Tay Boon Too
Singapore
“Of course, I am glad to hear that the answer is "No". Sir, I would like to ask, or rather make a suggestion. Can the two languages be given equal exposure time, i.e. 50% for the mother tongue and 50% for English?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would just like to request the Senior Minister of State to clarify certain matters in regard to bilingualism. I have already quoted the Prime Minister in my speech just now.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister of State's answer to the question of six- and seven-year primary education seems to be wrong. According to my understanding, the curriculum committee has already revised the six-year syllabus to a seven-year syllabus. For example, there is a textbook graded Book Seven.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask a supplementary question. If a student's home environment is not conducive to his learning the language in a particular language stream, under our bilingual policy is it possible for him to learn more in the language in which he is proficient?”
“As a result of this statement the school inspectors in charge of second language teaching are very worried. So they visit all the various Chinese schools, not with the purpose of advising the teachers how to raise the standard of English as the second language but to tell the teachers, "My superior has pulled me up, so I must pull you up…”
“Sir, earlier on the Minister for Education mentioned that the discretion of limited corporal punishment has been given to principals and senior teachers. I do not know whether he realises a situation like this.”
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“It is also stated in the White Paper that because a taxi is put to hard use, it is on the run for almost 24 hours in two shifts. I think this is purely guesswork. As far as we understand, most taxis do not run about in the streets after 1.00 a.m. They are all parked in petrol kiosks or such other places until at least 6.00 a.m, or later before they are on the road again. And during the period when they are supposed to be in use, the taxi drivers also take time off for rest. You do not expect them to keep on driving for 12 hours on end. It is, therefore, clear that the actual time a taxi is being used is between 12 and 15 hours. In the case of buses which are to serve the same purpose, an age limit of 17 years is proposed without any good reason being given. Why cannot the age of a taxi be about half that set for a bus? Mr Speaker, Sir, it is clear that the public transport service of Singapore is in a very serious state. While we agree to the proposals in the White Paper for a comprehensive reorganisation, the Minister for Communications should emulate the Housing and Development Board, which has successfully solved the housing problem, in the solution of the public transport problem. 7.02 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, next I would like to deal with taxis. In the White Paper the Government has decided to issue 1,200 new taxi licences. At the moment, there are about 14,000 taxi drivers to 5,000 taxis. This ratio, I think, is a comfortable one, and taxi drivers do not have to worry about having no taxis to drive. They will not be unemployed in view of the number of taxis available. Undoubtedly this decision is good news for many taxi drivers. Unfortunately the White Paper also proposes to impose an age limit of seven years for taxis. This means that a taxi has to be replaced every seven years. I think this is a waste of money. If we assume that a new taxi costs $12,000 and the money is obtained by way of a loan at the rate of, say, 10 per cent per annum, the interest will amount to $1,200 per annum, capital and interest to be payable within seven years. This means that every month the instalment will come to more than $200, quite apart from expenses on maintenance, road tax, insurance, and other incidentals. With all these items taken into account, every month a sum of more than $300 will be involved. And if after seven years the vehicle is still in good and serviceable condition and yet has to be replaced, will that not be a loss? If the vehicle is -to be sold as a private car, I think very few people will be interested because of the increased tax on diesel cars. Why cannot we extend the age limit of taxis? By doing so we can, on the one hand, save a lot of money in foreign exchange for the country, and, on the other hand, we will enable the taxi operators to earn a few dollars more, so that they will be in a better position to buy a new vehicle the next time.”
“Although the fare of pirate-taxis is slightly more than that for a bus, that is to say, a difference of 5 or 10 cents, on the whole, pirate taxis play the intermediary role between taxis and buses in serving the need of passengers. So while we are diversifying our public transport system, I think there is room for the pirate taxis. Plans for proper control can be executed to legalise the existence of pirate taxis, which are a fait accompli. Operators or drivers of pirate taxis and school taxis have taken loans at high interest rates to buy their diesel vehicles in order to provide this wonderful service to people in all walks of life. They have to sweat and toil to earn their living and to look after their families. Over the years of operation, they have gained experience and know their business. Conscionable people have full sympathy for this kind of illegal operation. Why cannot we try to help them solve their problem? Why cannot we discuss with them to find a proper solution? It is regrettable that this is not being done. And to do away with all this illegal operation by persecution and police action will not solve the problem. The more you arrest them, the more you will find them on the road. And if you take stricter action, you will probably drive them to desperation, and that will lead to unthinkable social problems and consequences. It is, therefore, my view that certain routes should be designated for the operation of these pirate taxis, so as to give the operators and drivers a means of livelihood. This will be the best method. Alternatively, we can classify pirate taxis as second-class taxis. I think they are prepared to talk things over, and are also prepared to accept all reasonable arrangements that we can suggest.”
“This increase in diesel tax will undoubtedly be an unbearable burden on them. This-is quite a cruel and heartless measure. Let me now deal with the question of pirate taxis. The existence of pirate taxis is a fait accompli. The Government has been continually taking action against them. But I think that in the course of such action they have adopted a policy of closing one eye to it. This-could not be denied because we can see that over the years the public transport system in Singapore has worsened. There have been complaints about the inadequacies and the chaotic state of public transport. And what is preposterous is the claim by a bus company, which operates in busy city areas, that it is running at a great loss, to the tune-of millions of dollars. And this claim is made at a time when many, many passengers have to queue up for a long time for its buses. These inadequacies and the unsatisfactory state of affairs give rise to the existence of pirate taxis. To some extent, these pirate taxis help to solve-the transport problem of commuters in Singapore. The people have been served quite satisfactorily by these pirate taxis which ply between housing estates and industrial estates. Rain or shine, the people get the services they need at very moderate rates of fares. Judging from the present situation, buses do get crowded and overflow with passengers at some time. There are people who are not prepared to wait for a long time for buses during the rush hours. So they take taxis or pirate taxis which normally operate between housing estates and industrial estates.”
“Accordingly a lot of people applied for these licences. From statistics released by the R.O.V, in June this year, of the various classes and types of vehicles registered, there are 1,127 school taxis and school buses, the majority of them being school taxis. This figure is more than double the number of buses owned by the Singapore Traction Company. Therefore, it can be seen that so long as there are solutions, popular support is certain. At the moment, we cannot simply write off the licences that were issued four years ago and require the licence holders to switch over to mini buses overnight, or within the time of 11 months. There are certain illogical restrictions mentioned in the White Paper. For example, school taxis are not to be transferred. At the time when these licences were issued, the applicants had to go round raising money to buy their vehicles, diesel cars for example. And up to now many of them have still not yet paid up their loans. But now the Government require them to raise another loan to buy a new mini bus. The previous loan not having been fully paid up, who in their right senses will lend more money to these people? Furthermore, the existing school taxis will be given the death sentence because of the increase in diesel tax. Who will buy diesel vehicles for private use? Mr Speaker, Sir, the passengers of school taxis are mainly school children. Because there is a limit to the fares from school children, school taxi drivers are only able to make enough money to keep body and soul together, quite apart from having to maintain their vehicles. Little did they realise in the early days that, by the 1st of December this year, they would have to pay 50 per cent more in diesel tax, and another 50 per cent by the 1st of July next year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in recent years the public transport service in Singapore has posed a very serious problem. In order to solve it and to ensure that there is a smooth flow of traffic in our streets in Singapore, the Government has set up a Transport Advisory Board for a comprehensive survey and study of the transport service system in Singapore. The efforts of this Board have culminated in the White Paper on the Reorganisation of the Motor Transport Service in Singapore. From the aims and views of this White Paper, we all agree that the premises have been well established and most encouraging and worthy of our support. On the one hand, the proposals will ensure that traffic will flow freely and smoothly in Singapore so that it does not become a hindrance to our economic development and progress. On the other hand, the proposals will also ensure that the public will be given a time-saving and convenient means of transport to move around. Indirectly, the proposals will ensure control of air pollution caused by public transport vehicles. There are, however, certain provisions which are either too strict or far from being perfect. These will not only affect those who are involved, but will also cause the people affected to make unnecessary sacrifices. Therefore, careful consideration should be given to see that proper adjustments are made. First of all, I would like to deal with the question of school taxis. Some four years ago, Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the growing problem of pirate taxis in Singapore and the fact that pirate taxis do play an important role in public transport, the Government decided to issue school taxi licences for these vehicles in order to make good the inadequacies of transport for our school children.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister say why Government teachers get pension and gratuity on retirement and not Government-aided school teachers? Mr Ong Pang Boon: Sir, the difference is that one is a Government servant and the other is not. If the Member is so keen on joining Government service, there are ways and means for him to do so. CERTIFICATES OF SUITABILITY (Particulars, and review of policy) 6. Mr Low Yong Nguan asked the Minister for Education (a) what are the figures, as, at the latest convenient date, of (i) the number of applications for Certificates of Suitability for admission to the various institutions of higher learning in the Republic; (ii) the number rejected and the reasons therefor; and (iii) the number of Certificates granted and subsequently withdrawn; and (b) whether he will carry out a complete review of the policy on the matter having regard to the students' inherent right to higher education.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I know of several teachers who have been reinstated in their posts after having been sacked. I can give examples. From this, we can see that the final decision rests with the Public Service Commission, and it may not always be correct. I would like to stress that the authorities concerned should consult the union of the teacher before disciplinary proceedings are taken against him.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I merely want to know whether there are teachers who have been re-employed after having been sacked.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister say how many teachers who were sacked have been re-employed?”
“Sir, notwithstanding the unsatisfactory reply given by the Minister, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Hwang Soo Jin - (5) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1302 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1261.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not very satisfied with the reply given by the Minister. For example, in the MacPherson Out-patient Clinic, there is a big compound. At least 30 cars can be parked in the compound. Why should the doctor attached to that clinic park his car under the porch and not in the compound and allow the patients to stand in the sun or in the rain? 6.45 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I would like to ask the Minister to reply to my question of porches in front of the clinics being used by doctors to park their cars.”
“I would like the Minister to convey to the nurses who work in his Ministry my feelings of dissatisfaction with them and my criticism of them.”
“m What measures does the Minister intend to take to deal with this kind of conduct? Another point relates to the attitude of the nurses at the out-patient clinics. Just now my colleague, the Member for Moulmein, paid a fine tribute to their work. However, I cannot agree with him on this point. I spoke at great length on the attitude of the nurses when the Budget was debated last year. There are still some nurses who are very contemptuous of the patients. I have received complaints by the residents and I myself had occasion to witness an incident. It was like this. An elderly woman who was very ill was taken to the MacPherson Outpatient Clinic for treatment. On arriving there she vomited and dirtied the place. At that very moment a nurse came along. She was quite beside herself. She screamed and shouted at this poor woman. This elderly woman was very ill and probably the fact that she had travelled a long distance on bumpy roads to the clinic caused her to vomit. This particular nurse by not rendering any help to her was already making a very grave mistake; but to show callousness towards such a patient was to add insult to injury. Many patients at the clinic were very unhappy about this incident and tried to argue with the nurse. She, with a scornful look, walked away. Since she dared to show her insolence and rudeness before so many people, you can imagine what more she could have been capable of. I wonder whether the Minister has noted such rudeness and irresponsibility shown by some of the nurses and, if so, what measures he intends to take to deal with them. Just now the Member for Moulmein paid a tribute to the nurses, but now I am doing the contrary - I am criticising them.”
“Sir, everyone is aware that in order to provide better medical services for the people of Singapore, the Government has set up out-patient clinics throughout the island. These out-patient clinics are set up with the money derived from the taxes that Government collects from the people, and these clinics belong to the state. They are owned by the people of Singapore. However, certain doctors in these out-patient clinics treat these clinics as their own personal property, totally disregarding the public interest. Mr Speaker, Sir, on one occasions some members of the national volleyball team and I went to a certain inoculation centre for inoculation. It was about 1.30 p.m and there was a slight drizzle. Many people were queueing up for inoculation in a very orderly manner in front of the porch of this clinic, to shelter from the rain. They were waiting for the arrival of the doctor. He arrived in his car. However, when he saw them standing on his parking lot, he sounded the horn to warn them to clear out. But because it was raining at that time. it was unreasonable of him to ask them to get out of the porch. At first I intended to reason with him, but before I could approach him I saw a signboard fastened to the pillar with the words, "Private Reserved Parking Space". So I gave up the idea. But I still am of the opinion that all these inoculation centres are set up by the Government, and the porches at these centres are also built by the Government. They are not built by the doctors themselves. How can they abuse their privilege and monopolise the use of the porches? It is common to see doctors making use of these porches as their parking lots. Even in the MacPherson Out-patient Clinic, which is in the constituency of our Minister, that is no exception. 6.30 p.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1302 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1204. Sir, may I, in my discussion, range over my next amendment+? + The amendment reads as follows: (4) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1302 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1226”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I would like to raise another point. The Minister says that, as the Member of Parliament for Paya Lebar, it is my duty to persuade my constituents. I have done a lot of persuasion. The reason why some of them have not moved out is that they have not been given alternative accommodation. Some of them have their backyard enclosed, and we would like the authorities to be more lenient with them and allow them time to find alternative accommodation.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I feel that the Permanent Secretary of a Ministry should be responsible for his subordinates. He should see to it that they behave properly, otherwise it will be a waste of money to pay a huge salary to our Permanent Secretaries for doing nothing. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have mentioned just now that sometimes when the country folk go to see Government officials, they are scared, overawed, and break out in a sweat. Invariably the officials will give them wrong directions and guidance and they have to go from one office to another without getting any result. Therefore, I feel that such discourtesy and bureaucratic attitude on the part of these officials should be taken note of and proper measures taken to deal with them.”
“At times, the Land Office inspectors are bureaucratic and insolent in their dealings with the people in the rural areas. I hope the Minister will take note of this. I have received many complaints to the effect that when members of the public go to a department to apply for something, the officials in the office just gesture with their hands to communicate with them. They do not talk with them. They even glare at them. Such an attitude is very bad. Many country folks came and asked me whether it was because they dressed shabbily that they were looked down upon by the staff in the department. If this is the case, will the Minister take the necessary drastic measures against these officials who judge persons by their appearance and attire? Certain members of the public do not know which department to go to on business, and when they want to approach a certain department -”
“The second point I would like to draw the Minister's attention to is this. In my discussion with those residents who have been affected by the road-widening scheme, I have discovered that there is no proper liaison among the various departments concerned. For example, the road was widened up to the shop premises, but the owners of these shops were not given alternative accommodation. They came to see me. As a result, I wrote to the department concerned on the question of alternative accommodation. While the matter was under discussion, another department issued a demolition notice to the people there. Sometimes it is the P.W.D. which issues such demolition notices. These people do not understand why another department should send them a further notice of demolition when the matter is still under discussion. They do not understand why the officials in the various departments do not have proper liaison with one another. No one knows what the other is doing especially in regard to such a serious matter as the demolition of shophouses. The shopowners are bewildered and at a loss to understand what is going on. I hope the Minister concerned will take measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The third point I would like to bring up is that of the officials of the departments under the Ministry of Law and National Development, particularly the Land Office inspectors who are called Ti Niu, the Chinese meaning of which is "bulls". Being "bulls", they are very hot tempered. I do not want to deny that the people in the rural area are not as well educated as those in the urban area. Nevertheless, they understand what is going on in this world. They can sense that these Land Office inspectors are trying to boss over them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1201 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1004. Sir, on the matter of widening Paya Lebar Road, I defined my attitude to it at the last Budget sitting. It seems that this road-widening project is now nearing completion. I am not a garrulous woman trying to harp on the subject again and again, but as the representative of Paya Lebar Constituency, I am duty bound to look after the interests of my constituents. I cannot be indifferent to their hardship, particularly the shophouses and premises affected by this project. Many of them have been asked to move to some other place. The most hard hit are the shophouses. As a result of this road widening, these people incurred losses in business, and some of them even had to wind up their businesses. The loss was very substantial, whether in terms of human resources or material resources. It is true that in order to widen this road, the land abutting this road has to be utilised, and the premises on both sides of the road have to give way. I have received complaints in my capacity as Member of Parliament from those of my constituents affected, and have tried my best to explain to them why it is necessary to widen this road. Generally, they are not totally against the scheme to widen this road. At the same time, most of the premises have already been shifted a few yards back from the main road. If there is no empty space at the back of their original premises they have to make do with smaller and cramped premises and the shophouses have to be reduced in size. 3.00 p.m. I hope the enlightened and understanding Minister will give them all the necessary assistance and sympathy, and allow them to live and carry on with their business in the area.”
“We believe in the truth of the Chinese saying that we must learn from the good points of others so that we can improve ourselves. Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to speak on the programme Woman's World over Radio and on Television Singapore. The items in this programme cover cookery, dress-making, flower arrangement and application of cosmetics. I do not see how these topics are going to encourage our women folk, who number almost one million, in the task of nation building, and to tackle our challenging and trying era. Furthermore, I have my doubts whether these programmes can raise the social values of our women. I think the producers of these programmes will only tie our women down. As such, fifty per cent of the motivating force of our country will be tied down in the kitchen and in the bedroom. Sir, we want to encourage our women to stand by the side of the men and play their part in the task of nation building.”
“If our people do not work hard, if they are weak, slow and unintelligent, and indulge all the time only in unhealthy activities, then I think even if we have the best plans in the world, our nation building will completely collapse. Mr Speaker, Sir, what I mean to say is that Television Singapore should not produce entertainment programmes only. These must go hand in hand with other kinds of programmes in our task of nation building. 4.00 p.m. But our Radio and Television Singapore have failed to do this. The programmes they produce are simply for the sake of entertainment and are full of unhealthy sounds. These programmes are popular with our young people and small children, so much so that they are completely absorbed in them. Even in their dreams, as the Member for Delta has pointed out, they will utter sentences like, "I will never forget you," and "I am not coming home today." Some of them do the twist or the Hawaiian dance on their beds. If we allow this state of affairs to continue, then our young people who will be the future pillars of our society will become decadent and rotten. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have seen certain countries producing programmes of recreational value, for example, programmes of songs and dances. And they make use of them to educate, guide and encourage the people to play their part in the task of nation building, how to make their country stronger and more prosperous, and how to love and protect their country. These programmes have not only made the country more lively and energetic, but they have also enriched the people's lives. This is what I mean when I say that entertainment programmes should also go hand in hand with programmes on nation building. Sir, we are democratic and pragmatic socialists.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, just now the Member for Delta mentioned T.V. programmes under this Head. I was going to speak on subhead 1371, and although she has already mentioned T.V. programmes, I would like to add some of my own views now. Mr Speaker, Sir, television in Singapore today is a very popular form of entertainment. According to statistics, at the end of 1967 the number of television licences exceeded 80,000. Up to now the number of people who have purchased television sets has increased quite a lot. Almost all the community centres are equipped with television sets to provide entertainment for our people. Since television sets are so widely scattered in our country, we can see how important television programmes are in our task of nation building. The arrangement, design and production of our T.V. programmes will exercise a great deal of influence, either directly or indirectly, on our people, so they must be undertaken with the greatest care and in keeping with the values we are trying to inculcate at this initial stage of our nation building. We should not go about it haphazardly. We should not concentrate on entertainment alone. We should pay attention to this problem - how are we going to encourage our people to play their part in nation building through the aid of these programmes? There is a Chinese saying that in everything we do, the beginning is the most difficult. The task of nation building is in the initial stage and it depends a great deal upon our work. We can depend upon our human resources only in this task. The foundation and development of nation building will depend on the incessant efforts and hard work of our people. Thus will our nation building grow, flourish and bear fruit.”
“(5) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1371. Madam Chan Choy Siong: (6) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1401.”
“(2) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1004. Madam Chan Choy Siong: (3) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1281. Inche Abdul Aziz Karim:”
“Sir, I would like to clarify certain points. The Minister has spoken generally on youths doing national service. I do not think he understood fully what I said. What I said was that these youths should be allowed to proceed with their university or college education before they are recruited for national service. He now demands that they do national service after they have completed their secondary education. Does he not know that the two kinds of national service, full-time and part-time, are the same ultimately? Why did he say that it is not correct to allow these students to finish their university education before doing national service? They would still be patriotic citizens of our country. I also mentioned three years' training. I gave examples, but what the Minister can only say is that some of them will be able to continue with their higher education after three years' national service. 8.00 p.m.”
“Personally, I feel that pre-university students who are not going for further studies should be enlisted. However, if they achieve good results in the Higher School Certificate examinations and if they want to go on to the Universities, the M.I.D, should defer enlisting them until such time as they complete their university education. In this way, they will be better qualified.”
“And as the Member for Sembawang has mentioned, these institutions will have only female students. In Singapore, university education is quite a common affair. Every parent would like his or her boy to receive a university education. Our country, which depends on the utilisation of human resources, should try to make use of the talents of our youths. If we make it compulsory for all H.S.C. holders to undergo national service for three years and if they are admitted to the Universities after this period, they will have forgotten a great deal of what they have learnt in school unless the M.I.D. can arrange for them to attend academic courses when they are undergoing national service. It is only in this way that the general education policy of our country will not be affected. There are five institutions of higher learning in our country which have trained and educated many of our citizens over the decades. If we implement this new regulation, then these institutions will find that their enrolment will be reduced. And in time to come we will find that the professional people who are required by our country will be predominantly females. Another point is the adverse effect on the physique and minds of the students. We know that pre-university students at the most are about 18 years old. Some of them are not fully developed physically and are immature. With only a Higher School Certificate, it is difficult for them to compete in our society which is full of talented and capable people. If they cannot pursue their university education, then our country will lose a lot of talent. Therefore, I hope the Minister will reconsider the policy to conscript pre-university students.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am very glad that you have allowed me to speak, because I wish to touch on the question of national service. Sir, we all know that in 1971, the British will be withdrawing their armed forces east of Suez, including those stationed in Singapore. Therefore, the defence of Singapore will be our responsibility. In building up our defences, our Government has started its planning and implementation of national service. This is, of course, beyond our criticism. The concept of national service has now received widespread support of the majority of our people. But we must be cautious in implementing the technical details so that our progress in nation building is not affected. We must also ensure that the livelihood of our people is not affected. If we can bear in mind these points when implementing the policy, then I am sure the people will be willing to go through all sorts of hardship and suffering for the sake of our country. Recently, the Minister for Defence announced that students who have completed pre-university education and who are 18 years old will have to register for national service and will have to undergo national service for three years. I would like to know whether careful consideration has been given to the implementation of this policy. I think hasty implementation will lead to a number of undesirable consequences. In the first place, it will have a bad effect on the education of our youths. Although the education policy of our Government now places emphasis on technical education, we should not overlook the general education policy of our country, i.e., primary, secondary and tertiary education. Furthermore, if all H.S.C. holders are conscripted, the enrolment at our institutions of higher learning will be drastically reduced.”
“Madam Chan Choy Siong: (9) That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1221.”
“Sir, I am not satisfied with the Minister's explanation, and I am not withdrawing my amendment. Question on the amendment put, and negatived.”
“Sir, I believe this is possible. First, the term "official" or "bureaucrat" in Chinese could be used for the person who inspects schools. If you analyse the word "inspector" in Chinese, he is a man who thinks that his duty is only to inspect and not to do anything else. If the Minister is agreeable, I should say that this officer should not only inspect but also guide the teachers, and so do more than just inspect the schools. By doing this, I think we can improve the relationship between the inspectors and the teachers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has said that other Ministries also use the term "inspector". Let me say that in the teaching service, although we call them "inspectors", we do not regard them as such. In Chinese, the word "official" has been left out. I hope that as educators of the young, we will not continue to use this term, which has a colonial flavour.”
“The assistance of inspectors who can offer advice and guidance on teaching methods will be useful to the teachers who can thereby improve their teaching. From this, we can then raise the standard of efficiency of our teachers so that they can better carry out the excellent educational policy of our country.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I was mistaken. I would like to touch on school inspectors. Since 1959 when the People's Action Party, on the mandate of the people of Singapore, took over the government of the country, thereby ending British colonial rule which lasted over a hundred years, our achievements in the field of education have been impressive and outstanding. In the process, there have been a large number of reforms and revisions in our educational system, but what I do not understand is that in the reforms over the last ten years, we have overlooked the use of the term "official" which, in Chinese, relates to inspectors of schools. The term "official" in Chinese has a very strong flavour of feudalism and British colonialism. It is not surprising that some principals are at a complete loss when they are confronted with these Inspectors of Schools. Similarly, it is not surprising that many teachers break into a cold sweat when they are confronted by these school inspectors. Mr Speaker, Sir, I am a teacher myself. I have often heard complaints about these school inspectors from my colleagues. I want to emphasise that there are only some inspectors who are unhelpful. These inspectors more often scold and reprimand the teachers than offer them guidance and assistance. In other words, when they come round and supervise the teaching of teachers, they only reprimand the teachers but they do not offer them any advice on how to improve and get rid of the defects in the method of teaching. If they only indulge in reprimanding and scolding the teachers and not offering them any kind of assistance, then how do we expect them to carry out our excellent educational policy? 4.15 p.m. What we require of our Inspectors of Schools is just a more courteous attitude.”
“However, if he attends in-service courses, he will be provided with an opportunity to rethink and to reappraise certain problems on education. The Teachers' Training College should not regard in-service courses as merely an appendage. These courses must form an important link in teacher education. The ideal teacher education at the Teachers' Training College should not be confined only to trainee teachers. Those teachers who have qualified also need to be trained. The Teachers' Training College should reassess the contents and syllabuses of the in-service courses and to replan the whole courses so that they form an essential part of teacher education and not as a mere appendage. Education is a life-long process. Mr Speaker, Sir, permit me to raise another question, namely, the building at the Teachers' Training College. A year before, the Minister said that we --”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1020. Mr Speaker, Sir, ever since its implementation of in-service courses, the Teachers' Training College has been very energetic and vigorous in carrying them out. In 1969 alone, it conducted about 50 courses which included arts and crafts, Audio and Visual Aid education, Chinese language, English language, Geography, History, Malay language, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Science and Career Guidance. The courses are numerous. This is a good sign, because these courses enable qualified teachers to keep abreast of the latest trend in education, and to widen their professional knowledge. Mr Speaker, Sir, there may be certain people who question the need for these courses. They may well say, even without attending them, it does not mean that teachers will not improve their professional skills. By and large, this is not impossible. However, without attending such courses it is not easy to do so. I think it is my duty to go into this in greater detail. A trainee teacher is directly influenced by his lecturers and the kind of textbooks which he uses at the Teachers' Training College. In the course of his training, certain concepts and values on education and methodology are formed. However, when he leaves the T.T.C. and joins the teaching service, he may be confronted with a principal who may require another teaching method. He may also have to face an inspector of schools who wants him to teach in a different way. Under such circumstances, it is well nigh impossible for him to please two masters. What worries him perpetually is how to please his superior officers so as not to get into trouble.”
“I am referring to an article in a booklet published by the T.T.C.”
“Advancement in education must be matched by advancement in educational research.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead l005*. (* The same amendment also stood in the names of Mr Teong Eng Siong, Mr Ang Nam Piau, Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon, Mr J. F. Conceicao and Mr P. Selvadurai) Mr Speaker, Sir, in the last ten years there has been tremendous progress in the development of education in the Republic, and many kinds of reform have been carried out. However, the same cannot be said about educational research. There is a distinct lack of advance in this field. This aspect has been neglected. Is it right that we should neglect it? I think we should give more thought to it. In January 1968, there was a seminar on education which was attended by teachers from all schools. There was a suggestion to set up an educational research centre. This was accepted at the preliminary meeting of the seminar, and was subsequently submitted to the Ministry for consideration. However, no one is in a position to know what is the outcome of this suggestion. Following this, there was a suggestion in this House in May 1968 that every encouragement should be given to set up an educational research centre. The reason why I am touching on this point is that I feel that research in education plays a very important role in the development of our national education. Let us take a look at our educational development. We have carried out many educational reforms. Many of them are novel in nature, but this does not mean that all of them are good. I had occasion to read an article on educational research. Sir, permit me to quote one or two sentences from this particular article. This article says that we have a fine set of educational theory, but we lack systematic and scientific research in education.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, is it possible for the Minister to give the House more details of the proposals to develop Paya Lebar International Airport?”
“This is indisputable proof that the study of the social sciences should not be neglected. On the other hand, I have noted that the provision for Social Welfare has been reduced by the amount of $4 million. This is bad news for the poor section of our population, and is a retrogressive step. Everyone knows that the People's Action Party has the support of the people, and was given a mandate to rule the country. One of the reasons for its success is that it runs a very honest, clean, and incorruptible administration. But more important, the P.A.P., has all along been looking after the welfare of the poor, and its achievement in social welfare services is unrivalled in this part of the world. Although we know that we must incur a greater amount of expenditure for Defence so as to enhance our defence capability, it does not necessarily mean that we have to cut down our provision for the poor section of our community. This reduced expenditure is particularly felt since existing private charity organisations have not spread out enough or have not been able to take over the functions of Government in social welfare work? We must not neglect the less fortunate sections of our people and allow them to drift along, as this will result in social insecurity and unrest. I am sure the Government can easily find this meagre sum of $4 million to provide for our social welfare services by levying a higher rate of duty on luxury items such as cosmetics, liquor, and tobacco. The poor section of the people who will benefit from this measure will then express their boundless gratitude to the Government. Moreover, by taking this measure, the social conditions will be more healthy, and there will be less scope for criminal activity in our society. 5.20 p.m.”
“The Budget address given by the Minister for Finance on 9th March, 1970, is a painless budget and is a source of joy and happiness to people from every stratum of society. Indeed, in the midst of the imminent run-down of British forces and the decline in British military expenditure, and the consequent increase in our defence expenditure, our Government has not thought it necessary to propose new taxes. This is indeed good news to the people of Singapore. Mr Speaker, Sir, what I would like to point out is that in the vote for Education, I notice that there is a ratio of three to one between technical education and general education. I feel that this preponderance in favour of technical education should not be maintained for too long. It is true that the implementation of our industrialisation programme requires an army of skilled personnel to staff all the factories. But we must admit that the boom and prosperity that we are experiencing at present is not due to our preoccupation with scientific and technical education alone. To put it simply, in addition to scientific and technical education, we must also see to it that our social sciences advance at an equal pace. Otherwise we will be faced with the prospect of many of our citizens being merely tools for economic production, without a corps of economic planners at the helm to guide our economic destiny. This will bring about political instability and social insecurity. And finally we will come to a catastrophic end. Mr Speaker, Sir, let me cite an example. Take the Ministers in the Cabinet. None of them is the product of pure scientific and technical education. Yet they are able to transform this small island of ours, without any natural resources, into a land of prosperity and plenty.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary said that when a person has made no contribution to the state, he will not get his citizenship papers. But labour has contributed much to Singapore. So how can he say that a labourer has not made any contribution? Mr Sia Kah Hui: I did not say that a labourer does not qualify for citizenship at all.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether Government will give sympathetic consideration to applicants whose parents, brothers and sisters are all Singapore citizens? There is one case where, because the applicant was born during the Japanese occupation, he is unable to get his citizenship papers. Another point relates to applicants who were told in 1964 not to apply for citizenship by the authorities concerned when we were in Malaysia. Now that they want to apply for citizenship, they cannot get their applications approved. Can the Parliamentary Secretary give sympathetic consideration to these cases?”
“But it is my view that since our Armed Forces and our Police Force have the means and the ability to maintain brass bands, which consist of more people and cost much more money than, for example, a normal basketball team, how is it that we find ourselves unable to maintain a team of State players? Of course, it is not my proposal to ask the State to feed the players. My proposal is that the Government should do all it can to absorb these sportsmen into the various Government departments so that while in employment they will also have the time to continue with . their sports activities. Thus, in both ways they serve the country. Finally, if the Minister will bear all these points in mind, he will surely find some solution to the problems raised. It is my belief that just as we have been able to raise our standard of health and hygiene, we should be able to raise our standard of sports. In view of the compactness of our island Republic, I sincerely believe that we will be able to achieve our aims. Let me reiterate my full support of this Bill.”
“They should also allow such people to continue with their sports activities when they are working. In this way, their skill and standard will be maintained. There are people who have to give up sports activities because of their employment. We have lost a large reservoir of talent because of the hard economic facts of life. When sportsmen leave school and happen to be employed in a very small company which is not prepared to allow them to take time off for training, or does not provide any facility or encouragement for them to carry on their sports activities, the loss of such talent to sport will be complete. In order to earn their living, these sportsmen will have to accept the hard economic facts of life at the expense of their sports activities and the talent that they have developed. Thirdly, I wish to stress that the present training facilities for sportsmen are more or less of a spontaneous and voluntary nature. We must have a centralised body, such as a sports college, to shoulder the responsibility of training our sportsmen. In this way, we will have better hopes of our sportsmen achieving higher standards. Furthermore, the establishment of a sports college will provide employment opportunities for those who are active in sports. In other words, those who are good in sports activities will be able to find employment in the sports college and they, in turn, will have the responsibility of training other sportsmen. Fourthly, as the Member for Sembawang has just said, State players should receive the attention of the State. Perhaps the Minister's answer to this question will be that, as the State is faced with its economic problems, it does not have the capacity or the ability to look after our sportsmen in terms of finance.”
“However, some doubts have been expressed in this regard. They have given rise to the question whether we are able to obtain the sympathy and support of other countries in supplying the first-class coaches that we require. If the answer to this question is in the negative, the next question will arise. Are we prepared to accept second- and third-class coaches to train fourth- and fifth-class players? Perhaps the Minister will give some consideration to a more economical approach to this problem and plan an extensive programme to train our players and thus obtain the instruction by cheaper means. One of the ways is to get a plentiful supply of films showing how first-class coaches train sportsmen in order to reach international standards. By showing these films to our trainees, we will be able indirectly to train our own people, short of getting expert coaches from abroad. Our trainees will be able to learn from watching these films; how they should train and what are the points they should bear in mind when they are in training. The second point I wish to raise is the extension of the age limit for sports training. At the present moment, most of the sports activities are confined to our school-going population. In order to raise our sports standard, we must not only popularise sports activities among students, but also extend them outside the schools. This work must be done by the various sports organisations in conjunction with the commercial and industrial sectors. These sectors should also be encouraged to make a contribution to sports. In other words, Mr Deputy Speaker, it is our hope that they will at least shoulder some responsibility by taking in sportsmen who have graduated from schools and other institutions of higher learning.”