Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Singapore
“EDB conducts regular reviews to GIP to ensure its effectiveness in attracting only top-tier business leaders who are interested to drive the growth of their businesses and investments from Singapore.”
“MAS may vary the size of the additional capital requirement imposed on the bank and take other regulatory actions depending on the outcome of ongoing reviews. MAS requires all retail banks in Singapore to ensure that their mission critical systems supporting digital banking are resilient.”
“This question will be answered in the reply to Dr Tan Wu Meng's Parliamentary Question filed for tomorrow's Sitting. [Please refer to "Probe into Recent Disruptions of DBS' Digital Bank and Physical ATM Services and Preventive Measures Implemented", Official Report, 5 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 107, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Ans…”
“Borrowing from the banks is one of the ways in which MAS carries out MMOs to soak up such excess liquidity. Like other central banks, MAS does this daily through an auction system, enabling MAS to withdraw liquidity through the Primary Dealers that submit the most competitive prices.”
“To mitigate consumer over-indebtedness, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) requires financial institutions (FIs) to implement a range of safeguards when extending mortgage loans and unsecured credit.”
“The Monetary Authority of Singapore imposes on external asset managers the same stringent regulatory standards for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism that it imposes on banks.”
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“We now look forward to the second half of Singapore's ASEAN Chairmanship, which will culminate with the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Post-Ministerial Conferences and the ASEAN Regional Forum that Singapore will host in July. We will continue to push ASEAN to implement important initiatives like the ASEAN Charter, strengthen cooperation in key areas like the environment and transborder challenges, as well as deepen external relations with its various partners.”
“Similar blueprints will also be established for the other two pillars of community building - the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural pillars. Third, Leaders also addressed global issues of concern to the region, namely, "Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development" and issued three significant Declarations. In particular, ASEAN has resolved to cooperate more closely on key environmental issues such as combating transboundary environmental pollution and sustainable forest management. In fact, with the global focus on climate change, the Singapore Summit has paved the way for sustained dialogue on this key issue and increased regional cooperation. At the subsequent UNFCCC meetings in Bali last month, for instance, ASEAN agreed to work on an ASEAN Climate Change Initiative, which will strengthen ASEAN's coordination and cooperation in addressing Climate Change. Fourth, besides strengthening ASEAN internally, ASEAN also had productive Summit meetings with its Dialogue Partners like China, Japan, Korea, India and the EU. ASEAN celebrated the 10th Anniversary of ASEAN+3 relations by adopting an important Joint Statement and workplan on East Asia Cooperation. We also had good discussions with the EU on how to deepen our cooperation at the special ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit marking 30 years of relations. Finally, the 3rd East Asia Summit was a very substantive meeting, with the Leaders discussing the environment and climate change, as well as agreeing to deepen EAS cooperation in important areas like energy security, economics and natural disaster mitigation.”
“The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat) (for the Minister for Foreign Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, Ms Irene Ng has asked for an assessment of the recent ASEAN Summit in Singapore, which was held from 18-22 November. Overall, the Singapore Summit achieved its main outcomes. Although Myanmar was a major concern, it did not derail the proceedings. I will respond to the questions on Myanmar from Ms Ng later. First and foremost, Leaders signed the milestone ASEAN Charter. This will transform ASEAN into a more effective and rules-based organisation. This in turn will change the way ASEAN is being perceived, both from within and without the region. However, to ensure that ASEAN realises its full potential as envisaged in the Charter, we need to bring it into force as soon as possible. Thus, ratification and implementation will be a key priority for the next phase of Singapore's Chairmanship as ASEAN Leaders have agreed to aim for ratification of the ASEAN Charter within a year. Singapore itself has already deposited its Instrument of Ratification on 7th January. In addition, as Chair, we will also work towards putting in place the new mechanisms of ASEAN, including dispute settlement mechanisms and start work on the terms of reference of the proposed ASEAN human rights body. Second, Leaders endorsed a Blueprint on the ASEAN Economic Community. This will help ASEAN realise its goal of an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 by setting out clear targets and timelines for the implementation of various activities. ASEAN will now begin working on implementing the Blueprint quickly, so that our 10 ASEAN economies can integrate into a single market and production base, capable of competing alongside regional powerhouses like India and China.”
“Sir, I would like to thank Mdm Halimah for her questions. On the first question of how much assistance has been provided to needy Singaporeans living in three-room flats and below, if we take the GST offset package alone which was introduced in last year's Budget but disbursed at various points over FY2007, a typical three-room household would receive in this current fiscal year about $1,050, which is several times larger than the increase in expenditure that they would have incurred as a result of the GST increase. So it goes well beyond compensating for the GST increase. It involves cash credits in the form of the GST credits and the Senior Citizens' Bonus. It includes utilities discounts and it includes what we did in a range of other sectors to provide support for needy Singaporeans. It is quite a substantial package of support. On top of that, of course, we continue to provide our health subsidies, Medifund for the very poor as well as our other health subsidies, education subsidies - financial assistance schemes in education last year were substantially increased by widening the criteria so that more families can benefit - and various other subsidy programmes. These are on-going and this will continue to be our strategy. We will continue on a targeted and efficient basis to help needy Singaporeans. ASEAN SUMMIT (Assessment and update of major initiatives) 3. Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs for an assessment of the ASEAN Summit and an update of the major initiatives discussed and agreed upon, such as the ASEAN Charter.”
“As the Prime Minister said in his New Year message, our finances permitting, we should have something more in the FY2008 Budget to help needy and older Singaporeans.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government has been keeping a close watch on inflation and the cost of living. The main reasons for the current pressures on the cost of living are the increase in oil and food prices globally. However, CPI inflation has also increased for technical reasons, which do not affect most households. As explained by the Minister for Trade and Industry in Parliament in November last year, the CPI reflects the increase in the Annual Values of homes. However, as 95% of Singaporeans own their own homes and do not pay rental, they are not affected by this component of the CPI increase. So this is a technical factor. Another reason for the high CPI inflation figure is the increase in the GST rate from 5% to 7% that took place in July last year. However, this has been more than offset by the assistance package that the Government provided to Singaporeans. Lower income families have received offsets which are several times larger than the increase in their GST payouts. We should also realise that the GST change has caused only a one-off increase in prices, and not a continuing price rise. The CPI inflation figure continues to show the impact of the GST increase, because the CPI inflation figures are computed by comparing prices this month with prices 12 months ago, ie, before July last year when we increased the GST rate. But, in fact, if we compare prices today with prices, say, in September last year, there has been little further increase due to the GST increase. The Government is helping lower income Singaporeans through Workfare, through ComCare and Medifund, and also through the many other targeted subsidies in health, education, housing and utilities.”
“RISING COST OF LIVING (Assistance to low income Singaporeans) 2. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government will consider introducing additional measures to assist low income Singaporeans who are finding it difficult to cope with the rising cost of living with the high rate of inflation which is projected to increase even further this year.”
“I do not think it is appropriate or useful for the Government - and I am repeating myself here but it may be useful to do so - to get involved in the risk assessment and investment decision on any individual transaction. Over a period of time, if we notice that either GIC or Temasek has not been earning the returns they expected and has been making rash decisions repeatedly as evidenced by what happens after the fact, then of course we would want to engage with them in a much closer discussion on their risk management procedures. This has not been the case so far because they have been doing well consistently over the long term and we have no reason to believe that there is anything suspect or wanting in their risk management procedures. Some of you may have read Mr Ng Kok Song's interview in the Straits Times today. I read it with great interest this morning. It was a translation I suspect, from a Swiss newspaper. He explained this matter of how many days it took, and it may even have been less than eight days from his account. GIC and Temasek are not newcomers in this field. In the case of GIC's transaction, they have been in the financial markets for years. Even for the purpose of their small investments, whether it is in Citibank, UBS or other global financial institutions, they have a team of people who are watching these institutions continuously, studying the financials, doing counter-simulations, interacting with the senior management of the institutions and asking them probing questions. They are not new to Citibank or UBS or to financial institutions. They come in ready. So when a proposition is made to them, they know how to look at opportunities in a timely fashion, knowing also that opportunities have to be taken in a timely fashion.”
“That is a useful question. Indeed we do have an understanding with both GIC and Temasek as to the Government's overall risk tolerance. In the case of GIC, it is our funds which the GIC is managing as a fund manager. So the Government sets the risk tolerance, for instance, how much risk you are willing to take and how much risk of a downturn or reduction in the value of your total assets that you are willing to absorb over a certain period of time. In the case of Temasek, we are a shareholder and they own the funds, they set their risk parameters but they do so in the context of an understanding with the Ministry of Finance as to what is an expected return that we should hope to derive over the long term. So this is not a situation where we are completely hands-off, where we do not have our eyes on the ball at all. But we are scrupulous in avoiding comment on or influencing, not just publicly but internally, the individual investment decisions of Temasek and GIC. I think that is the right balance.”
“As I have mentioned earlier, it is important for Government to retain a stance of not assessing Temasek and GIC on individual deals. They are institutions which are tasked with earning us a good long term return. They will have to do so by assessing the risks of each transaction as well as the risks of their whole portfolio thoroughly, rigorously and regularly. Each deal will come with its own risks, and the two institutions go about analysing this with considerable care. They do not just look at the risks inherent in each deal but also how the risks correlate with the rest of the portfolio because risk-correlations are a very important component of the overall risks of a portfolio. They go about this thoroughly so as to be able to assure themselves that they will be able to provide Government with good, long-term financial returns. We have to leave this to them - timing, the decision as to whether to invest, and how to protect themselves in each investment as GIC and Temasek have indeed done in each of these large deals - they protected themselves from downside risks to the extent that is possible - and how to manage a diversified portfolio even as they enter into some large deals from time to time. We have to leave it to them to do as they judge best.”
“It is not the Government's role to comment on or second guess whether it was timely for GIC and Temasek to have made these two investments. It does not judge the performance of GIC and Temasek by their individual deals. Nevertheless, the Government is assured that both GIC and Temasek had thoroughly assessed the risks of each of these investments, and had made hard-headed commercial decisions after careful assessment of the risks and the prospects for returns over the long term.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Mr Inderjit Singh asked about the rationale for recent investments by GIC and Temasek in UBS and Merrill Lynch respectively, and asked whether it is premature to make such investments when the full effects of the sub-prime crisis have yet to be quantified. Let me first state that GIC and Temasek make their investment decisions independent of each other, and of the Government. They make these decisions for commercial reasons, based on their own calculations, free of any influence from Government. GIC has explained the reasons why it made a major investment in UBS, and more recently in Citigroup. Likewise, Temasek has stated why it invested in Merrill Lynch. The US subprime crisis has resulted in several global financial institutions facing large writedowns of their assets, and requiring fresh capital. This has presented opportunities for investors that are liquid, and able to take a long term view. GIC and Temasek were among those approached. They assessed the proposals rigorously. In each instance, GIC and Temasek concluded that these were good, long term investments and valuable additions to their overall portfolios. They considered each of the banks as having a strong business franchise and good long term growth potential, across multiple businesses and multiple locations. Hence, they negotiated terms which protected their interests and made financial sense, and entered into the deals. These are large investments. As with all commercial investments, there will be some downside risk. It is up to GIC and Temasek to assess this risk, and decide if it is acceptable. Their responsibility is to accept prudent risks in order to earn good returns on their overall portfolios.”
“In the areas of Science and Culture, there is likewise enhanced opportunity to exchange views with experts from other countries and to participate in international discussions on issues like bioethics, environment and water management, as well as on the promotion of culture and heritage. As part of the UNESCO family, Singapore will be able to tap on the resources and networks within UNESCO and its institutes. These would provide more avenues for Singaporean professionals in education, science and culture to interact with and learn from their counterparts in other countries. APPENDICES”
“Singapore rejoined UNESCO on 8th October 2007. The Singapore National Commission will be established to coordinate Singapore’s policies and programmes in UNESCO. It will be chaired by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, with secretariat support provided by the Ministry of Education. Under the National Commission, three Sub-Commissions will be set up on Education, Science, and Culture & Information. These will be led by Ms Chang Hwee Nee, Deputy Secretary, MOE, Prof. Leo Tan from the National Institute of Education, and Ms Koh Lin-Net, Deputy Secretary, MICA, respectively. The membership of the National Commission and Sub-Commissions will comprise representatives from Government and non-government organisations. The Singapore National Commission will work closely with partner institutions, including the National Environment Agency, Agency for Science, Technology and Research; institutions of higher learning and research organisations; professional and non-Government bodies like the Singapore National Academy of Science, the Academy of Principals and national arts, heritage and cultural institutions. The National Commission will also work closely with UNESCO's regional offices and institutes, as well as other National Commissions to foster greater international, regional and bilateral cooperation. In the field of Education, we welcome the opportunity to build on our current efforts of sharing best practices with other countries in areas such as technical and vocational education, school management, teacher training and the use of information technology in teaching and learning.”
“The average annual budget for the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) for the last five years (FY 2003-2007) was approximately $420,000. The 200-strong SNYO aims to provide each member with an exemplary orchestral experience and the highest quality professional music education and training, as part of their education. Another objective of the SNYO is to develop future musicians and audience. As such, the main measures of performance relate to their musicianship development through mentorship by practising musicians, and their performances. The SNYO performs three public concerts a year. Every year, the SNYO members also perform with artistes of international repute under the auspices of the International Artistes Series. Concert tours are arranged once every three years during which the SNYO takes part in international festivals or competitions. Such experiences further hone members' performance skills and broaden their musical experiences. In addition, the SNYO has won accolades in international music festivals or competitions. During their overseas tour in 2005, the SNYO participated in the 34th International Youth and Music Festival held in Vienna, Austria, and was awarded a joint first with PRC. Lastly, some SNYO members have become musicians themselves. More than 30 former members of the SNYO have performed as members of the SSO. INSTALLATION OF ERP GANTRY (North-bound CTE) 7. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport whether the Land Transport Authority will consider installing the evening ERP gantry on the north-bound CTE at the PIE exit instead of across the entire north-bound CTE.”
“Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the annual budget for the Singapore National Youth Orchestra for the last five years; and (b) how is its performance measured.”
“The deliverables are: • % of schools that participated in the annual SYF events • Trend data on participation rates by levels (primary, secondary, JC) • Trend data on Overall Award Distribution for SYF Central Judging • Number of schools attaining Sustained Achievement Award (Aesthetics) Trend study on the participation rates by levels (primary, secondary and JC) over the last six years shows a positive trend of students participating in the SYF Central Judging. The increase for each festival over the preceding festival for the level has been between 9% and 27%. Schools have also performed better in the annual SYF Central Judging. Trend study on the overall award distribution for SYF Central Judging from 2002-2007 also shows a higher percentage of items attaining at least a Silver Award in this benchmarking platform. In the 2007 SYF, 70% of items attained at least a Silver Award. There is an increasing number of schools attaining the Sustained Achievement Award for Aesthetics from 2002-2007. In 2002, 10 schools were awarded the Sustained Achievement Award for Aesthetics while in 2006, 26 institutions received the same award. The greatest testimony of the achievement and success of SYF is the vibrant performing arts scene in schools, which in turn builds a strong audience and performer base for the arts in Singapore. Today, there are a total of 1,018 performing groups of various kinds in our secondary schools and JCs and 745 in primary schools. In 2006-2007, 97.7% of all primary schools, 98.8% of all secondary schools and 90% of all junior colleges/centralised institute participated in at least one of the SYF platforms. SINGAPORE NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA (Annual budget and measure of performance) 6.”
“The Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) is organised for primary schools in even numbered years and for the secondary schools and junior colleges/centralised institute in the odd numbered years. As some events organised for the primary schools differ from those organised for the secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes, the cost for running SYF for the different levels differ as well. The average budget for the last three primary level SYF was about $930,000 while the average budget for the last three secondary, junior college, centralised institute level SYF was about $502,000. The SYF plays an important role in promoting the development of the arts in our schools. Its objectives are to encourage mass participation in performing arts CCAs, promote the growth of an arts culture in our schools and raising standards in arts education. The SYF also showcases the diverse talents of our students in the arts. The SYF is a two-step process each year. In April, the central judging benchmarks the standards of performing arts groups in schools by assessing them in six categories: band, Chinese orchestra, choir, dance, drama and instrumental ensembles. Schools that do well in each category are then selected and showcased in the festival in July. Each year, more than 20 events are staged under SYF and the performances reach out to ticketed audience at formal concert halls as well as members of the public at shopping centres and parks. The SYF also showcases students in track and field and UG events. The success of the SYF is measured based on a broad set of deliverables.”
“Dr Ahmad Mohd Magad asked the Minister for Manpower in respect of the Workforce Skills Qualification Scheme (a) which industries are still lagging in terms of employer participation in the scheme and take-up rates by employees; (b) what other efforts are being taken to encourage more Singaporeans to take up jobs in industries such as precision engineering.”
“Students take different numbers of GCE 'O' Level subjects, with most taking six to nine. So for the purpose of answering the Member's question, I will define a GCE 'O' Level student with "perfect score" as one with the best possible L1R5 score of six points, comprising his/her first language and five relevant subjects. 745 students attained this score in the 2006 GCE 'O' Level Examinations and opted for JCs as their top choices. 95% (710 students) were posted to their first-choice JCs. In the case of students who opted for polytechnic courses, the best possible score is five points, comprising English Language, two relevant subjects and two best subjects. Seven students who applied to polytechnic courses attained this score in the 2006 GCE 'O' Level Examinations. All were admitted to their first-choice polytechnic courses. While a student exercises his own choices of institution and courses of study, entry to JCs and polytechnics is through open competition and is based on merit. The outcome is the result of competition among all applicants for the available places. It would not be possible for MOE to guarantee every student with a perfect score a place in his/her first-choice JC/polytechnic course. Nevertheless, MOE will continue to regularly review the number of places in popular JCs and polytechnic courses, taking into account the aspirations of our students and the needs of our economy. WORKFORCE SKILLS QUALIFICATION SCHEME 33.”
“The inputs of other medical and allied health specialists, including geneticists, neurologists, and nutritionists may also be needed in some cases. To help teachers understand children with learning difficulties, MOE requires the pre-service training for pre-school teachers leading to certificate or diploma includes modules on special needs. Furthermore, there is an annual seminar for child-care practitioners. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports has incorporated topics on special needs and inclusion in this seminar. Child care centre staff are familiar with the current protocol for detection and referral of children with mild learning disabilities. Once a child with special needs is detected, the centre would advise the parents to seek professional help at the CDUs. MOE will continue to support MCYS and the Ministry of Health on early intervention for pre-school children with special needs. UNEMPLOYED PROFESSIONALS, MANAGERS, EXECUTIVES AND TECHNICIANS (Figures) 6. Mr Edwin Khew Teck Fook asked the Minister for Manpower whether his Ministry will provide a breakdown of Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians who are currently unemployed and the sectors they belong to, particularly the manufacturing sector.”
“Role of SNOs in schools The primary role of Special Needs Officers (SNOs) in mainstream primary and secondary schools is to provide support and intervention for pupils who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate special needs such as dyslexia or autistic spectrum disorder so that these pupils can have access to education in our mainstream schools. To date, a total of 81 SNOs have been deployed to 57 primary schools and 13 secondary schools. These SNOs provide individual support for these pupils in the normal classrooms, as well as train them in specific skills, such as literacy or social skills in small groups. However, the diagnosis and assessments of children with special needs require the specialist knowledge of psychology or psychiatry. The SNOs are not trained to conduct these assessments. However, they and our teachers can make referrals to the professionals if they notice children who may be exhibiting signs of learning difficulties. The assessment of children with special needs in the mainstream schools is mainly done by psychologists in MOE or by clinicians in the Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health. Identification of children with special needs in preschools For the preschool children, the identification and diagnosis is carried out by the Child Development Units (CDUs) in KKH and NUH. This is because at this age, a child’s physical, social, mental and language skills are developing. It is therefore important that the evaluation and input of professionals from multiple disciplines, including pediatricians, child psychologists, speech and language therapists as well as physio-therapists and occupational therapists (to develop the child’s motor skills) are all taken into consideration to arrive at an accurate assessment.”
“Fire safety is emphasised as part of school safety to all pupils. To ensure that pupils know the actions to take in such an emergency, fire drills are conducted twice a year in schools. Each fire drill is preceded by a briefing to all staff and pupils on fire safety measures. As part of the preparation for lessons in the Design and Technology workshops and practical sessions in the Science laboratories, pupils are taught fire safety measures. Uniformed Groups like the National Civil Defence Cadet Corp (NCDCC), NPCC and NCC offer training on the use of fire extinguishers and on appropriate ways to fight a fire. Schools also leverage on media reports of fire occurrences and use platforms such as School Assembly to raise such safety awareness in pupils. MARRIAGES BETWEEN SINGAPOREANS AND FOREIGNERS (Figures and nationalities) 8. Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports for each of the last ten years (a) how many marriages between Singaporeans and foreigners were registered in Singapore; (b) how many of these marriages were between Singaporean men and foreign women; and (c) what were the 20 most common nationalities of (i) foreign men who married Singaporean women and (ii) foreign women who married Singaporean men.”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE CHAIR”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." In accordance with Article 148(1) of the Constitution, Heads of Expenditure to be met from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund, other than statutory expenditure, have to be included in a Bill to be known as the Supply Bill. The purpose of the Supply Bill before Members is therefore to give legislative approval for the appropriations from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund to meet the expenditures in the Financial Year, 1st April, 2007 to 31st March, 2008. The Heads of Expenditure and the sums that may be incurred in respect of each Head are shown in the Schedule to the Bill. These have been approved by the House in the Main and Development Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year, 1st April, 2007 to 31st March, 2008, as amended, and contained in Command Paper No. 2 of 2007. The Supply Bill, when approved, will empower me to issue warrants authorising expenditure up to the amount for each Head as shown in the Bill to be paid out from the Consolidated Fund and Development Fund. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Third Reading”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. SUPPLY BILL Order for Second and Third Readings read.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That Parliament doth agree with the Committee on the said resolutions." Question put, and agreed to. Resolutions accordingly agreed to. SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPLY (FY 2006) BILL Order for Second and Third Readings read. 5.45 pm The Second Minister for Finance (Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The purpose of this Bill is to make provision in accordance with Articles 148(2) and 148C(2) of the Constitution for additional expenditure in excess of the provisions authorised by the Supply Act 2006. The additional sums have been presented as Supplementary Estimates, which have been considered and approved by the House as Command Paper No. 1 of 2007. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time. Third Reading”
“You take the trouble to learn how to play the piano, you look forward to see what grades you can clear. Nothing more than that. Those who have completed the conversational Chinese or Malay programme in secondary school may opt to take the proficiency certification test. We expect some students will in fact be keen on this. MOE will be working with the reputable partners, such as the Regional Language Centre (RELC), to conduct this proficiency certification. And you would be able to accumulate over time - you do something in secondary school, you can continue with it in the tertiary level, and your grades get stacked up on top of each other. Let me conclude. Our education strategies are a key part of how we secure Singapore's future as a vibrant global city. We are providing Singaporeans with opportunities from young to develop a global outlook and to get a flavour of the opportunities that are emerging in Asia. We are doing more to keep our mother tongue languages alive. We are also helping interested students to learn new third languages that will help us to reach out and engage with emerging Asia. And we are providing more opportunities for students to pick up conversational Chinese and Malay. Together, these initiatives add up to something. They will strengthen our identity as an open, diverse and multi-cultural society, unique in Asia. School Education”
“The additional resources that MOE will provide schools will allow students also to sustain their exposure to these conversational languages while they are at school, instead of taking classes for just one year, which is typically the case at present. We envisage that within five years, all primary schools will offer conversational Chinese and Malay as enrichment programmes. We hope that two thirds of our secondary schools would also be able to do likewise within five years. We will also provide our students with opportunities for continuing exposure to these conversational languages as they move up through the school system as well as when they move into the tertiary institutions. They can start with the beginning modules in primary school or basic modules in secondary school, which would help them with everyday phrases, such as greetings or asking for the right price or directions and, depending on their interest in aptitude, they move on to intermediate and higher modules at upper secondary or at the tertiary level, which would allow them to have a short conversation, for example. We will make it easy for students to come on board at any point and to progress as much as they are interested at any point. Over the next three years, all our tertiary institutions will also offer conversational Chinese and Malay as enrichment options for interested students. Some do. For instance, ITE already does so, and last year, about 300 students signed up for conversational Chinese and 100 students for conversational Malay. To help students to track their progress in these conversational languages, MOE will also introduce an optional oral proficiency test. Purely optional. It is a bit like the piano grades.”
“We will encourage as many schools as possible to offer conversational Chinese and Malay. MOE will provide them with additional resources to do so. Besides their own teachers, schools can work with the private sector, parents and the community or outsource these programmes. MOE will also set up a scheme to engage instructors to teach conversational Malay and Chinese, somewhat like how we engage instructors for the arts, which the schools can then tap on. These are the people who need not be recruited for full training at NIE. There is a pool of instructors with the requisite qualifications whose schools can then tap on and use in a flexible manner. We do not want to bog this down too much with the formal curriculum that every school should follow, but keep it flexible, have a variety of methods at play and have a variety of instructors coming into the schools to help. Teachers too can benefit from these enrichment programmes if they are interested. There are some examples. Tampines JC, for example, includes teachers in the conversational language workshops which it conducts for students. And some teachers, on their own accord, have gone through the trouble of taking conversational Chinese or Malay outside the schools. Miss Fa'izah Bte Osman, a Physics teacher at Bedok North Secondary, I think she has two or three years of experience, started her Chinese Language lessons while she was at NUS. She completed Level 1 of Basic Chinese at NUS. When she started teaching, she felt the need to continue because she thought it would help to improve her communication with parents. So she completed Level 2 and Level 3 of Basic Chinese at NUS Extension last year. She is a good example.”
“Our third language options which I was just talking about extend to the Chinese and Malay (Special Programmes). These are full examinable subjects for students who do not take Chinese or Malay as their second language. Since last year, we relaxed the eligibility criteria for these two programmes. We are building on a small base of student enrolment, but the response has been encouraging. About 350 students take each of these two third language subjects - Chinese and Malay (Special Programmes). But the number of students who take Chinese or Malay (Special Programmes), full examinable subjects, will not be significant. We will therefore do more to promote conversational Chinese and Malay as enrichment programmes for students who are not native speakers of these languages. As Minister Mentor observed two years ago, few of our non-Malays now understand Bahasa. He felt we should get 10%-15% of our non-Malay population conversant in Bahasa over time. 1.15 pm There is also growing interest amongst our non-Chinese students to learn Chinese for conversational purposes. It is a useful skill for the future. The conversational Chinese and Malay programmes have taken off well in our schools. Last year, about 58 primary schools and 47 secondary schools conducted conversational Malay or Chinese classes or enrichment lessons. They do so in a variety of ways - in many schools, the mother tongue teachers conduct the lessons when they are free; other schools choose to engage external vendors or rely on parental volunteers or even student coaches. For instance, in Lianhua Primary, interested Primary 4 Malay students have the opportunity to learn conversational Chinese from the Chinese language teachers and the Chinese students help out as peer tutors.”
“We will also allow them to use their language grades to count towards their eligibility for Edusave awards such as the Good Progress Award and Edusave scholarships. I hope this encourages them to excel in their mother tongues. Our third languages currently include Chinese (Special Programme), Malay (Special Programme), French, German and Japanese. We have five of them. We will add new third languages to broaden our offerings at the MOE Language Centre. Bahasa Indonesia is one of them. As Dr Lily Neo and Dr Ong Seh Hong both highlighted, having a pool of young Singaporeans who are well versed in the culture and languages of the region is crucial for our long term engagement with our closest neighbours. We will also introduce Arabic. The Middle East is a fast-growing region, with opportunities for Singaporeans. According to recent news reports, in fact, in the last week, a growing number of Singaporeans are already taking up Arabic. 200 people have signed up for Arabic classes at Jamiyah Business School, four times the enrolment two years ago, and at least half are non-Muslims. At PERGAS, enrolment in Arabic 101 for non-native speakers is expected to double this year, from the 100 students enrolled last year. From 2008, MOE will offer Bahasa Indonesia and Arabic at the MOE Language Centre, bringing the number of third languages that MOE offers from five to seven. Greater emphasis will be placed on oral proficiency and reading skills, so that students emerge from the programme with working knowledge of the languages and a basic understanding of Arab and Indonesian society and culture. Finally, let me come to the question of conversational mother tongue languages.”
“In fact, they go as far back as Stamford Raffles and in some cases, much earlier, to the old trading routes for which Singapore was a port of call. We must keep them alive so that they remain a vibrant part of Singapore’s cultural landscape. Like Tamil, they allow our communities to link up to different parts of South Asia. The number of students learning Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu as their second language has grown by about 20% over the past five years, to about 4,800 students today. The communities have done a commendable job in organising instruction for their children. The Board for Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages currently oversees the delivery of non-Tamil Indian language instruction by the different community bodies, as well as overseeing the standardisation of the examinations they conduct. MOE has provided for the five non-Tamil Indian languages to be part of our national examinations at the PSLE, "N" and "O" levels, and at the "AO" levels as well. We have provided for this since the first half of 1990s. To help the communities keep their mother tongues alive, we have decided to provide funding support for the non-Tamil Indian languages. MOE will now provide a grant of about $1.5 million each year to enable the Board for Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages and the community groups to provide subsidies for students taking these classes. In addition, MOE will work with the Board to effect the necessary processes to facilitate the recognition of grades in these languages for students' level-to-level progression within their schools before they get to the milestone years where they take the national examinations which MOE conducts.”
“Today, 34% of Secondary One students are taking Higher Chinese compared to 21% in 2003. For Higher Malay, the proportion has risen from 11% to 19%, and for Higher Tamil, it is an increase from 17% to 36%, or more than double. We will take further steps to help students in learning their mother tongues. To broaden access to Tamil instruction,eight more secondary schools will offer Tamil Language within curriculum time from next year. This will bring the total number of such secondary schools from 81 to 89, well distributed around the island. It will enable over 90% of all our Tamil Language students to attend lessons in their own schools, within regular curriculum time. In the remaining secondary schools, there are very few Tamil Language students, making it impractical to conduct Tamil Language classes within the school. Students at these remaining schools will be able to take their Tamil Language classes in the afternoons, at one of the 12 centres around the island. MOE will also work with our primary schools to provide pro-active advice to parents of their graduating classes, the P6 classes, to send their children to secondary schools which offer Tamil Language during curriculum time, so that they do not need to travel in the afternoon to classes elsewhere. With more students enrolled in these schools which offer Tamil Language during regular curriculum time, they can practise the language with their peers, and benefit from a richer learning environment for the language. I will now touch on the non-Tamil Indian languages, which are the mother tongues for the smaller Indian minority groups. These languages are not new to Singapore.”
“First, by improving the effectiveness of bilingual language learning including providing greater support for the small minority mother tongues as second language options. Second, we will introduce more third language options like Bahasa Indonesia and Arabic, so that we can reach out to emerging areas outside Singapore. As the Prime Minister mentioned at last year's National Day Rally, we have to do more to keep our immigrant cultures alive and also make it easy for Singaporeans to learn third languages, new foreign languages, that will help them to link up with opportunities outside. Third, we will provide opportunities for more students to learn languages other than their own mother tongue at a conversational level so as to enhance interaction among Singaporeans of different races and strengthen our social cohesion even as we embrace the world. Over the past three years, as Members know, MOE has conducted comprehensive reviews of each of the four official languages - English and the three main mother tongue languages (Chinese, Malay, Tamil). The implementation of the changes arising from these reviews will be a key focus for MOE and our schools over the next few years. We have already seen some results in the mother tongue languages, with language learning coming alive through a more flexible curriculum, creative teaching methods and an increased emphasis on oral skills so that students keep using their mother tongues after they leave school. More of our students are pursuing a high level of excellence in their mother tongues. We have seen from this year, the full effects of the progressive relaxation in the eligibility criteria for students wishing to offer Higher Mother Tongue Languages which we started a few years ago.”
“So not just a one or two-week study trip but you spend a few months there. Our tertiary institutions are also linking up with partners abroad through school-student exchanges and internships, and in the case of our universities also through collaborative research as well as joint degree programmes. This is the way to go for our universities. Overall, we aim to provide opportunities for up to 50% of our tertiary students to have an overseas stint during the course of their studies in a Singapore institution. We will continue to expand on these initiatives in the schools, JCs and in the tertiary institutions. No other Asian city is making as determined a move to nurture in its citizens a sense of the world out there, a sense of the opportunities. We have to do more of it than others because our future lies in being a global city. Because we can only succeed by being a global city, and if we do it well, it will give us advantage over time. The second way we are preparing our young for the future as a global city is by training them in the languages. I agree with both Dr Ong Seh Hong and Dr Lily Neo about the importance we have to place on this area. Our bilingual language competency and our diverse range of languages are together a key strength for Singapore. Competence in English and the mother tongue language, amongst the majority of young Singaporeans, will give us competitive edge over any other Asian city for years to come. It also gives us our distinctive identity as a people, sharing a common cultural heritage with many other Asian cities but unique in the openness and vibrance of our multi-cultural society. MOE is taking steps to consolidate and add to Singapore's language advantage in three areas.”
“A good understanding of Asia, in particular, where opportunities are the largest, will also give them an advantage. Developing a global outlook in our students is therefore an important strategy for MOE. We want to nurture Singaporeans who are culturally versatile but confident of their own identity. The first way we are doing this is by providing more overseas opportunities for our students, so that from young, they get a sense of the complexities and opportunities in the region. As Dr Ong has noted, these opportunities will also give them a better understanding of different cultures. Last year, about 22,600 students and 4,000 teachers from our schools and junior colleges went overseas, either on school twinning programmes, overseas community involvement programmes or study trips of one form or another. This year, we will see many more. In fact, next week alone, the March school holidays, we have about 3,300 students from 60 schools going abroad, more than six times the number a year ago. The March school holidays - amongst the four school holidays - the numbers are in fact the lowest. This year, we have already seen a six-fold increase compared to a year ago. So the schools are keen and the momentum is building up. We are also exploring opportunities for a few of our schools to establish satellite campuses in overseas cities so that our students can spend a longer time immersing themselves and interacting with their counterparts there while continuing to benefit from the Singapore curriculum. Hwa Chong Institution already plans to establish a satellite campus in Beijing this year so that students in the Bi-cultural Studies Programme and other interested students can have more sustained exposure to contemporary China.”
“As both Dr Lily Neo and Dr Ong have said, it is also not something that ends when students leave school. We need more second chances and need the whole plethora of opportunities for lifelong learning. But the foundations we set in school are critical. It also does not mean doing many more new things in school, new subjects and new programmes. A good part of what we want to do is already there in our schools and just needs to be done better or given sharper focus. But it helps to have a more holistic and well-rounded education. That is why we have been taking meaningful steps in that direction, towards a broader and more flexible approach in the way our students go about their academic learning and also a better balance between training the academic and non-academic skills. MOS Lui Tuck Yew will say more on this later. We are also investing in ICT for learning - first, to make the whole learning experience more innovative and engaging, but also because essential ICT skills have to be second nature to our young and future Singaporeans. There is a further, critical dimension to educating our young for the future and which matters more to us than to other developed countries. For Singapore to be a global city, we need to have a global outlook in our people. The whole tenor of our society has to be about looking outward and welcoming new people into Singapore to live and work. It will give us a big advantage in Asia if we do this well. That is why we have to groom young Singaporeans who feel quite comfortable working and collaborating with people who come from all over the place, looking for opportunities and new markets outside Singapore, and working in places quite different from Singapore.”
“Sir, first, let me thank Dr Lily Neo and Dr Ong Seh Hong for their very useful comments. I agree with the thrust of their remarks. 1.00 pm My first response is focused on the broad question that they have asked - how are we preparing our young for the future, a globalised future or, as Dr Ong put it, a flat world, but also a future in which the greatest advantage for Singapore will come from our being a global city connected to the region and beyond? Some of the challenges we face are no different from those of any other developed society. We know we have to work smarter, not work cheaper, in order to thrive, despite the competition from China and India, and before too long from new players like Vietnam. What does working smart mean? We ask employers regularly and we also keep our eyes out on what the other leading cities are doing to prepare for the future. Working smart means that we have to prepare our young to think for themselves, so that they can kick start new ideas and solve problems as they come up, including problems they have not seen before. Working smart also means working in smart teams, first-class teams - teams that use every talent and strength to come up with new solutions, and teams which stay resilient in the face of challenges, upright like bamboo. And working smart means being able to communicate clearly and to be totally comfortable with IT skills. These are the key skills for the future in any industry and at every level of the organisation. It is what employers everywhere from the US to India to Europe are saying. They need more people who can think for themselves, play in a team and communicate effectively with each other, real time. There is no single solution in education for developing these skills for the future.”
“It is certainly lower than every other major city that you can think of, including Hong Kong. Second, if you look at the tax burden on our households, it is not high. I showed the chart earlier. Even for the top 10% of the population, they pay about 12% of their income in total taxes, everything included - car, maid, income tax, everything. Of course, if you look at those closer to the 98th or 99th percentile, they pay much more than that. I am sure Mr Low will not be opposed to that. But for the bulk of the population, we are not over-taxing. Add GST to personal income tax and to all the indirect taxes, put it all together, it is not a high percentage of income compared to that in any other society that you can come up with.”
“On Mr Low's first question, all revenues involve some uncertainty when it comes to projection. You cannot say for sure. Faced with that uncertainty, it would be a little reckless if we were to treat the latest spike in any particular category of revenue as being a good predictor for the future size of that revenue. Let us, say, stamp duty. It rose last year by a very significant amount because of the property market upturn. It would be a poor method of fiscal planning to use that spike as a basis for future projections. So we have our own methodologies for trying to make a best guess for the future, looking at each category of revenues, and then we add them up. We sometimes get it a little wrong, but we try our best. But it would be reckless to rely on short-term spikes in revenues as a basis for planning future expenditures. On land sales, we are conservative, but I do not think we are excessively conservative. We are, in fact, using income arising from the land sales. We are not locking this up so that it cannot be used for future Government expenditure. We are putting the proceeds into reserves and drawing income on the reserves as part of our NII. And when we redefine our NII, we will, in fact, be drawing on more of that income from our reserves. So that is, I think, a prudent way - put it aside, keep it for the long term and draw income in perpetuity from the proceeds of land sales. On your last point, I think the answer comes out of my first two points. We are not over-taxing the people. Our total revenue, as a percentage of GDP, from corporates and households, is one of the lowest in the world. I do not know of any other country that has a lower percentage of GDP drawn out in revenues.”
“It is also relatively new in our school system, and we should give the different IP schools and programmes time to develop and to grow distinctive features. (10) South East Asian Ministerial Education Organisation. APPENDICES Section Name: SPEAKER Title: COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY Filename : Guillotine Times MP Name: Mr Speaker”
“The first batch of ‘through-train’ or Integrated Programme students who joined the programme at Secondary 3 in 2004 will be taking their A-levels or the International Baccalaureate examinations at the end of this year. So we are unable to compare their performance with the rest of their peers as yet. Mr de Souza asked about the rationale for the Integrated Programme (IP). As outlined in the 2002 Review of Junior College and Upper Secondary education, the IP aims to provide a broad-based education that cultivates in our top students the qualities that will help them make a difference in work and life. It seeks to nurture intellectual curiosity, leadership, teamwork and communication skills and, most importantly, sound values. The IP schools have been using the time freed up from not having to prepare for the O-levels by providing their students with broader and deeper learning experiences, such as through independent research, seminars, fieldwork, expeditions and overseas immersions. For example, Raffles Institution’s Research Education programme allows students to engage extensively with external experts, develop their own research skills as well as learn life skills as “apprentices” in an authentic research environment. One student spent two years studying distribution patterns of marine snails under guidance from NUH experts. He won the best presentation award at the SEAMEO(10) Young Scientists’ Conference last year, and will continue his research this year. Overall, the IP schools are moving in the right direction. A full assessment of whether the programme has achieved its objectives can only be made further down the road, after the students complete their studies and become active members of society.”
“Hence, the solution to ensuring sustainable wage growth is to raise productivity and to train our workers in the skills to take on the jobs that are created. 4 Average Monthly Earnings (AME) is computed based on mean concept and it includes all full-time and part-time employees who have contributed to CPF. Changes in earnings data can be influenced by overtime and compositional changes in the workforce. 5 Source: CPF, 2005 data. SHORT-TERM EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS (Compliance with Employment Act) 39. Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether there has been an increase in the number of Singaporeans on short-term employment contracts over the last three years; and (b) whether his Ministry monitors the terms and conditions of employment contracts to ensure compliance with the Employment Act.”
“Between 1998 and 2005, average monthly earnings4 in the services sector rose an annualised 3.2% per annum, from $2,800 to $3,500. In real terms, the growth was 2.6% per annum. Pay in the financial sector was the highest, with an average monthly income of $5,950 per employee. It also grew the fastest, at 4.4% per annum, from 1998 to 2005. Other sectors had average monthly incomes ranging from $3,000 to $3,600. Over the same period, average monthly income grew at 4% per annum for Community, Social and Personal Services, 3.7% per annum for Transport, Storage and Communications, 2.5% per annum for the Wholesale and Retail Trade, and 2.1% per annum for Business and Real Estate Services. Average monthly earnings in the Hotels and Restaurants industry were lower, at $1,300, with negligible growth over the same period. Wages are primarily determined by specific industry conditions, rather than inflow of foreign labour. For example, the marine industry has a high proportion of foreign workers, but wages for resident workers are high, with average monthly earnings at around $2,700. Wage growth has also been good at about 4.5% in 2005. On the other hand, workers in the private security industry, who are largely Singaporeans, command comparatively lower average monthly wages, at $1,4005. Quite to the contrary, for sectors such as the financial industry, the flexible access to global talent has helped these sectors grow and as a result wage growth has been buoyant. The real competition is not between local and foreign workers in Singapore. It is between all workers in Singapore, and the workers from countries such as China, India and Vietnam. For wages to be competitive, they must reflect the value of the job as well as the productivity and contributions of the worker.”
“MOE will continue to monitor and study the results of this move. Mr Yeo asked whether there are plans to extend smaller class sizes to other levels. Our approach to this issue beyond the early primary years is to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in schools, and let schools decide on how best to take advantage of the improved provisions. Schools may decide to reduce class size where there is benefit, or to use their additional teachers in other ways that can improve the quality of learning. This will vary from school to school, and by level, depending on the profile of students as well as the particular pedagogic skills of the teachers in the school. Improving the pupil-teacher ratio however hinges on our ability to recruit more teachers, without compromising the quality of the teaching service. This is important to ensure that we continue to provide a high standard of education to our students. Thus, MOE's approach is to proactively recruit as many good teachers as possible. We are making good progress, and are on track to meeting our target of 30,000 teachers by 2010. MOE is also committed to providing the best possible support for our teachers, such as deploying more para-educators and administrative support staff to our schools, so that teachers can focus more time on helping their students learn better. 3 Strategies for Effective and Engaged Development. SERVICE-RELATED JOBS (Pay levels) 38. Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for Manpower what is the trend on pay levels for services-related jobs with the increasing demand for these jobs and the impact of augmentation of foreign labour for these jobs. Dr Ng Eng Hen: There has been good growth in pay levels in the services sector over the years.”
“MOE reduced class sizes for Primary 1 from 2005 and for Primary 2 from last year, from 40 to 30 students per class. The move to smaller classes has provided young children with a more welcoming start to formal schooling. To take full advantage of smaller classes, MOE also introduced the SEED* programme in 2005 to provide a more engaging learning experience for lower primary students. Feedback about SEED has been very encouraging. Schools are using the flexibility they have been given to try out varied methods to engage their young learners. Teachers have more room to cater to different learning needs and are able to invest more time in inculcating useful values among their pupils. In many of these schools, teachers customise activity-based lessons, to match the learning styles and abilities of their pupils. Concepts in Mathematics and English are taught by having pupils carry out hands-on activities in small groups of 6-10. As a result, teachers can spend more time with the weaker students, while students who learn at a quicker pace can learn to lead a group and help their peers. Overall, lessons become more interesting, and by working together, pupils learn important values like cooperation and tolerance. Alternative forms of assessment have also been tried out under SEED. For example, Punggol Primary assesses pupils in role-play, presentations and story-telling to complement the traditional pen-and-paper assessment modes. The feedback from parents and teachers shows that these opportunities help the children develop their language skills and build self-confidence, and spark off a certain creative energy. On the whole, our experience with smaller class sizes at Primary 1 and 2 has been a positive one so far, although it is too early to come to definitive conclusions.”
“As the economy becomes more complex and knowledge-based, Singaporeans will need to take full advantage of opportunities for post-secondary and university education. The Government will consider different approaches to support Singaporeans in doing so, in addition to providing substantial subsidies to our post-secondary educational institutions to keep fees affordable. These include the idea of setting up education accounts for Singaporeans to help them take up quality post-secondary programmes that will equip them with the knowledge and skills for the economy. SMALLER CLASS SIZES FOR PRIMARY 1 AND 2 (Results and feedback) 34. Mr Alvin Yeo asked the Minister for Education what are the results and feedback received by his Ministry on the smaller class sizes introduced for Primary 1 and 2 students and whether there are plans to extend this to other students.”
“As the objective of the pre-service training is to lay the foundation for our trainees to teach in local schools, trainee teachers are therefore not sent for teaching assignments in international schools. However, when they become trained teachers, there are opportunities for them to be attached to overseas or local international schools, such as Tanglin Trust School, Singapore American School, United World College and Overseas Family School, as part of Teacher Work Attachments or overseas immersion programmes to broaden their outlook on Education. In the first half of 2006, more than 200 of our teachers participated in these attachments. Apart from teaching attachments and immersion programmes, there are also secondment opportunities for interested teachers to different type of schools, such as the Singapore International School in Hong Kong and the Bangkok-Pattana School, for them to experience different teaching practices and methods. SOCIAL WORKERS IN SINGAPORE (Measures to improve standing and career prospects) 26. Mr Sin Boon Ann asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether the Government is taking any further measures to improve the standing and long-term career prospects of social workers in Singapore.”
“As part of the efforts to expose Singaporeans to a global environment, MOE encourages and facilitates efforts to collaborate with international schools. This includes providing opportunities both for our students and teachers. In 2006, 31 of our schools were involved in 58 collaborations with foreign system schools. The collaborations range from joint efforts on projects, immersion programmes, sporting and cultural exchanges to sharing of good practices and ideas. For example, Yumin Primary School has an ongoing collaboration with The Japanese School (Primary) since 2000. There are mutual visits by teachers to learn about the different school systems. They also organise an Immersion Programme every year for the P5 and P6 pupils, and a home-stay programme for the P5 pupils with their counterparts. Another example is the collaboration between Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' Secondary School and the Australian International School in the Arts Programmes. A few of our schools like St Andrew's JC, St Andrew's Secondary and CHIJ St Theresa's play friendly rugby, hockey and soccer games with the United World College. MOE is continuing with its efforts to encourage more schools to establish collaborations. We are also exploring other platforms for interactions between our schools and the foreign system schools in areas such as sports leagues, the Singapore Youth Festival for performing arts and an international friendship camp. For the teachers, MOE values the importance of building a strong foundation in pedagogy as well as developing the teaching force through broadening of their experiences. The exposure gained by teachers will benefit them professionally and enable them to contribute more to the teaching service.”