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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“As of end 2017, around 50,000 Singaporeans have fully utilised their Credit. This is about 2% of the total eligible pool. When reviewing the top-up to SkillsFuture Credit, we will take into account factors, such as the SkillsFuture Credit utilisation rate, the Government's fiscal position, and the overall training participation rate of Singaporeans. While SkillsFuture Credit has enthused Singaporeans to embrace lifelong learning, it is only one part of a larger system of support. The Ministry of Education provides funding for a wide range of SkillsFuture programmes. Programmes, such as SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace, are delivered to the community at highly subsidised fees of $501. SkillsFuture Advice is also a free workshop for residents to better understand their training needs.”
“Like all reputable universities around the world, our publicly-funded universities admit international students to enrich the education experience. Today, they form about 10% of the undergraduate intake. Of these, there is a mixture of full-fee paying students, and those on the Tuition Grant scheme, who have a service obligation to work in Singapore for three years after graduation. At the postgraduate level, unsubsidised international students currently make up around one-third of the total intake. International students in Private Education Institutions do not receive Government subsidies.”
“The current Primary 1 (P1) Registration Framework reflects a careful consideration of factors, such as siblings already studying in the school, parental ties to the school, proximity between the school and homes, various forms of voluntary contributions to the school and the community. Each is a valid justification for admission on a priority basis. Like all other policies, the Ministry of Education (MOE) reviews the P1 registration framework periodically and has refined the system over the years after taking into account feedback. The last significant change was for the 2014 P1 Registration Exercise, when we reserved 40 places in every school for registrants in Phases 2B and 2C. This ensures that all schools remain open to children with no prior connections to the school. We will monitor the effects of these changes before deciding if further refinements should be made. MOE will continue to resource all our schools with well-trained teachers, invest in suitable education facilities and provide support for good school programmes, so that all students can receive a good quality and holistic education, regardless of the school which he or she attends.”
“The Regional Studies Programme (RSP) and the RSP scholarship were introduced in 2008, with the aim to nurture a segment of non-Malays in each generation who are comfortably conversant in the Malay Language and able to engage regional countries effectively. RSP students offer either Malay (Special Programme) or Bahasa Indonesia as a third language. They also have the opportunities to experience school-based enrichment modules on Understanding Southeast Asia; and participate in learning journeys as well as take part in cultural camps and immersion trips to Southeast Asian countries. About 400 of every secondary school student cohort take part in the RSP, of which 100 are given the scholarships. Around 90% of the recipients are Chinese and 10% are Indian and Other Races.”
“Based on the annual Graduate Employment Surveys (GES) conducted by the Institutes of Higher Learning, the median reported gross monthly starting salaries of Institutes of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnic and autonomous university (AU) respondents in full-time permanent employment in the private and public1 sectors are as shown in Table 1 below.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE), in consultation with early childhood educators as well as local and international experts, has developed the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Framework and Educators’ Guides for Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) to support education for preschool children. The Framework articulates a broad set of vision, objectives, guiding principles and learning goals, including enabling children to learn and use MTL. Today, MOE Kindergartens offer all three MTLs. Every day, one hour of lesson time is dedicated to MTL. This has not been adopted by all preschools, but more will expand their offering of MTLs in the coming few years. Beyond classroom exposure, the MTL Promotion Committees and Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism have also supported various programmes to encourage MTL use at home and in everyday settings. These efforts, together with the support of the community and parents, will provide a conducive environment for our children to learn MTL.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the demand and supply trends at the national and regional levels to ensure that there are sufficient school places for school-going children, taking into account the current and projected population as well as planned housing development programmes. MOE ensures that there are sufficient places for all eligible Singaporean Primary 1 (P1)-going children within a reasonable distance from their homes. For the last three P1 Registration Exercises, about 98% of the registrants were able to obtain a place in a primary school of their choice, or a primary school within two kilometres of their residence. While MOE plans the location of schools and the number of vacancies carefully, it is not possible to predict exactly how many students will register in a particular school in a particular year. The number changes from year to year, and proximity to the school is not the sole determinant of choice of school. For example, some parents may prefer to register their children in schools further away of which the parents are alumni, or where the grandparents live. In determining the number of classes for each school, MOE also has to calibrate the intake with the capacity of the school so as to ensure an optimum learning environment for all students. In instances where there are insufficient vacancies in the school of their choice, we encourage parents to consider other primary schools near their residential address. MOE will continue to ensure every school is resourced with well-trained teachers, investing in their facilities, and ensuring sufficient support for good school programmes, so that every student can receive a good quality and holistic education, regardless of the school which he or she attends.”
“Schools select school bus operators through a competitive bidding process and award contracts to transport operators who best meet their needs. In January 2015, the Ministry of Education (MOE) enhanced the bidding process for school bus services so that schools can reach out to more bus operators to obtain more competitive offers. The competitiveness of bus fares proposed is one of the key evaluation factors considered by schools. The Government has put in place a number of measures to help school bus operators keep their operating cost low so that they can offer more competitive bus fares. For example, school buses are exempted from Certificate of Entitlement requirements. Other private bus operators who use their buses to provide school bus services would be given a 50% road tax rebate by the Land Transport Authority. To help students who need further assistance to meet their transport expenses, MOE has also implemented a transport subsidy for students on the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) since 1 April 2015. MOE subsidises 50% of the actual monthly school bus fares for primary school FAS students who commute to school via school bus. About 3,600 primary students are currently in receipt of MOE's transport subsidy.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been reviewing and will continue to regularly review Literature texts. We do so based on educational objectives: the literary merit of the texts, their accessibility and age-appropriateness of language and themes, and their relevance to today’s context. So, for Literature in English, a text list for secondary school students is provided and updated every three years. This list comprises texts from Singapore, our region and other parts of the world. Given Singapore's position as a nation in Southeast Asia and a global city connected to the rest of the world, MOE needs to ensure a sufficiently wide range of texts to allow students to be exposed to different cultures, beliefs and practices. Schools have a choice when it comes to selecting texts that best meet the needs of their students. At the lower secondary level, they may choose from the recommended text list or select their own Literature texts. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on texts from Singapore and the region. I think this is reflective of the point in history we are living in. Beyond Literature, students are also exposed to texts as part of language learning. For the Mother Tongue Languages, adapted excerpts from suitable classics have been included in the textbooks. For Chinese Language, these include short stories extracted from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and selected poetry from the Tang Dynasty. Similarly, poetry and excerpts from ancient classics, such as Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals), Panji Tales, Thirukural and Naladiyar, are adapted and included in the Malay and Tamil Language textbooks.”
“Negative perceptions of mental illness can stem from the lack of awareness and understanding of mental health. The Institute of Mental Health-led study also noted that the majority of the students would reach out to, stand up for and support a classmate with mental illness, which is encouraging. Mental illnesses are caused by a variety of factors. To support students with mental illnesses, schools have been stepping up efforts to nurture the social and emotional competencies of our students, strengthen supportive school relationships, increase peer support efforts and encourage help-seeking behaviour. We work closely with parents and community partners to strengthen mental well-being and reduce the stigma for those suffering from mental illnesses. The Ministry of Education leverages the Character and Citizenship Education, school-based conversations and student learning resources to raise awareness and destigmatise mental illnesses. The Health Promotion Board also provides Mental Health Awareness Briefings and resources for school counsellors and teachers. This enhances their understanding of mental health, its impact on students as well as strategies on how to support these students better.”
“Over the last three years, among students who graduated from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), close to half were from the GCE Normal (Technical) [N(T)] course, about 45% were from the Normal (Academic) [N(A)] course, and the remaining were from the Express course. For those who graduated from publicly funded diploma programmes, the figures were about 5% N(T), 35% N(A) and the remaining Express. For publicly funded degree programmes, the numbers were about 1% N(T), 5% N(A) and the remaining Express. It should be noted that a good proportion of graduates from ITE and the polytechnics further their studies in publicly funded institutes. We are also seeing university graduates attending ITE courses to gain hands-on skills. We must bear in mind that there must be different paths catering to the diverse strengths and talents of our people.”
“As at December 2017, there were 30,000 students with a reported Special Educational Need (SEN). About 80% of them are in mainstream schools and 20% are in Special Education (SPED) schools. Many children with SEN obtain a diagnosis during their preschool years – usually at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and the National University Hospital (NUH) Child Development Centres – and a majority of them benefit from early intervention. Today, the 19 SPED schools are geographically spread across the island, with most SPED schools in heartland locations, such as Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Jurong West and Yishun. Three additional SPED school campuses have started operations this year and additional SPED school campuses are being planned. Amongst the 19 SPED schools are those that focus on the needs of students with a specific disability profile, as well as those which serve a range of disabilities. For example, a student with moderate to severe cerebral palsy would attend the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) school, a student with moderate to severe intellectual disability as well as autism could attend a Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) school, and a student with multiple disabilities and autism could attend a Rainbow Centre school. Because the number of students with a specific SEN is not large, many are best served by central and specialised centres. This means that it may not always be possible to find a suitable SPED in the neighbourhood. That notwithstanding, over the years, we have made good progress towards ensuring that each child with SEN is able to attend a school that caters to his needs.”
“The Singapore University of Technology and Design infuses technology and design into every aspect of a student's learning experience.”
“Among the top 10% of students in the GCE "A" level exam between 2012 and 2014, 14% entered courses in engineering or information and digital technologies, while 22% entered medicine or law courses at the local autonomous universities (AUs). It is not meaningful to compare the numbers for those who take the "O" level exams because not all students sit for the "O" levels, such as those in the Integrated Programme. The Ministry of Education (MOE) encourages and enables our students to discover their interests and strengths through the curriculum taught in our schools and a variety of programmes and experiences, supported by strengthened education and career guidance at all levels. For example, to expose students to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), 60% of our secondary schools offer Applied Learning Programmes in STEM domains. MOE also organises Science enrichment and mentorship programmes for secondary school and junior college students. The Science Centre Singapore also conducts a range of science-related activities and enrichment programmes to encourage interest in STEM among the public, including students. The polytechnics pool their efforts to promote engineering diploma programmes to secondary school students. They hold talks featuring industry practitioners who share why they chose engineering as a career. They also reach out to school teachers and involve them in industry learning journeys and workshops. Our AUs also offer unique programmes tailored to attract good students with the interest and aptitude in STEM. For example, the Nanyang Technological University offers the Renaissance Engineering Programme, and the National University of Singapore, the Global Engineering Programme.”
“It is so close to our hearts because it affects the closest people in our lives – our children. It also means that discussions on education can be frustrating and sometimes end up in a stalemate. Parents will say, "MOE, you better change." MOE will say, "I think parents, too, you need to change." Sometimes, we point fingers at each other. The children do not say this. They look at you and say, "I think both of you better change." The truth is, we are all in this together, as partners, to build a better future. I feel optimistic and hopeful because, through all these speeches today, it may appear that we have different views. But underlying all that, there is consensus on the direction ahead. I do not think we ever had such a strong chorus of voices in the House, emphasising the importance of joy of learning and cautioning against excessive tuition and relentless chasing of academic results. I believe this is a view that will reverberate beyond this Chamber. MOE and all our partners will work together. MOE, with the resources and policy levers, will be the initiator of changes and be the system integrator and work together to bring about improvements and change. All of us cannot fail the young people of Singapore and cannot fail our society. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion. [Applause.] 5.41 pm”
“If we have, we are in a much better position to develop the education system to better prepare our children for the future. As to what exactly we need to do in terms of programmes, initiatives and policy reviews, MOE will take in all the views and suggestions raised inside and outside of this House and consider them. Some we will implement. Some may take time to implement. Others may involve trade-offs and we may decide not to implement them for the time being. Mr Speaker asked two questions. He asked, “What is the most important school you attend? Who are our most important teachers?” My answer is this: the most important school is our family; the most important teacher is our parents. Of course, it takes a village to raise a child. But the home and the parents are one of the most important education experiences all of us would have. Imagine a family is a school and a parent is a teacher. It makes the job of MOE complicated. Between the parent and the child, it is a complex relationship. All of us who are parents would know that there are expectations, love, respect, hopes, fears, and worries, as a parent. It is a complex relationship and MOE is in the middle of it. It also means that being an educator is a great privilege because you get to educate a child who is the most cherished and valuable to the parents. This is why Mr Darryl David mentioned that being a teacher is unlike all other professions, it is unlike a lawyer or a pilot, where nobody questions you on how you do your job. But when it comes to teachers, parents will question, because parents, too, are the most important teachers to the child. And it is a complex relationship between mother and child; father and child. There are so many opinions on education because of that.”
“But class size reduction policies generally take exactly the opposite approach by pursuing across the board reduction… (They are) also extremely expensive and represented wasted opportunities to make smarter educational investments." When I was in Finland earlier this year, I visited a secondary school. Finland has a very good education system. And I asked the teachers for their opinion on class sizes. They told me this: they said there are different political parties in Finland and each has a position on the class size. Whoever is elected would then legislate the class size and put it into law. The teachers said they would rather not have the rigidity. Grant the school the teaching resources and give them the flexibility to configure class sizes for different groups of students for different subjects. This is what Singapore has been doing. Let me summarise. Earlier generations of Singaporeans have worked hard to uplift their lives and education played a major role. But success creates new problems. The doubts of many Singaporeans – whether meritocracy still works, whether inequality is worsening – are, paradoxically, the results of our policies succeeding and improving the lives of Singapore families. That is why I said tackling inequality is unfinished business. But I stress there is no contradiction between meritocracy and fairness, nor reducing inequality and raising our collective standards. Instead, we should double up on meritocracy, by broadening its definition to embrace various talents and skills. We should not cap achievement at the top, but work harder to lift the bottom. I wanted to set out these fundamentals, because it is important to have broad agreement around them.”
“What Hong Kong did find was that where an experimental school or class did significantly better, it was because the principal was more experienced, took an active role in developing the curriculum and the teachers and involved the parents in education. Those were the key drivers of better performances. Another study was done by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel and results were published in their 2016 Annual Report. Unlike the Hong Kong study, the Taub Center did not conduct an experiment. They gathered a large volume of data on students' results and did a multivariate analysis on the key determinants of the results, with a special focus to find out if class size made a difference. The conclusion was in the first page of the report on the study, which said, "No significant relationship was found between class size and achievement." However, the study did find that, for the learning of Hebrew, the larger the class size, the better the results. There are various explanations behind this, but I would not go into it today. The third study was done in 2011 by the Center for American Progress and the results were particularly insightful and shed light on the results of the two studies I previously cited. It observed that smaller class sizes were a popular idea, but, after tens of billions of dollars were spent across states, particularly in California and Florida, it did not affect results in a statistically significant way. One reason was that in the US' context, smaller class sizes meant hiring of many new teachers who were inexperienced and yet to be effective in the classroom. The report said, "The evidence on class size indicates that smaller classes can, in some circumstances, improve student achievement if implemented in a focused way.”
“In lower primary, Learning Support Programmes are done in groups of eight to 10. Many Normal (Technical) classes are now taught in sizes of 20 or have a class size of 40 but two teachers. In many JCs, consultations between students and teachers are often one-to-one. For sessions with an education and career guidance counsellor, students meet one-on-one or in very small groups. There is, sometimes, still the perception that students study in one class and it is of a certain size. The reality and the lived experience of students are that they now regularly move around, join different groups and there is no single class size. Let me put MOE's position on class size straight and clear: with good teachers, smaller class sizes help the students. Our teachers can attest to that through first-hand experience. In fact, I think there was a suggestion by Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin to do a study. Actually, we are convinced. With good teachers, smaller class sizes help the students. It is quite clear. Why then is MOE cautious on the issue of class size? Because how it is implemented makes all the difference. Let me cite the results of a few studies to illustrate this. They are done overseas, but, nevertheless, are scientific studies and we should take note of the results. In 2009, Hong Kong did a study on small class teaching in primary schools. It put about 700 classes through an experiment over three years, varying their class sizes along the way. The study found that however they varied the class sizes, there were no significant differences on performances, compared to the territory-wide averages.”
“The Academy does not scout for high-performing athletes and sportsmen and sportswomen; they look for raw diamonds, students with good motor skills and hand-eye coordination abilities and then help them develop their sporting skills through professional coaching. Since 2017, we have doubled the capacity of the Programme to about 800 a year. Some students from the Programme – and Mr Rajaram may be happy to note this – have gone on to gain places in secondary schools through the Direct School Admission (DSA) system. They did not go to those expensive coaches with high rates. It is done by the JSA and is free-of-charge. MOE is now in the initial stages of developing a similar programme for the Arts. It is a good example of an alternate system that we discussed and what will happen if we do not have PSLE. DSA is an alternate system. Mr Rajaram has correctly pointed out, the affluent will always have a way, whatever system it is, to make use of it. But in this case, DSA also serves those from humble backgrounds and we are able to train them to enter the top and popular schools. So, we ask ourselves: are we better off with, or without, this alternate system? And I think we may well be better off having a system that can enable students from humble backgrounds to enter popular schools, notwithstanding affluent students will also be able to make use of it. [Deputy Speaker (Mr Charles Chong) in the Chair] The second significant outcome is smaller class sizes for weaker students. The additional resources for Specialised Schools and students in Normal streams come partly in the form of additional teaching resources. In Crest Secondary School, Spectra Secondary School, NorthLight School and Assumption Pathway School, the typical class size is 20.”
“But the situation is improving. In 2007, over 80% of PSC scholars were from these two JCs. In 2017, the percentage has come down to 60%. PSC is also adjusting its interview techniques. They recognise that students from poorer backgrounds tend to be less articulate. So, the Commission is assessing candidates beyond their communication skills, but instead, looking into the substance of what they say, their ideas and thinking. As a result, we continue to see President’s Scholars who come from humble backgrounds or outside the most popular JCs. In 2016, LTA Natasha Ann Lum Mei Seem became the first President’s and Singapore Armed Forces Scholar from Pioneer JC. She is now studying in the US and is an Air Force C3 Officer. At last year’s President’s Scholar award ceremony, I sat next to Mr Lee Tat Wei, whose father was a taxi driver and mother a part-time sales assistant. Tat Wei is also studying in the US and, when he graduates, he will join the Foreign Service. Our approach of lifting the bottom has other significant outcomes. First, what we used to regard as opportunities available to students from more affluent backgrounds are now broadly accessible. For example, most schools now organise overseas learning experiences. Schools are offering a wide variety of CCAs: Tanglin Secondary School has fencing as a CCA; Kent Ridge Secondary School offers sailing, North Vista Secondary School offers string ensemble and NorthLight School has, for many years, run an equestrian programme for its students. The Junior Sports Academy (JSA) is another example. It is a two-year free sports development programme for talented and interested P4 and P5 students.”
“But I do not think capping achievements and limiting opportunities are the right approach either. It runs against a very fundamental philosophy of our education system. As the educators in MOE will say in Chinese,"保底不封顶", meaning "do not cap the top, but uplift the bottom". Indeed, a good proportion, about 7.5%, of students who live in 1- to 3-room HDB flats emerge as top PSLE performers every year. And there are many others with great non-academic strengths and talents. We must continue to strive to help them develop their strengths to the fullest. MOE’s resourcing of schools reflect this approach. The highest level of funding, about $24,000 per student, goes to the Specialised Schools: Crest Secondary School, Spectra Secondary School, NorthLight School and Assumption Pathway School. The next highest levels of resourcing, about $20,000 and $15,000 per student, goes to Normal (Technical) and Normal (Academic) streams respectively. A student in other courses in Government and Government-aided schools and in Independent Schools attracts under $15,000 of resources per student. In addition, MOE regularly rotates and ensures that our good performing teachers and principals are well spread across different types of schools. Beyond resourcing of schools, further assistance is granted to students from lower-income households in the form of financial assistance schemes, bursaries, school meal programmes and the Opportunity Fund. The Public Service Commission (PSC) also reaches out to students from different schools, in a quest for diversity amongst Government scholars. It has been paying special attention to applicants from lower-income families. Students from two junior colleges (JCs) – Raffles Institution (RI) and Hwa Chong – used to dominate the scholarships awards.”
“One expressed, frankly, that we can complain that PSLE favours the rich, but the rich are better poised to prepare their children in whatever alternate system that is in place. They say support the weaker students more, but do not take away the PSLE. So, I think it is not a straightforward matter. This sacred cow survived for some very valid reasons. But what I think we need to do – we must do – is to reduce the stakes of this examination. Make it less of a do-or-die examination that is so important as if it will determine your whole life, which it does not. And there must be many other ways that we can do to reduce the stakes of this examination. One way is to ensure a broader definition of merit. One that does not focus too narrowly on past academic scores, but recognises a broad meritocracy of skills, given the various strengths and talents of our people. That, at the core, is the objective of SkillsFuture. That is why pedagogy is changing in schools, which many Members have acknowledged. It is more experiential, applied and exploratory. There are many more pathways in the higher education sector, leading into lifelong learning that Assoc Prof Randolph Tan talked about. We cannot change the fact that the starting point of each child is different, but our system can ensure that all of them can run a good race and finish this well. Let us talk about the second paradox, the achievement gap. The easiest way to close the gap is to cap the top. Some of the suggestions raised in public, such as banning tuition and enrichment classes, redistributing resources from popular to less popular schools, are pointing in that direction. Excessive tuition to the point of causing undue stress and killing the joy of learning is not good for the child.”
“I visited Hong Kong earlier this year. They did away with their equivalent of PSLE some years ago. In its place, Hong Kong uses the school examination scores for Primary 5 and 6 to decide on secondary school postings. But because different primary schools have different standards, they have come up with a device and a tool to harmonise and to normalise the standards, so that they are comparable. In this case, the stress is somewhat transferred upstream. And, like the Swiss, there is also a thriving private school sector in Hong Kong, which accounts for nearly 30% of the student intake. The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), a self-help group which I chair, has a programme called the supervised Homework Group programme. Here, young volunteers spend a few hours a week tutoring and helping students from lower-income families with their homework. On surface, it is to help these students with their homework, but the unspoken objective is for the volunteers to act as role models for the children. I thought the volunteers would be a very suitable group who should have their opinion heard. So, I asked if they think PSLE should be scrapped. They have no vested interests; they have gone through the education system themselves and they are now helping poor students cope with schoolwork. So, I thought, "Let us hear their opinion." On the education system as a whole, they have many different views. But on PSLE, the great majority disagreed with scrapping it. The common reasons they cite were that they felt that PSLE can, in fact, motivate the poorer students to work hard and there are resources to support the poorer students.”
“But Singapore’s circumstances are different and unique, and we cannot assume that we will have to eventually do what other countries like the US have done. Many of our popular schools, and I think Asst Prof Mohan has mentioned it, are making extra efforts to attract eligible students from lower-income families, encouraging diversity amongst students and mingling of students from different backgrounds. And we should encourage them to do more and try even harder. But setting a quota sends the wrong signal. I do not think it is aligned to our societal ethos. It can even be seen as patronising. Another common suggestion that was raised is to scrap the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), one of the sacred cows. I will admit that the PSLE is far from a perfect system and does add stress, a lot of stress sometimes – to parents and students. And to the Minister, too. But it happens to be the most meritocratic and probably the fairest of all imperfect systems. If we scrap it, whatever we replace it with to decide on secondary school postings, I think is likely to be worse. I came across two alternate systems recently. I was in Switzerland last month; the Swiss do not have the equivalent of PSLE. But neither do students have a choice on what secondary school to go to or work towards to go to. They are simply assigned to the school nearest to their homes. I visited one of these schools; I spoke to the students and they all go home for lunch because they said it is a five- to 10-minute walk, different directions, and then they come back to school. They did not have a choice where to go to. However, in Switzerland, the affluent have a choice, because they can pay for their children to go to private schools. In Switzerland, 7% of students attend private schools.”
“They provided more equal opportunities to men and women, but women chose not to be like men and, so, there is no contradiction in both greater equality and fewer female corporate managers. How do we deal with the two paradoxes I mentioned: that of meritocracy, and that of achievement gap? Let us start with meritocracy. It is in danger, recently, of becoming a dirty word. A couple of education-related controversies arose in the US recently. The first was a lawsuit filed against University of Harvard for systemic bias against Asians over the years. It was alleged that Asians who tended to score highest in the admission tests for Harvard were marked down by the university on soft criteria, such as personality. So, it is not just Singaporeans who are kiasu and study a lot. Asians overseas, like those in the US, they, too, study very well and ace their examinations. Apparently, Harvard did this to preserve ethnic diversity in the university. The second controversy was that the Mayor of New York recently suggested to scrap the highly competitive admission examinations for eight of the city’s specialised public high schools. Sixty-two percent of the students in these schools are Asians, who tend to perform well in these examinations. The move by the Mayor of New York will reduce the number of Asians and increase the number of black and Hispanic students being admitted into these specialised high schools. Some ideas that we have come across in recent weeks – I must say not from this House, but from what we have read – are along the lines of what the US schools are doing. There was a suggestion that we set a quota for lower-income students in popular schools. I am not in a position to comment on the admission policies for US schools.”
“Unlike the first generation of Singaporeans where students are mostly from humble backgrounds, the next generation is pushing off blocks from different starting points and students from affluent families have a head start. So, meritocracy, arising from a belief in fairness, seems to have, paradoxically, resulted in systematic unfairness. This is the question we all ask ourselves. There is a second paradox and that is of inequality. When I was young, most of my classmates, including myself, were from humble backgrounds. By the sheer law of probability, some of us ended up as top performers in schools. Today, the percentage of students from similar backgrounds are much smaller and it continues to shrink. Ten years ago, about 20% of our employed households had an income of $3,000 or less, at 2017 dollars. Today, that has gone down to well below 15%. And I think it will continue to shrink as we continue to uplift families. This is a happy outcome. But as we successfully uplift more poor families, the smaller group of families that remain poor are facing increasingly difficult challenges. Their challenges are also translated to their children's performances in school. So, as we uplift poor families, the greater the achievement gap between the rich and poor in school. That is the second paradox. As we confront these paradoxes, we question if our policies and approaches have run their course and perhaps it is time to slaughter some sacred cows and take a fundamentally different approach. It depends on which cows you are thinking of slaughtering. For some, maybe. For some, my answer is no. Paradoxes make us think hard about our challenges and our choices. But we can resolve these apparent contradictions. Take the gender divide debate in the Nordic countries.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank our five Nominated Members of Parliament for tabling this important Motion and the Members who have spoken during this debate. Many of you spoke passionately and many from personal experiences, especially Ms Rahayu Mahzam, whom I also thank for proposing additions to the Motion, which I support. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim and Second Minister Indranee Rajah will address many of the issues raised by Members. Amidst all the ideas and suggestions raised, I thought it will be useful for me to speak on the key principles of Singapore's education system. Last week, David Brooks wrote a piece called, "The paradox of the gender divide". He observed that in the Nordic countries, where gender equality is the highest, many women exercise their choice and opt out of the corporate rat race. So, the greater the gender equality, the fewer the number of female corporate managers. That is the paradox. In education, we encounter similar paradoxes, too. There are at least two. The first paradox is that of meritocracy. Meritocracy recognises talent and ability over wealth and circumstances of birth. It motivates society to work hard. It encourages us to develop our talents and put our talents and strengths to good use. This approach has uplifted many families over the decades. Many Members of the House have benefited from this approach and philosophy. And as families do well, they believe in meritocracy and, therefore, they spare no effort investing in their next generation, including enrichment classes, from a very young age. Hence, children today from more affluent families are now doing better than those from lower-income families in school.”
“First, we should really take a firm stand that we should never regard them as failures. Dropping out of school is sometimes owing to family circumstances or personal circumstances beyond their control. Today, our formal education system, whether it is Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic, university, if you drop out for some reason, it will welcome you back. The Member may notice that, last week, I announced that we will now also take into account their working experience when we assess re-admission. And that, I think, is a very clear signal: “You never drop out. It’s lifelong learning and you are always welcome to come back. And the more you work and treat your work seriously, you actually improve your credentials." That is the formal education system. But beyond that, for the lifelong learning system, we have training providers from the private sector, industry partners, as well as our Institute of Higher Learnings, all rolling out new shorter courses that people can enrol for. For these courses, one of the principles in their design is open accessibility. You should not have to demonstrate that you have achieved certain academic grades in order to enrol for a lifelong learning programme. So long as you have the heart, the determination to do it, it should welcome you and it is also subsidised. We very much want to make sure that all Singaporeans, especially young Singaporeans, continue on the lifelong learning journey.”
“We are also expanding the range of opportunities for upgrading and lifelong learning. MOE does not track students who drop out of schools statistically and longitudinally as a group because different agencies and organisations do come in to provide support at different stages of a person’s life. Further, there is always a dynamic churn within the population: students who drop out after "O" or "N" levels often move on to upgrade and hold good and stable jobs, while well-educated Singaporeans can encounter difficult patches due to industry downturns. Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): I thank the Minister. I just have one supplementary question. Because there is now a nationwide SkillsFuture framework in place that provides for comprehensive and continuous education, dropouts might feel that they have no stakeholding in this framework, mainly because they have been kind of labelled as "failures" and are not seen as learners anymore. They might be considered as discouraged learners, so to speak. Is there any scope or any specific programmes within SkillsFuture that can reach out to these groups?”
“Over the years, MOE has implemented many measures to reduce dropouts post-PSLE. These include different education streams to cater to students with different paces of learning at that age, early interventions at lower Primary to help students keep up, and specialised schools, namely Northlight School and Assumption Pathway School, to cater to students who did not qualify for Secondary school courses after PSLE. With all these measures, the proportion of Primary 1 (P1) cohorts who did not progress to Secondary education is practically 0%. At the Secondary school level, less than 1% of the P1 cohorts did not complete Secondary education, compared to 2% 10 years ago. So, it has been halved. The percentage of P1 cohorts that progresses to post-Secondary education has increased from 90% 10 years ago, to 97% now. So, the school dropout numbers that the Member is asking about is a very small proportion of every cohort. And this is a result of our relentless efforts, together with our education partners, over the years. For those who still drop out of school, our teachers actively reach out to them. But the reasons for dropping out are often complex and we have to tap on the expertise and networks of agencies, such as MSF, MHA, self-help groups, family service centres and Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs). For example, VWOs will engage the out-of-school youths and their families, and encourage them to participate in group activities to support their return to school and transit to the next stage of education. As for students who entered the workforce and face employment difficulties, they can tap on support from their alma mater, Workforce Singapore, the CDCs, NTUC's e2i or the self-help groups.”
“The proportion of the Primary One cohort that did not complete secondary education has fallen from 4% in 2000 to less than 1% currently. This is due to the concerted effort of schools, agencies and community partners. The reasons for dropping out are usually a combination of factors, including personal and family circumstances, desire to work rather than study, negative peer influence outside of school, lack of motivation to learn, and difficulties coping with their studies. Teachers in schools mark students' attendance daily. Schools have systems in place to promptly notify parents and check on the students when they are absent without valid reasons. Active steps are also taken to engage students who display irregular attendance, including counselling, parent engagement and home visits. Since 2009, schools have implemented the Time Out Programme to provide enhanced guidance and support for disengaged students, to help them overcome the difficulties that have kept them away from school. Additional support is provided by School Counsellors and Student Welfare Officers who support students in addressing their emotional and behavioural issues and work closely with the family and other community partners to encourage them to return to school. Besides school-based solutions, the Ministry of Education also taps on the expertise of our partners, such as Social Service Offices, Family Service Centres, Self-Help Groups and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). For example, students who drop out of school are referred to the Enhanced STEP-UP Programme set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Under this programme, VWOs engage out-of-school youths and their families to encourage the youths to re-engage their schools and community again.”
“Candidates who have been certified to be medically unfit to sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will not need to resit the examination as there are methods which allow us to assess the students' attainment levels. Candidates who are absent from a subject at the PSLE with valid reason(s) will be given a projected T-score for the subject. The projected T-score takes into consideration the candidate's performance in that subject in school, his/her peers' performance in the subject in school and national examinations. If the candidate is absent for the entire PSLE, a PSLE aggregate score would similarly be projected for the candidate using the same approach. He/she will not be required to resit PSLE.”
“MOE has provided guidance for schools to develop policies and rules to regulate the use of mobile devices in schools, based on their student profiles and needs. However, there is no blanket ban of smartphones in schools. There have been recent reports that countries, such as France, Australia and the United Kingdom, are considering banning smartphones in schools. But there are conflicting views in these countries on the usefulness or practicality of a blanket ban. While there are studies that show the detrimental effects of smartphones on learning, there are also studies which show that when used purposefully, phones are learning tools that can bring about positive educational outcomes. For example, students can use their smartphones to obtain useful information, conduct research, collaborate with their classmates and provide teachers with quick feedback on their understanding of lessons. Whether smartphones affect learning positively or negatively depends on its usage. Schools are, therefore, teaching students to use mobile devices responsibly, both in and out of school. Through Cyber Wellness (CW) lessons, students are taught how to take responsibility for their online well-being. They are also taught to seek help from trusted adults when necessary. As partners-in-education, parents also play an important role in guiding their children in the use of smartphones and online interactions. The Ministry of Education will continue to monitor developments and work closely with schools to put in place measures and structures pertaining to smartphones to ensure a conducive teaching and learning environment.”
“The estimated revenue from car park charges collected by our 360 primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges is estimated to be $8 million to $10 million a year. The revenue will be retained by the schools.”
“Based on the latest Graduate Employment Survey, 26% of employed autonomous university respondents reported that they were working in the Government, Statutory Boards or Organs of State six months after their final examinations. The proportions for Private Education Institution full-time degree, polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education respondents were 7%, 13% and 13% respectively. The Ministry of Education does not have comparable statistics from other developed countries.”
“All students at our polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) undergo 40 to 60 hours of enhanced career guidance (ECG) curriculum, guided by their lecturers and ECG Counsellors. Students are also exposed to career options through learning journeys to companies, workshops with industry representatives and alumni, career fairs and internships. In addition, all students have access to the MySkillsFuture portal, a key resource for education and industry information, with tools to support career development. In 2016, the Ministry of Education set up ECG centres in every polytechnic and ITE college to serve as touchpoints for all students. All students are introduced to the ECG services and resources offered at these centres, which include ECG workshops and talks, and career and industry-related materials and references. Students who require more targeted ECG support can approach their lecturers for advice, or the ECG Counsellors at the ECG centres for individual or group counselling sessions. In the last two years, about one in 25 students have scheduled one-on-one or group guidance sessions with the ECG Counsellors. There is awareness of the usefulness of ECG, and the utilisation of the resources will increase with time.”
“For students who have completed secondary school over the last five years, close to 10% of the Normal (Technical) students transferred to the Normal (Academic) course; and about 5% of the Normal (Academic) students transferred to the Express course. Beyond lateral transfers to another course, many more students selectively offer specific subjects at a higher level, in line with their strengths. This is known as Subject-based Banding, which is part of our efforts to offer multiple pathways and opportunities to students to pursue an education best suited to their needs, interests and strengths.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the demand and supply trends for school places at the national and regional levels. Our school planning takes into account the current and projected population and planned housing development programmes to ensure that there are sufficient school places to meet the needs of families with school-going children in each residential area. MOE is aware of the new housing developments that were recently completed in Bukit Batok and those that will be completing in the next few years. The demand from these new housing developments have been taken into account in the planning of school places. There are currently nine primary schools within two kilometres of the new housing developments in Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency. There is sufficient capacity in these schools to meet the projected demand from residents. MOE will continue to monitor the demand and supply situation of the primary schools in this area closely.”
“Our schools strive to develop cross-cultural competencies among students. Through Character and Citizenship Education lessons, and exchange programmes with international schools in Singapore and overseas, schools provide opportunities for students to value diversity and work with others of different cultures and nationalities. Further opportunities for deeper student interaction between the mainstream and international schools include sports competitions, Model United Nations conferences, debating championships and common interest youth groups. Our schools will continue to actively create opportunities for students to interact across schools so as to develop the cultural literacy of our students and promote an inclusive society.”
“Our education system provides students with multiple pathways and opportunities to pursue an education best suited to their needs, interests and strengths. Students may attend university and pursue an academic education, or develop skills and technical expertise through other pathways. The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results need not and should not be the only determinant of the future success of any pupil. Notwithstanding, the data requested by the Member is as follows. The proportion of students who gained admission to local publicly-funded degree courses increased steadily from 23% for the 1997 PSLE cohort to 31% for the 2006 PSLE cohort, in tandem with expansion of university places. From 1997 to 2006, the proportion of PSLE cohort with results in the 51st to 75th percentile, and admitted to publicly-funded degree courses, increased from 24% to 38%. The corresponding figure for those whose PSLE results are in the bottom half increased from 4% to 10%.”
“As part of our national curriculum, schools emphasise the values of respect, resilience, responsibility, integrity, care and harmony in classroom lessons, through co-curricular activities and experiential activities like the Values in Action (VIA) programme. Topics, such as filial piety, caring for others and the importance of saving, are covered in subjects, such as Character and Citizenship Education (CCE). Schools also work with parents and the community in reinforcing values education. Schools encourage parents to build on what is taught in schools at home. Schools also work with community partners for students to live out the core values through age-appropriate experiential learning. By engaging with the elderly through VIA, for example, students better understand their needs and the role they can play to make a difference. Schools review their programmes regularly on the effectiveness of the curriculum in inculcating values. The Ministry also conducts regular reviews and improves on the syllabuses and pedagogical approaches in teaching values through the various subject areas. Home and community efforts, coupled with what is taught in schools, will maximise our students' ability to internalise the values taught and demonstrate them in their daily lives.”
“Given the opportunities in Southeast Asia, it is useful for students to develop a good understanding of the region. Students will also benefit from establishing networks within the region early. To raise awareness and understanding of the region, students are introduced to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in primary school. Through the Social Studies curriculum, students will learn about the cultural and economic ties member countries share with one another. In secondary school, students can offer subjects, such as Economics, Geography, History, and Social Studies, which include a deeper understanding of the region. Through Economics, Geography and History at the pre-university level, students learn about the economic and trade policies of Southeast Asian countries, trends in regional economic developments, as well as economic integration through ASEAN. Students extend their understanding of Southeast Asia through ASEAN-themed forums and seminars. They observe ongoing economic developments and expand their understanding of the region when they undertake overseas trips to Southeast Asian countries. In addition, our student athletes also forge friendships with their fellow athletes from the different Southeast Asian countries through the ASEAN Schools Games. Our Institutions of Higher Learning organise immersion programmes, student exchanges with institutions in the region, and overseas internships. Students also perform community projects in rural areas in the region. For many years, our institutions also take in a small proportion of students from ASEAN countries. While in Singapore, they forge bonds with Singaporean students and enrich the higher education experience.”
“Maternity leave granted by the Ministry of Education is in accordance with the Civil Service guidelines and the Child Development Co-Savings Act. This means the first eight weeks of the maternity leave are paid leave, can commence either during the four weeks immediately before the date of confinement, or immediately after confinement. They are also to be taken in a continuous stretch so that a female employee has time to recuperate and bond with her newborn child. The subsequent eight weeks of the maternity leave can be taken flexibly over a 12- month period from the birth of the child, subject to mutual agreement between the female employee and her supervisor. The nature of teachers' work is unique in the Civil Service. Teachers in schools are on a fixed cycle of work schedule. They work very hard during the school terms and can often slow down the pace and take a breather during the school holidays, which is about 12 weeks in a year and longer than leave entitlements for other civil servants. To foster family-friendly workplaces, the Civil Service also provides pro-family options, such as part-time employment, for officers to look after young children, and leave provisions, such as childcare leave, unpaid infant care leave and no-pay leave for childcare. These measures will support parenthood.”
“Our primary school curriculum is designed to build a strong foundation in literacy, numeracy and the 21st Century Competencies (21CC) that will prepare students well for future learning. Coding skill is, however, more specific and involves learning particular programming languages which can become outdated quickly. We should instead focus on the underlying and enduring skills, such as problem solving, logical reasoning and data-handling. These foundational skills are currently developed through the learning of subjects, particularly mathematics and science. Instead of making it compulsory, we are working towards exposing a broad group of students to basic coding and technology through enrichment programmes and co-curricular activities. The Ministry of Education works with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to offer programmes, such as "Code for Fun", "Lab on Wheels" and the "Digital Maker" programmes. Since 2014, 93,000 students have embarked on the "Code for Fun" programme. Students with strong foundation in the underlying skills are able to pick up basic coding readily and learn programming languages smoothly at later stages of their education, such as in offering Computing as a formal subject at the GCE "O" or "A" level.”
“Schools plan students' daily timetable with their well-being as an important consideration. Hence, they incorporate sufficient breaks and constrain the length of school day, while ensuring adequate time for learning. An increase in the time for student movement between classes will lead to school days ending later. Teachers are mindful to end lessons on time for students to move to the next venue if need be, as well as allow the students to settle down before commencing the next lesson. Between class movement is usually not a source of student stress. Teachers are equipped to observe signs of stress in students and will provide the needed interventions if a case arises.”
“In addition, MOE Psychologists and VWOs provide consultation and conduct teacher training and customised workshops to build the capacity of school staff to support students with SEN. We will continue to provide more professional development opportunities for our teachers to build their competencies in supporting students with SEN in their schools. MOE has also developed a transition support framework. It provides guidelines for schools to facilitate a smoother transition for students with SEN across schools and levels. This framework covers guidance on the transfer of information as well, and includes rules on safeguarding confidentiality. These include obtaining parental consent for the transfer of information and sharing SEN-related information strictly on a need-to-know basis among relevant personnel. Teachers may also talk about a child’s needs with his peers, but they should avoid using labels, such as the diagnosis. It is important that other mainstream students can empathise with students with SEN. Empathy building is one of the key socio-emotional competencies taught in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) in schools. There are CCE lessons that raise awareness of disabilities and how each person can play a part in developing an inclusive society. Schools have also forged partnerships with VWOs and special education schools to provide opportunities for students to interact meaningfully and deepen mutual understanding.”
“Depending on their needs, students with Special Education Needs (SEN) in mainstream schools receive various support. These include specialised support programmes and services, such as assistive technological devices, to support the integration and learning needs of students with visual, hearing or physical impairments and itinerant school-based services from voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). They are also supported by specialised personnel, such as teachers trained in special needs (TSNs), psychologists who provide consultation and advice, and Allied Educators. In addition, schools have teams that oversee SEN support in a systemic way to facilitate the learning experiences of students with mild SEN in mainstream schools. As students' build their coping strategies, they can typically progress through the system with little or even no support services. Since 2005, teacher trainees have been provided with a basic understanding on supporting students with SEN and learning differences during their pre-service training at the National Institute of Education. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has also been equipping a core group of teachers in all schools with deeper knowledge and skills in supporting the teaching and learning of students with special needs, through the TSN training programme, a certificate level training in SEN. MOE is also building up the numbers of Senior Teachers in SEN. Teachers and Allied Educators regularly share strategies and skills with each other to enable them to better support students with SEN. Form Teachers meet frequently with their Year Heads to discuss the needs of their students, including those with SEN, and how they can be supported.”
“On stress-testing, because the investment policy is a conservative one, targeted at preservation of principal, therefore, no stress-testing is actually required because we actually require a capital preservation. Second, on AGO, because SDIC is a company and, therefore, under the Companies Act and in accordance with the Act, it is a public accounting firm that audits it, rather than AGO, which audits Government agencies. [(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)] [(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Ong Ye Kung.] (proc text)] [(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]”
“So, licensed direct insurers that do not write any of the insurance policies that are covered by the PPF Fund can seek exemption from being PPF Scheme Members. Mr Yee Chia Hsing suggested that a central repository be set up to assist a deceased's next-of-kin and beneficiaries to find out what life insurance policies and bank accounts the deceased had. The question is not related to the Bill. Notwithstanding, there is currently a process in place for the next-of-kin to find and claim the assets of a family member who has passed on. Depending on whether the deceased had made a will, the next-of-kin may apply to the Court for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. Once the Grant or Letter is issued, the next-of-kin may bring the Grant or Letter to the banks and life insurance companies to find out if there are monies or assets belonging to the deceased. A central repository could offer the prospect of a convenient one-stop shop. However, a central repository works best if it is provided with up-to-date information and there is universal participation by the financial institutions, depositors and policy owners. There could be privacy concerns if participation in the repository is made mandatory. A central repository also does not eliminate the need for the next-of-kin to gather supporting documents to prove their claim to the estate. Nonetheless, Mr Yee Chia Hsing’s proposal highlights the importance of Singaporeans keeping their family and loved ones informed of their financial arrangements. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill introduces important enhancements to the DI and Policy Owners’ Protection Schemes in Singapore, which will strengthen protection for depositors and policy owners. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. 4.26 pm”