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.”
The complete record
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“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I take part in sports activities, and therefore I am concerned with all matters connected with sports. I fully support this Bill. In order to meet our future economic challenge, our people will undoubtedly have to have strong physiques and better endurance. A strong and healthy physique can only be acquired through sports. At the same time, through sports, we will also acquire a strong national consciousness and also we can, indirectly, fulfil the aim of achieving racial harmony. As the Minister has said, the introduction of this Bill is to provide for the planning and promotion of national sports activities and to do away with whatever duplication there has been in this field. The result is that all sports activities will be planned, co-ordinated and controlled by a centralised body consisting of representatives of the Singapore National Olympic Committee, the Sports Division of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Armed Forces, the police and the People's Association. In this way, it is hoped to promote sports activities and raise the standard of sports in this country. These are lofty and praiseworthy aims. Mr Deputy Speaker, in order to raise the standard of our sports and to achieve greater prestige for our country, the following points should not be overlooked. During the past two or three years, the various sports organisations as well as the Singapore Sports Council have done their very best to obtain the services of expert coaches for the more popular sports activities in Singapore. These organisations have also tried their very best to look out for talent and potential sportsmen so that under a proper system of training they will be nurtured and developed into State players. These are praiseworthy efforts.”
“Sir, can the Minister ask his Ministry to prepare the salaries for school traffic wardens a month in advance?”
“One would never imagine that today, in an age of science and space technology, there can be people who will legislate to enable parents to kill their children in order to live. What a pity and a calamity. Where is the sense of humanity? For the three reasons I have advanced, I oppose the passage of this Bill. 3.40 p.m.”
“Instances of false allegations of rape, which might arise as a result of the Bill, will cause the degeneration of social morality and the decadence of our social order. We shudder at the thought of such undesirable consequences. Yesterday the Minister mentioned the circumstances of those who have been taking family planning guidance. But he forgot one point. Those who are receiving family planning guidance are married women. Those who are not married are quite a different lot. Family planning is meant only for married couples and not for teenagers. If an 18-or 19-year old unmarried girl is misled by this Abortion Bill and becomes licentious in her behaviour, I shudder to think of the consequences in our society. (3) On humanitarian grounds. Sir, I have no intention to argue with the Minister as to whether a conceptus is a foetus or an embryo or a ball of flesh and blood or what-not. But verily I would stress that it is truly and unmistakably a body with life. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 3.38 p.m. The Minister also mentioned that shortly after its formation, the foetus is still not a human being. It is considered something like a fertilised egg. A man may perhaps be compared to a fertilised egg in another form. But do we so nonchalantly destroy an egg - even a chicken egg? The Minister gave a lot of reasons yesterday in support of the Bill, but many of them are not acceptable. From an analysis of the Chinese character for yin, namely, conceptus or pregnancy, it is composed of two parts. There are two characters, "being" and "child". That is to say, the conceptus is a child. In the old days (even at the present time) there were cases where people were so poor and hard pressed that they had to sell their children to keep themselves alive.”
“What is more important is that we must be very careful and always watchful for the undesirable consequences and reactions that will follow if the Bill is passed. They are as follows: (1) Psychological reaction. Married couples who have been generally successful in family planning will no longer worry about the unfavourable circum stances of having a baby in view of the ready facilities for abortion. They will thus resolutely give up resorting to the troublesome practice of using contraceptives, such as the taking of pills, using intra-uterine devices, condoms, diaphragms, jellies, etc., in order to enjoy the pleasure of sexual intercourse. At the back of their minds is the thought that if there is any conception, safe and easy abortion facilities will be available to solve their problem. Women who have been quite successful in family planning if their financial circumstances are bad and they cannot maintain their livelihood if they are to have more children need not continue their way of life as before, because they can resort to the practice of abortion. (2) The degeneration of social morality. Mr Speaker, Sir, in this metropolitan city of ours, there are undeniably groups of wanton pleasure-seeking vagabonds, male and female, and other numerous innocent, passionate and energetic youths to whom romance and petting are the social vogue. If the law on abortion is liberalised, the flood-gates of sexual promiscuity will be opened. Such people will indulge in licentious behaviour and incest. When a woman becomes pregnant, she will take advantage of the provisions of the Bill and tell the authorities that her pregnancy has come about because of rape. When people ask, "You are not married. How is it that you are pregnant?", she can reply that it is the result of rape.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, before I resume, I would like to stress that I oppose strongly the liberalisation of the law on abortion for many reasons. But yesterday, the press and radio gave the impression that I support this Bill. So I must make my correction now and I hope that you, Mr Speaker, will first allow me to correct this impression. Just a few minutes before the adjournment yesterday, I was talking about the fact that Singapore's population explosion problem was attended to by the former Minister for Health who tried his best to promote family planning and, as a result, the birth rate has been decreasing year by year. According to the statistics of the Kandang Kerbau Maternity Hospital, we can see that there is a decrease in the birth rate. We can, therefore, say for certain that family planning has been a great success, and we can boast about it to the world. But today the Minister for Health is bringing up a Bill to liberalise the law on abortion. This may prove a bit too much in the circumstances. There is no doubt that the Minister, before bringing up this Bill, carried out extensive investigations and incorporated many suggestions from various quarters in the Bill. The Bill provides that certain conditions and requirements must be fulfilled before a woman can apply for abortion. This merely demonstrates the democratic spirit of the People's Action Party in seeking public opinion and cannot be taken to mean that there is merit in the liberalisation of the law on abortion. That is the true picture. In the meantime, the Minister, on the Second Reading of the Bill, gave various reasons to support it. But I am not able to accept them. I feel that many of the reasons advanced need more careful consideration.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member sitting beside me has stood up to oppose vehemently the Abortion Bill. In rising to speak on the Bill, I have a different view-point from his. His arguments are based on religious considerations, but my opposition to the Bill arises from humanitarian considerations. Sir, we all know that Singapore is a tiny island with no natural resources. The land area is limited and there is also very little valuable land. But our population has reached two million with a population density of 8,000 people to a square mile. This population density has given cause for worry, and if this is to continue, we may one day reach a situation where there will be a population explosion. On the other hand, our country is only at the beginning of nation building and there are many tasks which require our attention. Our rate of economic growth is still far behind our rate of population growth, in view of this, the former Minister for Health, now the Minister for Communications, during his term of office tried his very best to promote family plann ing. As a result, our rate of population growth is decreasing. According to a report by the Kandang Kerbau Maternity Hospital, it is stated that in 1965, 40,181 babies were born in Singapore, on the average of about 110 babies a day. Whereas after the nation-wide campaign of family planning, the birth rate in Singapore decreased to 38,252 in 1967. 6.15 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish, to raise several points for the consideration of the Minister. Firstly, has the Minister any plan to build an integrated technical institute in Paya Lebar Constituency which has, a student population of more than, 18,000? The Minister will recall that sometime in 1966 I asked an oral question on this subject and the Minister replied that there was no vacant land in my constituency for the construction of such an institute. At the moment, I am aware that a contractor is prepared to offer some 10 acres of vacant land for the construction of a school. Will the Minister take prompt action to accept this offer?”
“In view of the satisfactory reply, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $1,571,540 for Head 1210 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1301 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, 1 wish to raise another point. The Parliamentary Secretary has not paid attention to what I said. I referred to unauthorised structures put up 10 or 20 years ago. This means that they are un-numbered, otherwise the occupiers will have no problem at all. The Parliamentary Secretary was rather cunning and equivocal in his reply. He said that it depended on this and on that. But when the application goes finally to the Chief Building Surveyor, it is rejected. Ninety-nine out of a hundred cases are rejected.”
“In rural areas like Paya Lebar these have been cases of natural calamities such as houses being crushed by fallen coconut trees and the roofs being blown off by the wind. It is, of course, not possible to stop these calamities but there is one thing we can do. In the event of such calamities, can the authorities give special permission for immediate repairs to be carried out without going through the rigmarole of applying and waiting for approval? Otherwise the people affected may have to sleep on the road or even in the pigsties before approval is finally given. I hope the Minister will, in these circumstances, give special consideration to such cases instead of insisting on compliance with the routine procedure.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1210 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. Sir, we know that the land area in our Republic is only 224 square miles. But like other countries, we still have the division between rural and urban areas. According to a survey held in 1967, there are about 550,000 people living in the rural areas, that is to say, about one-third of our population is found in the rural areas. They live in unauthorised structures built some 10 to 20 years ago. They had no building plans for the construction of their huts or houses. But now, 20 years later, their attap houses have to be repaired and the same materials were used for repair. Since there were no building plans for their structures, their applications for repair were invariably turned down. The rural people then took the law into their own hands by carrying out the repairs without applying for permission to do so, and when the repairs were completed, the authorities served summonses on them. Action was promptly taken by the authorities to demolish whatever was put up by them. As a result of this drastic action, the rural folk are suffering great hardship. They do not know where to air their grievances. Will the Minister give special consideration to their applications for the repair of their huts built 10 to 20 years ago? There should be a relaxation of the regulations governing the applications for repairs. In other words, the authorities should not insist on the production of a building plan and evidence that the structures are more than 10 years old. Sir, the next point I wish to raise is this.”
“Sir, I have almost finished. I have only two more sentences left.”
“Just fill a bottle with water, then plug up the neck of the bottle and try to pour out the water. See whether it can flow out freely. In principle, I fully support the widening of roads. But we should take into consideration the topographical condition of the area affected. We should also take into consideration the financial means of our people. If the project is not suitable, we should think of some other schemes. For instance, we can build a traffic network above the ground or build underground tunnels. This new plan is worth our consideration. Of course, I realise that the traffic problem is a major problem in all big cities. In London and Tokyo, the number of vehicles cannot be less than that in Singapore. I am sure it is many times more. But I do not see how the roads in London can be any wider than those in Singapore. From this fact, we should consider our problem especially when it relates to the size of the land and when the problem affects the people financially. We should try to solve the traffic problem in this light. We must not be like the engineer who is in charge of the Upper Paya Lebar Road road-widening project. He ordered the demolition of houses as he wished. Here again, I hope that the P.W.D, road engineers will learn a lesson from London, like building an underground railway system which, in my opinion, is a very good system. The underground tube system in London provides the major means of transporting millions of workers in London with great speed and almost without any accidents. It is both fast and safe. I feel that our engineers here should take a cue from them. I must say that Rome was not built in a day. Of course, time is necessary to solve the traffic problem. Anyway, we have to consider carefully our plans to solve it.”
“When part of the land is affected by the widening of a road, the people affected will always find difficulty moving to another place. 5.45 p.m. Therefore, they feel that the widening of roads will inconvenience them and they are disgusted with it. Road widening also adversely affects their business. We are aware that quite often a whole row of shophouses are affected and the shopkeepers find it difficult to carry on their business. As a result, their livelihood is affected. I wish to inform the House of an instance of the people in my constituency who are affected by the widening of roads. Sir, parts of Paya Lebar Road need widening. At Paya Lebar, there is a road which is in two constituencies. This is rather strange. The engineer of the Public Works Department who was in charge of this project either purposely or unintentionally constructed the road to lead into two constituencies. But only the portion of the road in my constituency was affected by road widening. I do not know why this was so. The widening of Upper Paya Lebar Road has created a somewhat odd situation. The main part of the road is very wide. But before reaching Paya Lebar Police Station, it is very narrow. Therefore, there is a bottleneck at this end and very often there is traffic congestion. And it will be strange if there are no accidents at this place. It is not difficult to imagine what will happen there. I have consulted the engineer concerned, but he evades his responsibility. He says that the plan has not been finalised. Until today, nothing has been done to improve the situation, and I am sure Members will agree with me that this is rather odd. If there is a bottleneck, how can you expect to have a free flow of traffic?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Member for Delta. The number of vehicles in Singapore is increasing every day. The roads seem to be getting narrower and narrower. They do not seem to be able to cope with the increased number of vehicles, especially during the peak hours when people go to and from their offices. The Government, of course, realises this position and has taken steps to wi~1en the roads in order to improve traffic conditions and solve the problem of congestion. This responsibility falls on the Public Works Department. Mr Speaker, Sir, the engineers in the Public Works Department adopt only temporary measures to meet the present circumstances. Their only means of improving the roads is to widen them. Of course this will temporarily solve the problem of congestion on the roads. But in the long run, the widening of the roads is not a permanent solution as a means of improving traffic congestions. The number of vehicles is increasing every day. Does it mean also that the roads will have to be widened every day? When the engineers in the P.W.D, try to widen the roads every year, they should consider the fact that Singapore is only an island of 224 square miles. On the average, about 8,000 people live in a square mile. Our land is very valuable. The widening of roads will encroach on many other areas. There will be no problem if a place has few people. But the areas where the roads are being widened are usually crowded. Demolition of structures will have to take place. We will then have to resettle people to another place and also compensate them. From the point of view of the people, it is an encroachment on their right of property and freedom. Let me enumerate the disadvantages of widening roads. First, it will cause a feeling of resentment in the people.”
“Thank you for reminding me, Mr Speaker. I would like to sum up my observations. I hope the Minister will pay attention to the need for an indoor sports stadium. It should be a multipurpose stadium with training facilities for all kinds of sports.”
“Situated as we are in a tropical country - The Chairman: Mr Tay, "guillotine" time for this hea-d is at ten minutes past seven. There are a number of amendments. You have asked for fifteen minutes and you have used up about twelve minutes of the time. Can you please conclude your remarks? I am concerned that Madam Chan, who did not speak under the head Ministry of Culture, should not miss an opportunity to speak under this head.”
“Our athletes are left to their own initiative and devices to train themselves. They do not have the necessary equipment or apparatus for their training. They do not also have sufficient time. Most of them are employed. If you want to train them after they have returned from work, you cannot expect much result from such training. How then are we going to raise their standards? Another point which I would like the Minister to take note of is that certain athletes do not even have a proper job. For example, the Volley Ball Association has three of its members who have given up their training because of the need to look for a job. They have recently taken on jobs as sailors and have left the country. This is a waste of talent and a loss to our country. These three volley-ball players have all the necessary qualifications and capability to be trained as excellent athletes. I am not suggesting that the state should feed and clothe them. It is beyond our means to do so. But what we should do is to engage these athletes in the task of nation building. They can very well become sports instructors in the Ministry of the Interior and Defence. They have the necessary qualifications to become sports instructors. If they have the necessary academic qualifications, the Government should give them better treatment. By doing so, the people will respond and- take part in sports and other athletic events. Another point I wish to touch upon is the question of playing fields and training grounds. We should have better training grounds and other training faci lities. I do not mean that we should have an ideal training ground and build a grand sports complex. In any case, we should at least build an indoor sports stadium with training facilities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the Member for Mountbatten. We all know that sports play a very important part in the building of a rugged society in our Republic. Sports activities make our youths physically strong, tenacious and well disciplined. Therefore, we lay great emphasis on the promotion of sports activities. But we neglect to train the athletes who represent our country in international sports events. It is not just a simple matter to build a rugged society. Basically the problem lies in how to encourage the people to take an interest in sports. 6.45 p.m. Second, of course, we must have suitable playgrounds for them in which to train and compete. If we have these two conditions, then we can call the people to participate more positively in sports. In other countries, athletes compete in international events, and the gaining of national glory for the state is an invaluable asset. But the important point with regard to our national athletes is whether the Government is making an effort to train them in order to show that it is encouraging an interest in sports, and also whether we are giving enough attention to these athletes to show that the Government is appreciative of their efforts. We are trying to promote a rugged society, but I am afraid we are not paying enough attention to these national athletes and sportsmen. We all know that it takes a long period of training for an athlete or sportsman to reach the required high standard when he can represent our national team. The training is very rigorous. Herein lies the problem. Should the Government encourage and train them or should they themselves take the initiative and train on their own? When I refer to athletes, I, of course, refer to those athletes who represent Singapore.”
“In view of the Minister's explanation, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“The Minister has asked me just now to provide details of the the cases that I have brought up. as I recall it, on 31st August this year, at about 7.00 p.m., members of the Barisan Sosialis gathered at a theatre in Paya Lebar Road. Sombody rang me up about the matter, and I asked him to ring up 999 since the Barisan Sosialis were creating some incidents there. In the end I myself rang up 999. This was just after I had left school. I then took my supper. After I had finished my supper, the police had still not yet come. When they actually arrived at the P.A.P. branch in Paya Lebar, they behaved as though they would like me to be polite to them.”
“The next point is about a person who was detained by the police for eight hours because they wanted him to act as a witness and to co-operate with them. After having been detained for so many hours and also because he was feeling hungry, do you think he would cooperate with the police? I feel that the police should be polite and courteous to the public. They should be friendly, dedicated and kind. I believe this is also the aim of the Government. 4.00 p.m. It is not correct for me to criticise the police force. Perhaps the people will say that the Member for Paya Lebar is not satisfied with anything. Now let me give credit where it is due to the police force. I would like to draw the attention of the Minister to the plight of the bereaved families of those police officers who have sacrificed their lives in the course of their duties. I wonder whether any compensation or pension is given to the bereaved families.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0901 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1301*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Madam Chan Choy Siong. I have some criticisms to make of the behaviour of some of our police officers. When they deal with an emergency case, they are rather slow in their work. When an emergency case occurs, they merely go to the spot and take a look at it only. When they arrive at the spot, the evildoers have already escaped. They are too slow to rise to the occasion. Although they are there in full force, they are still unable to arrest the culprits. When a police patrol car is summoned, it does not go to the spot in time. Is it because they do not know the route to the scene of the incident or the locality of the incident? I do not think this is possible. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 3.55 p.m. Another point is that when members of the public summon a police patrol car, the car, while on its way, will sound its siren. I think this is unnecessary because the sound of the siren will warn the culprits who will then try to escape. If the patrol car sounds the siren in order to warn on-coming traffic, I would suggest a special type of light be installed in it, and whenever it signals this light, road users will then make way for it. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are some members of the police force, especially those in the lower ranks, who still adopt the colonial attitude. One night I went to a police station to speak on behalf of a resident who broke certain traffic rules. The police officers on duty seemed to be very rude to members of public. They should have been courteous to them, otherwise the public will have a bad impression of our police force.”
“I thank the Minister for his explanation. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I am quite satisfied with the Minister's explanation. But there is one point - perhaps I was too much in a hurry in raising it in my speech - he has not answered. If Mr Speaker will allow me, I would like to repeat this question. Are there enough lecturers to teach Chinese as a second language? If there are not enough, what programme has the T.T.C, in mind to train lecturers in the teaching of Chinese as a second language?”
“In this way, we hope to have teachers of good quality and learned principals with administrative skill. Of course, it is not exactly the intention that teachers should learn school administration with a view to their being appointed as principals, but it is the duty of the teachers to have an inkling of school administration. If they have a basic knowledge of school administration, it is possible that they can become principals in the future and put their knowledge to good use. But if they have to start from scratch when they are appointed as principals, they will find themselves in a mess. Lastly, I would like to refer to kindergarten education. Children in kindergarten classes can easily cultivate attitudes and habits. Therefore, we should pay much attention to their social behaviour and physical health in order to prepare them for academic studies in later years. Formal lessons should not be conducted in kindergartens. The children should enjoy indoor and outdoor activities in pleasant surroundings. They should be provided with toys and play-things. In addition, they should be taught educative and creative subjects like drawing, story-telling, singing and dancing.”
“They are scared of their colleagues. They fear that their colleagues may make reports to the principals and that the principals in turn will make adverse reports to the Ministry. Many teachers are also scared of the inspectors and officials from the Ministry. This goes to show that the relationship among the teachers, principals and officials of the Ministry is one of mutual distrust and suspicion, with the result that the teachers are content to do only what they are required to do. They regard their jobs as a means of livelihood and they do not display professional ethics in their work. This brings me to the Teachers' Training College which plays an important role in teacher training. Teacher training should not be undertaken by the Tea chers' Training College alone. The inspectors. principals and senior teachers also have a role to play in teacher training. Of course, the Teachers' Training College is directly involved with the training of teachers. The curriculum of the Teachers' Training College is composed of two sections, namely, professional subjects and academic subjects. The professional subjects are educational theory, educational psychology and other methods of teaching, and the academic subjects are mainly concerned with the contents of the academic subjects. The trainees are mostly from the primary and secondary schools. It is regrettable that not enough has been done to instil professional ethics into the teachers. I feel that the Teachers' Training College should lay more stress on professional ethics courses for the teachers. It should also provide training courses in school administration. School administration is one of the subjects taught in the universities.”
“Let me take as an example the syllabus of Chinese as a second language, which is one of the important training courses, the success of teaching Chinese as a second language, and the policy of bilingualism in schools. What preparations have been made by the Teachers' Training College or the Ministry before these courses are conducted? How many experts are there in this particular field? How are we going to train the lecturers who will in turn train the teachers to teach Chinese as a second language in non-Chinese schools? There are many teachers who want to improve themselves and are willing to learn, but whether they have adopted the correct attitude is questionable. Two years ago some lucrative monetary incentives were given to those attending certain in-service courses. However, such monetary incentives have been abolished and yet the response to the re-training courses has been very good. I can give two reasons for this. Firstly, the reason for the good response shows that the teachers are eager to learn and want to equip themselves with the latest methods so that they can accept the challenge of educating our next generation. 4.00 p.m. Secondly, in the negative sense, this shows that our teachers want to safeguard their jobs. In other words, they want to protect their rice-bowl. Un fortunately, most of those teachers who responded to the re-training courses were motivated by the need or anxiety to secure their employment. It is sad to note that the majority of teachers regard teaching as an ordinary profession and not as a special profession. I am a teacher and I can there fore speak from my own experience. I will describe briefly the actual position in the schools, especially with regard to the attitude of certain teachers to the teaching profession.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1201*. * The same amendment also stood in the name of Mr L. P. Rodrigo. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 3.55 p.m. Everyone knows that at the present juncture in our nation building we need not only sufficient teachers but also teachers who are dedicated to the cause of education. In other words, our efforts must not only be directed at quantitative improvement but also at qualitative improvement in our educational endeavours. Judging from the courses and re-training conducted by the Teachers' Training College, it seems that the question of quantity has been solved, particularly in regard to primary school teachers. What is urgently required at the present juncture is sufficient technical teachers to man our technical and vocational schools. On 12th December, the Minister for Education said in this House and I quote: 'To provide the necessary teachers for the swing towards technical education, a massive training and retraining scheme is already under way. The training programme will move into top gear next year with the expansion of the technical wing of the Teachers' Training College.' This is really a very heartening move on the part of the Ministry. But, on the other hand, we must not forget that we should also aim at qualitative improvement in our education. The retraining of qualified teachers, viewed from certain angles, is aimed at enhancing the quality of teaching. Sir, allow me to say a few words on the re-training programme and the attitude of the teachers towards re training. Care should be exercised in making long- term plans for such re-training courses.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to correct what the Parliamentary Secretary has said. I do not mean that a centre should be set up where all the candidates could' be examined on the practical aspects, of the science subjects. What I meant was that the questions should be tested first before they are put down as examination questions for the students.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I thank you for giving me another opportunity to complete my speech. My final point refers to the Examinations Division the administration of which should be improved. Generally speaking, the secondary school examinations set by this Division are not ideal. The form and content of the examination questions are extensive. The students are not able to cope with them. Even the teachers themselves are at a loss. I would also like to touch on the Science examinations in secondary schools. I feel that the Ministry of Education should adopt a more unified method of arranging the Science examinations so that the school teachers do not have to run around to obtain the necessary apparatus for the Science examinations. 7.15 p.m. The practical examination in science subjects should also be under unified control. The Ministry of Education should set up a laboratory where examination questions on practical science which require experiments could first be tested in the laboratory to ascertain the result, before they are given to the students, otherwise some mistakes may be discovered halfway through the examination. A ridiculous situation would then develop. This is to supplement what I have said just now.”
“I dare say that most of the publishers and authors of textbooks are the first generation Chinese from China or refugees from Hong Kong. They get very low pay.”
“As regards the teacher's teaching ability, the discretion is entirely with the principal and the inspector of schools. They do not know the teacher well. If the inspector of schools decides on the applicant's teaching ability after one or two inspections, this may lead to a dangerous position of a blind man sizing up the picture of an elephant. Moreover, principals have their own personal feelings, whether good or bad, towards certain teachers and they may not always be right. In this way, there may be prejudice against the teachers. This system of allowing inspectors of schools and principals to judge the teaching ability of teachers is not good and may lead to unfair decisions on the teachers concerned. I suggest that a committee be set up to deal with the question of extending the service of retired teachers. My next point deals with textbooks. Sir, we all know that before 1960, our schools did not have a common curriculum. The schools had their own choice of textbooks with an inclination towards books from foreign countries. Because of this, students in the various schools adopted different cultural values. Since 1960, when the common curriculum was formulated, schools of all streams have been making use of the same curriculum and have been inculcating in our youths a sense of national consciousness. But so far we have not achieved much in this direction, although the common curriculum has been in existence for eight years. This is because many textbooks are not available and many of our schools are using textbooks the supply of which is dependent on overseas publishers. Therefore, how can the contents of these textbooks suit our local situation and requirements?”
“The reasons are as follows: (a) The inspectors were not themselves teachers prior to their appointment, nor have they any diploma in education. (b) Most of the principals were not given any professional training. They did not even keep abreast of the latest trends in education. They run their schools according to their own experience and reputation. (c) Each and every lecturer has a different opinion of a trainee teacher. For these reasons, there is a conflict in the approach to teaching between the lecturers and the teachers. The teachers are therefore bewildered. Whenever a teacher wants to try out the latest methods of teaching, he has to consider whether enough facilities are available and also whether he will be allowed the freedom to experiment with the new methods. For example, first, there is the question of arrangement in the classrooms, and, second, the question whether the students have to go out of the classrooms or out of the school for extra-curricular activities. 6.30 p.m. Thirdly, whether there are enough books for pupils to do self-study. Therefore, in order to allay these doubts and fears, I believe there should be greater co-ordination and co-operation among lecturers, principals, inspectors of schools and teachers. To achieve this, more seminars, lectures and discussions should be held. I will now speak on the problem of teachers in aided- schools who want to extend their service after retirement. At the moment, the Ministry of Education considers applications on four criteria: (a) the physical condition of the teacher concerned; (b) his teaching ability; (c) his financial situation; and (d) his record of social service. I agree entirely with this approach. But I do not agree with the method of their implementation because there are many faults.”
“Let me quote an example from the Teachers' Training College. Recently, the T.T.C. Research Unit conducted a survey of the theme, "Why I become a teacher." Among the teachers questioned, about 40 per cent of graduate teachers in the English stream; 68 per cent of graduates in the Chinese stream; 71 per cent of H.S.C, trained teachers (English stream); 69 per cent of H.S.C, trained teachers (Chinese stream); 72 per cent of Secondary IV trained teachers (English stream) and 86 per cent of Secondary IV trained teachers (Chinese stream) have really committed themselves to their profession. In other words, of all the qualified teachers, there are about 60 per cent of graduate teachers (English stream); 32 per cent of graduate teachers (Chinese stream); 29 per cent of H.S.C, trained teachers (English stream); 31 per cent of H.S.C, trained teachers (Chinese stream); 28 per cent of Secondary IV trained teachers (English stream); 14 per cent of Secondary IV trained teachers (Chinese stream) who regard their present job as a temporary occupation. Teaching is to them a stepping stone to other jobs. If they have a better opportunity, they will quit teaching. We can deduce a very alarming fact from these figures; that is, if a teacher is better qualified, the less dedicated he is to the teaching profession. What is the Education Ministry going to do to arrest this trend? At the same time, I wish to know what the T.T.C, is going to do to overcome this difficulty. There is another point. The majority of teachers have experienced some frustration in their teaching. Most of them have been taught the latest scientific tnethods of teaching. However, sometimes these methods do not meet with the approval of the inspectors of schools or principals.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Members who have spoken before me. Whether a modern and developing nation like Singapore will continue to grow strong and healthy depends on whether there is political and economic stability. Singapore's future survival and whether the democratic system will succeed will depend on whether our economic expansion will be fast enough to cope with the rising expectations of our people. We must march forward if Singapore is to survive. Everyone knows that we lack natural resources. Our economic growth, therefore, depends on our talents and the proper utilisation of our natural resources. In other words, our economy depends very much on the human factor. Therefore, the aim of education should be to enhance the quality of our people. Mr Speaker, Sir, viewed in the context of the situation in Asia, we have achieved some success in our education system. It is now mature and more progressive. However, we must not be complacent We must always be on the look-out for any shortcomings and try to overcome them. If we adopt the correct measures to overcome our shortcomings, I believe the pace in our educational development will be faster. Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not want to speak on the overall education policy. I will direct my observations instead to certain short comings which we encounter in trying to implement it. Let us talk about our teachers. At this juncture in our nation building, we need not only a sufficient number of teachers but, what is more important, we need teachers who are dedicated and committed to the task of implementing our education policy. Otherwise Singapore, which depends on its human resources for its survival, will be doomed. Mr Speaker, Sir, do our teachers have a real respect for their profession?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Parliamentary Secretary say what action will be taken against a school which used money in excess of the $200?”
“This will also ensure that the 50,000 odd workers who will be left unemployed after the British withdrawal will have re-employment opportunities. This is also thinking in terms of the employment opportunities for our thousands of young people who will be entering the labour market every year. On these two matters - increasing productivity and providing employment opportunities - the first is an old problem, but the second is a new challenge. When there is a new problem, we must adopt new methods to meet it. There must be a new resolve to meet new problems. It is not surprising that we should encourage our people to work more diligently. When I began to speak on the Bill yesterday, I already said that there was nothing to cavil about it. But because of the few shortcomings which I have enumerated above - they are like bristle-tails and maggots which will eat away the whole body of the Bill - it is hoped the Minister for Labour will accept the constructive propositions of the Back-benchers. We have consulted the views of the electorate and we hope the Minister will deliberate on the Bill and amend it accordingly so as to make it perfect. It should be like a bright light lighting up the path to economic progress and national survival. It should not turn the relationship which now exists so harmoniously between labour and capital into, figuratively speaking, a volcano erupting on Bali Island. 3.17 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I will pick up from where I left off yesterday. I said yesterday that a person who retires at the age of 55 will have certain disadvantages. I said there are some workers who, on reaching 55 years of age, are preparing for their death. But, there are others who, on reaching this age, are still very energetic and full of spirit and vitality, in addition to having much precious experience gained from their work. At 55, they are beginning to launch into their ambitious enterprises. Such people constitute a good number. Let us look at the advanced countries, Britain and America, for some examples of these people. They normally reach the height of success at the ages of 70 to 80. This is a very good example to show that the retiring age for a worker should not be 55 years of age and there should not be any law to retire a worker when he reaches 55 years of age. I would say that the basis for assessing a person's retiring age should be his performance in the work. It should not be based on age. Another point is the standardisation of the number of hours of work per week. I should have supported this provision, but I have reasons to hope that the Minister for Labour should be aware that as a result of the increase of working hours per week, there is a risk that employers will make use of this provision as a pretext to retrench their workers. I therefore hope the Minister will caution the employers not to take such action. Before I wind up, I would like to say positively that this Bill, of course, is meant for the economic stability of our country hereafter and for its consolidation and continued prosperity. Therefore, all industries, whether pioneer or already established, and all business establishments should increase their productivity.”
“Moreover, nepotism is very prevalent in the Chinese community. Some employers tend to fill positions in their organisations with their relatives. Therefore, the workers are placed in a very precarious position. Hence, I would like the Minister carefully to reconsider this provision and make necessary amendments to it so as to make it better and more effective. Next, I would like to touch on the provision of compulsory retirement of employees at the age of 55. The Minister has promised to review this provision, so that a worker's retirement will depend on his capability to work and not on his age. Such a move is very encouraging. We must not forget that our Government is now propounding a social philosophy which puts a premium on a rugged and strong society. What is the significance of this philosophy? We can say with certainty that what we strive for is a healthy body. Moreover, our medical and health services, although they cannot be regarded as among the foremost in the world, are, we can safely say, second to none in Southeast Asia. With such excellent medical and health services, the average life span of our people is longer than that of any other country in Southeast Asia. The average life span here is 63 years. If we make it an inflexible law that a worker should retire at the age of 55, and if we take $200 per month as the average income of our people, then the total income earned in a working life of from 20 years to 55 years will be $84,000. If this amount is spread out over a period of 43 years as household expenditure, it will work out to $162.80 per month. Thus, if this provision is put into effect, our living standard will be reduced by one-fifth. 5.15 p.m.”
“Thus it will lead to a situation where thousands of employees will have no alternative but to request for salary increases in order to incorporate the bonus that they have lost into their salary scales. Only thus, can they remedy the loss of a bonus. Without such a remedy, the industrial peace and stability which we are enjoying now will be difficult to maintain. Sir, if we are dazzled by the term "bonus", we may change it to the term "rate of distribution of profits". If an enterprise or a company has made a profit, the workers and the employer can share this profit according to a specified rate of distribution. They should share it at a set rate. I think this is the best means to increase productivity. Next, I would like to deal with retrenchment benefits. This provision is a great boon to employers. Of course, we must stop the small group of workers who abuse such benefits, for example, by deliberately carrying out a work-to-rule policy or by indulging in absenteeism or by disobeying the orders of the management with the purpose of provoking the employers into sacking them so as to benefit from such a provision. But I must say that I cannot support the drastic change proposed by this provision. Those with a service of less than two years are not entitled to retrenchment benefits according to the provision in the Bill. Such a grave problem which involves the worker and his family is glossed over by the Bill. This will offer a very good opportunity to an employer to misuse this provision and to fire his employees without taking into consideration whether his business is making money or is running at a loss, and without taking into consideration whether such retrenchment arises from the need to reorganise his business.”
“But his views may not be entirely the same as what I am going to express on behalf of the people of my constituency. Sir, in the past as well as at present, business organisations and enterprises regard the payment of bonus as a means to encourage workers to be more diligent in their work. It has become an incentive for increased productivity and this has achieved good results. We all know that bonus is not merely an incentive to the workers but that employers also earn more profits as a result of the diligence and increased productivity of the workers. Because of this, the workers are entitled to a small percentage of the profits. This is only reasonable and justifiable. Moreover, in the past few years, employers have never grumbled about paying a bonus to their employees. This is an undeniable fact. So it is rather strange that the Government, as a third party, should now step in and take the initiative of introducing a provision to abolish the payment of bonus and giving employers absolute discretion in this connection. This will lead to a situation where the payment of bonus to the workers will depend entirely on the employer. It is like receiving charity from him. Of course, when I give these views, I do not mean to encourage irresponsible unions to abuse the bonus issue and create industrial strife over it. But my point is that we should not have a rigid law to abolish the payment of bonus. There is only a very brief provision in the Bill regarding bonus. It says that the payment of a bonus to a worker should be an incentive to increase productivity or as a reward for good performance. This provision negates all past awards on the payment of bonus and has entirely abolished the provision for bonus in the collective agreements reached.”
“They have accepted and supported the economic policy of the People's Action Party since it came into office. In the field of industrial relations, we have done away with strikes and have curbed disturbances and outbreaks of violence which characterised the 1 950s. Industrial disputes have become things of the past. We are now enjoying good weather after the storms and turbulence of the past few years. We must publicise the fact to foreign industrialists that conditions here are stable, that our society is a peaceful one and that our workers are enlightened. They will then be willing to extend their operations to our country. They will be willing to invest in and expand our industries. I fully understand the importance of large capital investment and economic development in this country, because these factors will create more employment opportunities for our growing population. It is because of some of the points which I have enumerated that our Government has now formulated a sound long-term policy by introducing the Employment Bill. I support and welcome this Bill in principle. But there are some provisions in it which are unnecessary, impractical and harsh. In spite of the Minister's detailed explanation of the purposes of some of the provisions, I am still not satisfied. I regard them as stringent, and many people share my view. We must therefore advance our views for his consideration. I have said just now that I accept this Bill in principle. But because of the risk that some of the provisions may be abused by some employers, thereby distorting the original purpose of the Bill, I must air my views and criticisms. Let me now enumerate some of the provisions which I regard as unsuitable. The Member for Moulmein has also touched on them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no doubt that at the present stage of nation building in Singapore we must put special emphasis on the development of our economy in order to meet the expenditure on defence, social, and educational requirements. We do not have natural resources such as tin and rubber. We have to depend only on ourselves as a trading centre, and to develop our industries in order to support our economic livelihood. Of course, we have about a century of history and experience as a trading centre to sustain us. But in regard to industrialisation we are making only a beginning. We are making great efforts to industrialise. This task is very important to our economic productivity and viability. Industrialisation must be a viable and living force in order to enable our country to achieve greater economic expansion and increase our gross national product and financial resources. By producing more revenue, more employment opportunities would be created for our workers. This is a very ambitious task. We must, first and foremost, become an advanced industrialised society in this region. To achieve this objective, we must, besides attracting foreign capital, give due regard to our products which must be low in price, good in quality and modern in design so as to compete with other countries. Unless we accomplish this, we cannot compete with products of other countries in the international market, and our attempt to make Singapore an industrial society will fail. The people of Singapore will not relax in their efforts nor will they shirk their responsibility for the development and growth of our national economy. In the past few years they have been able to check and overcome unfavourable conditions.”
“The subjects taught should include not only the ordinary basic theory of science but they should also be related to the actual application of the theory and the actual application of the techniques. The first type of science education is more suited to students who are interested in pure science. The second type is more suited to students who are interested in the actual application of science in industry. Comparatively speaking, applied science is more important and there should be more teaching of this subject than pure science. Thus we may teach the students according to their individual inclinations, so that we may train them as scientists or technologists or experts in the various fields. In this way, there will be a bright future for our industrialisation programme. Finally, Sir, I fully express my support for the Prime Minister's motion thanking the President for his speech. 5.38 p.m.”
“At the same time, it is also necessary to have more qualified science and technical teachers who will be responsible for the teaching of science and technical subjects. Further, full use must be made of the facilities to teach the students so that they will understand thoroughly the theory of science and its actual application. Science education should also emphasise applied science. Pure science has the objective of seeking the truth about science and ascertaining the facts of phenomena. It is not of much value to the practical application of science. Usually large sums of money and much energy are spent on pure science and, as a result, it does not contribute much to our industrialisation programme. It does not promote the well-being of our people. If we want to succeed in our industrialisation programme, we must encourage applied science and technical education. In order to industrialise, we need not only ordinary manual workers but also large numbers of technical specialists and engineers. In addition to having a sound mind in a sound body, these people should also have knowledge of applied science. They should also undergo a considerable period of strict technical training before they can become qualified industrial personnel. Therefore, from now on the secondary school curriculum should stress the importance of teaching Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. These three subjects are the basis and the gateway to more advanced scientific knowledge. There are two points I wish to emphasise. One is on the theoretical aspect of science. The other is on its practical application.”
“Therefore, it is necessary for us to set up an institution of physical education in order to train teachers of physical education so that they can bring up a rugged, brave, strong, determined, energetic and enduring new generation. Sir, I now come to science and technical education. It cannot be denied that our past prosperity has all along been dependent on commerce and entrepot trade. But now that we are independent, we have to provide our own defence. The British military forces will be withdrawing from Singapore. On top of this, our population is increasing and a large number of people are unemployed. Hereafter, we may not be able to depend solely on commerce and entrepot trade to maintain our economy. The Government is going all out to promote industrialisation in order to bolster up our economy, establish our own defence, resolve the unemployment problem because of the British withdrawal from Singapore, and create more employment opportunities for thousands of school-leavers every year. It is encouraging local merchants and even entrepreneurs to invest large sums in factories in order to create more employment opportunities. To succeed in industrialisation, investments and markets are natural problems. But it is even more important to reduce production cost, increase productivity and raise the quality of our manufactured goods. In order to achieve this, our education system should naturally stress the importance of science and technical education. This is the only way to succeed in industrialisation and achieve economic prosperity. We should have not only a sound education system taking in science and technical subjects, but also well-equipped laboratories and workshops.”
“We all know that the Ministry of Education calls it the Primary School Leaving Examination. But, in fact, this sort of examination is a judgment on the future of a 13-year old child, because his fate is sealed by the result of the examination. The Ministry will put him either in an academic secondary school, or a secondary technical school or a secondary vocational school, depending on his result. Sir, a 13-year old child has no fundamental understanding of or any concern for his fate. Ninety per cent of the questions in the present Primary School Leaving Examination are objective tests and there is an element of chance. This kind of examination cannot truly determine the intelligence of a student. It is rather unfair to seal his fate in this manner and many a fine boy's future may be destroyed. Attention has already been paid to this point in advanced countries like England. I hope we can take a step forward and abolish the Primary School Leaving Examination and replace it by a Middle II Selective Examination. In the wake of our discussion about building up a brave and rugged generation, I am surprised that there is no physical education subject in the Middle IV, Secondary IV and Higher Secondary Examination. Sir, although our schools are expanding to saturation point, we are very short of art and craft teachers. Even the inter-school sport meetings organised by Government schools have been largely stopped, because many schools cannot get physical education teachers and coaches. To ask a trainee teacher who has not much knowledge of physical education and who has been trained two hours a week in the Teachers' Training College to take up the onerous and important task of becoming a teacher of physical education is like looking for a fish in the woods.”
“The task of cultivating group interest to serve as a generating force for our progress cannot be undertaken by the administrators in the Ministry of Education alone. Therefore, all school administrators and teachers must do their bit to help in this task. So the re-training of teachers and administrative personnel is necessary. Of course, this can be undertaken during their vacation or holidays. The main purpose is to give them a clearer understanding of the Government's education policy, to make them aware of the trust that the country and the people have in them, and to inculcate in them a love for their country. At the same time, our society and new country need a group of dedicated intellectuals to help. Therefore, the Ministry of Education must adopt a new criterion for the promotion of teachers, namely, their contribution and services as teachers to society: for instance, their activities in the Citizens' Consultative Committees, community centres, voluntary and other organisations, and services rendered to society generally. Another point is that when inspectors of schools find teachers making mistakes, they should try to make the teachers correct their mistakes on the spot and not lord it over them and make a record of the mistakes in their files for the purpose of record and not for the purpose of improvement. It is important that inspectors of schools should impart to the teachers a spirit of patriotism and inform them of the nature of our education policy in order to help them carry out more effectively their duties as teachers. Sir, let me supplement what the Member for Serangoon Gardens said yesterday on the present examination system. First of all, I support his views on the abolition of the Primary School Leaving Examination.”