, but because of the scarcity of land, only a limited number of secondary schools will in the end enjoy this privilege. Here we propose to begin at the top with the pre-university classes. The first junior college at Linden Drive catering exclusively for pre-university students will open in January next year. It will be a single-session college with many more facilities than are available at present to pre-university students in schools. Although the existing pre-university students attend school only in the morning, they have to vacate their classrooms at 1.00 p.”
“There are experts who very successfully teach Chinese as a foreign language to people whose native tongue is not Chinese. But there are no known experts who teach Chinese to Chinese pupils whose first language is English. This is not to say that we have done nothing about it. An eminent teacher of Chinese as a foreign language was invited to Singapore last year to study the problem. Arising from his report we hope to invite other experts to make a fuller study and to tackle the problem in a systematic and scientific way. From our observations it would seem that the older generation of bilingual people have invariably started their education in their mother tongue and then switched over to English at a later stage. For example, all the Malay officers in my Ministry who are bilingual went to Malay primary schools and then switched over to English secondary schools after a conversion year of intensive English. This was because in those days there was no secondary education in the Malay medium. But now that we have established secondary education in the Malay medium, we seem to be less successful in producing Malay school leavers who are bilingual in Malay and English. Similarly, the Chinese officers in my Ministry who are bilingual went through a similar transition; in this case not for lack of secondary education in the Chinese medium but by free choice. On the other hand, those pupils who begin their education in English have found it much more difficult to learn their mother tongue as a second language even though they are taught that language from Primary I onwards.”
“This exercise is now coming to an end, but fresh courses will soon be organised for other teachers who want to specialise in the teaching of English as a second language so that a relief pool of such specialist teachers can be built up. At the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Council's Regional English Language Centre, an interesting experiment is currently being conducted to test the effectiveness of a new language teaching technique involving the use of sophisticated teaching machines. Our Educational Television Service is diverting much more of its limited resources to the teaching of English both as a first and as a second language. If only the planned expansion of the E.T.V, service were allowed to proceed, much more could be done. Our syllabus for English as a second language is being over-hauled. Revision of the primary syllabus has been completed and revision of the secondary syllabus is in progress. We have also experimented with the teaching of Mathematics using English as the medium of instruction in some non-English primary schools, and the results of the experiment are encouraging. This is a new departure on which we place our hope for the future. Our belief is that fluency in the second language will improve if it is used as a language of instruction for certain subjects in addition to its being taught as a second language. But what about Chinese as a second language? Mr Speaker, Sir, the results so far have been disappointing owing to historical reasons. It must be remembered that Chinese as a second language was introduced within comparatively recent times. Moreover, the teaching of Chinese as a second language is a subject in which we have no specially trained teachers.”
“In short, the Council will formulate the policy, implement the decisions and co-ordinate the activities of all forms of technical education and vocational training both within and outside the formal school system at all levels below tertiary institutions. The target of making all school-leavers bilingual is not a new one. But it is in the approach towards this objective that we hope to break new ground. Way back in 1965 we announced that a second language would be made compulsory in the secondary schools. Next year the first batch of School Certificate students affected by this decision will be sitting for compulsory second language papers. These papers are compulsory in the sense that candidates must sit for them. They are not compulsory in the sense that a pass in the second language is a "must" for passing the School Certificate Examination as a whole. The rationale behind our desire for bilingualism is really quite simple. We are a small nation of only two million people but we have no less than four official languages. Obviously we cannot make everybody quadrilingual. On the other hand, if we are to remain monolingual, we shall not be able to make ourselves understood to one another, let alone build a nation together. Bilingualism is, therefore, not only a compromise but also a matter of survival. What have we done for bilingualism so far? I would say quite a lot, Mr Speaker, Sir, but much of it is unpublicised. For many years past we have been sending teachers abroad to undergo specialised training in the teaching of English as a second language. They have come back to pass on their expertise to other teachers. Together with two British experts they have been conducting in-service courses for all teachers of English in non-English schools.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I touch on some of the points brought up by Members of the House, let me restate the salient points on educational policy in the President's Speech to Parliament. These are (a) more secondary students are to be diverted to technical and vocational education; (b) a concerted effort to be made to produce bilingual school-leavers; (c) more attention is to be paid to quality in education at all levels; and (d) integration of schools is to be extended to aided schools. How do we propose to achieve these targets? At this stage, I can only tell the House what we have already done so far which is consonant with the declared objectives. What we propose to do specifically to attain the objectives will need careful thinking and refining before implementation. The machinery to bring about the swing towards technical and vocational education has already been set in motion. The Ministerial Committee has already held its second meeting. The beginnings of a separate administrative unit have been identified and an executive director has been appointed. Eventually the executive arm of the council will have its own offices, its own staff and its own budget. It will take over all technical and vocational schools, vocational institutes and co-ordinate technical courses at Ngee Ann College and the Polytechnic below degree or professional diploma level. It will reorganise the curricula in technical and vocational schools to lay more emphasis on practical training. It will create new types of training establishments for those who have left formal schooling and link them up with existing training schemes such as the dockyard training scheme of the Port of Singapore Authority.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I share the sentiments of the Member for Punggol. But we are given only a certain sum of money and we have to decide how it is to be spent - whether there should be more facilities at the primary level, the secondary level, the pre-university level or the vocational institute level. The proposal is to set up four more vocational institutes and they will draw students mainly from those who have gone through a two-year course at the vocational schools. It is a debatable point whether the students who have gone through the two-year course at the vocational schools will be able to follow the instructions given at the vocational institute, or whether we should extend this two-year course by another year. I think it must be determined, to a large extent, by the financial resources available.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I draw he attention of the Member for Sembawang to page 21 of the Development Estimates where the location of these four proposed vocational institutes are given: there is one at Jurong, one .it Qucenstown. one in the Macpherson Road area, and one on the Kallang industrial site.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Member for Punggol is referring to vocational schools and not to the Vocational Institute, because he said that a two-year course is provided for primary school-leavers. There is a distinction between a vocational school and the Vocational Institute. We have enough vocational schools in Singapore. In fact, in 1967, nearly 9,000 primary school-leavers will be posted to vocational schools. The two-year course in the vocational school is intended to provide general vocational training and not specialised training in any one trade or craft. However, the Ministry is now considering the extension of this two-year course to three years based on a U.N.E.S.C.O. report, so that more intensive training in a particular skill or craft can be given during the third year. However, this will mean an additional burden on the Education Estimates and cannot be implemented until more funds are available for education. For those students who have done well in vocational schools, they are given preference for admission to the Singapore Vocational Institute where facilities are available for the training of skilled craftsmen. As the Member is aware, provision for four more such vocational institutes have been entered in next year's Development Estimates. It is our view that if these four vocational institutes can be completed by 1969. the shortage of training facilities will be resolved.”
“Sir, I think that that part of Raffles Institution which was condemned by the P.W.D, is beyond repair and there is no intention to waste any more public funds on it. But the main portion of Raffles Institution is still usable, although the cost of maintenance is very high. At the time when the President made his speech at the dinner given by the Old Boys' Association of Raffles Institution, there was a site available. But since then I think there have been competing claims for the same piece of land and a decision will have to be made as to who should receive priority.”
“Yes. The question of rebuilding Raffles Institution is receiving attention at the moment, and I think the problem is now one of selecting the best site for this school. I hope a decision can be arrived at early next year and construction can be proceeded with as expeditiously as possible. The Member for Paya Lebar has raised the question of providing some other more durable material for windows instead of glass for secondary school halls. This problem, I think, will be looked into early next year and I hope some solution can be found.”
“The solutions to problems such as these will affect the number and type of secondary schools to be built in future. The Member for Sembawang wants to know where the four proposed vocational institutes will be built.”
“Sir, the revote for new primary schools under subhead 101 is for the construction of three new primary schools. These are situated at Mattar Road, Toa Payoh and Delta. Circus. The revote of $362,000 is meant to carry out major extensions to the Yio Chu Kang, Canberra and Sembawang Hill Estate primary schools. Another sum of $294,000 is revoted for construction of primary schools to replace Rangoon Road and Pulau Bukom primary schools. The primary school enrolment will reach its peak in 1968 and will register a gradual decline from 1969. There is enough accommodation to cater for the requirements of primary education in the next decade and no new primary schools need to be built except to replace old schools or to serve residents in new housing development areas. Therefore, the reduction in development expenditure for the construction of primary schools necessarily follows. As far as the secondary school building programme is concerned, eight new secondary schools will be functioning in January 1968. These new schools together with the existing ones will provide sufficient secondary places for the next two or three years. This will give us time to do some hard thinking on our future policy on education and to find answers to questions such as -are we doing enough to overcome the traditional preference for an academic type of education, despite the better employment opportunities for those with technical or vocational training? is there a case for increasing the duration, scope and content of vocational education? Or should more places be provided at pre-university level at the expense of secondary level? To what extent can we afford to improve the quality in education by reducing class sizes and increasing the teacher/pupil ratio or reverting to a full-day school?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am as disappointed as the Member for Punggol that this proposed plan for an Adult Education Centre has to be pigeonholed. But as he is well aware, there are many urgent calls on the financial resources of the State, and it is the view of the relevant authority that this project is not as urgent as many others.”
“Mr Speaker, the proposal to set up a technological university has not been finalised and the creation of an aeronautical faculty will, as I said last year, have to await the establishment of a technological university. As for the building of a new headquarters for the Ministry of Education, about 20 per cent of the work has been completed so far, and it is expected that the building will be ready for occupation by the end of 1968.”
“The plan for the Adult Education Centre has been shelved - not exactly shelved - but for the time being it is still under consideration by the relevant authority and it is not certain when it will receive urgent consideration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the institute of South-east Asian Studies is to be set up for the purpose of carrying out systematic research and studies on the economic, political, social and cultural problems of the countries in South-east Asia. It is intended to bring together high quality intellects trained in a variety of disciplines and get them to addiess their minds to certain problems as a full-time occupation for a long period with the hope that the expertise they develop will help Singapore to understand South-east Asia in detail and in depth. And this is better done by a separate institute devoted to this purpose than by other departments in the Universities, either of Singapore or Nanyang. The institute will have a director and several other subordinate full-time staff, and some of the university academic staff will also be drawn into the various projects of studies to be organised by this institute. It is for that purpose that the institute will be sited at the University of Singapore. The staff of this institute will be open both to local as well as expatriate scholars. I am sure that when the institute is set up, foreign aid will be sought from the appropriate foundations.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the building of a Great Hall for the University of Singapore has been receiving attention even before the former Oei Tiong Ham Hall was converted into offices to cater for the expansion of the University. The present thinking is to establish a Sports and Recreation Centre in which a multi purpose hall, as suggested by the Member, for convocations, examinations, lectures, debates, conferences, seminars, theatrical productions, film shows, and recreation, will be prominently featured. The complex will be built on the land near the existing playing-field and the whole area, in fact, is now being filled up in anticipation of this development. However, in view of our limited financial resources and the need to give priority to other more urgent development projects, the development of this centre has not received urgent attention. The cost of implementing this project will therefore have to come mainly from donations, and I hope the public, especially the alumni of the University, who have benefited directly from their old University, will respond generously to the call for financial assistance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, our educational TV service was launched, as you know, on the 30th of January. 1967, after nine months of planning and preparation. The service is designed to improve the quality of teaching and to supplement ordinary classroom work. The programmes for the first year were directed to Secondary I and II students and, as the Member for Choa Chu Kang has pointed out, were very well received. But towards the end of the year, it was felt that the time was ripe for the expansion of the educational television service to cover other classes in stages from Primary III to pre-University level for 1968. So plans for expansion were drawn up and submitted to the Economic Planning Unit for consideration. The Economic Planning Unit thought that the service should consolidate itself before launching out into new fields and advised deferment of the expansion proposals. That is why the small sum was provided for expenditure next year. However, despite financial restrictions, staffing shortages and the comparatively brief experience in this field, ETV has made remarkable headway. This was confirmed by the winning of a special prize in a contest in Japan, which was open to television establishments all over the world, including the B.B.C. For the information of the Member for Choa Chu Kang, since then the Economic Planning Unit has been having second thoughts on the matter, and I understand that a review of the proposals for limited expansion is being undertaken now.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree that the introduction of political study courses for trainee teachers is important. In fact, this has been done for the last two or three years. All teachers-in-training in the T.T.C. attend a 30-hour course on civics and government, and full-time students attend a 90-hour course on political studies. These courses have recently been revised with the aim of focusing attention on Singapore's current political, social, economic and cultural problems. Similar courses will also be conducted for principals of schools and trained teachers. It is our view that good teachers will be better teachers if they fully under, stand the problems confronting Singapore in the context of a changing world. As for the question of technical and vocational education, the shortage is not at the school level but at the craft training level. There are enough technical and vocational schools in Singapore today, but there are not enough vocational institutes to provide craft courses for those who are leaving these schools. And as the Member will be able to see in the Estimates, we have made provision for four new vocational institutes next year. And it is hoped that when these four institutes are eventually completed in 1969 or 1970, the shortage will be resolved. 3.35 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Islamic Secondary School mentioned by the Member for Kampong Kembangan has not yet been built, it is not likely that it will come into existence in 1968. So the question of grant-in-aid for this school does not therefore affect the current Estimates. Consideration for a grant-in-aid can only be given when the school is established and application for aid is submitted. There are conditions to be met before aid can be given. It is not possible at this juncture to give blanket approval for a project which has not yet materialised.”
“Sir, the school enrolment will increase by about 15,000 next year and the provision for the free text-book scheme is the same for 1967. However, this does not necessarily mean that fewer pupils will receive the loan of text-books. This is because schools have accumulated large stocks of books over the last few years and the funds provided will be utilised for the purchase of new books and for the replacement of old books which are worn out. The conditions for the issue of textbooks on loan to students are made in such a way as to enable deserving students to enjoy this privilege on a priority basis. Although the Member for Kampong Kembangan has mentioned several deserving pupils in his constituency not being able to receive assistance under this scheme, I can assure him that if these pupils are really deserving of help, as he has said, and if he can supply me with the details, I am quite prepared to look into these few cases that he has in mind. 3.15 p.m. But as he is aware, the financial resources of the State are limited, It is not possible to get something more for the free text-book scheme without affecting some other Ministry or some other items of expenditure which are equally important.”
“I can assure him that every possible step is being taken to improve the quality of teachers. I think there are many reasons why the performance of the aided schools is better compared with the Government schools. I do not think there will be enough time in this House to dwell in detail on the factors. But suffice it to say that aided schools, as a whole, have a more stable staff as the teachers are not liable to be transferred from school to school and, in many respects, the teaching staff are more dedicated, if not for other reasons, at least for their own survival. I agree with the Member for Anson that the standard of education in schools depends to a large extent on the quality of the teachers and, in this respect, various steps have been taken by the Ministry to ensure that the teachers recruited are of a high quality and that those who have been recruited in the past will be brought up to the sane level. For this, various kinds of in-service courses are being organised by the Teachers' Training College. As for the appearance of teachers in schools, I think the Member for Anson will recall that at the sitting of Parliament in September, I made a statement that teachers should dress decorously rather than decoratively. Subsequent to that, I had a discussion with all the teachers' unions in Singapore. I am glad to say that all of them expressed support. The Singapore Teachers' Union, in fact, have circulated some rules for the guidance of their members as to the way teachers should dress and behave in schools. When the new term begins in January, if the Member for Anson will go round and visit some of the schools, I am sure he will notice an appreciable difference.”
“Mr Speaker, I agree with many of the remarks made by the Member for Anson.”
“Sir, this subhead refers to Teachers of Religion in Malay schools. In 1968, there will be an increase of 27 Malay-medium classes in the secondary level, but a decrease of 13 Malay-medium classes in the primary level. The net increase is, therefore, only 14 classes. There is provision in 1968 for employing a total of 41 religious teachers and this number is adequate for our needs.”