Sia Khoon Seong
Singapore
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Code LD 1500 of the Main Estimates. Earlier, I stated that the morale of the teachers is dependent on their conditions of work.”
“For one thing it must be clear to the parents that the Day School is not just another name for a day care centre. Neither does the Day School scheme diminish parental role and responsibility in the moral upbringing of their children. Children can and will do just so much during school hours.”
“I must urge the Ministry of Education to allow as many serving non-graduate teachers as possible, who have the ability and qualifications, to join the degree programme and attain graduate status. Those who have proven their worth in the service more than deserve the opportunity to further themselves.”
“I have not finished. Of course, the underlying reasons for the teaching of Religious Knowledge are always valid since time immemorial - to teach man to be good. After all, our moral education basically wants to achieve that. Since 1959, not just 1982, the underlying reasons for moral education have always been the same.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to ask the Minister of State, is it not true that prior to 1982 Religious Knowledge was also an optional subject? Prior to 1982, all along Religious Knowledge was taught as an optional subject. In 1989, we are going back to pre-1982. The mistake in 1982 was to make RK compulsory.”
“With the introduction of caning for traffickers and employers who employ illegal immigrant workers, I am quite sure it will act as a strong deterrent to them from doing so. With the passing of this Bill, employers and traffickers will now find it not worth the while to take risk in employing foreign workers illegally.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, the older Members of this House will no doubt recollect the turbulent industrial scene of the early 60's when it was common for management and the unions to confront each other. Today, the industrial scene is peaceful and harmonious. Perhaps the best testimony to the kind of industrial harmony that we enjoy today is the fact that there has not been a single strike in Singapore since 1978. This is an impressive record. According to the Singapore Year Book of Labour Statistics, 1980, the number of unionized disputes referred to the Labour Ministry shows a steady decline from about 1,000 cases in 1974 to about 480 cases in 1980. The disputes were mainly over collective agreements and the NWC wage increase negotiations and other grievances. I am told that the number of unionized disputes for last year has dropped further. The NTUC, the Ministry of Labour and employers' organizations have made a significant contribution, collectively and separately, towards this highly desirable state of affairs. However, we must not take for granted this atmosphere of industrial peace and harmony. Needless to say, the Ministry of Labour must continually sustain and improve on its efforts and, in cooperation with the NTUC and the employers' organizations, to make industrial peace and harmony a permanent feature of our industrial scene. I understand that recently the Ministry has made a concerted effort to upgrade and extend its preventive mediation services through the Labour Information Service which is aimed at preventing brewing problems from escalating into industrial disputes. The formation of the Labour Information Service is a step in the right direction. It serves as a buffer to cool tempers between the employer and the worker.”
“Save energy, but it may be at the expense of efficiency because in this particular instance, can you imagine a policeman on a bicycle and one mile away somebody is shouting "Help! Help!". How long does it take him to go there? With a scooter, it is faster and more efficient. Besides, if we want to boost the policeman's morale, I think we should not make him cycle too much. I disagree with the Member for Thomson that it is good for morale. It is good for physical fitness but not necessarily good for morale. There are other means and other times to keep fit. I am thinking purely of greater efficiency. Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, bicycle patrols is only one category of patrols. We also have patrols on scooters, patrols on cars and patrols on foot. So each category of patrols has a certain specific job to do. We do not go from one extreme to another. If we go from one extreme to another, then we will not be doing justice to the situation as it offers itself. For a fast response to a distress call, then we have cars. Even scooters may be too late. So we have, as I said, various categories of patrols. Why do I say that we must not just look at one aspect of the types of patrols? Because if the policeman moves too fast, he cannot meet people. So the bicycle sometimes is an in-between. It enables him to travel some distance and at the same time meet people. The main objective of foot patrols and bicycle patrols is not to respond to emergency calls but to cultivate close community-police relationship, whereas the scooters and the cars are for the purpose of a quick response to any emergency calls.”
“Sir, I am fully in support of the objectives of the bicycle patrols, but I am just wondering whether instead of bicycles the Ministry of Home Affairs will consider scooters. This is because I feel that the bicycle is incongruous with our modern city which we are trying to create. An hon. Member: Save energy!”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head M be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead MB-07 Object Group 1210 of the Main Estimates. Sir, I note that the Ministry of the Environment will be spending more on Vector Control in the coming financial year. Does this mean that we are now having more problems with vectors, particularly mosquitoes? Mosquito nuisance is a frequent complaint from our residents. Can the Minister inform the House whether the incidence of mosquito breeding has increased, and whether his Ministry has new programmes to deal with the problem?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on the question of rats in Parliament House which is of interest to us, I want to know whether the Senior Parliamentary Secretary is aware that our good Friend, the Member for Chai Chee and the Minister of State for Culture, who is in England now, is a rat catcher. Would his department consider employing his services should there be a rat in this Parliament? If this Parliament is so big, I am sure there must be a rat.”
“Sometime in 1979 the Director of Education lamented publicly that although there were 500 qualified PE teachers in primary schools and 325 qualified teachers in secondary schools, there was a shortage of 750 PE teachers because the qualified teachers were utilized for some other purposes. It is not uncommon to see qualified PE teachers being deployed to teach subjects other than PE because of shortage of teachers in the other areas. PE has always been treated by everyone - Ministry official, principal, teacher, parent and pupil as an extraneous and unimportant subject. If the Education Ministry is earnest about upgrading the level of physical education in schools, it has got to do more than just setting up a PE College. Mr Speaker, Sir, while the Education Ministry is at the moment grappling with the problem of a shortage of PE teachers, may I ask the Minister how often and to what extent his Ministry liaises with the Police and Mindef regarding the possibility of getting the latter's more "gentle" PE instructors to assist the Education Ministry in certain areas of acute shortage? For example, in some primary schools where there is a predominance of lady teachers, the Police and Mindef can help by permitting their football coaches, drill instructors, etc. to meet the need in those schools. Perhaps the Ministry should also encourage and advise principals to enlist the help of parents of children in their schools, who are good sportsmen and sportswomen, to spend some evenings in their schools helping out in the games they excel in. This is a good and effective way of getting the community and parents involved in some school activities. 6.10 p.m.”
“Would it not, therefore, be more feasible for the proposed PE College to be set up on a national basis, providing and coordinating the national sports and physical education training programme? In this way, the PE College will have a broader and more enduring role to play in our effort to build a rugged society. To achieve this objective, there is a need for coordination and cooperation among the Education Ministry, Mindef, Police and the Singapore Sports Council so that the efforts of one party can supplement or complement the efforts of the others. For a start, perhaps the Education Ministry could invite representatives from the Police, Mindef and the Sports Council to sit on the Committee that has just been formed to study the feasibility of setting up a PE College. On the matter of prerequisite qualifications for applicants to the PE College, serious thought should be given to lowering the entry academic qualifications at 'A' level for those who are good sportsmen and sportswomen with the necessary aptitude and qualities to become good PE teachers. Among the qualities a good PE teacher must possess is the ability to instil in his students during games and PE lessons attributes like esprit de corps or team spirit, sportsmanship and good manners. An A grade in English, Science or Maths, at 'A' level does not necessarily make him a good PE teacher, although such a qualification is a useful asset. It is also important for the Ministry to take steps to ensure that those trained in PE are not later assigned to posts in which their training becomes redundant, as in the case of other specialist teachers in the past.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead LC-02 of the Main Estimates. In moving this amendment, I wish to range over my other two amendments.* Sir, recently, the Minister of State of Education announced that a committee under his chairmanship is looking into the feasibility of setting up a Physical Education College. One of the terms of reference of the Committee is to look into the minimum level of qualifications for future entrants into the College. The need for such an institution arose from the concern over the level of physical fitness of school leavers who join National Service. While agreeing that the setting up of a Physical Education College might help to enhance the level of PE instruction in schools, I am just wondering whether a scheme like this, if confined only to the training of PE teachers in schools, might not be too extravagant an expenditure in the long run. How many PE teachers are expected to be trained annually, and what will be the ideal number that we need in schools to make the PE programmes effective in producing rugged Singaporeans? Since the number of PE teachers we require is only a proportion of the total number of teachers we require, there will come a time when the proposed PE College will have met its target. Just as the National Youth Leadership Training Institute outlived its purpose long ago, the PE College might likewise become a white elephant. On the other hand, both the Police and Army also need good PE instructors who constantly have to upgrade their skills. The Sports Council probably need good instructors for its various sports programmes as well.”
“Sir, in view of the Minister's reply, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I sincerely hope the Minister will be able to answer all these questions satisfactorily for the future peace of mind of all Singaporeans. In conclusion, I want to state that I am not, in principle, against the teaching of Religious Knowledge per se in schools. As a matter of fact, Religious Knowledge as it was taught in the mission schools in the past proved very useful to the students then. The mission schools, unlike the state schools, have the atmosphere and infrastructure for effective religious education. But today, the proposal of making this a compulsory subject at the Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 levels in all schools has left some sectors of the public sceptical. It is the practical difficulties and problems connected with the implementation of such a scheme that I wish to draw the attention of this House to, when raising these queries with the Education Ministry.”
“Because of the lack of sufficient space and teachers some children attending classes for a particular option on the subject of Religious Knowledge may be treated in the same cinderella fashion as these eight Indian students. This might arouse the ire not only of the parents but also of the religious leaders. Can you imagine the problem we will face if any religious group is given cause to feel that way, particularly if the feelings are further inflamed by religious bigots and fanatics out to exploit the situation for their own ulterior motive? (4) The Minister of State of Education, in his reply to the Member for Kebun Baru in this House recently, assured him that his Ministry would monitor the teaching of Religious Knowledge in schools to see that there is no conversion. I am intrigued to know how his Ministry proposes to do that effectively. For example, has a special section of the Inspectorate been established for this purpose? And, if so, is the section large enough to carry out the duties required of it? How does his Inspectorate hope to ensure that there is no conversion taking place? By checking regularly on those who teach, or by waiting for parents to complain? Does it mean that no conversion is taking place if no parents complain? Cannot a skilful teacher with missionary zeal subtly use the lesson for conversion without causing any stir? Can a teacher who does not subscribe to a particular faith be relied on to teach the fundamental tenets and dogma of that particular faith without distorting them inadvertently? Can it be said that a teacher of a particular faith is, therefore, competent to teach the Religious Knowledge of that particular faith at Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 levels to enable the students to sit and pass their examinations?”
“Can parents exercise an option for their children not to study any religion, World Religions or Confucianism at all? (2) Does allowing children to opt or not to opt for Religious Knowledge, World Religions or Confucianism for their 'O' level examination mean that those who do not opt for 'O' level examination, will have to sit for a school examination on the subject? If this is the case, is the Ministry not increasing further the pressures on our secondary school children? As it is, our secondary school children can barely cope with the heavy work-load of our highly examination-oriented education system. 5.30 p.m. (3) In splitting up every class of pupils into different groups to cater for the different options of Religious Knowledge, how is the principal going to find sufficient classrooms and teachers to meet the needs of various groups of children of different religious persuasions? Has the Ministry examined this problem and appraised its magnitude? Even with the Bilingual Policy which by comparison has been logistically easier to implement, there are already problems that cause unhappiness to some sections of the Indian community occasionally. A case in point is a recent incident in one school involving eight children of Indian origin during their second language lesson. Because of a shortage of classrooms, they had to have their Tamil lesson in odd nooks and corners where there were no tables and chairs. Some of their parents were very indignant and accused the Principal of racial discrimination. What happens in one school in the teaching of a second language may well be repeated in another school in the teaching of Religious Knowledge.”
“While it appears that there are growing signs of moral laxity of our younger generation, because of our increasing exposure to some undesirable Western influences as well as the growing tendency towards a more materialistic outlook, it is not so widely agreed that the introduction of Religious Knowledge as a compulsory examination subject will necessarily bring about the desired effect. At the same time, such a move is also fraught with danger. It is important that the implementers of this policy are fully cognizant of the potential areas of danger and friction when Religious Knowledge is introduced as a compulsory examination subject in schools. Once introduced, it will not be easy for any political leadership to reverse the policy yet again, as the withdrawal of Religious Knowledge will inevitably have untold repercussions especially among some religious groups. It is a serious undertaking not to be entered upon without much careful thought. Nothing must be allowed to upset our existing atmosphere of racial tolerance and religious harmony which we must cherish and preserve at all cost. In any case, the First Deputy Prime Minister must be fully aware of these problems, and I do not intend to lecture him gratuitously on the possible dangers arising from the introduction of Religious Knowledge. There are, however, certain queries which I would like to raise with the Minister concerning the introduction of Religious Knowledge as a compulsory examination subject. (1) As we understand it, parents can at present exercise an option not to have their children study any religion. Does it mean that their children will automatically have to choose between World Religions or Confucianism as a subject?”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head L be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead LC-01 of the Main Estimates.* Sir, the Government's concern over the state of public morality of the younger generation of Singaporeans is not of recent origin. As a matter of fact, it has shown much concern over the last decade. This is the raison d'etre for the Bilingual Education Policy which saw the role of English as the language of Science and Technology and the ethnic language or mother tongue as the source for providing cultural ballast and as the means of maintaining links with our past heritage and traditions and transmitting moral values. This Bilingual Policy, as we all know, has imposed on our educational system additional pressures and problems. I need not repeat the arguments raised in this House as well as outside this House that reflect the anxiety the Bilingual Policy caused to parents and students. Religious knowledge then was not thought of "as a panacea to check the weakening of the moral fibre of our pupils". On the contrary, mission schools were obliged to discontinue the teaching of Religious Knowledge more than a decade ago. Today we see a reversal of that policy. The recent decision of the Education Ministry to make Religious Knowledge a compulsory examination subject at Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 levels in all secondary schools was received with disquiet in some quarters.”
“If we deviate from that, we will go back to the pre-1972 period. If the Minister cares to learn about the history of the frustration in the teaching profession during the pre-1972 period, there are many others, including myself, who could supply him with the information. On this question of teachers' salaries, my question is not really whether they have started discussion. I know they have. But the Minister for Trade and Industry said yesterday that the completion of the revision would be sometime in June. He said that for Divisions 1, 11 and Ill, the revision should be completed by June. My question is: will the Ministry of Education also complete its revision of the teachers' salaries by June? On the suggestion that teachers should be satisfied with just in-service courses and so on, surely in-service courses are important, They give satisfaction and gra- tification to teachers who want to feel that they are constantly upgrading, learning and keeping up with the times. But just like any other professionals, administrators, or any group of men in Singapore, I think monetary incentive is also important. Why should the question of money be unchaste for teachers? We have incentive schemes for all categories of workers. Similarly, why should teachers be deprived of these?”
“It is just like a good doctor who wants to be a specialist, wants to indulge and blossom in his speciality. He should not be taken out of his field and put in headquarters of the Ministry of Health, next to the Minister for Health. That does not give him a thrill. It will only make life miserable for him if he is a good doctor, not because of the Minister himself. It is because it is not to his liking. Similarly, in the past, if it was discovered that he was a good teacher he would be promoted to the post of principal or as a Ministry official before he could get himself upgraded. But we found in the past that many good teachers became bad principals because the functions of a teacher and the functions of a principal are two different functions. He may be a good teacher in the classroom because a teacher handles 40 pupils and more and he shapes the life, the character, the future and the destiny of the children under his charge. The Minister may have underestimated this. He or his Ministry officials may not be aware of the importance of the teacher. This is the reason why this scheme was introduced to promote good teachers and remain as teachers. When the promotion exercise was carried out for the first time, it was done clumsily. A massive group of 1,000 teachers were called up for interviews. And the Ministry discovered its mistake and subsequently reduced the number to a few hundred. They could have reduced the number of interviews by using computers. They could have used various methods to find out who were the best and, in the process, promoted them. But the point is this: let them remain as teachers so that they will love their job and there will be plenty of opportunities for teachers to be upgraded. I think that is the point, Sir.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can I respond to some of the points raised by the Minister of State in reply to queries raised by Members of Parliament? First, I want to thank him and to say that I am very pleased with the manner in which he replied to all of us. But I am not so sure whether I can say that I am pleased with the content of his reply. But the blame should not be put on him because it is not his fault as that information was given to him. But I am afraid that the facts given to him concerning the mass promotion exercise and the discontentment, have not been correct. The impression I gathered from his reply seems to be that after 1972 they held several mass promotion exercises under the new structure. There was great discontentment. Prior to that there was less discontentment. I think that is a historical non-fact. The fact is there was greater discontentment and, as a result, this scheme was introduced. 4.45 p.m. The Minister of State was pleased to announce that we now have only 2% to 4% turnover rate. One of the reasons could be that the scheme was introduced in 1972. Prior to that, the turnover rate was greater and it was because of the dissatisfaction of insufficient promotion opportunities. The former Education Minister who is not in this House at this moment, Dr Lee Chiaw Meng, can bear me out on this. I was involved in this from the start. Promotion to higher posts has two disadvantages. First, a teacher has got to wait for the incumbent to die before the post is vacant, and people do not die easily these days. So he has to wait until people grow old, and he may die before he gets a chance to be promoted. It is very frustrating. Secondly, a good teacher must remain a good teacher.”
“If better evaluation instruments have been devised, I would like to request the Minister for further information on the subject. I see, Mr Speaker, Sir, that I have completed my speech before my ten minutes are up. The reason why I read so fast is that I did not want to be stopped by you. I have a lot to say because last year I did not say anything.”
“To this end, I would like to inquire from the Minister how soon his Ministry can be expected to complete its review and revi- sion of teachers' salary scales in line with the recent announcement made by the Minister for Trade and Industry on the review and revision of the terms and conditions of employment in the public sector. Will teachers' salary scales be revised before June this year? Will they be among the most attractive salary scales in relation to officers of comparable grades? In reply to my question to this House on 3rd March, 1982, on when the next promotion exercise for education officers will be, the Minister of State for Education stated that it was unlikely that one would be held as previous exercises had merely resulted in making teachers feel even more demoralized. He also stated that his Ministry, together with the Public Service Commission and the Finance Ministry, was working on a better method of rewarding deserving principals and teachers. What I want to know is whether the system of promotion that his Ministry is looking into will result in more, or fewer, teachers being promoted. If fewer, how can it be a better system because one of the major causes of frustration and demoralization in the teaching service is the insufficient number of teachers being promoted and the infrequency of such exercises? Moreover, will promotion imply that the teacher can no longer remain as a classroom practitioner even if he desires this? Will he be "persuaded" to leave the classroom and work in the rarefied atmosphere of the headquarters or as a school principal? To do this is to further de-emphasize by implication the importance of the work of the classroom teacher. The other cause of frustration is the method used for assessing teachers.”
“Similarly, all the extra school facilities and buildings that the Ministry intends to build, will not achieve the objective of improving education if it does not solve the fundamental problem of teacher shortage which would necessitate a perennial dependence on relief or other ad hoc teachers. One would have thought that the present administration, whose forte is reputed to be their quick-fire methods of solving problems, would have announced a solution to this problem by now. But unfortunately, the prospect of solving this problem is relatively grim, and the problem of teacher shortage and relief teachers continue to bedevil us. Why has the Ministry not been able to solve this problem of teacher shortage for so long? The answer must lie in the fact that teaching is becoming increasingly unattractive, not only because teachers feel that they are not treated with dignity and respect, but also because they feel trapped in a depersonalized system that is unintentionally but nevertheless effectively becoming insensitive to their aspirations and their pedagogical problems. They also feel increasingly the difference in economic and social status between themselves and other professionals. It appears, therefore, that the solution to the basic problems of teacher shortage is to make teaching once more a spiritually as well as financially attractive career. We will then not only be able to attract higher calibre entrants into the teaching service but also be able to bring some job satisfaction to serving teachers.”
“Among the desperate measures taken to cope with the shortage of teachers, the Education Ministry recently resorted to commandeering national servicemen to do relief teaching. Whatever the merits and demerits of this move, as compared to the present system of employing relief teachers, no one in his right senses will agree that it is a good or permanent way of solving the teacher shortage. It is at most a stop-gap measure, ill-conceived and unsatisfactory. The Ministry has now abandoned the scheme. But what of the long term? Shouldn't the shortage of teachers be solved once and for all for the sake of our children? Without a full complement of teachers, how can we effectively pursue the course of quality education in a fast-changing and developing environment where the demands of modern education have become so complex? What is the use of spending $800 million on school buildings to meet the physical requirements of the full-day school programme when we do not have enough qualified teachers to man them? How can we then achieve our objective of achieving qualitative education? Is this not like a young woman who, upon deciding to enhance her marriage prospects, buys herself the latest fashionable clothes by Christian Dior and the most expensive cosmetics to make herself attractive, but does nothing about her two missing front teeth? Which eligible young man will be attracted to a girl reeking with expensive perfume and attired in Christian Dior clothes with black holes in the upper register of her smile? With all her finery and cosmetics, she has not enhanced her marriage prospects because she has not bothered to see a dentist to do something about her missing front teeth.”
“Sir, it has been observed that the only certainty in life is the certainty of change. Nowhere is this truth more clearly manifested than in the Ministry of Education. With each change of administration in the Education Ministry, the public has learnt to anticipate with dread more educational changes. After all, each new administration is out to create the impression that it is more capable than the previous administration. That is why, despite public protests and sometimes even pleas for a hiatus to change, the wheel of change grinds on irrevocably and relentlessly driven by ambitious officers seeking the limelight of acclaim. The latest significant change that is proposed is the stage-by-stage conversion of our double session schools to full-day schools. It is reported that some $800 million will be required to erect additional buildings for the project. Purely as an education concept, there is no doubt that the full-day school, properly conceived and planned, can, at least in theory, prove to be better than our present two-session school. But in practice, implementing the full-day school can create more problems than the Education Ministry can solve. One such problem is the number of vacancies that the Ministry has to fill in the teaching staff since a full-day school, because of its longer hours, requires a proportionate increase in the number of teachers. At present, there exists a large number of vacancies that the Education Ministry is not able to fill, partly because of competing demands on our limited human resources and partly because of the increasing number of young Singaporeans who, through newspapers and other agencies, learn of the frustration and relatively unattractive conditions of work in the teaching service and prefer to opt for other careers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have an amendment* and the Member has touched on some of the subjects I wish to raise. May I take the opportunity to speak on them now?”
“It is a well known fact that the pensioners are finding the value of their pension allowances diminishing because of the continuous trend of high inflation rate in recent years and in the foreseeable future. Many pensioners are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Many of them have to continue working to keep their body and soul together. Those who work are those who are still physically fit and can find employment. Not all are fortunate enough to find suitable employment or physically fit to continue with employment. Even those who are employed now, realize that sooner or later, they too must go on in life without employment. In the past, one of the main attractions for joining the Civil Service was the pension rights. They were supposed to give security to a retired civil servant until his death. But because the pension benefits have remained the same, and have not been revised to keep up with the growing increase in the cost of living, the pension rights are not considered as an attraction for serving in the Civil Service. It is time the Government did something for the pensioners. For a start, I suggest pay the first tier NWC allowance on the pension allowance.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Bill. Serving officers in the Civil Service, particularly those who are due to retire, will find this Bill a welcome move by the Minister for Finance as they now can look forward to an enhanced quantum of gratuity and monthly pension allowances because the NWC allowances are made pensionable and therefore included in the computation of pensions and gratuities with effect from 1st January 1982. This move (to make NWC allowances pensionable) by the Minister of Finance shows that once in a while, his Ministry is capable of acts of understanding and generosity. On this occasion, I therefore find nothing but praise and support for the Finance Minister for this enlightened move over a matter concerning the pension rights of civil servants. Unfortunately, I cannot find many occasions like this to heap praise on the Minister for Finance. I, together with others, have yet to convince the Finance Minister, for example, over the payment, even part payment, on a pro-rata basis of the 13th month allowance to civil servants in the year of their retirement. Coming back to the Bill before the House, can I seek a clarification from the Finance Minister whether he would consider making this Bill retrospective to the year when NWC allowances were first introduced, so that officers who retired earlier but whose NWC allowances were not included in the computation of their pensions and gratuities, could have their pensions and gratuities re-computed so that they too can benefit from this move of making the NWC allowances pensionable. Can I also take this opportunity to ask the Minister for Finance whether he would consider the payment of the first tier NWC allowance on the monthly pension allowance of pensioners.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my questions require a lot of consideration! My questions are not only directed at the Minister for Trade and Industry but also the Finance Ministry, and therefore a little bit more time is necessary for me to state the rationale for my questions. I am about to complete whatever I want to say. We have been asked to follow the Japanese example, their work attitude and so forth, and even the Koreans who are noted for their hard work. But I just want to point out that one of the features of management of workers in Korea and Japan is a very sizable amount of bonus. In Japan, it averages between six months and 10 months' pay. In Korea, it is six months. In Singapore, Sembawang Shipyard, Keppel Shipyard and the luckier private companies, it is five months. But for the public sector it is one month.”
“In the past, for example, a lid was placed on the quantum of bonus to be paid in the private sector, and the lid was that no more than three months' bonus could be paid. But in the present move by the Government to encourage, stimulate and promote greater productivity, the lid has been lifted. In the private sector, including Government-owned companies like Sembawang Shipyard and Keppel Shipyard, they have paid bonus something like five months' salary or more. I think this has made the disparity even more invidious and more envious of the private sector especially when the Government stili sticks to the 13th month payment and also when civil servants retire they are not entitled to the 13th month payment. Thanks to the Minister for Finance! The 14th month payment as an interim measure to the civil servants will, I think, show them that, apart from giving the Professionals and the Administrative Officers a fairly generous revision - taking into account that the Government is usually very miserly - the Government has also not neglected, right from the start, those who do not belong to this class. I think this move has got particular significance because bonus is an important factor of productivity and so forth. We are often asked to excel and to follow the Japanese - The Minister for Law (Mr E.W. Barker) rose”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I seek some clarification from the Minister on his statement, could I just very quickly take this opportunity to compliment the Minister and the Professional Services Review Committee for having taken cognizance of the urgency of the problem facing the Government in respect of the terms and conditions of employment in the public sector by putting forward an excellent proposal which the Government has accepted. I hope it is a step in the right direction and not a case of too little being done too late. I also want to compliment the Committee for having taken cognizance of the fact that it is not only the brains, i.e. not only the Administrative and Professional services, that need its attention but also the rest of the civil service. Right now, because of the complex nature and the size of the public service, the review has got to be done step by step. My question is: how long will the negotiations and the study on the revision of the other services be completed? From my experience with the civil service, it normally takes a long time and sometimes they conveniently forget about certain matters. So I would like to press for an answer, at least to be given an indication of the time-frame. The other question that I want to ask is this. In view of the complex nature and the time involved in this exercise to revise the salary scales of the other sectors in the civil service, as an interim measure will the Minister recommend to the Committee and to the Government that a 14th month payment be paid? [Laughter]. I make this suggestion in seriousness. Apart from the salary scales, one very important factor that contributes towards the satisfaction of the worker is this question of bonus. I think this is a factor that must also be taken into account.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with the benefit of hindsight, it can now be said that there has been an error of judgment. But could I ask the Minister, or perhaps the Member for Anson, that without the benefit of hindsight, was it not quite natural for the officer to consider that it would not be necessary to impound his passport in view of the kind of offence that Phey Yew Kok was charged? My point is that Phey Yew Kok was an honourable Member of this House, and at that point of time the officer made a judgment which, I think, was quite fair. I am asking whether at that point of time that judgment was, in fact, an error of judgment. Of course, now on looking back and with the benefit of hindsight, it was an error of judgment. But who expected Phey Yew Kok to do that, and who expects any honourable Member in this House to do that? The Second Deputy Prime Minister (Foreign Affairs) (Mr S. Rajaratnam): I can think of one!”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not know whether my supplementary question should be directed to the Minister or to the Member for Anson, but is it not right to say that there had been others who jumped bail even when their passports had been seized? In other words, there are other means of running away from Singapore.”
“Sir, on the Minister's point about the Government giving a subsidy, if we want to be exact about it, the subsidy is, in fact, given by the people from whom the Government acquires the land. If the Government had not acquired the land from individuals, companies or property owners, they would still have their land and they would have been able to sell it at the market rate. Since the Government acquired their land at a much lower rate, then Government is not actually subsidizing it. It is the people from whom it has acquired the land who are subsidizing it, if we want to talk about subsidy. So the Government is not giving anything away.”
“I wish to make a clarification on a particular point which the Minister has just brought up. Mr Teh Cheang Wan resumed his seat.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, is it not better for me to clarify this point with the First Deputy Prime Minister himself? It is because I have got certain doubts on whether or not the report was accurate that I am addressing the question to him. Is it not better to address the question to the First Deputy Prime Minister”
“Question No. 1, Sir. The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, resignations from the Monetary Authority of Singapore increased sharply in January 1981 as a result of the findings of the Finance Ministry's Management Services Department's study team that the establishment was too large. The study was completed on 22nd December 1980 and sent to the departmental heads of the MAS. It will be rather strange if resignations did not take place. The number of staff who left between January and May was 131, averaging 26 per month as against 4% per month previously. Some of them left on their own accord, others were encouraged to do so, and the rest had their services terminated. As at 30th May this year, there was a holding of 96 senior officers against an establishment of 98, 60 officers against an establishment of 63, and 193 subordinate officers against an establishment of 205. Staff morale is as good as can be expected. It is still too early to assess work efficiency. Mr Sia Khoon Seong: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the First Deputy Prime Minister whether he has read the front page report of the Business Times of 23rd May stating that the staffing position of MAS today was under-staffed and that MAS was quietly going round asking those who were retrenched and had resigned to come back. My question is: Is that report a fairly accurate report? In other words, is it true that MAS is today under-staffed? If it is so, what measures will be taken by MAS to improve the situation?”
“The defence rests. So I just merely want to clarify the position. I promise the Member for Jurong that next year, if I am still around, I will take a very active part in the debate on the Education Ministry.”
“Yes, I rest. An hon. Member: The case rests.”
“Sir, in response to what the hon. Member for Jurong has said, let me just tell him that the First Deputy Prime Minister's threat to close down my union has got nothing to do with the fact that I have restrained myself from speaking. In fact, I know very well that the First Deputy Prime Minister would not be here today. If at all I wanted to speak, I would not have the pleasure of meeting him. And I would not want to take issue with the nice Minister of Education who has been so busy with the affairs of the National University of Singapore, as it will be very unfair to him. The reason is that what I want to say has been so well expressed in the Report which the Singapore Teachers' Union has produced. I think it will be unfair to this House if I were to take the Report and read from page one to page 200. That will exceed so many times the 10 minutes that is allotted to me. Therefore, there is no need for me to say something which has been so well said. In the 10 minutes allowed I would not be able to do justice to even one-tenth of what has been expressed in the Singapore Teachers' Union Report. After all, what I have to say I say so on behalf of my Union, and there is already this Report to indicate what our views are. It is on that, Sir, that this year I - An hon. Member: I rest.”
“Sir, it appears that the debate that is now going on centres on the question of money and the ability of the Home Affairs Minister to get money from the Minister for Finance. Although I have said this before, I will say it again now. It is well known that there are only two Ministers who can get whatever they want from the Minister for Finance. They are the Prime Minister and the First Deputy Prime Minister. Perhaps a happy solution would be to transfer the First Deputy Prime Minister to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Minister for Home Affairs to the Ministry of Education. In that way, I think not only the Member for Ang Mo Kio and Member for Jalan Kayu will be happy, but I also will be happy too. [Applause]. Reference was made about studying the Japanese system, getting Japanese expertise, and there was even the suggestion that one of these days we might end up with Japanese policemen. Well, we have been talking about British Judges and Japanese policemen I think one of these days Singapore will have British Judges, Japanese policemen, perhaps American lawyers and local criminals!”
“Yes, free-of-charge. I will not charge him $5 although he wants to charge us. What I am trying to say is that we are all for the education objectives. But I think that this gimmick or this move is not going to help. What is more important is to bring about greater rapport, a greater understanding on the part of the Ministry of Education officials of problems of the teachers and to encourage a greater dialogue. As it is, I have great difficulties in trying to arrange for meetings with the Ministry of Education to discuss some of the educational problems. Every time I ring up, they say, "Informal meetings we will have, but not formal meetings." I will give the First Deputy Prime Minister another example of a professional matter.”
“That is not going to help. Just because the Ministry is not able to bring 4bout a measure of success in terms of greater confidence, greater competence, greater happiness in the teaching profession today, I think it is not fair to put the blame on the teachers' unions. But whatever it is, whether it be the teachers' unions, especially the Singapore Teachers' Union, or whether it is a union or not a union, I can assure the First Deputy Prime Minister that we will always give our fullest cooperation. To show him that we do get ourselves interested in professional matters, we have conducted several seminars. The major project that we have carried out is a professional survey. The report will be out in a month's time and I will be glad to personally deliver it to the First Deputy Prime Minister and to all Members of Parliament to show him --- An hon. Member: Free-of-charge?”
“The First Deputy Prime Minister just took over the Ministry of Education two years ago. Probably he was not aware of the discontentment of the teachers during the last 10 years. If he can get his research officers or systems engineers to do a research or look at the newspaper cuttings on reports of the discontentment and the unhappiness of the teachers 10 years ago, he will notice that they were so dissatisfied with the many adjustments they had to make as a result of so many policy changes. In fact, the teachers' unions, particularly the Singapore Teachers' Union, although its role is that of a trade union, had in the course of the last 10 years helped the Ministry of Education in bringing about a higher morale in the teaching profession. So there has not been any let-down by the Singapore Teachers' Union. Has there been any statement by the Singapore Teachers' Union that it will do this or do that in order to create a kind of antagonism against the Ministry of Education? In fact, all the grievances have been expressed by me in this House and very often they have nothing to do with mundane matters. They have very much to do with educational matters.”
“What I am saying is that a mere change of the name of the organization or status of the organization itself is not going to help.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can I crave your indulgence and the indulgence of this House to respond to the First Deputy Prime Minister's proposal to the five teachers' unions to convert themselves into some professional teachers' organization as a means to bring about greater professional pride, and so on and so forth? I would like to tell the First Deputy Prime Minister that if, in the course of time, he can convince me that by so doing the teachers' pride can be restored and the professional competence can be improved as a result of a change of name, I give him my assurance that I will get my committee on behalf of the Singapore Teachers' Union to initiate the move. But as at this moment I find it very difficult to believe that by a change of status, a change of name of the Singapore teachers' organizations will achieve that. The reason is that at the present moment the loss of pride, the discontentment, has got nothing to do with the teachers' unions instigating the teachers, but it has very much to do with the Ministry of Education's inability to make some of the adjustments when it implements new policies. I can quite understand the First Deputy Prime Minister's concern in wanting to see that teachers are more professional and competent. And he mentioned the Association of medical doctors and the Association of lawyers as two examples to illustrate that because of these two associations, the professional competence of the doctors and lawyers is ensured. But if he had looked at some of the newspapers in the past, he will notice that despite the associations a few doctors and lawyers did commit very unprofessional conduct. This is not to say that the Singapore Medical Association or the Law Society did not do anything.”
“Sir, on a point of order. I did not speak. An hon. Member: Member for Mountbatten.”
“Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I want to thank the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and his two Senior Ministers of State for the excellent replies. Their answers have not only assured us that progress is being made in the Ministry of Education but have also shown that the working arrangement today is a marked improvement over previous years' arrangement. With three Ministers replying to us, how can hon. Members not be satisfied? I therefore beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn.”
“The Hon. Deputy Prime Minister seems to get the impression that I do not like figures. I can assure him that I do like figures, whether in mathematical or human forms. My point was: to determine and to implement policies based on figures alone has got its disadvantages. Other factors have also got to be taken into consideration. The other matter is the Certificate of Secondary Education. Actually, the point that I brought up is not so much the question of the soundness of introducing the CSE in our education system. In fact, I like the idea and I agree with the Minister that by having that kind of arrangement we are giving the child who is not able to obtain the 'O' level conificate the opportunity to obtain some qualification. I think that is an excellent arrangement. That has got my full-hearted support. But the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister must be conscious of the fact that we in Singapore have got this Certificate syndrome. Anybody who obtains a certificate expects that certificate to be recognised and he relates the value of the certificate to the job opportunities available to him. Are we then not raising a kind of expectation that we may not be able to fulfil, especially when we are not able to get the Government, as an employer, nor the private employers, to recognise this certificate as some kind of qualification for any job? So my point is really not so much a question of the soundness of the arrange- ment, but what happens after they have got the Certificate of Secondary Education?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can I comment on the reply of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education to some of my points?”
“Finally, Mr Speaker, Sir, let me offer sincerely my best wishes and congratulations to the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister for so quickly coming to grips with the problems he has to tackle, if our education development is to make the qualitative jump successfully to meet new demands. Quits honestly, some of his new educational changes and measures are remarkably sound, and the results undoubtedly are going to be beneficial to our pupils. In my view, the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister has, in one short year, made very good progress, I do not know whether he should feel elated over my compliments and congratulations for a job well done, seeing that my assessment of his performance is based on very subjective observations, and not on any objective analysis on the basis of statistics and facts. And if system analysis by brainy systems engineers sometimes can be wrong, as in the case of the 1979 Primary 3 streaming ratio, what chances are there for the subjective observations of an "unsystematic" layman like me to be right? Consequently, the chances are more likely for me to be wrong to conclude that the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister has done well since I base the conclusion on observations and not on any systematic analysis of facts and statistics.”
“Members must appreciate that such a large number of expatriate teachers in our midst is bound to have some impact on the social behaviour of our pupils and morale of our teachers. Mr Speaker, Sir, partly because of time factor, and partly because I know the hon. Member for Serangoon Gardens will later deal with this subject at great length, I shall therefore not dwell on the matter any further, I am sure I will concur with whatever views he is going to express on the matter because we often share identical views on educational matters, particularly when they relate to the sins of commission and omission by the Education Ministry. Mr Speaker, Sir, since taking over the Education Ministry, the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister has initiated a number of educational changes, some of which, no doubt, have far-reaching consequences. It is not possible for us now to say for sure whether the changes are for the better or worse. In my view, these changes have a better chance to succeed because they are made after some very careful study and planning. Besides, persuading the Finance Ministry to release funds for the projects proposed under the educational changes is no problem with the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister. As we know, money not only helps, but is also sometimes the critical factor in determining whether a project can get off the launching pad. The Hon. Deputy Prime Minister has already secured for his Ministry's projects additional millions and millions of dollars. And as they say, "money talks". That is why we find that in recent months, not only the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister, his Senior Ministers of State, but also the Director of Education and other officials have been talking a lot about new projects and new changes.”
“The question must now bear a greater relevance, especially when Britain has decided to scrap its Certificate of Secondary Education because employers never fully understood it and accepted it. In the light of the British move, may I enquire from the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister whether his Ministry will still pursue with the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination, and if so, whether he sees any problem in getting employers in both public and private sectors to recognise its value as an entry qualification for employment? Mr Speaker, Sir, let me now turn to the question of staff development, I must commend the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister for his efforts towards staff development. Never before were teachers given such active encouragement and opportunities for development. Non-graduate teachers taking up HSC are even exempted from ECA activities. This is a positive way to encourage and help some teachers to seek educational advancement. There are also other equally attractive measures to encourage staff development. I hope, in the course of time, he will increase the opportunities and introduce incentive schemes for more teachers to upgrade themselves professionally and educationally. Recently, he announced the recruitment of 400 expatriate English teachers from England and elsewhere to teach English Language and Literature in our schools to meet the very acute shortage of such teachers at present. Of course, the idea was not new. In fact, before he took over the Ministry, an operation was launched to recruit expatriate teachers, but it ended in miserable failure because the scheme was not attractive enough. What the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister did afterwards was really to salvage the operation. Let us see how successful he will be this time. But hon.”