Ong Ye Kung
Singapore
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) recently enhanced the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) dental subsidies, which are tiered by income, for common preventive and restorative procedures.”
“Healthier SG GP clinics may also refer their enrolled patients to Active Ageing Centres and Community Health Posts to fulfill their social prescriptions and for subsidised services, such as medication management.”
“Public hospitals, such as the National University Hospital, the Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, have deployed robotic-assisted surgical (RAS) systems for minimally invasive soft-tissue surgeries.”
“The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) welcomes drug producers to choose Singapore as part of their first-wave filings. As long as a pharmaceutical product is approved by at least one regulatory agency, such as China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), it would also qualify for the abridged route.”
“A decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with diabetes can be due to multiple reasons. Doctors will first investigate the underlying cause before determining whether the patient should be referred to a specialist. Some causes are reversible and cause transient reduction in renal function.”
“Information on the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) cannot be made visible on the National Electronic Health Record system as it is protected under the Mental Capacity Act. Such information may only be disclosed by the Public Guardian to specified persons upon satisfactory submission of evidence(s) required under the law.”
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“He reflected to himself: why is that relevant? This is not about whether an Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) student has broken a school rule. Bono needs a haircut – that is all. It is possible that some of us may well have this subconscious mindset. But this teacher was really wise, brave and honest to be aware of it, and to acknowledge it. Important social dynamics are changing in these schools. We will learn from the experiences of the pilot schools and roll out Full SBB nationwide by 2024. The third thrust is "Education as an Uplifting Force". Inequality is an issue every society has to grapple with and education is the best social leveller. We are doing a lot more to tackle inequality through education, including investing significantly in pre-school education, setting up more student care centres, enhancing bursary schemes, implementing targeted programmes that bring social partners and community partners together. Second Minister Indranee will speak more about this later. With a good foundation, almost all our students today progress to post-Secondary institutions today. Seventy percent – the large majority – goes to Polytechnics or Autonomous Universities. Mr Ang Wei Neng was worried about affordability of course fees for the lower income group. That is why at the National Day Rally last year, the Prime Minister announced a significant increase in tertiary education bursary quanta for lower income groups. So, for a student from the lowest income group, he pays $150 in annual course fees in Polytechnic, and $2,000 in annual course fees for a general degree in the Autonomous Universities. If that is still too much, he can take up a tuition loan.”
“Most schools just like Deyi Secondary School, placed students in classes to ensure a good balance of stream, gender, race as well as learning needs. Deyi Secondary held an orientation camp for the Secondary 1 students to get to know one another. The teachers told me that during the camp, they made a point not to look at the background of the students. They did not know what stream the students were from during the camp, so that there would be no pre-conceived notions. They observed the students, identified those with leadership skills and initiative, and after the camp was all over, they appointed them as class leaders. After that, they opened the file and looked at the background of the students. To their great delight, the leaders comprised students from Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams as well. The character of the students shone through regardless of their streams. Another teacher at Deyi reflected how Full SBB is changing his subconscious mindset. He spotted a student with long hair. He proceeded to stop the student and asked the three standard questions that he would pose in such a situation. First question: "Boy, what is your name?”. The boy told the teacher his name. Let us say his name is Bono. Second question: “What level are you?” The child said, “Secondary 1, teacher.” Then, he asked the third question: “Which class are you from?” And Bono said, "1-Determination." Then, the teacher got stumped. Because in the past, if you know the class, you know the stream of the child. Now "1-Determination" told him nothing. He did not know what stream the child is from. And then he realised all this while, his line of questioning in such a disciplinary situation was to find out the stream of the child.”
“That is why MOE has been very active in reviewing admission systems across levels. We reviewed the Direct School Admission (DSA) system for Secondary school students. We introduced aptitude-based admission systems for our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). We have done that; the Polytechnics went first. Right now, the Universities are doing it with great rigour. The different admission systems are still being refined to reduce the over-emphasis on exam results, and more changes will come in the coming years. Now, the second thrust of "Learn for Life" is "One Secondary Education, Many Subject Bands". At last year’s Committee of Supply debate, I announced the phasing out of Secondary school streaming by 2024 and replaced it with Full Subject-Based Banding or Full SBB. Mr Charles Chong and Mr Murali Pillai have asked for an update. As Members know, this year, 28 Secondary schools are piloting Full SBB. They are implementing the following two changes. Number one, allowing lower Secondary Normal stream students to take Humanities subjects at a more demanding level. Of all the Secondary 2 students who are offered this option, more than two-thirds took it up, and that is encouraging. The second change is more interesting – which is that schools are re-organising form classes so that they comprise students from different streams. The form classes take some subjects together, such as Art, PE, CCE and Design & Technology. For other subjects, students will split up into different classes based on their subject bands. Of course, we designed all these before COVID-19 but now we have a situation to manage. Some schools have organised the form classes by CCAs, others by their "House" systems.”
“Students take up electives, like Universities. They do projects, learn a new sport, attend enrichment activities, and enjoy them. However, in general – I will be honest – I think the responses have been varied. When I speak with Primary school students, most will say, "Hooray, fewer exams", so they are very happy. But many Secondary school students told me they are not happy; they prefer to have mid-year exams. It may surprise you but it is true. They say, "Now, without the mid-year exams, we have all these continuous mini-assessments throughout the year. That is more stressful!" So, I told these students that they have gotten used to exams, which is why we have to change. On the other hand, Primary school students, their learning habits have yet to be formed and, therefore, they welcome the change. So, I advised the Secondary students that these exams are really part and parcel of learning, and they are really not high-stakes. The mini-assessment is not going to affect your future – not very likely. So, focus on learning throughout the year, rather than cram your studies and "mug" just before exams; that is a less effective learning habit. Along the way, seek your teachers’ help when necessary and schools will do their best to help you progress. As Mr Lim Biow Chuan pointed out, many students and parents have deep-seated mindsets about exams – not easy to change. But we are trying to change the paradigm. So, instead of tests and exams, the desire and joy of learning should be at the centre of school life. Indeed, as the Member has said, the stakes of exams are high actually because of admission into the next level of education – from PSLE to Secondary school, Secondary school to Polytechnic or Junior College (JC).”
“We will help students and parents familiarise themselves with this new system. Sometime later this year, we will release simulated cut-off points under the new PSLE scoring system for selected Secondary schools. This will be based on last year’s Secondary One Posting Exercise and PSLE results. Next year, we will release another set of simulated cut-off points based on this year’s Secondary One Posting Exercise results. So, two sets of simulated cut-off points before the system goes live in 2021. But please remember these are simulations. It is not that these are definite cut-off points. There can be changes from year to year, as choice patterns change. And when the system goes "live", cut-off-points can change further. Notwithstanding this, we hope that by giving parents information early, we can better support them in making Secondary school choices for their children. Another major move is the reduction of school-based exams. All Primary schools have removed exams for Primary 1 and 2. This year, 60% of Primary schools would have no Primary 3 and 5 mid-year exams. By next year, it will be 100% based on our implementation schedule. As for Secondary schools, all have removed Secondary 1 mid-year exams. This year, more than 90% will be removing Secondary 3 mid-year exams. By next year, it will be 100% too. Some schools, such as the School of Science and Technology (SST), have removed mid-year exams for Secondary 1 to 3 in one shot. When I visited the school, the students I spoke to were very happy with the change. They said with the time freed up, they can now do interesting hands-on stuff like coding, designing robots, making prototypes and so on. With more freed up time, other schools such as Gan Eng Seng Secondary introduced a programme called the Learning Fortnight.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, let me start with Ms Denise Phua's question. Ms Phua asked if MOE has a transformation map. Two years ago, we launched something like that. We launched a reform movement of the education system and we called it "Learn for Life". But Members are probably not very familiar with it because we did not launch everything we want to do with a big bang, so no big headlines. Instead, we paced out the announcement of each thrust of the movement, adopted multi-year implementation plans, so that schools, parents and students can fully understand the changes and can adapt to these. Today, let me do three things. One, I will give a short update on what we have done so far. Two, I will talk about the new things we are doing – yes, we are doing some new things. Three, I will tie them altogether. Let us start with a progress update. We have rolled out four thrusts to improve the system we have today. The first is nurturing the "Joy of Learning". Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Lim Biow Chuan have asked for an update on this. Joy of learning does not mean schools should be just all fun and games. Joy comes from purposeful learning, from a sense of progress and fulfilment by doing something challenging, hard and meaningful. Then, you feel a sense of accomplishment and you get joy from that. A major move is the changes we are making to the PSLE scoring system. We will grade students in wider bands, what we call Achievement Levels, as opposed to differentiating them very finely through today's T-scores. We hope this will change the psychology of students and parents towards PSLE and reduce the over-emphasis on academic results. The new scoring system, its biggest impact, actually, is that it will affect Secondary school postings and parents are naturally anxious.”
“The cross-border nature also poses additional challenges and limits what our public agencies and banks can achieve on their own. That is why core to our anti-cyber scam strategy has to be public awareness and education, so that all of us remain vigilant and do not fall prey to cybercrimes. During this COVID-19, we are all constantly reminded to first, wash our hands frequently; second, do not touch our faces unnecessarily and third, when we are unwell, go see a doctor and do not go to school or do not go to work. These are the three key pieces of advice that we should heed. Likewise, the three key pieces of advice to fight cyber scams are: one, never draw money from our account to pass to anyone, even if they claim to be from the authorities; two, never share your personal and banking details, especially your One-Time-Password (OTP) with anyone; and if in doubt, three, consult your loved ones, call the anti-scam helpline or visit NCPC's Scam Alert website at scamalert.sg. As the Police advise – "Don't Panic, Don't Believe, Don't Give", "别慌。别信。别给。" MHA will elaborate about its strategies to address scams at its COS. SkillsFuture for the Public Service”
“Fraud monitoring and detection systems are another prerequisite to facilitate timely detection and blocking of suspicious transactions. On a real-time basis, transaction alerts are sent to customers to allow them to quickly notify their banks of any unauthorised payment transactions. These security measures to curb unauthorised transactions, have become industry norms in Singapore. Third, we freeze accounts suspected of receiving the proceeds from online scams. Where specific bank accounts have been identified to be associated with scams, the SPF's Anti-Scam Centre will freeze the relevant bank accounts as soon as possible. Doing so disrupts the scam operation and increases the chances of recovering victims' monies. In this regard, Mr Png suggested a possible cooling-off option and feature for elderly customers to opt-in, so that when they make a transfer, maybe it will happen 24 hours later. This is something that we can discuss with the banks as a possible way to help, as an option for elderly customers. Fourth, where the scam is cross-border in nature, SPF will seek the cooperation of their foreign counterparts. The Transnational Commercial Crime Task Force (TCTF) was set up in October 2017 to investigate transnational scams such as China Officials Impersonation Scams, Internet Love Scams and Credit-for-Sex scams. It actively shares information with foreign law enforcement agencies and where possible, works with them to mount joint operations. Nine operations have been conducted since the set-up of TCTF, which resulted in at least 440 cases solved and the arrest of over 100 suspects regionally. But, as Mr Png mentioned, the sophistication of scams will continue to evolve. The criminals are getting smarter and smarter.”
“Online scams and crimes are indeed on the rise, Sir. I agree with the Member that each case is very painful, very sad. Every one of us can be targeted and the elderly are especially vulnerable. Such scams and crimes typically trick individuals into handing over monies through fake investment schemes or by using their personal information to access their bank accounts. The few cases that Mr Png mentioned fall into the latter category. The criminals can reach out to their victims either through phone calls, messages, emails, even cyber attacks. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and our banks, have been working together to protect Singaporeans against these online scams and crimes. Our efforts have focused on the following four areas. First, raising public awareness. Public agencies have stepped up educational initiatives through media campaigns, roadshows and community outreach programmes. MoneySense, our national financial education programme, regularly puts out public messages to caution the public against online crimes and scams. Banks also regularly remind their customers, "Do not to disclose your account details, User IDs, passwords or SMS One-Time-Passwords (OTPs) to anyone, no matter who they claim to be". Bank customers have also been encouraged to maintain strong cyber hygiene by installing anti-virus software and regularly updating it. Second, MAS has issued various regulations and guidelines related to the security of online transactions. For example, banks must implement multi-factor authentication so that scammers cannot perform online transactions using only the User IDs and passwords of their victims. You must have the OTPs as well.”
“Schools have been inculcating good hygiene practices in our students, through Physical Education and Form Teacher Guidance Periods. The lessons would start from Primary 1, and include the eight-step hand washing technique and five-step Mozzie Wipeout. In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation, schools have further enhanced these lessons to further emphasise on personal hygiene, social responsibility and national resilience through a lesson package conducted in conjunction with the Total Defence Day commemoration. In addition to personal hygiene, students were also taught to enhance group hygiene using the daily wipe-down routine and cleaning up after themselves in the canteen. An online Science learning package on "Understanding COVID-19" was developed to support students in understanding the coronavirus and its transmission. As a result, students will better appreciate the rationale for personal and group hygiene practices and the importance of being socially responsible.”
“On the first question, the guidance that IHLs are working on is to reduce the intermingling of students on campuses so that IHLs can keep on operating while mitigating the risks of infection and spreading. So, they are working with about 50 students for each gathering. So, you find lectures are still ongoing but they have shrank in size. Tutorials, project teams, are all ongoing but the sizes have all been shrunk. We have three cases now in our IHLs – one staff and two students. It was fortunate many of them were not in campus when they had symptoms. They exercised responsibility, which was fortunate, and we are very thankful to them. Secondly, it is also because of all these mitigating measures. Even 48 hours before the onset of symptoms, you find that their exposure in the campus is actually quite limited and localised because of all these mitigating measures. As a result, the number of staff and students that have to be quarantined or put on Leave of Absence has been much reduced. I think they are all stable, improving and we are glad. We hope to see them back in school soon. As to when it will stabilise, it really depends on the situation. I think we have to ask Minister Gan Kim Yong on this. But we will play our part and do our best to make sure that within schools, while we educate the students, we take the necessary precautions so that life can go on and education can go on as normally as we can, but with precautions.”
“In our polytechnics, staff from our nursing schools help to train their colleagues in conducting temperature screening. These ground initiatives and actions are contagious, demonstrate the courage of the Singapore society and have more educational value than many formal courses. We should build on these positive initiatives to build a more resilient and cohesive Singapore. Together, I am confident we can overcome this COVID-19 episode.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the institutes of higher learning (IHLs) have been actively keeping their campus communities updated on the evolving Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) situation. Government efforts to manage the outbreak in Singapore as well as the precautionary measures taken are explained to the communities in these IHLs. They are doing this through various advisories and resources. Ground practices play a part in education, too. These include reminders on the importance of good hygiene, wearing a mask when sick, twice-daily temperature-taking, requiring those returning from mainland China, and now, Korea, to stay at home for the first 14 days, and cancelling, deferring or adjusting large-scale events to mitigate risks. Beyond technical knowledge, the COVID-19 situation is also a teachable moment to build resilience. In the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), a Total Defence lesson package covering content on the COVID-19 situation will be used in all Life Skills classes this month. Polytechnics will roll out similar packages later in April, after their exams and term break. The universities will incorporate similar lessons where opportune. For example, the Singapore Management University's (SMU's) core curriculum for all Year 1 undergraduates includes a course on social resilience and total defence, using the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak as one case study. It will incorporate insights from the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Many students and staff are also stepping forward with help and moral support. In the universities, student groups have rallied to provide support and daily food deliveries for their peers living on campus but are required to stay in their rooms.”
“In general, Integrated Programme (IP) schools are drawing from a larger number of primary schools. This is because parents are more willing to send their children to primary schools near their homes, instead of popular schools. To the Member's specific question, across our 17 schools that offer IP, there is considerable variation in terms of which are their three highest-contributing primary schools. On average, these primary schools account for 24% of IP schools' admission, falling from 27% in 2019 and 28% in 2018. Our IP schools are taking active steps to ensure that they remain accessible to deserving students from all primary schools, including through the Direct School Admission scheme. IP schools also undertake individual efforts to increase diversity in admissions, from enhancing their school-based awards to reaching out to the community.”
“The number of home-schooled children has remained small and generally constant, at an average of 50 Singaporean children for each primary school age cohort every year. We do not track the number of Singaporean children who are home-schooled at the secondary level as they do not come under the ambit of the Compulsory Education Act. But it is likely to be fewer than primary school for each cohort as many home-schoolers do eventually enrol in mainstream primary schools, or secondary schools after the Primary School Leaving Examination. Each application for home-schooling is approved on a case-by-case basis. Parents have to submit an academic learning plan, as well as a plan on how they are going to develop their child's character, deliver education in citizenship and socio-emotional competencies. Annually, parents are required to submit a progress report updating the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the progress of their child's learning in the different areas. In addition, MOE inspectors engage parents during home visits to ascertain the delivery of the learning outcomes in the different domains.”
“Sexuality Education in our schools focuses on imparting knowledge and social and emotional skills for positive self-development and self-identity, and developing healthy and rewarding relationships. Besides important topics on safety and protection from abuse and sexual health, students also learn how to deal with physical, social and emotional changes that they are going through. They will also learn about gender roles and stereotypes, and that one's roles, interests and career pursuits are not defined by gender stereotypes. They learn the value of appreciating one's unique qualities and to respect and show empathy and care for one another. The Ministry of Education reviews sexuality education regularly. We take into consideration local and international research, inputs from stakeholders, including specialists in their field, parents and students, and our local context. For example, new scenarios and discussions had recently been included, covering areas like pornography and the influence of social media on self-perception and esteem, and relationships.”
“The autonomous universities (AUs) work closely with industry partners and sector agencies to equip students with industry-relevant skills. As part of this effort, the AUs have included work-study elements in their curriculum which typically involve an industry stint for workplace learning. This is done in two main ways. The first approach is through internships. Currently, internships are compulsory for around 70% of our degree programmes and are typically between six and 12 weeks long. For programmes where internships are not compulsory, students are encouraged to take up internships. The second approach is through SkillsFuture Work-Study Degrees. One key feature is the joint development and co-delivery of the curriculum by the AUs and employers. This training includes both theory and practice, through a combination of institution-based learning and structured on-the-job training. The work component of the Work-Study Degree is also more significant than internships, typically about 30% of the programme duration. The number of Work-Study Degree programmes has increased from 10 in 2017 to 30 in 2019, spanning a range of disciplines, such as Data Science, Engineering and Hospitality Business. As of 2019, around 350 students have enrolled in a Work-Study Degree. We will continue to work with our AUs to expand work-study opportunities for our students. We target to put 12% of each cohort to undertake work-study programmes by 2030.”
“I do not see why not, but for the time being, the priority is actually a much more basic one, which is there is not even the data to conduct a proper stress test. You really need to collect the data, the climate-related data, how does it impact the financial institutions and then you can do the stress test. As we do that, that is why I said it is at the nascent stage, the taxonomy has not been worked out. When it is all worked out, I am sure then there will be more conversations, including with civil society.”
“Today, that is not the rule, as far as I know. But I think many of our financial institutions see it as in their own interest to report it because shareholders and stakeholders are all watching the data. In the end, this will succeed when we can converge commercial interest with social good and environmental good. What is very positive and optimistic is that such a convergence is happening. It will happen in terms of stress tests, it will happen in terms of their financial evaluation of certain deals, of certain investments; and all these are happening and it will be within their own interest to disclose those data.”
“IMF, too, is working to improve its climate change-related stress scenarios. MAS is working towards incorporating a broader range of climate change-related risks in thematic scenarios as part of a future Industry-Wide Stress Test.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) takes climate change-related risks seriously as a financial supervisor. Financial institutions are potentially exposed to such risks because they provide financing and insurance services to businesses that can be impacted by a wide range of climate change-related events, including natural catastrophes. There are also risks arising from changes to public policies, technologies or consumer preferences that can impact businesses significantly. Climate change is, therefore, increasingly relevant to financial institutions, both because the risks will be on their balance sheets and because they will play a role in enabling their customers and the economy at large to make a transition here in Singapore as well as abroad. MAS is, in fact, a founding member of the global Network for Greening the Financial System, which develops best practices for a more sustainable financial industry. Locally, we will be issuing a consultation paper on Environmental Risk Management guidelines for various financial institutions in the first quarter of this year. MAS has already started to stress test for climate change-related risks. For example, in the 2018 Industry-Wide Stress Test, MAS subjected insurers to a scenario featuring extreme flooding and they had to consider the impact of higher claims on their balance sheets arising from damage to insured properties. But the methodologies for stress testing climate change-related risk are still at a nascent stage, as international regulators all recognise. The Bank of England, as mentioned by Mr Louis Ng, has acknowledged that central banks and the financial sector are still building capacity to model financial risks arising from climate change.”
“The Ministry of Education does not track the time taken by graduates to secure full-time employment. But the ability of graduates to secure employment six months after graduation has been tracked through the annual Graduate Employment Surveys and published over the years. The survey results show that the overall employment rate for institutes of higher learning (IHLs) were 89%, 89%, 90%, 88% and 89% between 2014 and 2018, within six months of graduation. Among university graduates in the labour force, about 80% were in full-time permanent employment. Less than 10% were in part-time or temporary employment, mostly by choice. This trend has held stable over the past five years. However, polytechnic and ITE graduates are much more likely to take up part-time or temporary work by choice, as they plan to go on to further studies. This has increased over the years with the expansion of upgrading pathways. Because of these reasons, the percentage of polytechnic and ITE graduates in the labour force who take up part-time, temporary or freelance work six months after graduation has risen from 24% in 2014 to 31% in 2018. Almost all of this is by choice.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the institutes of higher learning (IHLs) are strongly against all forms of sexual misconduct, including voyeurism. Over the past year, the IHLs have reviewed and stepped up their efforts to tackle the issue of sexual misconduct holistically. They have implemented enhancements in four key areas. First, they have enhanced their education efforts for students and staff, emphasising what constitutes harm and violation, and the importance of respect for one another. These include briefings for students during orientation, online modules, face-to-face workshops, and regular outreach and awareness-building campaigns. Second, they have strengthened their disciplinary frameworks to impose tougher penalties for sexual misconduct, including expulsion, where warranted. Third, they have enhanced campus infrastructure, including by expanding closed-circuit television camera coverage and installing full-height partitions in restrooms. Fourth, they have strengthened support for victims by enhancing training for first responders and frontline staff to equip them with the skills to support victims sensitively. They have also established 24-hour helplines for student care and dedicated victim care units at some IHLs, and enhanced counselling services.”
“When calling for school cleaning tenders, key information like the gross floor area (GFA) and toilet details, for example, number of cubicles, shower facilities, staff toilets, and so on of each school are provided to assist tenderers to price their bids. The GFA is taken from "as-built" information submitted to the building authority when the schools were developed or upgraded and is further verified by the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) Managing Agents prior to tender calling. Tenderers also visit a typical primary school, secondary school and junior college to familiarise themselves with the nature and scope of services expected of them. Before a tender is called, schools will also provide input into the specifications so that their requirements are incorporated. The existing cleaning contract generally does not allow for price adjustments due to temporary changes or marginal discrepancies in GFA. Tenderers know that the numbers in the specifications serve as a guide, and it is in the interest of all parties not to have a tendering system that is too exact and detailed, as that will add administrative burden to everyone and can end up creating more disputes. However, if a new category of school infrastructure is added to an existing school site, such as adding an MOE Kindergarten, the price would be adjusted to include the new areas to be cleaned.”
“However, in the managing of suicide-related cases, we will share pertinent information with relevant individuals, including parents and mental health professionals, when necessary. This is aligned to the professional practices of counsellors, psychologists, medical personnel, in handling cases involving the possibility of harm to self and others. When there is a suicide, our school personnel will need to identify those who may be emotionally affected and render the appropriate support according to their needs. We need to watch out for possible suicide contagion and intervene when necessary. As for the bereaved families, it is most difficult. We can only do our best to be supportive, to listen and do whatever that is within our means to help. We also partner community agencies, such as the Samaritans of Singapore, which specialises in rendering such support to the bereaved. Grieving involves many stages. There may be a stage where the bereaved needs someone to blame, and if it is the school, so be it. Ultimately, our schools are a major line of defence against youth suicides. For most, schools are where they find friends, learn, enjoy growing up, and find support and a listening ear in teachers. This is one of many quiet missions of our schools, and we will welcome partners to work with us.”
“We know how Ms Anthea Ong feels strongly about this issue. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is deeply concerned about the mental well-being of students, too. Parents, teachers, counsellors and peers need to work together to look out for students in distress and reach out to support them. But I am not sure if it is useful to cite all the data that Ms Anthea Ong asked for. If the purpose of the data is to persuade MOE to treat the issue seriously, I want to assure Ms Ong that MOE does not need persuasion, because schools are at the frontline in confronting this issue. On the other hand, tabulating and publicising such data can have other implications, such as heightening suicide risk in vulnerable youths. I may be paranoid, but I do not want to treat this lightly. But if I may just cite one data, which is the incidence rate of suicides from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Their data for young persons aged 10 to 19 shows that over the past three years, from 2016 to 2018, incidents per 100,000 persons were 4.2, 2.7 and 4.4. The 2019 numbers are not yet available. In general, our suicide numbers are not high by international standards. On the protocol of handling cases, our trained teachers and school personnel will try to build a bridge to the child while ensuring his/her safety and well-being. They also work closely with parents and caregivers, and engage professional or emergency assistance, when necessary. Schools are also supported by specialist teams from MOE Headquarters and other agencies when needed. We treat the information related to the counselling of our students with confidentiality.”
“Our public education system is designed and developed to cater to the needs of Singaporeans. Singaporean students are admitted first, before we consider taking in a small number of foreign students. Hence, no Singaporean student will be displaced by a foreign student. For example, foreign students seeking admission to our primary schools can only register in Phase 3 of the Primary 1 Registration Exercise, after all Singaporean children have been allocated a place under earlier phases. Likewise, the institutes of higher learning (IHLs) first admit Singaporean students who are able to meet their admission standards. Thereafter, they will raise the admission criteria, and then admit a small proportion of foreign students. In our primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges, less than 5% are foreign students. In polytechnics and autonomous universities (AUs), the proportion is less than 10%. Fees are differentiated by nationality to reflect the privileges of citizenship, and so foreign students pay significantly higher fees than local students. In primary school, a Singaporean student pays $156 in fees every year while a foreign student pays up to $8,556. For secondary school, the annual fees for Singaporeans and foreign students are $300 and $15,240 respectively. For pre-university, the corresponding figures are $396 versus $19,524 per year. Foreign students at our polytechnics and AUs may apply for the Tuition Grant in return for a service obligation. Those who receive the Tuition Grant will pay at least double the amount of fees that a Singaporean student pays.”
“To support these students and their families, the Ministry of Education taps on the expertise and networks of partner agencies, such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), community or self-help groups, family service centres and social service agencies. Furthermore, the Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce (UPLIFT) will collaborate with MSF to tackle long-term absenteeism upstream through a pilot community-based support network for disadvantaged students in the estates of Woodlands, Kreta Ayer and Boon Lay. Schools will identify students who show early signs of absenteeism and refer them to a designated UPLIFT Town-Level Coordinator (TLC) in the Social Service Office. The TLC will then connect the students and their families to suitable local programmes and resources, to build protective safeguards around the student and family earlier, so as to encourage the student to attend school regularly.”
“When Secondary 1 students fail to report at their new schools, their respective primary schools will be informed and asked to contact the students and their parents. If they had been absent without good reason, the primary school will counsel and urge the students to report for school, or the parents to send them to schools. Should the students have any difficulties or are caught in special circumstances, the schools will work with relevant Government agencies and community groups to resolve the issues they are facing. For secondary school students who are absent on any given day, all schools have in place a system to contact their parents to find out the reasons for their absence. Students who suffer from irregular school attendance will be counselled and receive home visits and after-school engagement. School counsellors and Student Welfare Officers may also work with the family and other community partners to encourage them to return to school. In addition, we have organised after-school programmes and activities that engage these students by building friendships and relationships with mentors and trusted adults and generate healthy peer support. Last year, more than 70 secondary schools have set up after-school centres offering such programmes, and these have benefited more than 3,000 students. This has been scaled up to 120 secondary schools this year. As a result of coordinated whole-school efforts, the number of secondary school students who were absent without valid reason for 60 days or more has stabilised at around seven per 1,000 students for the past three years. Nonetheless, there are still some students who are absent from school. The underlying reasons for their long-term absenteeism are often complex.”
“Student safety is paramount for all our institutes of higher learning (IHLs). In planning for overseas programmes, including those under the Global Education Programme, the IHLs take into account the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA's) and other international travel advisories, and feedback from their industry and other partners. Should IHLs assess that the planned overseas destination is unsafe or no longer suitable for other reasons, they will make alternative plans, such as changing the destination or postponing the programme until the situation in the host country stabilises. Where necessary, the IHLs will cancel the programme. For example, the Institute of Technical Education recently cancelled programmes to Hong Kong due to ongoing street protests which turned violent. All IHL students bound for overseas programmes are also required to attend pre-trip briefings on safety precautions and what to expect during their visits. The briefing covers important aspects, such as mandatory e-registration with MFA, travel insurance coverage, and various emergency assistance hotlines. Should an overseas emergency occur, all IHLs have crisis management plans that will kick into place to protect students as much as possible and keep parents updated of the situation. If necessary, IHLs also engage international service providers to provide emergency medical assistance and evacuation.”
“I think Minister Gan Kim Yong is doing the right thing to paint future scenarios that are possible that we should be prepared for, so it is not as if we are going to do it straightaway. But it is something we have to consider, to prepare plans taking into account the considerations that Mr Yee Chia Hsing has mentioned. Bear in mind that when SARS was at its height, we did suspend schools for a couple of weeks. If it comes to that, if we have do it, we have to do it. But we will have to look at the data, look at the evidence, look at the situation and take into account all considerations before making any decisions.”
“On preschools and schools, over the weekend, educators have worked really hard. They have developed a package, a syllabus, to teach students about what the viruses are, how they are transmitted and what we can do about it to prevent transmission. The lessons covered are what both Minister Gan Kim Yong and Minister Lawrence Wong have described just now on how it transmits. Therefore, two things you need to do, which is that you need to wash your hands with soap and not touch your face. You just touched your face, Dr Intan! [Laughter.] When you think about it, it becomes very hard to do. When you do not think about it, I think it is easier. Stop thinking about "I should not touch my face" or you will keep touching it. We want to tell students that in this fight with the nCoV virus, we are going to fight it with our hands – by washing them regularly and keeping them away from our face. The intention is also to give the students some homework to bring home and tell their parents. Likewise, we want to do it in preschools as well. As for overseas trips, all overseas trips to China have now been postponed, from primary schools all the way to tertiary. Yes, there are cases sprouting up in other parts of the world. We will monitor them. So far, the cases are not many. But we will watch the situation carefully. Last week alone, we made three major decisions because the Taskforce met every day to monitor the situation. Every day is different. We have to look at the facts and make the decisions decisively. So, likewise these are things that we will continue to monitor.”
“Mr Speaker, may I answer Dr Intan Mokhtar's question, please?”
“For example, all polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education students have to complete a module on data analysis for problem solving, and students at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University all undergo modules on computational thinking. Even after leaving school, Singaporeans can continue to stay abreast with technology through various SkillsFuture courses. These subsidised courses are offered across different proficiency levels and help Singaporeans stay relevant in the digital workplace. Singaporeans who wish to move into information and communications technology jobs can also take advantage of TechSkills Accelerator programmes to acquire relevant and in-demand digital skills.”
“Our approach is not to teach technology or information technology (IT) through a single subject but through a multifaceted, immersive experience. At the primary and secondary levels, students have many opportunities to develop their interest in IT, including through enrichment programmes, such as Code for Fun and co-curricular activities. Secondary students can participate in technology-related Applied Learning Programmes (ALPs) and formal Computing subjects. Moving ahead, these opportunities will be expanded further. For example, starting in 2020, all primary students will now participate in the Code For Fun enrichment programme. Also, starting in 2023, some primary schools will offer ALPs in technology-related areas, such as health science, robotics and coding. We also need to recognise that the foundation of technology-related competencies lies in Mathematics and Science, which are also traditional strengths of our education system. We must, therefore, continue to focus on these subjects in school, and encourage students with the interest to take up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects or courses. For example, those with a special talent or interest in computing can offer GCE "O" and "A" level Computing in selected schools and develop key skills to pursue their interest further at the post-secondary level. The institutes of higher learning (IHLs) offer many STEM-related pathways in engineering, IT, data analytics and artificial intelligence. They regularly refresh the curriculum to ensure that they are up to date with the latest developments in technology and industry demands. The IHLs also ensure students possess baseline competencies needed in the digital economy.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been monitoring the number of students in private education institutions (PEIs) offering external degree programmes closely. This is because unlike autonomous universities (AUs) and publicly-funded degree courses, we do not have direct oversight of the institutions and their programmes. However, we do regulate them to ensure that systems and processes are in place to protect students' interest. Over the years, we have tightened the regulations on these PEIs. One of the new requirements introduced two years ago was to conduct graduate employment surveys and make results public so that students can make more informed choices. The latest survey results showed that the median starting salary for graduates of private universities is $2,650, compared to $3,500 for autonomous universities, and $2,501 for polytechnic graduates who have completed their National Service. Over the past five years, the number of Singaporeans who were admitted into PEIs undergoing full-time degree programmes have decreased from 8,200 to 6,100. This is partly because of the tighter regulations and transparency in graduate outcomes. More importantly, between 2014 and 2018, the cohort participation rate was raised from 32% to close to 40%. The annual number of Singaporeans admitted into full-time undergraduate programmes in our AUs increased from 14,800 to 17,100 over the same period, even while cohort sizes have fallen.”
“Over the past three years, about 90% of the Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) accounts have balances that can be transferred to the Central Provident Fund (CPF)-Ordinary Account (OA). It is not a bad thing to have some balances to transfer to CPF-OA, because the monies can then be used for housing and other purposes. The median and average amounts transferred were $460 and $742 respectively in 2016, $782 and $943 in 2017, and $748 and $1,013 in 2018. The amounts are increasing as the relevant cohorts have different starting balances and received different amounts of top-ups before they reach 30 years of age.”
“The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications course in "Threat Observation (Recognise Terrorist Threats)" is designed to equip learners with knowledge on international and local terrorism trends, and to identify threats, whether person-borne, vehicle-borne or object-based. It is conducted in English because security officers need to be able to communicate effectively in English, which is the working language in Singapore, in the course of their duty. For example, there will be situations where security officers have to use English to perform security checks, report potential terrorist threats to the authorities, and relay evacuation instructions to the general public. Learners who are less proficient in English can consider undergoing Workplace Literacy training offered by SkillsFuture Singapore-funded training providers to upgrade their proficiency in the language.”
“Similarly, at the autonomous universities, financial education is available through course modules in finance and investment, as well as various campus activities, workshops and talks which build awareness of good money management and financial planning before they enter the workplace.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) recognises the importance of financial literacy education for our students and works with MoneySENSE to deliver it in the following ways. In primary schools, financial literacy education is anchored on the teaching of core moral values. Students are taught basic concepts and values, such as delayed gratification, differentiating between needs and wants, spending within our means, thrift and savings. These are delivered through the Form Teacher Guidance Period and Character and Citizenship Education lessons. In secondary schools, students learn about simple financial planning, the responsible use of credit, and are equipped with knowledge of consumer rights, in order to become responsible and discerning consumers. At the pre-university level, financial literacy is infused in GCE "A" level Economics. Students learn how to weigh costs and benefits and consider constraints and perspectives in making well-informed decisions. Pre-university students can also access a financial education module through MOE's online learning platform, Student Learning Space, under Character and Citizenship Education. At the polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education, all Year 1 students will undergo a mandatory financial education module to equip them with basic financial knowledge and practical tools and cultivate good financial habits. Students learn about key financial concepts, such as budgeting and compound interest, and acquire a basic understanding of national schemes, such as the Central Provident Fund, and how it can be used to meet their housing, healthcare and retirement adequacy needs.”
“Further, the current practice of withholding the original results slip may not be fully effective in urging all parents to pay miscellaneous fees. Every year, about 2% of cohorts who are still accumulating arrears, and did not apply for MOE financial assistance, are affected. In 2019, this works out to 645 students. MOE will, therefore, review the practice, while continuing to underscore the responsibilities of families to pay a small miscellaneous fee. The review will be concluded in time for the next PSLE results release. Incidentally, I checked on the child in question which had triggered public attention on this issue. The school had reached out to the parents earlier, given them the FAS application form and brochure, but the parents did not apply. On the day of the PSLE results, she had received her results in the same way as everyone else, except hers was a copy. Teachers did not observe her to feel embarrassed or emotionally affected. She has since been successfully placed in a secondary school of her choice near her home. The parents have submitted the FAS form and she is receiving assistance.”
“But please remember we are all part of the solution and cannot place the onus solely on schools and teachers. When we know of such cases, surface them to the school or our community partners, and help will be extended to them. Parents can step forward and request for help if they need financial assistance. There is a view that it is difficult to apply for financial assistance in school. However, the application process is not difficult. When families need assistance, teachers and staff would help in filling up the forms. MOE's Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) covers not just the school and miscellaneous fees, but also meals, uniforms, textbooks and transport. A large portion of the form is, in fact, to tick the menu of assistance required. Further, if parents produce a ComCare approval letter, MOE FAS will be automatically granted without the need for any further supporting documents. If one child is granted the MOE FAS, the child’s siblings in our schools will automatically benefit from FAS, too. If after all the above steps have been taken and the parents still accumulate arrears, that is when the original Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results slip will be withheld as a last resort. The child will still apply to secondary school and progress like everyone else. Schools are also sensitive about this when distributing the results slip and will make sure that everyone gets their results the same way. But I accept the feedback that the child who receives a copy of his results slip instead of the original may feel awkward or embarrassed, through no fault of his. We do not want the children to bear responsibility for the arrears accumulated by their parents.”
“I have shared my views on this issue with several members of public who wrote to me. One of the replies has been posted online and reported by the media. I do not have a lot to add but let me reiterate some of the key points. The monthly cash payment for primary schools is $6.50 for miscellaneous fees, with another $6.50 which is payable by Edusave. So, out-of-pocket expenses on fees is $6.50. The amount is low because school education is highly subsidised. But a small payment is still required to demonstrate that, as parents and families, we have a part to play. In fact, most families take this payment very seriously, and it inculcates in children the value of commitment and playing our part, however small. Many of us in the House will remember our school days when we queued up to pay miscellaneous fees to our form teacher. In my case, it was $3 per month. My teacher would always remind me that what we paid was not enough to buy chalk, but still we should do our part. I would then collect the chit – a different colour for each month – and show it to my parents. I think that whole ritual had inculcated some good values in many students, and certainly me. Notwithstanding, some parents accumulate arrears for various reasons. I do not agree with the view that this is because the Ministry of Education (MOE) and schools are uncaring. Quite the contrary, schools and teachers are often in the frontline of reaching out to students from vulnerable families and assisting them, including paying home visits and bringing the children to school. Some of us in our community work come across such families and wonder why assistance has not been extended to them and whether we are doing enough outreach.”
“(proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Ong Ye Kung.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“For a start, MAS will be issuing environmental risk management guidelines to set out its supervisory expectations on governance, risk management and disclosure across the banking, insurance and asset management sectors. The consultation paper, as alluded to by Ms Anthea Ong, will be published in the first quarter of 2020. So, yes, we are embarking on an engagement process with the industry and the public starting with this consultation paper in the first quarter of this year. MAS is also working to anchor green expertise in Singapore, such as Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) researchers and investment analysts from asset managers, through mandates under the Green Investment Programme, as well as professional service providers that conduct ESG rating, assurance and certification of green financing solutions, through various grants. MAS will promote the adoption of green financing solutions, such as green bonds and loans, through all these measures. In assessing the digital bank applications, MAS will be looking at how they can contribute to sustainable financing, which is a key growth strategy for Singapore's financial sector. Looking at the potential tenderers, I am sure many of them will also be eager to portray and present their green credentials to MAS. These initiatives will support the mobilisation of resources to activities that promote sustainable development in Asia and globally. Mr Deputy Speaker, let me conclude by reiterating the purpose of this Bill, which is, to rationalise and streamline the regulatory frameworks for banks and merchant banks, and strengthen MAS' regulatory and supervisory oversight of both classes of financial institutions. With that, Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to.”
“It is much better that the industry, which already understands the definition, live by the definition and the spirit of the definition. MAS assesses that the risk of circumvention now, based on the banking industry's understanding of the definition, is low, given the common understanding of the scope of an executive officer. Lastly, Ms Anthea Ong raised a few points on building a sustainable and resilient financial system, such as developing standards for green finance and leveraging technology and innovation to enhance sustainable finance efforts. These issues are actually not within the scope of this Bill. I will, nevertheless, respond briefly to them in this session. I will be happy to address them in greater detail on other suitable occasions, such through a Parliamentary Question or the upcoming Committee of Supply debate. MAS announced its green finance action plan in November 2019, at a FinTech festival with big international audience. Singapore's financial sector can play a decisive role in promoting sustainable development opportunities and powering this transition, especially in Asia. Finance, innovation and technology together can be a force for good, to overcome challenges and address climate change. To be a leading centre for Green Finance in Asia and globally, MAS is taking steps that are very in line with what Ms Anthea Ong has spoken about, namely, first, build financial system resilience to environmental risk; and second, develop green finance solutions and markets. To answer Ms Anthea Ong's question, we are not looking to specifically set up national green banks which are probably not necessary. But green financing has the potential to be a mainstream activity of all traditional banks. Third, leverage innovation and technology.”
“Credit and charge card licensees conduct limited business activities, while banks conduct a wider range of activities, such as deposit-taking and lending, in addition to credit and charge card issuance. Hence, the thresholds for MAS to approve controllers and key appointment holders are tiered accordingly. Mr Louis Ng also requested more information on the enforcement of the "fit and proper" requirement by MAS. The requirement is an essential component of MAS' regulatory framework. Applicants must declare their fitness and propriety when they apply for MAS' approval. MAS conducts checks on these individuals before approval and may take action to remove such individuals where necessary. So, it is actually actively being implemented. Mr Louis Ng also asked whether MAS would consider prescribing a list of executive officers in subsidiary legislation to prevent banks from circumventing MAS' requirements on related-party transactions. As Mr Louis Ng has rightly pointed out, an executive officer of a bank in Singapore and his or her family members would be considered as related parties of the bank. "Executive officer", in relation to a bank, is already defined in section 2 of the Banking Act. This qualitative definition is familiar to the industry. The term is also used in other sections of the Banking Act as well as other MAS-administered legislation. This approach is preferred to a listing of job titles or designations as it is able to better capture persons holding managerial roles and responsibilities and is less likely to be affected by differences in nomenclature among banks or changes in specific designations over time. In fact, if we are too definitive in spelling out all the designations, our worry is, it makes it even easier to circumvent.”
“The ground of public interest thus provides MAS with the option to take timely action in unanticipated circumstances to protect the public interest. Let me cite an example. In 2016, MAS withdrew the merchant bank status of BSI Bank and Falcon Bank – both were merchant banks – because both banks had committed serious breaches of MAS' anti-money laundering requirements and there was gross misconduct by their management and staff. MAS also considered at that time the wider public interest in closing these banks in order to safeguard Singapore's reputation as a clean and trusted financial centre and to send a strong deterrent message that such breaches and misconduct will not be tolerated. Those powers were provided under the MAS Act in relation to merchant banks. This latest amendment to the Banking Act will extend the use of the public interest ground to the revocation of bank licences. I have mentioned earlier that the public interest ground is in line with practices in other jurisdictions, such as Australia and Hong Kong. This ground is also not unique to banks, as MAS already has the same revocation power on public interest grounds for other classes of financial institutions it currently supervises. Mr Louis Ng can be assured that the proposed public interest ground for bank licence revocations will be reserved for the most serious of cases. The next set of questions relates to the powers for MAS to approve 20% controllers and key appointment holders, and to remove key appointment holders, of credit card or charge card licensees. Mr Louis Ng asked why the approval requirements for credit card or charge card licensees differ from that of banks. MAS calibrates its licensing and regulatory requirements to be commensurate with the risks posed by financial institutions.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Senior Minister and Minister-in-charge of MAS, let me now address the questions of the Members. Mr Louis Ng asked why the considerations for revoking a bank licence on the ground of public interest are not set out in legislation, given that revocation is a drastic step. Mr Louis Ng also sought confirmation that MAS would only revoke bank licences on the ground of public interest for the most serious of cases. Revoking a bank licence is, indeed, a very drastic measure. MAS is very cognisant that it is the most severe regulatory action that it can take with respect to a bank. MAS, therefore, has a strong and inherent incentive to use this power judiciously, as a licence revocation means the bank will have to stop business, affecting its customers as well as other stakeholders, such as shareholders and employees. If it is not done right, or not based on strong grounds, it will affect our credibility and reputation as a global financial centre. Therefore, as far as possible, MAS has set out specific grounds on which it may revoke a bank licence in the Banking Act. These include situations where a bank has contravened the Banking Act or is carrying on its business in a manner likely to be detrimental to its depositors' interest. In all cases, MAS will consider the circumstances for licence revocations set out in the Enforcement Monograph, which provides guidance to the industry on the underlying principles guiding MAS' use of enforcement actions. That said, as the banking sector will continue to evolve, it is not possible to anticipate all circumstances under which MAS may revoke a bank licence.”
“Banks are audited by external auditors, but external auditors are, in turn, assessed by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), which evaluates the quality of the audits performed by the auditors. So, ACRA is the auditor of the auditor. So, we are amending the Third Schedule of the Banking Act to allow ACRA access to complete bank audit working papers, which includes customer information, and that would enable ACRA to review the auditors more effectively. For example, ACRA can evaluate if the external auditor has assessed the credit quality of customers and the adequacy of provisions appropriately, against market information. This amendment will help raise the quality of bank audits and support MAS' supervision of banks. ACRA officers with access to the information will be subject to confidentiality requirements. Sir, this Bill will rationalise and streamline the regulatory frameworks for banks and merchant banks, and strengthen MAS' regulation and supervisory oversight of both classes of financial institutions. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. [(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]”