Tan Boon Wan
Singapore
“May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary: do the residents really have a choice of flat? The flat type is being built, they are asked to select, and they are allocated. Do they really have a choice?”
“Sir, I have spoken on the issue of difficult neighbours in previous years. Anecdotally, quarrels among them do not seem to have abated. What is the state of relationship among the residents of our HDB flats? Many problems can arise between neighbours who live in close proximity to each other, practically separated by just a wall.”
“Sir, shops in the precinct and neighbourhood centres are generally facing difficulties and the shopping malls are bustling with activities. However, shops in some areas are doing well. Where the actual demand has fallen, due to the relocation of residents, a return of the shop for a HDB grant is appropriate.”
“Sir, recently, legislation was tightened to rein in the activities of the loan sharks. In spite of the heavy penalties, their activities continued. Innocent victims are still targeted by the runners. I would therefore like to ask the Minister for an update on the loan shark situation.”
“I hope that MAS will also look at this from the viewpoint of legislation or guideline. Although I have discussed this issue with the housing loan as an example, this appeal for new flexibility and consideration for the borrower applies to all personal loans, including credit card debts. Financial Literacy”
“On this issue, both the pro- and anti-sides have their own good reasons for the stands that they took. In deciding the matter, the Government has taken both views and made a decision that takes into account both of them and is in the overall and long-term interest of Singapore.”
The complete record
Every one of 298 lines we hold for Tan Boon Wan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 6.
“National Service works in Singapore because of its universality. For this reason, all male Singaporeans, regardless of race or religion, are required by law to do National Service to defend our country. All Singaporeans are treated equally before the law. No Singaporean should be allowed to cite any reason to exempt himself from having to contribute to the national defence effort as every Singaporean benefits from the peace and security which National Service has helped to ensure. Singapore cannot make exceptions for any group as that would undermine the whole system of universal national service. It would also be unfair to those who do their part to defend our country. National Service is an issue that is subject to the laws of the state. No group, religious or whatever, should be allowed to advocate the breaking of our national laws. Allowing any group, for whatever reasons, to be excluded from compulsory military service would compromise the universality of the application of the law. It is a simple question of equality before the law for all Singaporeans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether our Public Utilities Board will ensure that the Y2000 problem does not impair the supply of power to Singapore. This is an area of concern which the American utilities authorities have recently surfaced and they have expressed concern in this particular area. BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: The PUB is fully aware of this problem. REFUSAL TO ENLIST FOR SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES (Reasons for sending persons to prison) 8. Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence what are the reasons for sending persons to prison for refusing to enlist for service in the armed forces because of their religious convictions. The Minister of State for Defence (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, under the Enlistment Act, every male Singapore Citizen and Permanent Resident is required to register and enlist for National Service on reaching the stipulated age. Under the Singapore Armed Forces Act, all enlisted personnel must obey and carry out lawful orders given by their superiors in the SAF. There are no provisions in these two Acts for anyone to exempt himself from the requirements for whatever reason. A person who fails to enlist or, as an enlisted personnel, refuses to comply with any lawful order is guilty of an offence. He will be charged and punished accordingly. Sir, National Service is vital to the security of a small country like Singapore. Whereas some States may choose to establish a standing army, for a small country like Singapore, compulsory military service is the only way to build up a credible national defence force. Our citizens must be ready and prepared to defend the country. There is no other alternative.”
“Can I ask the Minister, although it is difficult to stimulate the local market demand, and perhaps also the regional market demand, why have we not considered the provision of incentives to tap overseas markets which are non-traditional? These are areas which are still there and which can provide us with growth. In the past, because the regional market tended to be accessible, is it not time now for us to tap into these markets? The reluctance to go overseas into more difficult markets is something which can be overcome now. Would the Minister like to comment on that?”
“Sir, I rise in support of this Bill. It is not only important and necessary in our growing IT oriented society but timely as we and the world move quickly to embrace electronic commerce. This Bill will give legal standing to electronic transactions which will be the basis of a growing number of commercial exchanges. However, I am concerned with the wide scope of clause 48(1) that appears to taint with illegality innocent acts like the forwarding of e-mail and information obtained from the Internet. We must not inadvertently set obstacles to curtail the usefulness, potential and growth of a medium of communication of the future. I would like the Minister's assurances that the provision and others in this Bill do not inadvertently taint innocent exchanges and acts between parties on the Internet.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether he can tell us how many companies or workers are now on short work week or temporary lay-off as a result of the financial crisis.”
“Grassroots organisations like the CCCs, CCMCs, RCs, Town Councils and CDCs should seize the opportunity to work with the schools to provide more opportunities for students to serve the community. Besides making our young better and caring people, some of them may well stay on to become the next generation of grassroots leaders. The lament that not enough residents are coming forward to serve may, in a few short years' time, be a thing of the past. Sir, the ultimate responsibility for the moral development of a child rests with the parents. Parents must accept this responsibility. Some have tended to put the blame on society and the schools for their children going wayward. Parents must find time to spend with their children, and during these times to discuss and impart family and social values. They must realise that the children grow up to be like them as the children emulate not just what they advocate, but more, what they do. Parenting is a heavy task and responsibility. Unfortunately, society does not impose any qualifications to become a parent. We learn from experience and our mistakes, but by which time our children would have grown up. I believe that courses in parenting are necessary and important and will help many to be better parents. I would like grassroots organisations to take up the challenge to conduct parenting seminars and courses for young parents in the community. Some community organisations like AMP, Mendaki and Family Service Centres are already doing this. These efforts will help our schools and teachers in doing their work.”
“Our children do spend a substantial amount of their waking hours in the schools, in the company of their teachers and school friends. I am happy to note that the Ministry has recognised the importance of the role of the school and developed several programmes to foster community spirit and to widen the outlook of our students beyond mere school books and examinations. National education is one example. The requirement that each of our secondary school and junior college students performs 6 hours of community service is another. The recent Learning Journey programme adds to the opportunities available to our students to learn more about country and community. I applaud our companies who have opened their doors to our students. Participation will cost them time, money and manpower resources. Hence it is a noble act on their part to serve the wider interest of the community. I hope more organisations in both the public and private sectors will take part. However, the key must be the principals and teachers. They must be convinced that these are desirable programmes and will support them fully. The community, too, has its role in the moral development of our young. The young learned from what they see going on around them. If adults behave responsibly and show care for the community, such as protecting and properly using common properties, in showing care and respect for one another, our young will emulate these behaviours. In the debate on last year's Budget, I called upon grassroots organisations to work with the schools to give our students the opportunity to do community work. The recently announced Community Involvement Scheme for our secondary school and junior college students will make this task easier.”
“Sir, our young are unflatteringly described as smart, but self-centred, selfish, and lacking in humility, moral values and community spirit. Let me illustrate this with two frequent complaints. Students litter and vandalise common facilities without thought. They do not care about the community who lives there and uses the facilities. Employers have complained of being interviewed by young graduates instead of the other way round. The graduates were more concerned with their own interests rather than the needs of the company and the job. It is the extremity of the position that the graduates take that is a worrying sign. Sir, our young are our future. Today we are still able to influence the course of the nation, but tomorrow we have to depend on them to do it. The attitude and mindset of our young to duties to the nation, society and community, is of great concern. Without a strong sense of community responsibilities and duties among our young, the future of the nation stands on flimsy ground. This is a pressing and serious issue. Deputy Prime Minister, BG Lee Hsien Loong, has spoken eloquently and persuasively on this issue in his recent ministerial statement on bond breaking. Sir, lest I am accused of being unfair to our youths, let me hasten to add that the sense of community responsibilities and duties of our youth is high. But we are noticing a downward trend. We cannot shrug off this concern by reassuring ourselves that somehow things will turn out right as in the past. The whole society, including the school, community and parents, has duties and responsibilities for the moral development of our young and I would urge each to make conscious efforts to do more.”
“The use of common syllabi in our schools makes a centralised effort practical and feasible. Finally, Sir, let me touch on the topic of technical education and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Four of every 10 of our young will not go to the polytechnic or universities. They will go to work or proceed to the Institute of Technical Education where they will acquire practical skills needed by our companies. The first batch of the Normal (Technical) stream students has completed their secondary education. Some of these students have come to seek my help to get them into ITE courses. I hope that this is an indication that our students have accepted ITE as an educational path. However, the shortage of places suggests that IT has some work on its hand to either re-allocate its teaching resources to the more popular courses or to sell the less popular but important courses to the students. As the first batch of Normal (Technical) students has passed through the portals of our schools and ITE, I would like the Ministry to update and apprise the House of the progress made by students in the Normal (Technical) stream and ITE in providing technical education to our young.”
“But no matter how easily accessible facts and information become, each child must still acquire a core set of facts, knowledge and skills in order to make use of the volume of information that can be accessed on the network. Learning can be made easier if we pare down the volume of information to this core of facts and knowledge that we need to teach our students. This will free time in the curriculum for other activities which can be organised to help develop their thinking, creative and innovative skills. I have been told that the Ministry is already doing this and in some subjects, they have been able to scale down the content by as much as 30%. I would like the Ministry to make more urgent efforts in this area. We should make more use of the Internet as a teaching tool and its vast store of information as educational resources. We should thus give our students better and easier access to the Internet. Our students therefore need to be proficient in the use of information technology. In the new millennium, every student who misses the opportunity to be computer literate will be handicapped. We must not delay the IT programme to equip our schools with computers for our students to work on and to imbue our teachers with the resources and skills to teach with the computer. Here, I would like to add that preparing teaching materials and resources is a time consuming and tedious process. For teachers new to the technology, it is in fact also a daunting and intimidating task. I would like the Ministry to consider a centralised effort to produce such teaching materials and resources to assist the teachers. Such a centralised body would allow teachers to seek help, especially when they start to use IT in their work.”
“Secondly, teachers quickly lose their newly acquired knowledge and skills if these are not put to use. Teachers have to use the new knowledge and skills in order to deepen their understanding of it and to internalise it. They must be encouraged and given opportunities to do so. If this is not done, they will quickly forget what they learn. It will be a case of training for training's sake. This brings me to the course content. Some teachers found the courses too theoretical. They prefer to start with practical courses which they can use immediately. They can move on to intermediate and advanced level courses after they have gained some experience and confidence with the new technology. Sir, I will now move on to the needs to reduce the course content to make learning easier and more efficient for our students. Our children work very hard in schools. The result of their effort is good grades and success. In the future where information and knowledge decide the outcomes of competition, our students must also acquire the ability to think more and to be more creative and innovative. Our students must therefore continue to score in their examinations while becoming more creative and innovative in their thinking process. At the same time, one should not be achieved at the expense of the other. This is no easy task. If we do not do it right, our students will become more stressed out. One way is to help our students to study more efficiently. With interconnected computers, there is less need to memorise volumes of information which has grown rapidly over the years, partly also a consequence of IT.”
“The recent salary adjustments, promotion exercise and greater flexibility and opportunities to upgrade themselves have been great morale boosters to the teachers. They are better motivated when the Ministry is responsive to their needs. They feel that the Ministry cares about them and has their interest in mind. The public will also view the teaching profession with greater and higher regard. With all these changes, I look forward to greater motivation and a higher morale among our teachers, students and parents and better performance and discipline from our students. Sir, let me now touch on the courses that the Ministry has introduced to upgrade our teachers. The Ministry has introduced many innovations like IT and new teaching and assessment methods into our schools. It is vital that our teachers are properly trained and equipped to handle these innovations. The Ministry has introduced many training courses, including IT courses, to impart these new skills and knowledge to our teachers. The efficacy of these courses depends on the implementation of the training programme. I hope that the Ministry will look into ways to make the implementation process more effective. I have some feedback which may be of help. Teachers have expressed three areas of concern, namely, the course schedule, the course content and the use of the newly acquired knowledge and skills. Teachers, generally, have difficulties juggling their training schedule with a full load of teaching duties. Some principals have helped by rescheduling activities and others have given their teachers time off to attend training. The support of the principal is crucial. Teachers want their principals to understand their difficulties and to show support for training, both in words and deeds.”
“Sir, we enjoy an excellent education system that we can be proud of. For a small nation, our students have done well, often times performing better in international examinations and surveys than their counterparts from larger and more developed countries. Credit must go to our teachers and students. However, in a very rapidly changing world, our education system must continue to change to keep abreast of the fast changing time, better still we should strive to move ahead of new requirements. But this is no easy task. For what we are seeking to do to our education system is not to repair a defective one but to make a good system better and more suitable for a demanding and uncertain future. This is a difficult task which carries heavy responsibilities and requires much care. The Ministry of Education has done very well in bringing change to the education system. One area that deserves mention is for the efforts to improve the management of our schools. Several innovative management initiatives like school cluster and the appointment of administrative assistants and operation managers have been introduced. I was proud to read that the UK introduced the cluster school management concept at the end of 1997, long after we had implemented it. Our teachers are a critical educational resource. Good management of our schools is crucial to draw out the potential in our teachers. Good managers motivate their staff and bring out the best in them. I would recommend that principals adopt a more business management approach towards running their schools. Principals should therefore be introduced to modern management knowledge and techniques used in business, especially in the area of human resource management. I believe the business schools in our universities can help in this task.”
“On this point, I must give credit to the Government which recognises this desire of our people for opportunities to educate themselves. This is most evident in the funds allocated for education. In spite of the difficult time, the Government has not only not cut the allocation for education but has increased it by some 30% over last year's budget. A substantial part of it will fund our tertiary educational institutions, especially our universities. The expenditure for university education will increase further when the Singapore Management University is up and running in the year 2000. The Government is thus giving our citizens more opportunities to get not just a tertiary education but a good one. This foresight is highly commended. NTUC has also the foresight to see the importance of Singaporeans to upgrade themselves, their skills and knowledge to keep themselves relevant to the changing times. NTUC has given flesh to the ideas by instituting several programmes. I call upon Singaporeans to take the many opportunities that are available to them to upgrade themselves. If we do, we will reduce the chances of opportunities passing us by.”
“Sir, foreign talents have contributed to the leadership and manpower that have developed Singapore. Our policy to open Singapore to foreign talents is a correct one. Their contributions will continue to be important. However, we are not without local talents, but our people fear being overlooked or ignored. They want to be considered for opportunities that arise. Singaporeans want to be assured that when everything is equal or near equal, they will be given preference. We should use our own talents first and then turn to foreign talents to augment the pie. This must be so. Otherwise, our people will feel disenfranchised and being a citizen of a country must mean something. Sir, employers must not view the foreign talent policy as a licence to hire foreign talents when local talents are available to do the job. This should be made clear to employers, especially our Government Ministries, departments, statutory boards and Government-linked companies. We must not make our people feel second class. If our people feel this way, we will find our own talents moving overseas in search of opportunities denied to them in their own country. This will indeed be a sad day for Singapore. Foreign talent to augment our talents in Singapore is an important policy. But for the policy to work, we must make sure that Singaporeans accept that as important. I think if we can assure Singaporeans that their interests are taken care of, that they will not be denied opportunities, then the support will be forthcoming. Sir, this assurance is extremely important. Let me now move on to another point. I want to add that talent does not just appear in a person. The potential of our people must be nurtured and helped to surface.”
“Sir, a financial tornado has built up and ripped through the region, causing untold damage to the economies and the lives of the people. The region is still counting the cost and the storm has not fully subsided. Much uncertainty remains and further damage could still occur. Singapore is very prudent. We have an honest, hardworking and rational system. Our economic fundamentals are sound by any standard. We have sufficient reserve to cover our currency many times over, yet we are affected by the regional economic and financial crisis. The sad aspect of the crisis is that it was unnecessary. It was not that we lack the knowledge of the genesis of such financial tornadoes and can therefore claim to be surprised by the event. The writing was on the wall for a long time. The painful experience of the burst of the Japanese property bubble remains clear in our mind and the effects of it remain till today. We have seen it happen also in Mexico, just a few short years ago. The world is growing smaller, more inter-linked. As neighbours, what can we do to share our concerns, especially in matters that affect us? Do we have the means or the mechanisms to convey our concerns without being accused of interfering, without incurring their wrath, without being scolded? If no such mechanisms exist, then is it time that they be created? Unless something is done urgently, otherwise every few years we will find our follies repeated with much pain, suffering and anguish to our people.”
“It is conceivable that an efficient company in Singapore, supported by our efficient air and service links with the world, will be able to serve an overseas customer more speedily from Singapore than the customer could from a company in his own country. The Americans understand the importance and potential of electronic commerce. President Clinton set up a task force to spearhead its development. The task force released its findings and recommendations last year. Electronic commerce requires various sectors of the economy to work together. At the moment, I am aware that efforts are being undertaken by various bodies to develop electronic commerce in Singapore. This approach does not provide a common focus nor does it appear a concerted effort. Given this potential, I ask the Government to consider setting up a central agency to plan and spearhead the development and growth of electronic commerce. Such a body will accord electronic commerce the importance it deserves, champion it and hasten its development. For electronic commerce to work world wide, common practices, rules and regulations must be evolved and adopted by countries. Initially, countries may resist to protect their markets, but unless they relent, they will shut themselves from the world and the benefits that electronic commerce brings. We saw this with the Internet. I would like Singapore to work with world bodies to quickly evolve these much needed international standards and rules to support electronic commerce. I would urge our universities and relevant research institutes to study the subject and carry out research to provide much needed knowledge and information in electronic commerce.”
“I am much obliged, Sir. I was most happy to hear the Finance Minister, Dr Richard Hu, announce the approved cyber trader scheme. This clearly indicates that the Government recognises the importance of electronic commerce and that the industry needs help to grow. More should be done to grow the industry. The volume of electronic commerce world wide is expected to expand some four to six folds from the current US$46 billion within five years. If the astounding development and growth of the information technology industry is any clue, I am confident that this prediction will come true. We must encourage our companies to go into electronic commerce. It has many advantages. We can make more efficient use of manpower and resources. We can operate around the clock. It provides convenience to the customers. Electronic commerce is a concept of the global world. It links the markets of the world into one big marketplace and thus expands the economic space of nations. Electronic commerce is thus ideal for small nations like Singapore to serve the world. Many who are local entrepreneurs and companies have dreamt of venturing overseas, but the cost had been prohibitive. Electronic commerce will change this. It would allow our companies, at affordable cost, to offer our goods and services to the world and we can do it from Singapore. We already have many of the infrastructure to support electronic commerce. Singapore is highly computerised. We have good, advanced and efficient telecommunications, shipping, air and logistics services. If we look at the transaction cycle, while many of the steps can be carried out electronically, the physical goods must still be physically delivered to the door of the customer.”
“In any case, we need to carry out this exercise regularly, especially now that the world is getting smaller and changing faster all the time. The Government has been doing this. An example is the announced changes to our financial system. The Minister is right to provide incentives to develop the financial sector. Another is the announcement of the modification of the entry requirements of the universities, something which was viewed almost sacrosanct. This will give added credence to our profession of creativity and innovation. Yet another is the recent announcement changes to our road tax structure. These are but three examples. These are glaring testimonies to the ability and the willingness of this Government to meet difficult but necessary changes for the future. We may need to do more, much more in this area. Sir, as I reflect the impact of the regional crisis on our people, I am reminded of the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. During the warm summer, while the ants steadfastly prepared for the cold winter, the grasshopper went about his carefree ways. The pains and the joys change position during winter. The colony of ants knows this and has imbibed the lesson. They will survive. I would like our people, institutions, businesses and industries to be like the ants. During the good times, we should work hard and prudently build up our reserves in anticipation of the bad times. If the bad times do not come, we will have extra reserves and resources and we would have lost nothing. But when winter comes, we are prepared for it and we will survive in relative comfort until spring comes around again.”
“When this happens, the weak are weeded out, clearing the way for the survivors to push the system forward to a yet higher level of performance on the upturn. The cycle will go on. Sir, the market must be allowed to do its work. The system must be allowed to rejuvenate itself for the next cycle. This is not the first crisis that Singapore has faced nor will it be the last. In the same vein, the good time enjoyed by the region and Singapore is not at an end. We will rebound and the next stage of our prosperity will be even higher if we can seize the opportunities. To do this, we must keep our head during the madness of the crisis. We must plan and prepare to ride the next crest of the wave. In this light, I am assured by the Government's allocation of more resources for education, security and economic infrastructure development. This will put us in a stronger position to tap the future growth in the region. This is a rational and correct decision. However, these are expenditures that many countries in similar situation have chosen to cut down as they appear less urgent. This would be a mistake. We must not be complacent that we have weathered the crisis better than others and allow hubris to blind us. Comparative advantage is relative. We have benefited from the weaker systems of our neighbours. Their deeper problems in comparison add to our competitive advantage. But this is temporary. When they recover, their systems will be stronger. In the long term, this will reduce our advantage and our efforts to keep ahead will become more difficult. We must take this opportunity now to move faster ahead. We must review our systems, assumptions and fundamental beliefs and make changes to strengthen them further to make them more robust.”
“They understand the regional crisis and appreciate its effects. It has affected them, their relatives and their friends. But there is little discontent or moaning. They have taken it stoically. They have hunkered down. They have not blamed the Government. In fact, they praise the Government for its foresight. Many said that they now appreciate the correctness of Government policies, the importance of good, competent, frugal and honest governance with a long-term view and a sound financial and banking system to the country. They understand that this is what has saved us from the worst of the crisis. They also realise the importance of individual responsibility, prudence and thrift. We must take this opportunity to drive home these lessons, the importance of good governance and individual responsibility, prudence and thrift, clear to our people, especially our young. This is also a time to unite our people. Once we have experienced such a crisis and understood the causes and the defence, these lessons become part and parcel of our psyche as a people. The crisis is a costly lesson for the region and for us. We must learn and benefit from it. We must not let slip this oppportunity. An economic system goes through cycles. It is the law of nature. Good times follow bad times and vice versa. We should not be surprised by it. What we should do is to prepare for the bad times and for the opportunities to surge forward to greater height on the rebound. During good times, even the weak do well because there is plenty to go round. However, economic inefficiencies set in as resources are not efficiently allocated. This will go on until the system can no longer sustain the growing inefficiencies. An economic downturn occurs.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity to add my support to the Budget Statement. 37 hon. Members have spoken before me. There have been a lot of specific suggestions made to Minister Dr Richard Hu. Let me now confine myself to some general comments on the Budget. The world and the market see our Government as rational and take the decisions it makes and what it says seriously. This is our strength and a national asset. We have worked very hard to achieve this image and confidence. The Budget encapsulates the Government's view of the economy of Singapore for this year. The firmness and prudence of the Budget reflect the quiet confidence of the Government. The market has read the signal and shares this sentiment. Hence, the Singapore dollar and the Stock Exchange of Singapore have remained relatively calm. I am also happy that the Government has kept open the option to introduce off-Budget measures later should the regional crisis worsen and our businesses and industries need help. This is a much welcomed assurance which further enhances confidence in Singapore. Sir, there are two sides to a crisis. Because of the pain and suffering that accompany it, we tend to see the gloomy side. But there are silver linings to it, especially for the strong and the prepared. As a nation and a people, there are useful lessons to be learned from the crisis. These are life's lessons of hard knocks. If we imbibe these lessons, it would be like a body developing antibodies after a bout of sickness. With the antibodies, the body is strengthened and better prepared should the disease strike again Sir, I am happy to share with the House my experiences of many discussions on the regional economic crisis with my residents and grassroots activists.”
“Sir, we have a long bout of haze in Singapore. I would like the Minister to tell us how long more will Singaporeans be exposed to the current bout of haze. And to crystal gaze from this period until the haze ends, what is the possibility of the PSI exceeding the 200-300 levels?”
“May I ask the Minister whether there is any long-term effect of the haze on the health of Singaporeans who are exposed to it? We do not see the effect immediately now, but will there be any long-term effect, and if there is, how would this be seen in form and time?”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the haze is carcinogenic in any form.”
“With this, I think I have answered the points made by both Members. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Aline Wong]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at five minutes past six. Sitting accordingly suspended at 5.50 pm until 6.05 pm. Sitting resumed at 6.05 pm [Mr Speaker in the Chair] ALL-PARTY COMMITTEE OF PARLIAMENT (Motion)”
“Administration exists to support the primary functions of teaching, not the other way round. Sir, I support the Bill. Dr Aline Wong: Sir, I thank the two Members of the House for their support of the Bill. I would also like to thank them for giving us some ideas for thought. I agree with Dr Tan Boon Wan that training for the school leaders is very important and not all teachers are necessarily good managers. This is why I emphasised in my speech that we would be selective in choosing strong leaders to lead in our effort to devolve autonomy to the schools. As for Thinking Schools, how do we materialise our vision for Thinking Schools? The way to go forward is to devolve decision making to schools where the action is, and that is why we want to restructure the school system and to group the schools in clusters to give them the opportunity to share resources, to deploy personnel in a more efficient manner and to develop school programmes that are catered to the particular needs of the schools in the local context. It is actually not a flat structure, as Dr Toh said. Heading the cluster of schools would be a group senior principal who actually is not one of the principals from the cluster. He would be someone with a specific mission, who would be posted to head a cluster of schools and to bring it forward. He would help the staff to develop. He would be monitoring and also assessing the staff at the same time. So it is not a flat structure. As to his idea that perhaps we could group the clusters of schools into districts, regions, and so on, certainly we can consider this suggestion. The cluster schools pilot project has been in existence for a few months now. We have had a preliminary assessment of its success and we are quite confident that this is the way forward.”
“If we do not change our education system, the teachers and the students will be frustrated and employers will not get the type of workers and the nation will not get the type of citizens that we need. The Prime Minister has painted the vision of Thinking Schools and a Learning Nation. To make this a reality, we must restructure our education system into one where our teachers and principals are encouraged to think, to make decisions, to implement and to take responsibilities for a decision taken and implemented. Power must devolve downwards. Choosing the right people to take on responsibilities is critical to our success. Here, I must caution that if we are looking for a manager, we should be choosing people with good management skills. Here, I must put people management skills as very important. There has been a nagging suspicion that teachers who are good in teaching are more likely to be selected to take over this management position. This is not good. A good teacher may make a poor manager. In doing so, he or she may not perform well as a manager and make everyone else unhappy. Once a teacher is chosen to take on a management position, he or she must be given training and not to be expected to learn by fumbling through. Finally, I would like to emphasise that the main purpose of education must be to produce a nation of educated citizens to meet the needs of the nation. Management is incidental to achieving this goal. Management must therefore exist because of their clients, the teachers, students, parents, employers and Government. They do not exist of their own rights. They must not see the needs of their clients as chores to be performed. Here, I would refer to the entire education system: the Ministry, the schools, ITE, the polytechnics and the universities.”
“Sir, in the recent Budget debate, the Education Minister, RAdm Teo Chee Hean, saw the importance of the teachers, principals and staff and the Ministry of Education is taking steps to make the Education Ministry into a thinking entity. Earlier, the Ministry has proposed decentralising its decision-making down to the autonomous cluster schools, as Dr Aline Wong has said. The changes proposed in this Bill are in line with the changes that are envisaged. However, change of names and designations is the easy part. The main changes to the system proper are more difficult. It will require commitment, hard work and proper management. As the Ministry passes more decision making responsibilities down, it is important that the decision makers at this level are properly trained to make this decision and take responsibilities for the added duties. This is easier said than done, as habits are difficult to change. In situations where decisions are centralised, as the Ministry of Education set-up in the past and now, decisions are transmitted from top and executed at the bottom. We can have very good implementers at the bottom and the system can work well. However, to change the mindset of an implementer to that of a decision maker is not easy. But the success of the change and ultimately the system, depends on changing this mindset. We must bear in mind that whatever changes that we need to make to our education system is not one of choice but of survival dictated by forces beyond our control. We will in future have a new breed of teachers and students in a new world environment. They will be more inquisitive and assertive.”
“The recent requirement for secondary school students to perform at least six hours of community work is also a good starting point which can be built upon to strengthen the link between the schools and the community. This is a laudable decision. RCs can enlist the help of the students to deliver more services to the residents. This is also a good opportunity to expose our young to the good and necessary work that the RCs are doing. I am sure with this exposure, some will be encouraged to stay on after a short stint and others will return to community work in the future. I am hopeful that this move will help to relieve the pressure on future leadership of the grassroots organisations.”
“Sir, the responsibility for educating our young does not and should not lie with the schools alone. This responsibility lies with the school, the parents and the community. Schools are community institutions. A good school adds to the value of the community, making the community a more desirable place to live in. I think there is much to be gained by strengthening the linkage between the school and the community. In this way, the community gets involved in a more active manner in the education of their children. More should be done to increase this linkage. Parents have a natural interest in how the school performs, but their support must be galvanised. Some schools, especially the better established ones, have formed parents' associations to help the schools' activities and to establish a line of communication with parents. I have received very positive feedback of the contributions of parents' associations from both the schools and the parents. Most schools now have a link to the community through the School Advisory Committee. More can be done in this area. Schools also lie within RC zones. Schools should also establish links with these grassroots organisations. The latter can help keep an eye on the students. They can provide assistance to and organise activities for the students living in their zones. Perhaps some formal linkages should be encouraged between the schools and the grassroots organisations. For instance, instead of forming parents' associations for individual schools, these associations can be formed at the zonal level, as a sub-group of the RC to work with all schools within the zone.”
“I would also like to ask what strategy has been adopted by the Ministry of Education to ensure that such an even tempo is achieved in the process of attaining these four prerequisites. 4.45 pm”
“To become an outstanding school, it is necessary to have the ability to grasp the relationship among these four prerequisites and coordinate them so as to achieve the forceful effect of a thunderbolt. On the contrary, if any of these four prerequisites is neglected, or if there is any lack of coordination among the four, then they will become counter productive. Sir, each of these four prerequisites has its own respective importance. I am glad to note that the Ministry of Education has taken great pains to work on each of these four areas. I have no worry about whether there have been enough efforts on each of these areas. My concern is whether they are carried out in tempo with one another. Let me give you an example. Benton Foundation, a non-profit making organisation in the United States, recently conducted a survey in the USA and found that computer did have certain effect in classroom teaching. Internet has not only enhanced the ability of students to write but also stimulated their interest in learning. Notwithstanding this, the study also discovered that the potential of computer as an aid to classroom teaching has yet to be fully utilized. The main reason is that computers have been introduced too hastily into the classrooms without the teachers having been properly trained to handle them. Sir, I cite this example not to ask the Ministry of Education to slow down its pace in introducing computers, but to point out the importance of having an even tempo for each element of this four-pronged approach. As such, I would like to ask the Minister whether he has considered the effective coordination and even tempo of the four prerequisites I mentioned just now when in the course of implementing creative teaching, National Education and computerisation in schools.”
“Irregardless, our schools must recover the initiative to provide a complete education to our young without the need, real or perceived, for private tuition or an overseas education, to complement its role. If the pressure is not relieved, it would hamper our efforts to move towards an atmosphere of creativity and thinking. I look forward to our thinking schools to address and resolve among others the concerns and issues that I have just raised. Mr Lim Swee Say (Tanjong Pagar)( In Mandarin): Sir, I believe there are four prerequisites to the making of a good school. Firstly, there must be a good curriculum because this will directly determine the kind of knowledge the students will acquire and indirectly determine the values and method of thinking of the students. Secondly, there must be advanced technology and good teaching facilities as these will determine the process of knowledge-acquiring and efficiency thereof. Thirdly, the students must be willing to learn and to improve themselves, because natural endowment itself is not the only factor which determines the ability to learn. So long as they are willing to learn with an open mind, every student can eventually become a useful person. Fourthly, there must be good teachers who are prepared to constantly upgrade themselves in order to impart the right knowledge to the students and enrich them. They must know how to help the students develop a proper way of thinking, understand their shortcomings, give full play to their strong points and maximize their potentials. However, the mere possession of these four prerequisites does not automatically produce an outstanding school because these four prerequisites are inter-related and complementary to one another.”
“Second, how can we continue to attract and retain more of our best to become teachers? Teaching would become a more demanding profession. To realise our thinking school, we need more of our best to be teachers. How can we make teaching more attractive as a career so that some of our best will take up the challenge of moulding our young? Besides adjusting salaries, are there other non-monetary factors that can be enhanced to augment a career in teaching? [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 4.38 pm Third, what must we do to make education interesting to motivate students to work harder to achieve even better results and enjoy doing it without compromising our high standards? Major changes must also be made to the curricula and workload. We cannot just add to the existing ones. Today, we often hear students sigh that they hate school. The amount of homework is often given as the major reason. Parents have wondered at the mountains of homework that their children bring home, even during school vacations. Many students take costly private tuitions. Quite a few of our parents can ill afford the extra expenses of hiring these tutors. Yet, some parents, with deeper pockets, resort to sending their children overseas for the secondary and even primary education. How many such students went overseas in the last two years? These students, especially the younger ones, are still in the process of character formation. They are in an impressionable age. My concern is whether they should be exposed so early to a foreign environment. Are our school curricula and workload really overwhelming? Is the pressure caused by over-anxious parents, peers, real needs or other factors?”
“Sir, my GPC Chairman and two fellow GPC members have discoursed at some length on the thinking school of the future. Thank you for allowing me to join in the discussion. Like them, I envision the future will be different. It will represent a shift in paradigm. Bold changes will be required to meet the new challenges. Mere tinkering of the present system will not be enough. To be relevant for the future, our young must be creative, capable of thinking and learning independently, master information technology and possess a sense of national identity, on top of retaining our traditional strength of scholastic achievement, diligence and perseverance in the face of adversity. This is what we expect our young to be when they emerge from our thinking schools of the future. We know what we want. But how do we turn this vision into reality? This is no easy task. Let me contribute to the discussion by adding to three issues that thinking schools must consider. First, what must we do to make our teachers understand and support the changes needed? Change destabilises. It causes fear and uncertainty. Success comes when the change is properly managed. As my fellow GPC member has alluded, teachers are worried. Many are asking whether they are able to cope with the changes demanded of them. Based on what they know today, they wonder if they are expected to add all the new initiatives to their plates which are now already quite full. Our teachers must understand and support the changes. We should make them a partner to the change. How can we achieve that? How can we assure them and make them comfortable with and receptive to the change? If we do not get the teachers on our side, success will be difficult.”
“There are Boys' Clubs but these are too few, catering only to boys and have inherited the image of serving wayward youths. Without proper and decent places to go and activities to do, our socially oriented youths are now attracted to the shopping centres, arcades and night spots. They then reinforce one another that there is nothing else or important to do but to hang around. They are oblivious of others who are working hard, doing well and moving ahead. Youth centres will allow the whole wide spectrum of our youths to congregate and interact. The studious ones will develop the necessary social skills, while the playful ones will be motivated and encouraged to study and undertake desirable activities. There will be wholesome activities, like games, sports, computing to participate in. On weekends, the club can even hold their own tea dances. It is an established truth that prevention is better than cure. It is better for us to be proactive. It will cost us less to prevent our youths from going down the wrong path than to rehabilitate them after they had gone wrong. I therefore urge the Government to provide more funds for our youths. To emphasise that we recognise them in their needs uniquely, these funds should be provided under its own separate heading or code in the Budget. This will send a clear signal to our youths that we recognise them on their own rights.”
“Sir, thank you very much for allowing me to join in this debate. I am going to add to what Dr Vasoo has said but more on the practical issue. Youth is a time in life when the need to seek out and relate to others is strong. Hence, it is also a time when our young are most susceptible to outside influence. Things begin to go wrong when the influence is bad. In recent days, the House has heard and discussed with concern the bad influence on our problem youths. We hear that afternoon tea dances are recruitment grounds for gangs, adding yet one more public place to the shopping malls, game arcades and night spots where youths congregate and get into mischief. We cannot stop youths from wanting to get together. It is a natural social drive. However, we can reduce the undesirable consequences by encouraging our youths to mix with wholesome company in wholesome activities at wholesome places. The key is to create wholesome meeting places. During the debate on the Presidential Address earlier in the year, I have pleaded for the setting up of youth centres. I have looked through the budget for the Ministry of Community Development and I am happy to see money being set aside to cater to young children and senior citizens. I am, however, disappointed to see no specific provision for our youths. I strongly feel that we should be doing more for our youths. If we were to argue that their needs are already met through existing services and facilities, I think it is a weak excuse in view of our growing youth problems. PA has the Youth Executive Committees which operate from CCs as a sub-group of the CCMC. But community centres serve very broad public interest. I do not think youths identify CCs as their centres.”
“Everyone will have a stake in the country, its future and its prosperity and wealth. With that remark, Sir, I support the Budget Statement.”
“Hence, the pain will be ameliorated for those with lower income. But since they can keep their money for something else if they lower their use of water, this will encourage them to use less water. The continuance of the rental and S&C rebates and the addition of the monthly utility and S&C grants to HDB houses are also to make it easier for those with lower income, but we must be more careful as the rationale is less clear. We must be careful not to unwittingly create a welfare mentality among Singaporeans. The benefit of prudence in our national budgetting philosophy is borne out recently by the run on the currencies of our neighbouring countries. The Singapore currency withstood this difficult period better than the baht, peso, rupiah and ringgit. This episode, which does not appear to have ended, shows that the ASEAN economies need to be further strengthened. Our economies are very much interdependent. While competition between ASEAN nations is inevitable, there are many areas that we can and should cooperate. Competition is good because in the process, we better ourselves. But if we also cooperate, we will raise our collective ability to compete more effectively with other regions and countries in the world. Besides, it is always better to have rich neighbours and to live in a prosperous region. Nevertheless, this interdependence means that our economic performance is likely to be affected by the currency problem. What will be its impact on the performance of our economy this year? Sir, we will succeed and prosper if we pull together in the same direction. We did it in the past when our means were scarce. Prudence and care in our national budgetting has helped. We are better equipped now. We will do it better and we will do it in style.”
“Information technology will be important. The ability to assess and use information will be crucial. The Budget recognises the need for change as provisions are made for more IT in the schools and research and development. We must also teach Singaporeans to love family, fellow Singaporeans and country. When we make decisions, we must maintain the rational approach. Our head must be in charge. We must adopt a long term view, but the heart has its place and must not be forgotten. We must temper decisions we make with the coldness of the head with the feelings of the heart. We must take cognizance of the short term impact of the decision on our people. In other words, we must smoothen out the rough edges to reduce the pain to the people when the decision is implemented. We have to help the weaker among us to cope with the changes while encouraging our able to fly. The handling of the increases in water rates in the Budget reflects this tempered approach. Water is a crucial resource for the nation. References to our water supply during the recent difficult period with our neighbour clearly drove home this point. We must make Singaporeans take the importance of water seriously. We need to price water realistically to reflect its importance as previous campaigns to persuade our people to use water carefully did not have a lasting effect. When Singaporeans see their August utility bills, they will see water costing more. However, the Government knows that this increase will cause difficulties to those with low income. Hence, rebates on utility bills were provided for in the Budget. For those living in 1- to 4-room HDB flats, the rebates will be sufficient to pay for the increase and they will not have less disposable income.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Budget Statement. In the new millennium, a crucial challenge is to maintain Singapore's competitiveness. Competition will intensify world wide. As developing economies improve, in particular, our neighbours, they will compete with us in more areas including those that we are traditionally strong. As our own economy develops, we will also compete more with the developed countries. This pressure will be exacerbated by rapid technological advances, especially in information technology. The world will change perhaps in ways that we may not imagine. How do we prepare for this future? Although we may not be able to say exactly what the future will look like, we know the broad trends, the major drivers and the qualities we need to survive in such a world. We have to anticipate the changes we have to make as a society and take steps to bring about the needed change in our people. We have to be forward looking. By the look of things to come, bold changes will be needed. Tinkering with the system by fine-tuning it may not be enough. We already have a tight efficient system. We must change not just to make it run better for we must change because we expect the paradigm to shift. This will require a quantum leap of mind and effort. The quality of our people will make the difference. It will decide the winner. It will provide the sustaining edge. I am glad to see that more money has been allocated for education and training. Give our people the avenues to acquire more knowledge and skills. There is much wisdom in teaching a person to fish. Creativity and thinking skills will be important. However, we must preserve in our people the virtues of hard work and the mental attitude to prevail and persevere over adversities and difficulties.”
“Able students can be encouraged to help weaker students. They can study and do their homework together. The youths would then have a place to call their own, congregate, get help with their school work and find wholesome companionship and the right motivation and peer influence. It is to be hoped that with the availability of the youth centres, the youths would no longer find the need to use the shopping centres and game arcades as places to hang out. As this is a time when youths undergo rapid personality changes, conflicts with their parents are likely to be at their highest point. The family environment often becomes very stressful. The centre could also provide the youths with a place to get away from family stresses. They will have understanding and sympathetic friends to talk to. The centres also help to reduce family stresses in another way. Parents will feel more secure knowing that their children are at the centres. They will be less inclined to doubt or accuse their children of mischief. Often times, such doubts and questioning aggravate what are already very difficult and stressful situations. Sir, our young are our most valuable and important assets and resources for our future. I strongly believe that our youths need and deserve their own neighbourhood youth centres. I would like the Ministry of Community Development to include in its plan the setting up of neighbourhood centres. On this note, Sir, I support the motion.”
“The youth centres could provide an alternative meeting place for youths. Today, there are not many youth centres around the place. The community centres and clubs are providing some resources and facilities for the youths. But community centres and clubs cater to the needs of a diverse group of users. I feel that our youths deserve a centre of their own. In 1982, boys clubs were set up by the Police. These centres were developed specifically for youths who were already having problems. Two years later, these centres were taken over by the PA and opened to all boys. But what about the girls? Some of them do get into mischief too. A doctor friend recently shared with me that he was consulting more families with problem youths and many involved defiant daughters. He said that in many instances the daughters were getting to be very rebellious and difficult to handle. I would like to propose that the 13 boys clubs be renamed youths clubs or centres and more to be built in the neighbourhoods. The centres will serve and benefit all youths. The centres could be equipped with computers, study rooms and reading materials to help the youths in their school work. As the school curriculum becomes more IT orientated, students will need computers to do their homework. The youth centres can also double up as the neighbourhood IT resource centres. Students who do not have computers at home can use the computers at the centre. The centres should also be equipped with games and sports facilities for their relaxation. These could include basketball and badminton courts, table tennis tables and street soccer pits. The youths should be encouraged to run the centres themselves. This would provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership skills and to help themselves.”
“To make the service affordable, the Government helps low income families by subsidising the fees. The Government also encourages the grassroots and voluntary organisations to be involved in the setting up and running of these centres. It is good to get the community involved in the care of the young. As more such places become available, the number of unsupervised primary and lower secondary students will decrease. Sir, this leads me to the subject of neighbourhood youth centres. Whereas the before-and-after-school care centres cater to the primary and lower secondary students, I would like to propose that youth centres be set up to cater to the upper secondary students. Youth centres are purpose-built centres which are equipped with resources specifically to meet the needs of youths. Let me elaborate. My fellow hon. Member for Ang Mo Kio, Mr Inderjit Singh, yesterday also referred to the experience of Taiwan which showed that youths in secondary schools are more likely to go wayward. I feel that this observation also applies to Singapore, though not for the same reason. The reasons are more general. Youths face many challenges. They live in a very competitive and demanding world. At the same time, they are in a phase of their life when they are trying to reach out to people, make friends and establish relationships. They are trying to form their individual identity. In this phase, friends are just as important as parents. They want to be with their friends. They need a place to meet and activities to occupy their time. Besides the home and school, youths today do not have many places around the neigbourhood where they can gather. This probably explains the lure of shopping centres and game arcades.”
“It will help them to appreciate the vulnerabilities and constraints faced by Singapore as well as our strengths and opportunities. It will help them to realise that a good future is not pre-ordained and they have to work hard if they want a good life. Our friendly neighbourhood Police Force could also be enlisted to help tackle truancy. Police officers on the ground could look out for youths whom they suspect to be playing truant. With neighbourhood police posts well distributed around the country, the police officers are ideally located to assist here. The police officer would ask for the personal particulars of the youth, noting the time and place where the youth was hanging out and the school he or she attends. The information could then be passed to the respective school to ascertain if the youth was playing truant. The errant youth should be counselled and his parents informed. In its Addendum to the Address of the President, the Ministry of Community Development says that it will provide funds to build more before-and-after-school care centres. This is very much welcomed and timely. These centres provide care for primary and lower secondary students. If the student attends a morning school, he comes back to the centre after school. If the student attends an afternoon school, he comes to the centre in the morning. At the centre, the student is looked after and given proper supervision. The parents pick up their children from the centre after their work. With this service, no parents need leave their children alone at home and unsupervised while they are at work. These centres are especially helpful to families where both parents work. Given the encouragement to mothers to return to the workforce, the number of such families is likely to grow.”
“But our population is small. This means that we have to make the best use of our people. Ideally, we should develop every Singaporean to his or her highest potential. Hence, we must view youth delinquency seriously. Every problem youth is a cost to society. First, if a youth goes wayward, efforts need to be made to help the youth to change for the better. Many I believe do, but still the time lost are wasted years of their lives and many people, especially the parents, may go through many moments of anguish. Then, if the youth does not change for the better, society will not only lose his potential contributions but may well end up taking care of the person's future needs. Sir, my fellow hon. Member for Aljunied, Dr Toh See Kiat, yesterday afternoon pointed out to this House the pressure faced by our students. This pressure is often cited as a cause of youth delinquency. Students who cannot keep up or bear with the pressure would drop out of school. Often, these children develop into problem youths. The news that the Ministry of Education is reviewing the education system is much welcomed and gives hope that some relief is on the way. The introduction of creative thinking, independent learning and new methods of assessment in the education system will make learning more enjoyable and interesting, and less tedious. However, it is my hope that kiasu parents will not fill up any freed time with more tuition and other stressful activities. The introduction of National Education would also have positive effects on youth delinquency. Youths who lack a purpose in life are more likely to go astray. National Education will imbue our young with a sense of national identity and an understanding of the challenges that the country faces.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I strongly support the motion moved by Dr Wang Kai Yuen, hon. Member for Bukit Timah, to thank the President for his Address on 26th May 1997. Sir, I seek the guidance of this House, especially being a new Member. I will do my best to add value to its discussions and deliberations. However, I also seek its indulgence should I unwittingly make a mistake or tax its patience. Sir, our young are doing well at school. Few drop out from the education system. At every level, the results are getting better. The number going to the universities, polytechnics and ITE is increasing. In international tests, our students are coming out top. More youths are doing voluntary and community services. But not all of our young turn out well. Yesterday, my fellow hon. Member for Ang Mo Kio, Mr Inderjit Singh, raised his concerns on wayward youths. Today I would like to discuss further this topic of problem youths. Problem youths appear to be a growing problem. News of problem youths abound in the newspapers. In the past year, there were many articles on youths hanging around shopping centres, game arcades and nightspots, whiling away their precious time, drinking, smoking and even fighting. A few days ago, the Straits Times carried a story of a 15-year old school dropout who was killed in a gang attack. A few days later, the New Paper carried another story of a youth who helped some friends to burgle his own house. Like Mr Inderjit Singh, I too had people telling me with great concern that they had heard of schools now having more gang problems. We face a competitive future. Our economy is fast becoming developed. Our industries are becoming more high tech. Out ability to compete would depend on us having a large number of well qualified and skilled workers.”