Tang Guan Seng
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is true that there is stringent control on visitors from PRC. However, recently, there has been a relaxation on the requirements. For example, the Banker's Guarantee for group visits I mentioned earlier has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000.”
“STB has been encouraging a group of tour agencies who are members of the National Association of Travel Agents in Singapore to work closely with the authorised tour agents in China so that collectively they can improve on the quality of the package tours in Singapore, thereby increasing the number of tourists from PRC and also improving o…”
“If the Member has information of this nature, can he please give us the particulars and we will refer to the relevant agencies for action? CIVIL SERVICE (Discharged and undischarged bankrupts) 10.”
“Power and electricity tariffs are reviewed quarterly based on fuel oil prices at the time of review. Changes in fuel oil prices are passed on to the consumers, which is fair. Fuel oil makes up, as my Senior Minister of State said, about half of the cost of producing electricity.”
“As I said just now, it is the policy of JTC to require the owner of the property to reinstate to its original condition, if there is a breach of the lease terms. In this particular case mentioned by the hon. Member, if he can give me the details, we will follow up on this.”
“Furthermore, such contamination problem would not have arisen if the sanitary pipes were kept in good condition and the water tanks covered. The new rule in 1989 was an added precautionary measure. In view of the incident, PUB and ENV will require old buildings to take adequate measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident.”
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“Sir, I will address other points made by Members. The issue of manpower and training has been brought up by Mr Inderjit Singh, Mr Ahmad Magad and Mr Lim Swee Say. I would like to reiterate that manpower training is high on the Government's agenda. With increasing competition, it is vital for our workers to continue to upgrade their skills and capabilities so as to meet the challenges ahead. If workers do not keep up with new technologies, they may lose their job one day. Sir, we are investing more in the training of our workers. The SDF grants committed to training have grown to $68 million in 1996. The number of training places supported by SDF has increased to 480,000 in 1996. This works out to about one training place for every four workers. On the other hand, our companies' investment in training has increased from 2% of the payroll in 1992 to 3.6% in 1996. This is close to our target of 4% and compares well with other countries such as Japan and the United States. There are a number of programmes to upgrade our workers' skills. Let me give a few examples. In 1993, PSB launched the On-the-Job Training 2000 Plan. This is a structured and systematic programme to help workers acquire critical skills on-the-job. The number of workers trained under this programme has grown rapidly at an average rate of 80% per year since its launch. As at 31st March 1997, about 130,000 training places have been created in about 3,800 companies. This surpasses PSB's original target of reaching 100,000 places by the year 2000. Now PSB has set a new target of training half a million workers through this programme by the year 2005. Mr Inderjit Singh asked if SDF's guidelines could be changed to allow more workers to be trained.”
“Sir, I just want to seek a clarification.”
“This is reimbursement for their meals and transportation. USE OF UNLEADED PETROL (Steps to promote) 8. Mr Chin Harn Tong asked the Minister for the Environment (a) since the introduction of unleaded petrol in January 1991, what proportion of petrol sold in Singapore is unleaded; and (b) whether his Ministry is taking further steps to promote the use of the cleaner fuel.”
“I am answering on behalf of my Minister, Sir. No monies were paid to schools or educational institutions to send students to attend the National Trades Union Congress Rally on 1st May 1991. At the invitation of the NTUC, four vocational institutes and three secondary schools sent their students to attend the Rally. The NTUC reimbursed the students $3 each to cover their expenses for transportation and meals at each session.”
“Sir, for those who are unable to go to the centre to register within that three-day period, if an explanation is given, he can go to the NRD headquarters.”
“00 pm Sir, as the Chairman has suggested, there should be an additional registration centre in the city for the convenience of office workers. We will have such a centre in the city, possibly near an MRT station. The opening hours will be from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm from Mondays to Fridays. It will benefit office workers in the central business district. To ensure the smooth running of the conversion exercise, new ICs will be issued at this centre only to those notified by the National Registration Office to re-register. As for the features of the new ICs, they include the following: (i) It is made of a resilient plastic compound that is polycarbonate, which is more durable. (ii) It has a classier appearance. (iii) The photograph and thumbprint are captured electronically through a scanning process and they are engraved on the card itself. (iv) It has better security features, for example, lens with changeable images. (v) It has machine-readable bar codes which store the IC number for quick and error-free reading. Organisations such as the National Library and Government hospitals can use the bar codes for quick retrieval of identity card numbers. As for those who lose the new ICs, they will have to pay a fee, that is, for the first time, $20. For subsequent replacement, the rates will be higher. This is to remind the holders that the IC is a very important document. They should take good care of their ICs.”
“Sir, the new identity card conversion exercise, which would take three years, is scheduled to start on 3rd June this year. In all, 2.62 million new identity cards will be issued during this exercise. As this is one of the biggest exercises launched by the Government, second only to the population census, my Ministry will make sure that it will run smoothly. Sir, I want to assure the House that the exercise will be made convenient for the public. The conversion exercise will be conducted on a constituency by constituency basis. The whole island has been divided into five zones - Central, East, North, West and South. Each zone has an average of 16 constituencies. One registration centre will be set up in a community centre of each constituency. All the constituencies in the zone will be covered before the registration team moves to another zone. The exercise will be launched first at MacPherson Community Centre in MacPherson Constituency. This constituency has been selected because it has only about 17,700 NRIC holders, the smallest number in the Central Zone. NRIC holders who are aged 18 and above as at 1st January this year will need to change their ICs. They will receive notification letters which will state the community centre and the dates to report. The letters will be sent one month in advance. Two weeks before the teams start work at the community centre, NRIC holders in the constituency will receive a personal particulars form. The form will tell them of a specific three-day period when they can go to the CC to change their ICs. The team will be stationed at a community centre for seven days a week, except during public holidays. The opening hours for registration will be from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm, even on Sundays. 1.”
“But before we come to a firm decision, we have to consider carefully the following implications. The SJCDF is an emergency organisation. Its mission is to save lives and protect property in emergencies. I am not sure at this point that the SJCDF should widen its role to cover non-emergency functions. Currently, the public can dial "995" for the Emergency Ambulance Service. All "995" calls are received at the operations room. But if the operations room also handles non-emergency calls, an emergency call may be delayed because the lines are jammed up by the non-emergency calls. The delay in getting through may mean life or death. The emergency service is responsible for sending patients to hospitals for urgent medical attention. Sir, the Chairman of the GPC has pinpointed the problem and that is the public perception with regard to Emergency Ambulance Service. I hope that through our sustained public education programme, we can rectify this wrong perception. Coming back to Dr Arthur Beng's proposal, I appreciate his interest and concern on this matter. However, the top priority of the Emergency Ambulance Service is to save lives, and it is right that the limited resources of the Service should be put to effective use. Sir, the Ministry recognises the importance of the complementary role played by the private ambulance services and therefore welcomes any improvement made to the services. The SJCDF is prepared to help a private organisation set up a separate operations room for private ambulance services on a commercial basis.”
“Sir, the Chairman of the GPC on Home Affairs touched on the development of civil defence centres in constituencies last Friday, and he would like to know how the Ministry can assist the Civil Defence Coordinating Committees (CDCCs) in setting up such centres. The decision of whether to set up CD centres should be left to the CDCCs themselves. It depends on the advisers, the CDCC leadership and the needs of the constituency. In some constituencies, the CDCCs, especially the active ones, want to have their own centres or offices. Some constituencies have already set up their own CD centres. More will be set up in the next few months. On the other hand, some CDCCs feel that it is more convenient to make use of the facilities of the community centres, education centres and senior citizens' clubs for their activities. Many of these CDCCs have financed the running cost and equipment themselves. For those who want to set up their own CD centres in void decks, we have in fact got the approval of HDB to offer rents at a concessionary rate on the same basis as social, educational and community services provided by the CCCs and the RCs, ie, only $1.30 per square metre. Sir, the Ministry will ask the SJCDF to look into what assistance can be given to CDCCs to set up their own CD centres. For example, to provide a start-up capital grant and assist in fund raising activities. In particular, we shall ask the SJCDF to consider earmarking some of the funds raised through walkathons and other events for this purpose. Sir, the Chairman of the GPC on Home Affairs, Dr Arthur Beng, also proposed that the SJCDF run a common operations room for emergency and non-emergency cases. It is an interesting proposal. I would like to thank him for bringing this up.”
“Sir, there were two points raised by Dr Arthur Beng last Friday which have not been replied. Can I reply to him now?”
“To attract more airlines providing more flights to Singapore so as to increase the air cargo load capacity, we should be more flexible in our air traffic rights negotiations. We should not sacrifice the long term interest of the industry and the country for the sake of the short term sectoral interest. Second, we should increase the warehouse space within the free trade zone near the airport. Currently, the existing air cargo warehouse space is always in short supply, and some companies even have to locate their warehouses in Jurong. Under the first phase expansion project of the air cargo complex, the airline handling facilities will be increased to a total capacity of 1.3 million tonnes by 1993. Industry observers have expressed concern that the air cargo agents' facilities are not increasing in tandem with the airline handling facilities. This is not conducive to the development of Singapore as an air cargo centre catering to both the region and the world. Sir, we know that the land around the airport is valuable and the airport authorities have other priorities to cater to. However, if we truly want to meet the challenges ahead, we need an overall plan for Changi Airport's future development with air cargo facilities given a higher priority.”
“Sir, the air cargo trade has been a high-growth industry. It has led to the development of Changi Airport as one of the biggest air cargo centres in the world. According to a forecast provided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the Asia-Pacific air cargo traffic is expected to grow at an average rate of 8.5% up to the year 2000. According to our own projection, air cargo through Singapore is expected to rise by about 9% a year for the next 10 years. The volume of through-put at Changi should hit one million tonnes a year by 1996. Sir, the Government must be commended for its foresight in capitalising on Singapore's strategic location and for building up a good infrastructure, including airport cargo facilities and a telecommunications system. However, I feel that we must remain competitive in order not to lose out to other regional air cargo centres. In this connection, I would like to bring up two suggestions for consideration First, we must be more flexible in our air policy so as to attract more airlines providing more flights to Singapore to increase the air cargo load capacity. According to feedback from the industry, the traders have already experienced shortage of load capacity. Some have to queue for aircraft space and some have to use other airports such as Bangkok's airport to expand their trade. As a country that believes in the operation of the free market, we have already adopted a liberal air policy. However, on occasions, we have been accused of being inflexible in implementing it. As a result, some foreign airlines are unable to fly as many times as they would have liked to Singapore.”
“The question of employing non-teaching staff for schools was raised by the Member for Moulmein last year, and my reply was that the Ministry had requested the Management Services Department to look into this. I would like to report to the House that the Management Services Department has completed its report, which is now with the Ministry of Finance. My Ministry is awaiting for its response. On the other point raised by the Member, my Ministry has allowed schools to air-condition their facilities using the funds raised by the School Advisory Committees. Since 1985, 214 schools have already air-conditioned facilities such as the staff room, library, AVA room, music room, etc. using their SAC funds.”
“Sir, as all the places were taken up at the end of Phase 2B of the registration exercise, the schools did not register any more children for admission. However, the Ministry is aware that there is a demand for more places. Sir, the preparatory year programme was launched in January this year and is being monitored closely by the Ministry. The progress made so far has been encouraging. The Ministry is now actively looking into the possibility of expanding it to more schools. A decision will be made by early next year after studying the experience gained by the 10 "seed" schools. The following Question stood in the name of Mr Chiam See Tong - CHIA THYE POH (Lifting of restrictive condition) 5. To ask the Minister for Home Affairs why the Government requires Chia Thye Poh to return to Sentosa Island in the evenings.”
“The Minister of State, Mr Mah Bow Tan said in Parliament yesterday that there was a need to increase the competitiveness of our TV stations, to expand, to train our talents, to introduce advanced technology, and at the same time to have the flexibility and innovative spirit of a commercial environment. I agree that all these are correct. However, I hope that Mr Mah would not only look after the backstage people, and the technology, but also take care of the welfare of all the people working in the front stage. I have also heard that SBC is planning to have a late-night English News Bulletin over Channel 5, ie, late night news in English at 10.30 pm. I think this is very good news. If it is possible, SBC should also consider having a late-night Chinese News Bulletin over Channel 8. I think this will be very exciting news for our Chinese audience in Singapore. This would indeed be a "Double Happiness". Some local artistes complained to me that they have been "frozen" by SBC for no rhyme or reason, and were deprived of opportunities to appear over TV. On occasions when they tried to go through the proper channel to find out why they had been frozen, they were either brushed aside by the officer-in-charge or simply refused to be given an interview for some very unreasonable reasons. I personally feel that when an offence is committed there must be a reason behind it, and the punishment for such an offence must be definitive. If these artistes have made any mistakes resulting in their being "frozen", I think the authority should at least, as a matter of courtesy, let them know what they have done wrong. (In English): Sir, may I carry on with my next cut on "Licence Fees"? Sir, from my understanding, collection of SBC licence fees can be very tedious and troublesome.”
“SBC should have a special unit of specialists to deal with problems concerning the contract artistes' remuneration, to arrange and coordinate for their opportunities to appear on TV, to listen to their complaints and views, and to look after their welfare. Similarly, I can imagine the frustrations of the performing artistes in the other units in SBC, for example, the broadcasting and other programme units. I believe there is great mobility among the SBC performing artistes. I think the management should pay more attention to this problem. I heard that SBC has a training centre for the artistes. However, I received some complaints about the mismanagement of the centre because it has not fully achieved its target. Why? The reason is that the instructors who are conducting the training courses are using English as the medium of instruction. For those who speak Tamil, Malay, or Mandarin, it is extremely unfair, and most of the time it is a case of "getting half the result with twice the effort". In fact, SBC should send people who are directly involved in the production of the programme, such as the broadcasters, artistes and actors, and not just technical and backstage personnel, for training overseas. By so doing, we will be able to raise the standard of production of SBC's programme. We must not lock ourselves in the ivory tower. If we look around at the TV stations in our neighbouring countries, their standards are getting higher and higher each year. This is a fact! As a matter of fact, some people have told me that the standard of SBC's TV programme has lowered as compared to the programmes of the TV stations in other countries, and that the schedule of TV programmes in SBC is found wanting. I hope that the SBC management would seriously look into these two points.”
“Mr Choo Wee Khiang( In Mandarin): Sir, first of all, I would like to comment on Mr Chiam See Tong's criticism of SBC in a letter to the Forum Page of the Straits Times this morning with the caption "SBC is not fair". I agree that SBC has not been fair because, for a simple reason, if we listen to the radio or watch the Parliamentary Report over TV, we could see Mr Chiam See Tong being featured there almost every night. Yet, some of our Backbenchers, despite having spoken a lot, were not shown over TV, not reported at all. SBC is indeed unfair! SBC should give us, PAP Backbenchers, more opportunities to be heard over TV, so that the audience could see us and hear our arguments. Some hon. Members: Hear, hear! Mr Choo Wee Khiang( In Mandarin): I agree with Mr Goh Choon Kang that SBC should promote the performance of orthodox art songs. However, we cannot totally eliminate pop songs or refuse to telecast pop songs, because pop songs are very popular in all the countries in the world. It does not necessarily mean that by promoting pop songs we will be inviting bad influence from the western countries. I also agree with what Mr Peh Chin Hua said about the so-called "MC King". I feel that if we want to improve our standard of Mandarin, we must certainly discard such expressions. I fully agree with Mr Peh Chin Hua with regard to what he said about the resignation of SBC artistes. Over the past months, it was reported in the newspapers that many SBC artistes had resigned. There are many discussions among the people within and outside the circle. Basically, the problem lies in the remuneration, welfare, prospects and many restrictions that hamper their career development. I believe what Mr Peh said, a moment ago, was correct.”
“In the words of its own Annual Report last year, "SBC will continue to inform, educate, and entertain Singaporeans, and in the process help forge and strengthen nationhood." Sir, there is no doubt that SBC has been trying very hard to improve the quality of its programmes. However, it sometimes also gives the impression that SBC is very commercial-oriented, paying little or no attention to the nature of events to be covered. We must realise that there are many nation-wide activities and events which can benefit the entire society and which are strictly non-profit-making. Organisers are often hard-pressed looking for funds to get the event off the ground, and expecting them to pay SBC to cover the event is almost impossible. One example I can give is this year's Chingay procession. As a result of non-coverage of the event, fewer people were able to enjoy the festive colours and mood. The question that I want to ask is: Between getting more revenue and sacrificing a meaningful programme, which is in line with its stated objectives? What are the guidelines to decide whether to cover a certain event or not? In my opinion, activities which attract mass interest and participation, as well as issues concerning all Singaporeans, are national issues and events. As such, they deserve adequate coverage by SBC. If newspapers, running on commercial basis, are prepared to give colourful and full coverage of the events, there is no good reason for SBC to give just a few seconds of coverage during the news bulletin. Sir, I think what we need here is sound professional judgment, striking a balance between commercial considerations and SBC's missions.”
“Sir, there are two points I wish to raise regarding the improvement of the television services: the need to re-introduce late night news and the guidelines for sponsorship and funding of programmes. The late night news was terminated in January last year because, according to SBC, there was only a limited number of viewers. I would like to point out that SBC should not consider all programmes just in terms of viewership. Instead, it should also consider about actual needs. News broadcasting is one of the main objectives of SBC. It provides the public a daily window to the world around and beyond us. It not only informs but it also educates. One bulletin a day, for example, at 9.00 o'clock for English and 8.00 o'clock for Chinese, is hardly adequate. There needs to be at least another bulletin later in the night, both to provide an update as well as to cater to viewers who missed the earlier broadcast. Because of the scrapping of the late night news, there were viewers who missed the almost hourly dramatic development in China and Eastern Europe on SBC. As a result, some had no choice but to tune in to the BBC radio broadcast and use their own imagination to fill in the visuals. Others had to switch to Malaysian TV channels for an update of these events. But, most important of all, the viewers do not have the update of local news. Certainly we do not expect foreign stations to provide this vital service to our own viewers. Can SBC reconsider bringing back the late night news? On the sponsorship and funding of programmes, it is only right that SBC should be a viable corporation providing quality broadcast while maintaining sound finances. But SBC is not purely a commercial organisation. It is a statutory board with important missions to accomplish.”
“The Ministry has requested the Management Services Department to look into the requirement of non-teaching staff in schools. The Department is still finalizing its recommendations.”
“Sir, Mr Sia Khoon Seong, Mr Peh Chin Hua and Dr Ong Chit Chung have raised the question of providing more equipment and improved facilities as well as more non-teaching staff in schools. Sir, it is part of the Ministry's on-going effort to provide more equipment and improved facilities to schools in order to provide a more effective learning and working environment. For example, primary schools and secondary schools will be provided with more computers for administration purposes. Under the school-link project which enables prompt communication among schools and with the Ministry of Education HQ, each primary and secondary school has been provided with one personal computer. Under the same project, from financial year 1990, each secondary school will be given up to four additional personal computers and each primary school up to three. These additional computers will cost about $7 million. To improve communication links, all junior colleges have been supplied with facsimile machines. The feasibility of extending this facility to all schools is being studied taking into account factors such as cost, the setting up of a data receiving system in MOE HQ and security of information. With regard to the air-conditioning of school facilities, the Public Works Department has been asked to estimate the capital and recurrent cost of air-conditioning selected facilities in schools which may include the principal's office, library, AVA room, music room and staff room. A decision will be made once the full implications of cost are available. Mr Sia also touched on the problem of employing more non-teaching staff. I agree with the Member that this will enhance the administrative support to schools.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have the exact figures with me now but there are two schools in Ang Mo Kio which offer TL2 teaching. One is Deyi Secondary School and the other is Bo Wen Secondary School. SMOKING IN PRIVATE VEHICLES (Prohibition) 4. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for the Environment whether he will consider prohibiting smoking in private vehicles on the road. The Acting Minister for the Environment (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, current laws on the prohibition of smoking are confined only to places where the general public ordinarily have access to. They do not apply to private places. This being the case, we cannot prohibit smoking in private vehicles on the road. However, smoking in public vehicles, such as buses, taxis and MRT trains, is prohibited. The Ministry of the Environment is reviewing the existing laws so that prohibition can be applied to places such as private offices and clubs in order that a greater segment of the public can be safeguarded against the harmful effects of side-stream smoke. Meanwhile, the Ministry will encourage owners of private vehicles and managements of private offices and clubs to introduce their own house rules to prohibit smoking in these places.”
“Sir, the two key factors in the prevention of outbreaks of food borne diseases in Homes for the aged and the destitutes are a high standard of environmental sanitation and good personal hygiene. Managements should avoid enlisting the help of inmates in food preparation and in the kitchen. They should also be on the look-out for diarrhoeal cases and isolate them from the rest of the inmates and then treat them. As a routine, officers from my Ministry carry out checks to ensure that the environmental sanitation in Homes for the aged and the destitutes are satisfactorily maintained. FOOD POISONING (Increase in) 5. Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for the Environment if he will explain the significant increase in the number of food poisoning cases reported to his Ministry in 1988 compared with those in previous years; and what measures are being taken to contain the problem.”
“The four schools which will be completed in 1992 are located in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Serangoon and Jurong West. SREE NARAYANA MISSION HOME (Steps to prevent recurrence of food poisoning) 4. Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for the Environment whether his Ministry has established the cause of the outbreak of food poisoning at the Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick; and what steps his Ministry has taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng) (for the Minister of the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. The recent outbreak of diarrhoea at the Sree Narayana Home was caused by the dysentery bacteria, Shigella. A total of 68 inmates and two ward attendants came down with diarrhoea between 28th April and 15th May 1989. A 78-year old inmate died on 4th May 1989. Sir, the outbreak is likely to have been caused by food prepared by the Home. The food could have been contaminated by one of the inmates who had helped in the kitchen. The inmate could have earlier been infected with dysentery bacteria after eating food brought in from outside and became a transient carrier. The Sree Narayana Home was well maintained and the general sanitation, including toilets, was satisfactory. The kitchen in the Home was clean. Food samples taken from meals prepared by the Home, during investigations, were found to be free from dysentery germs. The Home's cooks and their assistants were medically screened and they were also found to be free from dysentery infection.”
“Finally, to sum up, the decreasing number of Chinese language talents including teachers is a serious matter that calls for our serious attention. I am glad that many Members have spoken on this subject. If Chinese teachers are lacking in number and quality, of course the standard of Chinese will also be affected resulting in a general weakening of traditional values. Therefore we must study how to increase the supply of qualified Chinese teachers. Once more I stress that the Government attaches great importance to the contributions of the Chinese teachers, particularly in the field of traditional values and culture. MOE will continue to pay attention to their problems and try to find solutions for them in order to ensure high morale in their work.”
“While we are taking various measures to boost their morale, we hope that they will strive hard to contribute their bit by playing their role in the spirit of "willing service to the young". Talking about teaching materials for secondary and primary schools, these were formulated several years ago based on the situation, the social background and the need of the prevailing conditions then. For example, the materials for primary schools have been in use for some 10 years. At that time, other than language teaching we tried to teach the students national consciousness which was required in nation-building. Now that time and tide have changed, social and other conditions have changed while the problem of westernisation has appeared. So it is time for us to revise teaching materials. In the course of revision, we will try to preserve what we have achieved, that is, in the field of language teaching. At the same time we want to strengthen and incorporate traditional culture and values in the contents of the teaching materials in order to achieve our target. Now I would like to touch upon the question of CL1 and CL2. I agree with what the Member for Braddell Heights has said. The term CL2 would give a person the feeling that it is of secondary importance. To change the term is very simple. But, we have to consider other implications. Chinese as a first language and Chinese as a second language are two separate subjects of different standards which cater to the learning needs of different groups of pupils. So if we suddenly change the term, then people will be confused as to what the standards of the subjects are. Therefore we must give some thought to it before considering any changes. It will take some time.”
“With regard to some teachers in the English stream who are given increments after they have obtained credits in English, English Literature and Mathematics as pointed out by certain MPs, we must see it in the right perspective. It is because in the past, certain teachers did not have good qualifications to teach such subjects. So we encouraged them to get better qualifications. That is why this kind of incentive is given to them to encourage them to raise their standard. As regards extension of retirement age, this matter has been resolved now. When a teacher has reached 55 and if he is physically fit and without an adverse record, generally we will allow him to continue to teach. Of course, it depends on the merit of each case. Generally the extension of retirement age will pose no problem. Now the problem is that even with these various measures adopted, if Chinese teachers still think that their role is insignificant and their contribution is still not appreciated, their morale will still be low. Here, I would like to express my view that Chinese teachers have an important mission to carry out. The duty of a Chinese teacher is not only to teach linguistic skills like listening, speaking, reading and writing but more importantly also to convey Chinese culture and values to students. Although it is desirable to teach such values across the curriculum, I believe that because of their cultural background, Chinese teachers are more effective in playing a positive role in this area. This is a time-honoured mission and challenge which involve heavy responsibility for the Chinese teachers. The Ministry of Education recognizes the contribution of Chinese teachers.”
“For a school to be run well, not only should the teachers be happy with their job and have a high regard for their profession, there should also be a certain dedication on there part together with a high morale. Therefore the Ministry of Education is very concerned about some Chinese teachers whose morale is low. I feel that there are several contributing factors to their low morale which can be summed up as follows. First of all, as the Chinese schools have been phased out, many Chinese teachers have become redundant. This has led some Chinese teachers to feel that their roles have diminished in importance. Some are demoralised because their pupils perceive Chinese only as a subject for examination. Others are unhappy because they have to take heavier workloads. All these have affected their morale. The Ministry of Education understands the situation and feelings of these teachers. In order to solve their problems and boost their morale, we are resorting to various measures. On the one hand, it is to raise their professional standard. On the other, we give them more opportunities for self advancement. These include inservice courses and seminars conducted by various divisions of the Ministry of Education and the Institute of Education have also taken steps to help them. There are also opportunities for long-term career development. For example, scholarships and bursaries are available to non-graduate teachers who qualify for a degree course. In terms of workload, a survey by the Ministry has confirmed that a small percentage of Chinese teachers has a heavier workload mainly because of more time needed in marking pupils' assignments. So we are sending more teachers to such schools.”
“Therefore, to correct this aberration, from January next year, in Hwa Chong Junior College and Temasek junior College, the Government will implement a Language Elective Programme (Chinese) which will not only teach Chinese at first language level but also teach the students to appreciate Chinese literature and learn creative writing. At the same time, students will also be sent abroad to take part in language immersion activities. Contacts will be established with foreign Chinese language centres, too. If necessary, we will also invite foreign teachers to come and teach at these colleges. The Chinese libraries and teaching materials of these colleges will also be augmented and improved. Every year, there will be 20 scholarships awarded to students joining this programme. Every scholarship will have a value of $1,000 a year, for a period of two years. The value of this scholarship will be the same as that of the Humanities Scholarship awarded by the PSC. Here, I would like to convey on behalf of the Ministry of Education our thanks to the Chinese Clan Foundation and the Foundation for giving ten of these awards each. To encourage those who have completed the course to pursue the study of Chinese at tertiary level, under-graduate scholarships, tenable at NUS or at overseas universities, will be offered. Let me mention in passing that the Chinese Studies Department of NUS has restructured its courses from last year. Other than the original "Chinese Studies", there will be an additional "Chinese Language" course. This year, there are 95 students studying "Chinese Studies" as well as "Chinese Language" courses. I would now like to touch on another subject that has something to do with Chinese teachers, that is, the low morale of the Chinese teachers.”
“In order to strengthen the learning of Chinese and to raise the standard of Chinese, the curriculum of the Institute of Education was also revised to meet the situation. In fact, other than chinese teachers, we also need a group of Chinese language personnel serving other fields, such as newspaper editors, journalists, civil servants and those people who know not only the Chinese language but the Chinese culture as well, including the entrepreneurs, businessmen, professionals and so on. We need all of them because all these people can contribute much to our cultural, educational and economic development in nation-building. But under the present education system, most of the students can only attain a second language standard in the Chinese language. In order to cultivate more people conversant in Chinese and in order to meet the need for social development, the Ministry of Education is implementing measures to give more able students more opportunities to learn more Chinese. In primary schools, just as the Minister has said, from next year, other than the original four primary schools, there will be six more primary schools which will also be teaching Chinese as a first language. Five-year-old pupils will be enrolled in these ten schools, so that they will be able to have a more solid foundation in Chinese. At the secondary school level, we already have nine SAP schools teaching Chinese as a first language. There are still vacancies for more students. However, at the moment there is no plan to encourage our students in junior colleges to study a higher standard of Chinese.”
“Sir, I thank the Members who have spoken. They have brought up three main issues. The first issue is the supply of Chinese teachers. The second issue is the morale of the Chinese teachers. The third issue is the teaching materials of the Chinese language in schools. In fact, all these issues have been looked into by the Ministry of Education. We are actively trying step by step to adopt practical methods or measures to solve these problems. Let me touch on each issue. In the early part of the 80s, our Chinese schools became part of a unified stream. As a result, we face the problems of excess Chinese teachers. However, it is a phenomenon of that transitional period. According to forecast, if we do not recruit more Chinese teachers, then in five or eight years we will be faced with new problems, just as Dr Lee Siew-Choh has pointed out. That is to say, we will be faced with the problem, of a shortage of Chinese teachers. This is because the majority of the Chinese teachers were employed in the 50s and 60s and they will soon gradually retire. Every year from 1995 to 2010, the number of Chinese teachers retiring will be increased from the present 60 to 200. In other words, by 1997, we need on an average 195 non-graduate Chinese teachers and 80 graduate Chinese teachers each year. In order to ensure an adequate supply of Chinese teachers in the future, the Government is continuously recruiting graduate Chinese teachers in spite of the fact that there are excess graduate Chinese teachers at present. On the other hand, the Government started to recruit 'A' level students to be trained as teachers for primary schools last year.”
“As regards vocational training, Sir, the Prisons Department also has a vocational training scheme to provide selected inmates with the opportunity of obtaining recognized trade qualifications in skills which will stand them in good stead when they are discharged and they seek employment. In 1987, there were four courses, of which three were certificated courses, namely, Electrical Wiring (VITB's Certificate of Competency), Metal Fabrication (VITB's National Trade Certificate 3) and Construction Trade (CITC's Basic Builder Certificate). The Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) will be seeking approved training status for a fourth course (Hair Cutting for Males) and upgrading it to Certificate of Competency level. As at 31st March 1987, there were 439 trainees. The passing rate of those who sat for the public trade tests is encouraging. Of the 202 inmates who sat for the public trade tests in the three certificated courses of Electrical Wiring and Welding, 177 of them passed, a passing rate of more than 87%. Finally, Sir, on educational activity. In January 1988, an average of 280 prisoners were attending various academic courses, GCE 'O' and 'N' levels, WISE and BEST classes which were taught by 14 full-time and four part-time teachers seconded from the Ministry of Education.”
“Sir, it is not the policy of the Ministry to change textbooks frequently. PRISONERS (Particulars and rehabilitation measures) 4. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for Home Affairs if he will state (i) the average number of prisoners discharged in the years 1983 to 1987 and (ii) the various new rehabilitation measures that are being undertaken to minimize recidivism. The Minister for Home Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, the average number of convicted prisoners discharged in the years 1983 to 1987 was 6,384. As for the various rehabilitation measures, let me refer to the following schemes. First, there are two schemes known as Work Release and Pre-Release Employment Schemes. The Work Release Scheme is for short-term prisoners and the Pre-release Employment Scheme is for long-term prisoners. Prisoners selected for the schemes are transferred to day release camps where they are granted leave to take up employment outside during the day. And they return to the camps after work. Short-term prisoners selected under the scheme are released for work during the last six months of their sentence. This is a new scheme. For the FY 85-86, 86 inmates were placed on the scheme while another 180 inmates were placed during FY 86-87. Prisoners who are imprisoned for four years or more and have at least 12 months' sentence remaining are also eligible to be considered for the Pre-release Employment Scheme for long-term prisoners. If selected, they are granted leave to take up employment for 12 months. As at 31st March 1987, 35 inmates were on the Pre-release Employment Scheme, of which, 27 were placed for work in the building industry while the remaining eight were placed in the manufacturing sector.”
“For the past threeyears, that is, from 1985 to 1986, the Institute has trained a total of 932 participants in the various courses for kindergarten teachers and child care personnel. Based on the enrolment for 1987, which was the highest in the last three years, for the courses for kindergarten teachers and child care personnel and IE's existing resources, the Institute is be able to train about 440 participants per year, with an increase of up to, say, 10%. The Ministry will consider expanding the enrolment capacity if the need can be established. Therefore, there is no necessity to set up an Early Childhood Education Institute.”
“Sir, on the point raised by the Member for Bo Wen on pre-primary education, the pre-primary programme is currently conducted in 39 primary schools catering to some 4,500 5-year olds. The rest of our 5-year olds are catered for by private kindergartens. The Ministry has not made any firm decision on the future direction of the pre-primary programme. In terms of facilitating language learning, a Ministry study showed that the pre-primary programme did not provide this significantly better than the private kindergartens. An extension of the pre-primary programme will mean the lowering of school-entering age to 5. The Ministry will need to consider the implications of the lowering of school-entering age as well as the cost involved in providing children with an extra year of schooling. It is not correct to say that there is a significant decrease in the number of Primary 1 students. Therefore, we have no extra resources for this purpose. The question of the future direction of the pre-primary programme will be settled by next year after we have considered all the implications. Sir, I would also like to take this opportunity to answer the point raised by the Member for Yuhua, which is also in connection with this pre-primary education. The Member for Yuhua raised the need for an Early Childhood Education Institute. I agree with the Member that kindergarten teachers and child care personnel must have proper training. In fact, the need for trained personnel in our kindergartens and child care centres is being met. This is achieved through the courses run by the Department of Early Childhood Education of the Institute of Education.”
“The Member for Potong Pasir also mentioned that the objective of our education should be one by which we can produce a well-balanced or well-rounded person. I think this is the objective we have been pursuing.”
“We have recently initiated a new promotional exercise to project a high profile of a teacher with a view to recruiting more high calibre personnel to become teachers. There are two other factors which were cited by the principals. They think that these two factors are the ingredients of a good school. They are, smaller class size and a favourable teacher-pupil ratio and single session. The smaller class size, will remain our long term objective. However, this cannot happen overnight. It is because we need time to recruit more teachers. We also need time to build more schools and more classrooms. Single session is a matter that has been taken up by my Ministry with the Ministry of Finance. Even with all these constraints we still strive very hard to achieve the objective of excellence in education. First, the bottom-up approach. Although the Member for Ayer Rajah mentioned that there are problems here and there, I think we cannot expect to achieve a perfect result in a short period of time. This is a totally new approach. For so many years the system in Singapore has been a centrally controlled one, and now we want to encourage principals and teachers to take their initiative to come out with better programmes. Sir, we have a number of good programmes at the moment. For example, the Music Elective programme, the Arts Elective programme, the CORT Thinking programme and the Foreign Language programmes. These are the programmes which are meant to bring out the best in our students. On top of that, we have professional development courses meant for our principals and teachers. They can see the prospect of career development. They can strive harder for the benefit of our students.”
“I think last year there was a 6% and 3% improvement made in our 'O' and 'A' levels examinations respectively. What is more encouraging is that those highflyers who are normally found in traditionally good schools are now also produced by ordinary schools, the new town schools, eg, the Ang Mo Kio Secondary School. The other encouraging development is that Normal course students also made impressive improvements. I think this brings hope to our education system. This brings hope to our pupils and this brings hope to their parents. It shows that our effort in improving the quality of education across the board in all streams and at all levels has begun to bear fruit. This is very encouraging. Just now, I said that if we want to discuss what is excellence in education we must take the views of the professionals into consideration. In their Report after they had visited the US and UK schools, they put up recommendations to improve our education system. If the Ministry is just paying lip service to what we believe in, we could have just sat on the report or thrown it into the dustbin or just let memory fade away. On the contrary, my Ministry and the principals and teachers, I would say, did not waste any time in following up the recommendations. In less than a year we have seen three independent schools set up. This has allowed them to operate with greater autonomy and I am sure that their experiences will contribute to the quality of education. In their Report, the principals also pointed out that in our system there is a lack of pastoral care and career guidance. We have now in less than a year a total of 17 schools implementing a pilot project on pastoral care and career guidance. The Report also emphasised the importance of effective and committed teachers.”
“For example, if a Primary 6 school leaver, can pass the PSLE examination, he will proceed to another four years of secondary education. Those who cannot pass or are overaged, can be admitted to the vocational institutes for education and training. Let me elaborate on this point. For the Normal course or Extended course students, if they fail the PSLE they can proceed to the VITB. In fact, they are automatically registered with VITB for the Basic Skills Training course for one year, followed by another year the National Trade Certificate-3 course. For those students who are from the Monolingual stream, they can go to the VITB for a one year Pre-Vocational Training course. Likewise, they can also proceed to the one-year Basic Skills Training course and maybe another year of National Trade Certificate-3 course. So, all in all, they would have at least about 8 to 11 years of education, which is more than what the Member for Potong Pasir was asking for. I think we must stress that our system is a flexible one as it caters to the different abilities of our students. Anyway, when we discuss the issues of excellence in education, it is better for us to bear in mind the views expressed by our professionals. Just now my Minister of State said that the performance of our students at 'O' and 'A' levels is much better than the students in the UK. I can quote you one statement made by the 12 principals who were led by my Minister in their visit to UK and US schools. In their Report, they said that the examiners in the Cambridge Examinations Syndicate said that it was a delight to mark the examination scripts of our candidates because they could anticipate high standards of work. Over the years, our students' performance at 'O' and 'A' levels, in fact, has been very encouraging.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to address the point raised by the Member for Fengshan regarding the NCC. He asked for extra means to raise funds for the NCC. I think that the proposal can be supported by my Ministry. And if the NCC were to put up concrete proposals, my Ministry will be happy to discuss the proposals with the NCC. I would like to take up further the points raised by the Member for Potong Pasir. He raised basically two issues. One is the issue elaborated by my Minister of State, ie, compulsory education. The second issue is excellence in education. As explained by my Minister of State, if excellence in education can be achieved by simply making it compulsory for students to go to our schools, then I think we would have already done it a long time ago. Today practically all children come to register for Pre-primary 1. This shows that even without compulsory education we are able to get almost all pupils to attend school. If the Member is serious about compulsory education, there must be a department specially set up for the purpose of monitoring and enforcement. You must have officers to go round and check who is not in our education system. I think this is a waste of public funds. The money can be better used to improve the quality of education. I think the Member for Potong Pasir has rightly pointed out that we should not have a fixed system. We must have a flexibile system which we already have. We have a flexible system, which caters for students of different abilities. If he takes a deeper look into our system, he will be able to understand that, in fact, our system provides an opportunity for our pupils to have at least 10 years of education.”
“Recurrent expenditure. THE HANDICAPPED AND DISABLED (Access to MRT stations) 6. Dr Ho Tat Kin asked the Minister for Communications and Information how many of the Mass Rapid Transit stations will be easily accessible to the handicapped and disabled, particularly those on wheel chairs; and what measures will be taken to ensure that the public transport system will be more user-friendly to the disabled.”
“The education of the handicapped children is a separate issue. The main consideration of pre-primary education is whether it is desirable to lower the formal education age for our pupils from six years old to five. When a decision is made, we can then consider which group of pupils should be covered.”
“After the closing down of Pasir Panjang Primary School and Labrador Primary School, there is another primary school in the Member's Constituency. We have built one new primary school named Jagoh Primary School, which is about 1.5 km away from his Constituency, which will be able to cater for the needs of the students. NOISE AND AIR POLLUTION FROM MRT SYSTEM (Measures to control) The following Question stood in the name of Dr Koh Lam Son: 5. To ask the Minister for the Environment what measures are being taken to control noise and air pollution from the Mass Rapid Transit System.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, the issue of pre-primary education was touched on yesterday by the Member for Boon Lay and the Member for Tanah Merah and this issue may not be brought up again today. So can I respond to it? At present we have 44 pre-primary centres in our primary schools catering to about 5,000 five-year-olds. This pre-primary programme complements kindergartens in the provision of education for our four- and five-year-olds. The issue of whether to extend the pre-primary programme to all children is a major one because it touches on the important question of how early an age should children enter the formal environment of a school. The Ministry has to study the effects of early schooling at five years and the long term implications of lowering the school admission age from six to five. We must weigh carefully the merits of the above system against the present arrangement where the majority of our five-year-olds are educated in the less formal setting of private kindergartens which are linked to the pre-school programme for four-year-olds. We are looking at related experiences of other countries, seeking expert advice and studying the matter carefully before making a final decision. Should the Ministry decide to expand the pre-primary programme, it will be extended to include ML2 and TL2 classes. In the meantime, we will continue with the present arrangement.”
“Yes. CHANGI AIRPORT (Retention of world image) 5. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Communications and Information, in view of Changi Airport being voted by "Business Traveller" as the second best-liked airport in the world in 1986, what steps are being taken to ensure that Changi Airport retains its premier position in the world.”
“Yes. IMPORT OF MEAT, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (Inspection unit) 4. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for the Environment (a) how often are checks made on imported meat, fruits and vegetables to ensure that they are safe for consumption; and (b) whether his Ministry will set up an inspection or examination unit at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre to expedite the examination process and to minimise the inconvenience suffered by vegetable and fruit importers.”
“I am replying on behalf of the Minister. Community organizations today have access to school facilities, like fields and halls, for recreational purposes after school hours or during school holidays. Many grassroots organizations, like CCCs, CCMCs and RCs, are making use of these facilities for their activities. To ensure that school facilities are properly and responsibly used, only requests from registered organizations can be considered. If any CCC, CCMC, RC or private registered organization wants to use school sports facilities, they should approach the school principal to make the necessary arrangements. SANITARY CONVENIENCES IN BUILDINGS (Prosecutions for improper maintenance) 5. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for the Environment what was the number of cases, in each of the past five years, of offenders warned or prosecuted for improper maintenance of sanitary conveniences in buildings.”
“The Ministry believes that the voluntary organizations are in a better position to cater to the special needs of this special group of pupils. With this annual grant arrangement, the situation will be monitored closely by the Ministry and assistance will be provided where necessary. SCHOOL SPORTS FACILITIES (Use by the community) 4. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Education whether there are plans for maximum usage of school sports facilities by the community in the evenings and during school holidays.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, when the Minister said that nine months from now, land transport in Singapore will take a quantum leap forward, does the Minister imply that road tax will be increased?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the site at the junction of Bedok North Road and New Upper Changi Road has been earmarked for the building of one primary school and one secondary school. Subject to financial approval being given, the secondary school is scheduled to be built by January 1992. The primary school will be built later. My Ministry does consider retaining the names of old schools which have been demolished, where appropriate. If the Member has a specific case in mind, I will be happy to discuss it with him. EXTENSION OF THE FREE PARKING SCHEME 21. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for National Development whether he will consider extending the free parking scheme to include the evening hours of Saturdays and the eve of public holidays.”