Mother Tongue Language Policy

Our Mother Tongue Language (MTL) policy requires all students who are Singaporeans or

Singapore Permanent Residents to study their respective official MTL: Chinese, Malay and

Tamil. A non-Tamil Indian may choose to offer as his/her MTL: (a) Tamil, or (b) a non-

Tamil Indian Language such as Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi or Urdu.

Students will offer their respective MTLs at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)

and the GCE N, O and A level examinations.

Nonetheless, there is flexibility in the application of this policy for students who have been

away from Singapores school system for some years and who have not kept up with the study of their MTL. Students may apply for exemption from studying their official MTL or to

study a non-official language such as French, German or Japanese in lieu of MTL.

Applications should be made through the school and will be considered on a case-by-case

basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. My child has been abroad for some time. Is he required to study a Mother Tongue Language?

Returning Singaporeans who join a local school mid-stream can apply to the Ministry

of Education through the school for exemption from studying their official Mother

Tongue Language or to study a non-official language such as French, German or

Japanese in lieu of Mother Tongue Language. The applications will be considered on

a case by case basis.

2. My child has been abroad for some years and has just rejoined primary school mid-stream. He has been exempted from studying Mother Tongue Language. I would like

him to study his Mother Tongue Language but not take the Mother Tongue Language

at PSLE?

Yes, a student who rejoined primary school mid-stream and obtained exemption from

taking the Mother Tongue Language at PSLE may attend the Mother Tongue

Language lessons if he so wishes.

3. Would pupils who are exempted from offering Mother Tongue Language at PSLE be at a disadvantage as compared to those who offer the subject at PSLE?

No. These pupils PSLE aggregate scores would be adjusted so that they are neither disadvantaged nor advantaged.

4. My child has already been exempted from offering Mother Tongue Language in primary school. Will I have to re-apply for Mother Tongue exemption when he/she is

promoted to Secondary 1?

No, you need not re-apply for his Mother Tongue exemption when your child is

promoted to Secondary 1. Your child will continue to be exempted from offering

Mother Tongue.

5. Will a Pre-University student be exempted from the Mother Tongue requirement at the GCE A level examinations?

Students exempted from the Mother Tongue Language at the GCE O level examination will be exempted from the Mother Tongue Language at the GCE A level examination. Those who are allowed to learn a non-official language in lieu of

Mother Tongue Language will continue to offer the subject at the GCE A level examination.

Students who have been approved for exemption from taking a Mother Tongue

Language or another language in place of an official Mother Tongue Language are

deemed to have met the Mother Tongue threshold requirements for university

admission.

POLYTECNIC New teaching approach

ANOTHER way in which polytechnic education can be improved is in the area of

communication skills.

The polytechnics run communication modules and require their students to write and present

project reports. This goes some way towards nurturing communication skills. But as many

employers and universities would argue, more needs to be done to shore up the spoken and

written skills of polytechnic graduates.

A general studies programme that would nurture critical thinking skills, independent thinking

and the proficient use of language is worth considering.

It should cover world affairs and the pressing issues of today, such as poverty and pollution,

to give students a better understanding of the world they live in and Singapores place in it.

They should also be given an understanding of how knowledge is attained in the various

disciplines and taught to see an inter- relationship of ideas across disciplines.

More aid for special schools' training needs (Linette Lai, The Straits Times)

ON ONE special schools shopping list: digital cameras and iPads to enhance the learning experience of its students.

These items are what the Asian Womens Welfare Association (AWWA) School plans to buy with the extra funding it has received from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

From this year, all special education (Sped) schools will get a top-up of $400 for each

teachers training needs. This is in addition to the $1,100 already available, making it a total of $1,500 annually.

While the original sum was made available to all staff involved in special education -

including psychologists or allied health professionals - only registered teachers will get the

top-up.

Twenty special schools will be able to use the money to send teachers for training courses, or

to buy teaching resources.

AWWA Schools principal, Mrs Ruby Seah, welcomed the additional funding.

We will be using the funds to buy assistive devices. For example, some of our students arent able to turn knobs on household appliances, so we need flip switches so they can use them, she said.

The school, which has about 80 registered teachers, also plans to buy iPads and use them as

communicative tools for students who have difficulty speaking or writing.

The increased funding was announced at the inaugural Sped Learning Day yesterday.

Minister of State for Education and Communications and Information Sim Ann, who spoke at

the biennial event at the Singapore Expo, said that the additional funds were geared at

improving the quality of special education.

We need to make sure that every additional dollar placed in Sped is a dollar well spent - that every additional bit of resource will help programmes that improve student outcomes and make a difference to their lives.

She also awarded three graduate scholarships to special education teachers who wish to

further their studies.

One of the scholarship recipients was Ms Prathibah Pillai, who intends to take a year-long

masters degree course in special education in Flinders University, Australia.

She used to work in the banking and finance industry, but decided seven years ago to switch

to the special education field.

Now the 31-year-old teaches 17- and 18-year- old special needs students the basics of finance,

such as how to manage their money.

I felt that they needed the assistance, and I wanted to help them, she said. Every day is a learning journey - for them and for me.

Review to better match ITE, poly skills to jobs (Goh Chin Lian, The Straits Times)

SINGAPORE is reviewing applied studies at polytechnics and the Institute of Technical

Education (ITE) to better connect classroom lessons to the working world in a move to

prepare young Singaporeans for a changing economy.

The review seeks to improve their job prospects and academic progression, and better match

their strengths and interests to a hands-on education, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said

yesterday at the official opening of a new ITE campus in Ang Mo Kio.

It will also beef up the role of the institutions in research, innovation and enterprise, he added.

Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah is chairing the review committee,

which will include industry players, education institution leaders and government officials.

The Applied Study in the Polytechnics and ITE Review, or Aspire, is expected to be

completed by next year.

PM Lee said the increased focus on applied learning is one of two important shifts Singapore

will make in educating the young.

The other is to promote lifelong learning.

The impetus, he said, is a more sophisticated and diversified world economy in which

productivity improvement and new products and services will feed growth. Good jobs will

require a wide range of higher-order skills and expertise.

But he warned: Many existing jobs will be completely transformed by technology, and some jobs will disappear entirely.

Mr Lee is, however, optimistic.

He noted that the Governments commitment to develop every student to his full potential as well as the investments in vocational and technical training since 50 years ago have paid off.

He gave credit to the ITE and polytechnics for ensuring that students gain relevant skills.

Nine in 10 of them get a job in six months; their starting pay is rising and joblessness among

university graduates is one of the worlds lowest.

All in, Singapore has avoided the pitfalls of youth unemployment in Europe and China, he

said.

But even as he recognised students strong desire to upgrade themselves, he struck a note of caution. Chasing after paper qualifications could lead to a degree that is irrelevant to the

industry and does not raise job prospects, and may be worth less than the cost of attaining it,

he said.

Mr Lee held up the Swiss, Germans and Danes, whose emphasis on applied education, like in

Singapore, have borne fruit.

There, most students who finish compulsory schooling go on to technical and vocational

education. Companies invest in it by paying for apprentices salaries, training materials and instructors.

Going forth, Singapores students will need to acquire deep skills and meld theory with practice. Mr Lee also called on students to consider seriously working for a while after graduation, instead of going for a diploma or degree immediately.

Then take up a course which is relevant to your work earn a more advanced qualification that will help to advance your interests. That is a practical or even ideal model for many

students, he said.

Ms Indranee said her committee will look into infusing the curriculum with learning that can

be applied in the workplace.

Similarly, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said on his Facebook page: When students develop a deep interest, when we capture their imagination, they can go on to do wonderful

things.

NAPFA test only once in 2 years (Pearl Lee, The Straits Times)

STUDENTS will take the National Physical Fitness Award (Napfa) test every alternate year

instead of annually, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced yesterday.

The change, which will come into effect next year, will support a far-reaching revamp to the

Physical Education (PE) syllabus which aims to encourage children to keep fit beyond school

and instil more holistic values.

MOEs director of student development curriculum, Madam Liew Wei Li, said that conducting Napfa tests in alternate years - in Primary 4 and 6, Secondary 2 and 4 or 5, and

Junior College Year 2 - creates time and space for us to carry out a larger range of activities.

The way PE is graded will also change as part of the revamp, which will be rolled out

progressively from next year and introduced in all schools by 2016. Instead of scoring A to C,

report cards will provide a qualitative description of a students ability on six fronts. They include the values and attitudes demonstrated during lessons, participation levels, and how

much students take part in physical activities with family and friends outside of school.

Performance in the Napfa test will be assessed using bands from Outstanding Performance to Needs Improvement, and the students body mass index will be included.

This new grading system, which will be implemented in all schools in 2016, reflects the new

PE syllabus focus on recreational sports and team play, instead of competitions and passing the Napfa test.

One primary school teacher whom The Straits Times spoke to said that in the months leading

up to the Napfa test, a large portion of PE time is used to train pupils for the various stations,

including the standing broad jump and a 1.6km run. Secondary and JC students have to run

2.4km.

With the test now (conducted) once every two years, we have more time to engage the pupils in other sports and activities, said Mr Jasni M. Jasmin, head of department of PE at Yio Chu Kang Primary.

Students and parents also welcomed the change. Primary 4 pupil Mohammad Aqil Dany

hopes this means more time playing sports he enjoys, such as football. Im not worried about lagging behind in the Napfa test, because I can start training for it in Primary 5, said the 10-year-old from Yio Chu Kang Primary.

Businesswoman Jane Ting, who has two sons in Farrer Park Primary, added: The Napfa test, if you fail you have to retake it. So if it is not conducted annually, the children will not be so

stressed out about passing.

MOEs new syllabus will increase PE time across all schools. Primary school pupils will have between two and 21/2 hours of PE every week, while secondary students will see their

weekly lesson time double to two hours.

Primary pupils will be given a foundation in fundamental movement skills, through activities

such as athletics, dance and gymnastics.

At the secondary level, students will focus on developing skills via six activities, such as

badminton and gymnastics. They will also take part in three intra-school recreational sports

competitions.

Time spent learning outdoors will also be increased, so as to help students raise their

confidence in new environments.

Professor Michael Chia, dean of faculty affairs at the National Institute of Education, said the

revamped syllabus is needed in an age where students spend much of their free time indoors

watching TV or playing on their computers and game consoles.

Young people and adults are increasingly sedentary, he added.

Mums and dads to get targeted parenting tips (Pearl Lee, The Straits Times)

CHILDHOOD tantrums and kids who refuse to eat dinner are problems familiar to many

parents.

But two pilot programmes announced yesterday aim to address such issues and improve

parenting skills across Singapore.

Triple P - the Positive Parenting Programme - and Signposts have been developed in

Australia and allow mums and dads to get targeted expert advice. Both are backed up by

years of research, having helped parents to grow in confidence and better manage their

childrens behaviour.

They will be introduced in primary and secondary schools by the Ministry of Social and

Family Development and Education Ministry from the middle of next year and run for two

years. Details on how many schools will take part will be released soon.

Triple P, which is used in 17 countries including Japan and the United States, involves

providing parents with simple and practical strategies that they can adapt to suit their own

beliefs and needs.

The pilot scheme will involve a seminar for at least 20 parents to give them ideas on what to

do when they meet tricky parenting situations.

There will also be four one-to-one consultation sessions, of up to 30 minutes, tailored for

parents facing regular problems such as tantrums and kids who never listen.

Signposts was designed by Australias Parenting Research Centre to help parents understand and manage their childs difficult behaviour.

Five weekly two-hour group sessions will be held to help parents of children with autism or

behavioural disorders.

A three-year Signposts pilot study found the programme gave parents more confidence and

relieved stress while their children became more compliant. Family life education

programmes are already held here, under the FamilyMatters@School initiative which began

in 2002. However, these mainly consist of one-off talks on major school occasions like

parent-teacher conferences.

Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Low Yen Ling yesterday

announced the pilots which will be launched in mid-2014.

Independent school subsidies enhanced (Pearl Lee, The Straits Times)

INDEPENDENT school students from lower- and middle-income families will get more

subsidies from next year.

The bursary scheme has also been expanded to include subsidies for miscellaneous fees, the

Education Ministry revealed yesterday as it detailed the changes announced by Prime

Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Augusts National Day Rally, where he stressed the importance of keeping doors to top institutions open for all.

That means ensuring low-income students are not put off from applying to these schools.

Independent schools such as Raffles Institution (RI) charge Singaporean students between

$200 and $300 in school fees a month - compared with $5 for a government-run secondary

school.

They also charge a supplementary fee - in RIs case it is $35 a month - to cover the operating costs of facilities such as the swimming complex and gymnasium.

Students from families earning $2,500 a month or less are already eligible for a 100 per cent

subsidy under MOEs financial assistance scheme, regardless of the school.

In 2008, the Independent School Bursary (ISB) scheme was introduced to include students

from families earning between $2,500 and $7,200 a month to help with the higher fees

charged by these schools, which also have financial-assist schemes.

About 2,700 students benefited from the ISB this year, said MOE. At RI, for instance, about

15 per cent of Singaporean students are under the scheme, while at Anglo-Chinese School

(Independent), the figure is 10 per cent.

The latest enhancements increase the amount of subsidy each eligible student gets.

For instance, a student whose gross monthly household income is below $4,000 a month, or

has a monthly per capita income of below $1,000, now receives a 75 per cent subsidy only on

school fees. This will increase to 90 per cent from next year, and the subsidy will also cover

miscellaneous fees.

Hwa Chong Institution student Arturo Neo, 18, who lives with his mother, a childcare teacher,

and two older siblings in a three-room Housing Board flat, has been receiving a 100 per cent

subsidy.

Said Arturo: There is the possibility I would have chosen another school without such a scheme.

More JC students switch to polytechnics (Sandra Davie, The Straits Times)

GROWING numbers of junior college students are giving up the conventional route to

university so they can sign up for their dream course at a polytechnic.

About 400 to 500 a year make the switch midway through their programmes, with many keen

to pursue their interest in a particular discipline such as culinary arts, filming or

biotechnology.

But first, they have to contend with their parents, who often see junior colleges - or JCs - as a

safer route to a university place and a professional career.

My parents were worried, of course, said 18-year-old Ngee Ann Polytechnic film student Jeshua Soh, who moved from the prestigious Integrated Programme (IP) at Hwa Chong

Institution.

The JC or IP school route is seen to be an easier route to university and graduate-level jobs.

Most students who make the switch do so after completing their first year, while the rest take

the leap in their second.

Polytechnic officials say many youngsters transfer after struggling with their studies in junior

college.

However, they say growing numbers are doing so because of their passion for a particular

subject in which they can pursue a more hands-on course.

On the flip side, the numbers going the other way are tiny. The Education Ministry, which

revealed the transfer figures, said only 40 to 50 polytechnic students move to the junior

colleges each year.

This is despite the fact that doing so would improve their chances of getting a degree.

Seventeen per cent of youngsters at polytechnics go on to the local universities, the ministrys statistics show. For their junior college equivalents, the rate is over 70 per cent.

Many more polytechnic graduates will have access to local universities in the coming years

due to plans to expand the number of places.

But progression to university does not seem to worry the JC students who have switched over.

Zhang Keyan spent a year at Meridian Junior College before applying to study for a diploma

in social work at Nanyang Polytechnic.

Since secondary school, I have been involved in community work, but when I went to JC, my studies took up a lot of my time and I did not have as much time for voluntary work.

So when I finished my Year 1 exams, I dropped out, took a temporary job and applied to do a social work diploma course. Now, I love going for my lessons. It was the best decision I

made.

The 19-year-old, who does volunteer work with several community organisations, is in his

second year and has a perfect grade point average of 4.

Dwayne Cheong, 18, is another student who has found a better fit at a polytechnic.

He transferred to the culinary and catering management course at Temasek Polytechnic after

finishing his JC1 at Meridian Junior College.

His ambition to become a chef was sparked after he watched celebrity chef Jamie Oliver on

television.

Although he was doing well enough in his studies, he felt it was not the right fit.

I kept asking myself what I am doing in a JC when all I wanted to do was to become a chef.

Dwayne said he is glad the ministry allows students to switch from polytechnic to junior

college and vice versa.

Sometimes it takes a while for young people to figure out what they are good at and what they want to do with their lives.

Republic Polytechnic principal Yeo Li Pheow said he was not surprised those who

transferred got good results.

If a student finds something that he or she is really interested in, then the As and Bs will follow.

Students to take Mother Tongue e-exam (Pearl Lee, The Straits Times)

FOR the first time, students taking a national examination will have to complete a part of it

on a computer, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced yesterday.

Around 300 students in 20 junior colleges taking the A-level Mother Tongue Language B exam in November will be the first to take the e-examination.

The B programme was introduced to A-level students in 2003 to help those who faced difficulties in the subject.

The B exam consists of three parts - oral and a listening component makes up half, 30 per cent is on comprehension and language use, while the rest is functional writing. Students will

complete their functional writing exam using a laptop. They will have to type an e-mail or a

blog entry.

The use of print or electronic dictionaries will still be allowed.

At St Andrews Junior College yesterday, MOE deputy director- general of education Wong Siew Hoong said the introduction of the e-exam is in line with a recommendation by the

Mother Tongue Languages Review Committee in 2010 that information and communications

technology be used to enhance learning.

He added that students in the B programme were selected to have the e-exam as they are the ones who will require a lot more authenticity in their learning.

For students taking the Chinese B exam, they will type their responses using romanised hanyu pinyin. The system will then prompt the student with the appropriate Chinese

characters.

Concerns that the e-exam will compromise the learning of Chinese characters were addressed

by Mr Yue Lip Sin, director of assessment research at the Singapore Examinations and

Assessment Board.

He said recognising the characters is as important as knowing how to write them. What is important is whether they are able to communicate the idea and the feeling in the functional

writing.

St Andrews Junior College student Bryan Hui, 17, who will be sitting for the Chinese B paper at year end, said the e-exam appeals to him, as it is a platform Im most familiar with. The system also prompts you with suggested words, so if I recognise the word, I can use it. Previously I have to check the dictionary, which is very time-consuming.

Fellow schoolmate Martens Laura Elizabeth, 17, who will be taking the Malay B exam, said: The e-exam helps me to organise my thoughts better, because I can easily rearrange my sentences and paragraphs.

The e-exam will be introduced to O-level students under the Mother Tongue Language B

programme next year. Short videos, instead of pictures, will be used during the oral exams for

both O- and A-level Mother Tongue Language B exams next year.

Studying brain functions to help kids learn better

(David Ee, The Straits Times)

LESSONS from the field of cognitive science studying how our brains work could help to improve how children learn, Minister for Education Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

In pre-school education, for example, it could shed light on the optimal ages at which to

develop talent such as music and sports, he said. It could also help decipher why some

children with dyslexia respond better to reading lessons than others.

Mr Heng was speaking at the opening of the inaugural CogSci Connects conference, held

yesterday and today at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The study of cognitive

science draws on multiple disciplines such as neuroscience and psychology. The conference

will hear from top local researchers as well as researchers from leading US universities like

Harvard, Yale and Johns Hopkins.

Early childhood education is an area where we need to find more effective teaching and learning strategies, said Mr Heng in his opening address.

While educators agree on the importance of early intervention, they differ on when and how to provide effective early intervention.

Mr Heng drew on the example of how some children are able to master multiple languages

from the age of two and said that cognitive science could help educators find the best way to

help young children become bilingual.

Last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally speech that the

Government would play a more active role in pre-school education here, including starting

several government-run pre-school centres to test new kindergarten education concepts.

He also announced that a new statutory board would be set up to oversee pre-school

education.

A study last year commissioned by the Lien Foundation ranked Singapore 29th out of 45

countries in standards of early childhood education. Quality was highlighted as a weak area.

Mr Heng pointed out that for the lessons drawn from brain research to positively impact

classroom teaching and learning, scientists and educators would need to work together to

explore insights and test new ideas.

For a start, specialists from the Education Ministry met with several conference speakers last

night to discuss areas of joint interest.

The conference, which attracted some 400 students, teachers and professionals from fields

such as health where cognitive science may have applications, was organised by students

from NUS and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). It was the brainchild of Ms Tara

Venkatesan, a Year Six student at ACS(I), who drew inspiration from her 2010 stint as a

research intern at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.

She said: (The stint) brought home to me both the creativity and the challenges that cutting-edge brain research embodies.

Professor Brian Scholl, director of the Yale Perception and Cognition Laboratory and one of

the visiting speakers, said: So much of our mental lives appear so natural but whats going on underneath the surface is much more complex.

Ministers,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen

ITE HQ & COLLEGE CENTRAL

I am very happy to be here today at ITE HQ to open this ITE HQ & College Central. I have

already been here several times in this last year; we have had several events here, including

the National Day Rally. Each time I am here, I have been impressed by the enthusiasm of the

students and the support of the staff, and today I got an even warmer welcome.

This opening today completes ITEs transformation towards One ITE, Three Colleges. This

is ITE HQ & College Central and it joins ITE College East in Simei and ITE College West in

Chua Chu Kang. It will become a College of Creativity and Innovation, focusing on

creative design and interactive media, aerospace and marine technology, engineering design

and manufacturing technology. It will stimulate applied learning so when you study

Aerospace, you have an Aerospace hub. We have a Boeing 737 here and so you can gain

hands-on experience maintaining, repairing, inspecting and overhauling aircraft components.

It will house the Centres of Technology and also Specialised Centres to be built in

collaboration with industry for example, the ITE-Bosch Rexroth Industrial Automation

Centre, Centre of Excellence in New Media with Toon Boom and in time, others. It will

develop students outside the classroom for example; modern sports facilities a very huge

Indoor Sports Hall on the top floor, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, even a skate park. We

will have a Centre for Music and the Arts. We will have this convention centre here. ITE

Epitome, a retail mall for students products and services from all three ITE Colleges. So I

like to congratulate ITE Board, management and students on this very important milestone!

ITE's Journey

ITEs journey reflects the Governments commitment to develop every student to his/her full

potential. We recognise that students have different talents and interests: some are

academically inclined, while others excel in skills-based work. Therefore, our education

system offers diverse pathways for students to learn at their own pace and to develop their

unique skills. This is why the Government has consistently invested in vocational and

technical training. We started doing this back in 1960s, 50 years ago with the Singapore

Vocational Institutes. Then in 1979 we set up the Vocational and Industrial Training Board

(VITB) to take over all vocational training, and we mounted a concerted effort to upgrade

skills of workforce. Then in 1992, we established ITE as a post-secondary programme so that

all students would complete secondary education first before going on to ITE.

Tay Eng Soon Convention Centre

A passionate advocate for ITE was the late Dr Tay Eng Soon who was the Senior Minister of

State for Education. He was convinced that learning should be applied towards something

useful, and should not take place in a vacuum. He recognised the importance of skills to

improving Singaporeans lives. He guided and nurtured the VITB and polytechnics, and set

up ITE in 1992. He also started ITEs Centre for Music and The Arts to develop students

talents, confidence and public-speaking skills through music, arts and culture. You got a

small sample of talents and energy in their performance just now. So, ITE has quite naturally

and fittingly named awards and prizes after Dr Tay, for example, there is a Tay Eng Soon

Scholarship for ITE graduates who go on to pursue studies at the polytechnics. There is a Tay

Eng Soon Gold Medal to the most outstanding graduate in each polytechnic who was

formerly from ITE. We have several scholarship winners and gold medallists with us tonight.

Here as we mark the completion of the One ITE, Three Colleges journey, it is fitting that

we associate Dr Tays name with this new campus. Therefore, we will call this Convention

Centre the Tay Eng Soon Convention Centre. I hope the name will inspire future generations

of students to aim high and do their best. I am very glad that Dr Tays family is here with us

this evening, his widow Ros and his children Lucy and Robert and their spouses. Thank you

for being with us.

STRENGTHENING APPLIED PATHWAYS IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

ITE is a critical pillar of our education system together with our polys and universities. It

gives students a solid foundation for lifelong learning and relevant skills for future

employment. And because the ITE has done a good job, our students find good employment

quickly after graduation. From the ITE and polys, within six months, 90% of the students find

jobs. Their starting salaries have been rising. Many outstanding alumni have made their mark

in society some of them are here with us this evening. Universities produce graduates who

also find jobs readily and graduate unemployment rate in Singapore is one of the lowest in

the whole world. It is a remarkable achievement, considering the situation in so many other

countries. In Southern Europe, Italy, Greece and Spain, youth unemployment is a major

social problem, in some cases exceeding 50%. Students who graduate may pass five to 10

years without finding a job, and then time has passed and it becomes very difficult to start a

career, ever and lives are blighted.

Even in our region with vibrant economies, it is not so easy. China has a big problem with

graduate unemployment. In Hong Kong, youth unemployment is much higher than general

unemployment. But we have no such problem in Singa-pore. The credit goes to our students

who have studied hard, the education system which has trained them well, and the economy

which has created jobs for them, abundantly.

Singaporean students are highly driven. They have a strong desire to upgrade themselves,

especially to get a diploma, degree or if you have a degree, a post-graduate degree. We are

providing students more opportunities to do so, more universities places, more diverse paths,

more institutions, for example, SIT, UniSIM. So many ideas, but one objective so that

students have the chance to pursue subjects and skills that improve their prospects for

employment and for their lives. While we provide these opportunities, I will also like to

remind students and encourage you not to pursue the paper chase just for paper

qualifications.

A degree which is not relevant to industry is not going to improve your employment

prospects. That is one of the things which have gone wrong in countries which have serious

problem with graduate unemployment. Take South Korea for example, 70% of their students

earn degrees, nearly three quarters of young people become graduates. But the economy

cannot generate jobs for the 70% of the population who became graduates, so university

graduates have a very tough time and in fact has a higher unemployment rate than high

school graduates. Quite often, if you are in that situation, if you do your sums, the

qualification in which you have earned and paid to earn is not worth the cost of attaining the

qualification. May be so in Korea, becoming so in Britain, certainly so in the US with some

college degrees earning negative returns.

But there are other positive examples too in the world to learn from. Countries which have

recognised these risks and value applied education - for example Switzerland, Germany and

Denmark. They have good comprehensive system of Technical and Vocational Education and

Training (TVET). In fact in these countries, most students who finish compulsory schooling

continue with TVET, not with academic training. These are programmes which are run

together with companies. Companies co-invest in the TVET programmes; they cover

apprentices salaries, training materials, and even fund the instructors. Students who study in

TVET and do well, emerge proud of their skills and are well respected in society and their

families are proud of them too. Our ITE and Polytechnic system has been successful because

like the Swiss, Germans and Danes, we focused on acquiring skills and on applied learning.

Our challenge now is to continue creating opportunities for our young to fulfil their

aspirations in a future which is going to be very different. An economy which is more

sophisticated and diversified, where the growth is going to come from productivity

improvements and new products and services, not yet dreamt of or invented - where good

jobs will require a wide range of high-order skills and expertise and where many existing jobs

will be completely transformed by technology and some jobs will disappear entirely.

To prepare our young to seize these opportunities, we have to make two important shifts.

First, we have to focus more on applied learning - to integrate classroom learning with real

life applications on-the-job, and to encourage students to creatively apply concepts to

practical problems, hence the 737 on this campus. Hence we facilitate internships and work

attachments and help students to acquire deep skills and to integrate theory and practice - to

apply what they learn in ways which will be useful to them in their jobs. We have already

been starting to do this across our entire system. We have Applied Learning Programmes in

secondary schools. We have applied degree programmes in UniSIM and SIT. We also have

Applied Learning as well as industry-relevant R&D in our four existing universities. So first

we must push for Applied Learning.

Secondly, we have to promote lifelong learning. Because lifelong learning during your

careers not just one segment of school or university or poly time or ITE time, at the

beginning, is the best way to progressively upgrade ourselves to work, to gain experience, to

learn new skills, acquire further qualifications and then repeat the cycle throughout our

working careers. After graduation, instead of going for a diploma or a degree or a post-

graduate degree immediately, work for a while, and then take up a course which is relevant to

your work, part-time or full-time, and earn a more advanced qualification that is relevant to

your needs and that will help you to advance your interest. That is a practical, I think even

ideal model for many students. I hope students will consider this seriously and I hope your

families will also consider this seriously. The Government will help you to do this. We are

building two new Continuous Education and Training campuses, they will be ready soon. Our

Institutes of Higher Learning will play a bigger role in lifelong learning and we will commit

the resources and the support to make this an attractive path for people for young people

and throughout their lives.

Applied Study in the Polytechnics and ITE REview (ASPIRE)

With this in mind, we will launch an Applied Study in the Polytechnics and ITE Review

(ASPIRE) to strengthen applied pathways to enhance career and academic progression

prospects for Polytechnic and ITE graduates. To better match students strengths and interests

to applied pathways and opportunities and to strengthen the role of the Polytechnics and ITE

in research, innovation and enterprise. Basically how to promote Applied Learning, Lifelong

Learning, enhance your career and your advancement prospects, match you and your

strengths to the opportunities which we can create, and to improve ITE, Polys and their roles

in our system. So we call it the Applied Study in the Polytechnics and ITE Review- ASPIRE.

And it aspires to do good work and Ms Indranee Rajah aspires to chair the Committee - she is

here with us. It will involve industry leaders, education institution leaders, and government

agencies and it should finish by next year and I look forward to the Committees

recommendations.

CONCLUSION

The ITE has done an excellent job, it has a proven brand of education, high international

standing, good standing with employers in Singapore, I think good reputation with the

students and alumni. I would like to thank ITEs partners from industry and overseas for your

support. I like to thank the Board of Governors, management and staff for their hard work,

especially Mr Bob Tan, Chairman of the Board and Mr Bruce Poh, CEO of ITE, and I also

like to thank students for showing the world what ITE can do.

Congratulations again on the opening of this college and the HQ. Thank you.

Our Kindergartens

Our kindergartens are nestled in HDB heartlands, within community spaces and primary

schools*, where collaboration can thrive. Click on the maps to see enlarged versions.

Our kindergartens aim to nurture children holistically so that they are self-confident, can

interact well with others and have foundational literacy and numeracy skills. This will ensure

that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in the 21st century while enabling

them to build a strong Singapore identity and heartbeat.

Our kindergartens are thoughtfully designed from a childs perspective by providing learning spaces that open up possibilities for the children to interact with and learn from their peers

and teachers. To explore, to discover, to reflect... and to simply jump and hop and play!

The classroom environment is crucial to the childs learning experience. Our classrooms provide for large and small group interactions, individual activities and learning centres. Each

kindergarten has space for music and movement and an outdoor playground.

Our kindergartens cater for children aged five to six, with a class size of 20. The first 5 MOE

Kindergartens have started operations in January 2014 with K1 children studying in the

kindergartens. The next 5 MOE Kindergartens at Frontier, Punggol Green, Sengkang Green,

West Spring and Yishun will start operations with K1 children and offer care services starting

2015. Care services are currently provided at MOE Kindergarten@ Blangah Rise and MOE

Kindergarten@ Punggol View. MOE will seek to provide care services at the rest of the

exisiting MOE Kindergartens should there be sufficient demand and the availability of

suitable operators which can provide an appropriate programme at reasonable fees.

The MOE Kindergartens will offer the three official Mother Tongue Languages (MTLs),

namely Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The model of MTL provision may vary across centres

depending on the actual enrolment of children who take each of these MTLs at each

kindergarten.

*There is no affiliation between the MOE Kindergarten and the primary school where it is

sited.

MOE proudly presents 10 kindergartens across Singapore, namely:

apply the theory you have learnt, put it to good use, and because you are also interacting with

people, the competencies of communication, teamwork, character and values - all those will

come to the fore. That is where we hope to create the environment where you can learn

through applied learning.

22It also serves as an early warning system to identify what industry changes and future

needs are. Importantly, if you work in an applied learning environment, hopefully it will also

allow you to see what your own strengths are, and for you to know whether this job is really

for you or whether it is something that you think you do not want to do.

23I mentioned earlier that one of the benefits of applied learning would be to increase the

employment opportunities even without a university degree. With that said, I also recognise

that there is a very deep sense amongst students and parents for their children to have further

or higher education. There is that strong desire from the students I have talked with - for

those with Nitec, to have Higher Nitec; for those with Higher Nitec, to have a diploma; for

those with a diploma, to have a university degree. As we have seen from the Finnish and the

Korean experience, if everyone gets a degree but there are not enough jobs which are

commensurate with the degree, then the young entrants would have to end up doing jobs for

which they are overqualified and which is not what they expected to have to begin with.

24At the end of the day, what does one want from education? I think people want good jobs,

but they also want something that allows them to grow and develop as individuals, and to

fulfil their own potential. They want a sense of fulfilment. They want recognition and respect

from society, from their families, peers, friends and colleagues.

25What we are hoping to do is to find different pathways to achieve these objectives. Going

from Junior College (JC) to university, or going from polytechnics to the university may be

one route, but there may be other routes. One of those routes may well be that you go and

work first, decide in the workplace what you like, and when you have identified what you

like, you go for further studies. For example, you enter the workplace with a Nitec, find your

niche, then go and do a diploma, and later if you think it is suitable, relevant and useful, go

ahead and do your degree. We are trying to find different ways to get to the end point, which

is the fulfilment and sense of respect that you get from society. It doesnt have to be a one-size-fits-all-approach.

ASPIREs ultimate purpose and objective

26That is ASPIREs ultimate purpose and objective. It is to increase the number and range of employment opportunities for young people. It is to try and match the skills and

qualifications to ensure good employment rates. It is about facilitating progression at all

levels. It is also to ensure that polytechnic and ITE education will remain at the cutting edge

of industry and services.

27To do a comprehensive review of this, we need to involve everybody that has a stake in it.

That would be employers, teachers, students, like yourselves, and parents. The ASPIRE

Committee is structured to achieve these aims and objectives, and to reach out to all of these

stakeholders.

Structure of Review Committee

28There is the Steering Committee, and three review committees as well as the engagement

committee. When you look at the composition of the Steering Committee, you will find that it

has a big mix of people. It has got people from the private sector who come from different

industries - from marine industry, manufacturing, building and construction industry as well

as services.

29None of this can work if your schools are not involved. That is why all the polytechnic

Principals and the CEO of ITE are there too. This also cannot work if we do not have the

economic input, and so we have representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Industry

(MTI), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Economic Development Board (EDB), SPRING

and IE Singapore. We have to cover the entire landscape in order to have all the input

because there are so many moving parts. With that said, when you have the full picture, you

will also need to drill down to specific things.

30Review Committee 1 will look at engaging industry partners, because you are not going to

be able to do applied learning or have the workplace as your learning classroom unless the

employers are on board. We must design good apprenticeships or good internships. We

cannot do that unless we have employers input, as well as input from the polytechnics and ITE as well. Hence, Review Committee 1s terms of reference are to look at the dual learning or work-study schemes; to see whether or not we need a skills framework for relevant

industries; to look at the progression pathways because progression is very important to

young people and their parents; looking at critical factors for success as well as some of the

pilot programmes that we can put in place.

31Review Committee 2 engages more with the students and teachers at the polytechnics and

the ITE. We think that a critical factor is career guidance. When I speak to young people and

ask them what they want to do, many say that they do not know. They know that they want to

try out certain things, and they may have a rough idea of what they may be keen on, but they

are not quite sure. If we spend more time and resources on career guidance -the sort that says

These are the kinds of jobs available, and these are the kinds of strengths you will need in order to be able to go into these kinds of jobs - what the job requirements are and helping people to think through their strengths and what they want, and advise them on the kinds of

opportunities that are available, and to do that in a much more systematic and sustained way.

32We also want to look more into Continuing Education and Training (CET) for polytechnic

and ITE graduates. Right now, there is the sense that everybody has to go one route. We hope

that we can do it such that you go out to work, come back and get another qualification, until

you have reached the point where you acquire depth of knowledge and skill, where somebody

looks at you and says This person really knows that area that he or she is in.

33The third review committee is the committee for strengthening research, innovation and

enterprise (RIE). We want the teachers and students to be able to have teaching and learning

that is current and effective through RIE. The committee will also identify areas where

polytechnic students and teachers can work with the industry on projects to be at the cutting

edge of research and development.

34We also have the engagement committee, which aims to reach out to all the stakeholders,

particularly students like yourselves, as well as parents, to let people know and understand

what we are intending to do.

Why are you here today?

35So I come back to the question that I had asked in the beginning - why are you here today?

Because this is for you. This is for you and other young Singaporeans. You are one of the

most important stakeholders in this exercise. This concerns your future, and the future of

young Singaporeans to come.

36To achieve ASPIREs objectives, we need to hear your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations and your concerns. The work of this committee will affect the lives, jobs,

careers and outcomes for the cohorts of many young Singaporeans. Your input and

contribution is therefore not just feedback. It is going to be a critical component of a major

national effort, with important implications for Singapores future.

The Beginning

37Today is just the beginning. This Townhall kicks off ASPIREs engagement effort with all the stakeholders, and we will have many more engagement sessions. We need your help to

make this work - not just in terms of ideas, but in spreading the word, helping us to reach out

to other students and parents.

Design for ASPIRE Logo

38For ASPIRE, we had originally wanted to have a logo, and MOE started to design one.

Then we paused and thought - ASPIRE is about planning for students like yourselves. Any

logo we adopt should reflect your hopes, your thoughts and the vibes that you feel about

ASPIREs work. Therefore the Committee has decided to invite all the polytechnic and ITE students to design a logo for ASPIRE. We hope it will reflect your ideas about what ASPIRE

can do for the future of polytechnic and ITE education. I hope the logo will be fun, edgy, and

meaningful. Your submissions will be showcased on ASPIREs website, and the Committee will pick one of the submissions to be the ASPIRE logo. The polytechnics and ITE will be

sending out details about how to participate over the week.

39There will be other projects and engagements as well, and we would like to invite you to

participate in these and spread the word to your friends. They will be notified in due course.

Conclusion

40That explains the reasons for ASPIRE, your role in it, and the partnership that we hope to

be able to put into effect. We hope to be able to wrap up the Committees recommendations after we manage to get all the input that we need, and nail down the recommendations that we

think will make for a brighter future for polytechnic and ITE students.

41Thank you very much.

Speech by Minister for Education, Mr Heng Swee Keat at Polytechnic Forum 2013, on

Monday, 7 October 2013, 5pm, at Downtown East Dmarquee

Members of the Board of Governors and Polytechnic Councils

Principals

Members of the Organising Committee

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1I am delighted to join you at the closing ceremony of the 17th Polytechnic Forum where

polytechnic students come together to discuss national issues. Two years ago, I attended the

15th Polytechnic Forum, where I witnessed the strong enthusiasm and energy of polytechnic

students in discussing national issues. Today, I am glad to be able to witness it again.

2This year, we have had Our Singapore Conversation, where Singaporeans from all walks of

life have come together to talk about things that matter to us as a nation, and as a society.

Through this process, many have learnt that our society is made up of many different groups

and individuals with very different hopes and aspirations.

3I am glad that many of those who have participated have told me that they have found the

process to be meaningful, have attained a better understanding of others and are keen to work

together to find common ground for the good of our nation.

Translating Words into Action

4The theme for Polytechnic Forum 2013 The Power of Youth in Community Action is therefore very befitting. The key words here are power of youth and community action. The common ground comes from working together to make our society even better. This

requires a strong foundation of community and societal values that will hold us together in

both good times and bad. And this starts with each individual the basic unit of society being actively engaged as citizens.

Everyone can be an Active Citizen

5What you have done shows one thing that anyone and everyone can be an active citizen. All of us can make a difference to others.

6We can start with the simple things- giving up your seats on the bus or train to people who

need it more than you, or helping the old lady struggling with her grocery bags.

7Being an active citizen is fundamentally about caring caring for our loved ones, our friends, ourselves, and our community. That is what makes us empathise with others. And I

hope such care and kindness will be a big part of our society now and in the decades ahead.

Holistic Education at the Polytechnics

8Our polytechnics certainly prepare our students well for your careers. But equally important,

our polytechnics provide a wide range of programmes and opportunities to develop our

students more fully, so that they can be well-rounded individuals who can make significant

contributions back to society.

9Polytechnic students have also learnt to work in teams with members from various

disciplines to combine knowledge from their respective diploma programmes to come up

with innovative solutions for the community. You may have read in the press recently about

X-RIGHT, an innovation enabling radiographers to capture better chest X-rays for

wheelchair-bound patients in half the time. Henrietta and Kanageswari, from NYPs School of Health Sciences, noticed that the conventional method of capturing chest X-rays, which

requires patients to stand straight up, poses difficulties for those who are wheelchair-bound.

With the help of two of their friends, Ren Jun and Meng Xiong, from NYPs School of Engineering, they improved on their seniors design of a simple radiographic cassette holder, that enables radiographers to capture better chest X-rays for wheelchair-bound patients. The

teams innovation clinched the top award from among 51 teams at the 7th International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology (i-CREATe) held in

South Korea about one month ago. As our population continues to age, their invention will

increase in use and importance. This is an excellent example of how our polytechnic students

can combine the skills they are taught with good observation and a caring heart to make

things easier and better for others. I applaud efforts like these and the people behind them.

10Our polytechnics strongly encourage our youths to take up social causes through co-

curricular activities (CCAs) and students unions. For example, Nanyang Polytechnics Rotaract Club organised a Golden Spring cleaning and food donation drive for elderly folks from the Home Nursing Foundation this year. They also went across to Johor Bahru to help

the beneficiaries from the Cheshire Home for children.

11Our polytechnics also support students through courses and leadership workshops to learn

the basics of service-learning and how to lead and manage their team members.

12Please allow me to share two stories of your polytechnic peers who have done well to

inspire others to believe in their social causes. Born with Spina Bifida, which involves the

incomplete development of the spinal cord, Alvina Neo, a graduate of Temasek Polytechnics Biomedical Science diploma, grew up using braces and a crutch to walk. However this does

not stop her from helping others cope with similar disabilities. She is active in raising funds

for Club Rainbow to support children with chronic or terminal illnesses. Just recently, she

and her friends hand-cycled for 100 km in the fund-raiser for Club Rainbows Ride for Rainbows. Due to her needs, Alvina has received various financial assistance such as

bursaries and education funds during her study in TP. TP has also helped Alvina publicise her

fund-raising efforts in Ride For Rainbows. The staff from TPs Alumni Office were even inspired to volunteer and support Alvina at Ride For Rainbows.

13Another example is Shahfie, a current third-year Diploma in Nursing student from

Nanyang Polytechnic. A passionate young grassroots leader, Shahfie initiated Project Paint

for Hope last year, in partnership with Woodgrove Youth Club where underprivileged

families receive assistance. To date, he has recruited about 60 devoted NYP students and

youth volunteers to contribute to her cause. Beyond the project, these volunteers have

continued to bring joy to these families during festive seasons including Lunar New Year,

Deepavali and Hari Raya Puasa this year. Shahfies initiative was supported by the NYPAC, which stands for NYP-in-Action for the Community.

Our Volunteer Youth Corps

14These efforts, and what you have done in the Community Action Projects, should be

encouraged and recognised. At this years National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that a national-level Volunteer Youth Corps would be set up to further

recognise and encourage our young people to get involved in community work. The setting

up of the Youth Corps will expand opportunities for capable, energetic and vibrant young

people like yourselves to volunteer and make a difference in a sustained and meaningful way.

I hope that the Volunteer Youth Corps will enable more of us to translate our words into

community action, and to harness the power of our youth.

15If you are wondering now, where do I start?, the Volunteer Youth Corps will assist by providing mentorships and linking you up with critical community needs. Stipends may also

be provided to support those of you who wish to take time off your studies to do full-time

community service.

16Upon completion of these community projects, there will also be a pay-it-forward grant to allow you to continue volunteering and to share your experiences with junior volunteers.

The additional support from the government isintended to support the efforts of volunteers

and reinforce the impact of community action as an effort by all of us.

17I hope that many of you will consider signing up for the Volunteer Youth Corps. I believe

it is a meaningful endeavour and you will find that even as you work with and help others,

you too will grow.

Conclusion

18There is tremendous potential in this room many of you have skills and ideas that can be combined in a powerful manner to make a real difference to others lives. But potential will remain unrealised as long as it is not acted on. I hope that each of you will be determined

to do what you can to make a difference. And as each of you do what you can in both big and

small ways, we build our society together.

19I would like to end with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi.

Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become

your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values

become your destiny.

20Indeed, Singapores destiny belongs to every one of us. Each of us must decide what we will believe, what we will think, what we will say, and what we will do. I hope we will be

good stewards of our skills and talents, and will put them to good use in our community.

21I see from the video that you have enjoyed the Polytechnic Forum a great deal, and I hope

that it has given you food for thought, ideas to pursue, and friends to pursue them together

with.

22Thank you.

Speech by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education, at The Primary School Education

Seminar And Exhibition 2013 At 9.00 Am On Wednesday, 10 July 2013, at Republic

Polytechnic, Agora Hall

Introduction

Overview of Theme, Presentations, Exhibits

1Good Morning. It is my pleasure to be with all of you at this Primary School Education

Seminar and Exhibition. Following the review of primary education in 2009, various

initiatives and programmes have been implemented by our primary schools to enhance the

quality of learning and provide a more holistic education for the children.

Helping Every Child Succeed

2Todays seminar and exhibition brings together all our primary schools to share and learn. Many of the primary schools innovative programmes and teaching approaches are documented as video-clips. These have been uploaded to MOEs YouTube channel. Look out for these videos at the exhibition later to see the impact of the schools efforts on the children and listen to the feedback from parents.

32,200 educators are attending todays seminar and exhibition. I am confident that you will gather useful ideas for adoption, glean fresh insights for new possibilities, establish contacts

and opportunities for further professional discourse and renew the impetus for education

excellence for our children.

Our Singapore Conversation

4Over the last few months, MOE has engaged with more than 22,000 stakeholders (including

parents, employers, students and educators) through numerous Our Singapore Conversation (or OSC) sessions. While many views and suggestions were given, there is strong support for

MOEs student-centric, values-driven education. Stakeholders concur that primary school education must adopt a developmentally-appropriate approach. Thus, I will highlight the

design principles that undergird what and how we teach in the primary schools to enable every child to learn and grow.

Strong Fundamentals, Purposeful Learning

5Todays theme, Strong Fundamentals, Purposeful Learning, focuses on the objectives of primary school education and the considerations we must bear in mind when designing the

learning activities and educational experience for the children.

Focus of Primary School Education

6The primary school years are an important phase of a childs education. During these formative years, the foundation for lifelong learning is laid. The focus of these primary

school years is to: i) stimulate childrens curiosity and foster the love for learning; ii) build childrens character and socio-emotional competencies to enable them to be confident in themselves and in interacting with others; and iii) equip children with a strong foundation in

literacy and numeracy, the two critical enablers for their future learning.

Developmental Stages and Needs of Children

7The design of learning activities in the primary school years must be student-centric and

take cognisance of the developmental stages of children. What would best enable children to

learn? Research has shown that young children need concrete experiences and visual

representations. Hence learning must be experiential and scaffolded. Children require

opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings. There must thus be interactive

discussions in class and opportunities for students to express themselves. Children also need

frequent doses of encouragement and motivation. We must regularly give them feedback and

acknowledge their efforts and progress.

8In accordance with this understanding of childrens needs and how they learn, the design and delivery of primary school education are based on four principles:

Build Strong Fundamentals;

Provide Active, visible and interactive learning;

Give Feedback to support learning; and

Affirm the childrens Efforts.

1st Principle: Strong Fundamentals

9What are the core fundamental skills and competencies that we must equip our primary

school students with?

Literacy and Numeracy

10We need to equip them with strong basics in literacy and numeracy. We use engaging

pedagogies and scaffold the learning tasks to enable every student to learn.

11For students who have greater learning difficulties, we provide additional support to enable

them to level up. These students are supported through the Learning Support Programmes in English and Mathematics. Learning support for English equips students with basic reading

and spelling skills so that they can access learning and be active learners in the various

subject areas. Students progress is monitored regularly to ensure that the learning gaps of individual students are addressed. For Mathematics, students learning is supported through hands-on activities that deepen their mathematical understanding. Teachers use diagnostic

tools to identify the students misconceptions and take steps to correct them.

SE Competencies

12Primary school students may be only 7 to 12 years old but equipping them with basic

social-emotional competencies will prepare them for life and work and all the attendant

challenges that they would need to deal with. Schools are therefore mindful of the need to

provide students with opportunities to learn about themselves, interact with others and be

independent. Socio-emotional competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, social

awareness, relationship management and responsible decision-making are critical skills that

our children must acquire. While opportunities to develop these skills are present in every

teacher-student interaction, more targeted avenues are available in the Programme for Active

Learning (or PAL), Character and Citizenship Education and Co-curricular Activities (or

CCA).

PAL - Knowledge of Self

13CCAs and PAL engage the students in experiential learning, allowing them to develop life-

skills, gain knowledge of themselves and discover their interests and talents. Through PAL,

P1 and 2 students are exposed to fun and creative learning activities in Sports, Outdoor

Education, and Performing and Visual Arts. Fuhua Primarys PAL Visual Arts module seeks to develop students creativity and social-emotional competencies. Through engaging in creative activities using recycled materials and showcasing their artworks, students explore

new perspectives, learn to cooperate and appreciate each others abilities. You can experience a PAL lesson conducted by Kheng Cheng School at todays exhibition.

CCE and Values

14MOE, teachers and parents concur that developing strength of character and nurturing

sound values should start at the formative years in primary school. A whole-school approach

is adopted and the teaching and inculcation of character and values is integrated into all

academic and CCA programmes. In addition to CCE resources and networking platforms,

MOE has provided all schools with a CCE Toolkit to support them in the planning and

implementation of their CCE programmes. MOE has also started to conduct specialised

training for two CCE Mentors per school. The primary school CCE Mentors will begin their

training from this month onwards. Mdm Jumaina Aman, a teacher from Kuo Chuan

Presbyterian Primary School, said, CCE is important and we want a deliberate and structured approach to inculcate in our students values that are crucial to their holistic

development and future. I look forward to meeting like-minded peers during the CCE Mentor

Training Programme. I believe it will provide us with the opportunity to examine our own

personal beliefs, practices and attitudes towards CCE.

2nd Principle: Provide Active, Interactive and Visible Learning

15How do children learn and how should we design their learning tasks?

Role-play, Student Talk

16For children in the primary years the appetite and zest for learning is unrivalled. Their

natural curiosity and enthusiasm serve as the best starting point for all learning activities. In

English lessons, teachers use open-ended questioning techniques to draw the children in and

encourage them to imagine, think and speak. Role-play, dramatization and language games

are widely used. Ms Dalvindar Kaur from Princess Elizabeth Primary School commented that

the children are eager to share their ideas and views. When she organises lessons that allow

for lots of student talk, the children are very motivated and engaged, and the quality of their

thinking and communication is raised.

Learning Resources to make Learning Interactive and Visible

17Our classrooms are equipped with a wide range of rich learning resources that make

learning interactive and visible. The Social Studies Treasure Chest in each classroom contains puppets, musical instruments, costumes, customised cards and maps for multi-

sensory learning. The Mathematics Resource Pack comprises manipulatives, game-sets and

picture cards to enable students to make visible abstract concepts and thinking. Science kits

allow students to carry out experiments and investigations. The Interaction Resource Packages for Mother Tongue Languages provide tasks that involve students in the active and interactive use of language to develop their fluency and confidence. Enhanced facilities and

resources for PE, Art and Music also enable engaging and experiential learning.

18ICT devices are also used for individualised and collaborative learning. In Mother Tongue

Languages classrooms, students use the iMTL portal to record and upload videos of their oral

presentations. They can view and comment on their peers work. This exchange of feedback

improves their learning. ICT also allows for self-directed learning where content and pace

can be modified based on the students needs.

Science Inquiry-based Learning

19The inquiry-based approach in the learning of Science takes advantage of childrens natural curiosity. Students are encouraged to ask questions, conduct investigations, make

observations and formulate logical conclusions. Students conduct simple experiments in class

or explore the natural world outdoors. Sanjay, a P4 student from Townsville Primary School

said that he likes Science because he gets the chance to explore and investigate and that he

wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

3rd Principle: Give Feedback to Support Learning

Holistic Feedback

20To help every student achieve the fundamentals, teachers need to monitor their mastery

and understanding and give them regular, targeted feedback to support their learning. All our

primary schools have embarked on holistic assessment. Teachers learn to use a repertoire of

tools and strategies to assess students and provide them with richer and more holistic

feedback as well as advise them on how to improve their learning and skills. Teachers have

given feedback that learning has become more focused and purposeful. Their students are

more aware of their strengths and areas for improvement and have become more confident

and motivated to learn.

21At Haig Girls School, the implementation of Holistic Assessment has progressed to the upper primary levels. These older children have taken greater ownership of their learning.

They communicate their learning goals and plans to their teachers and parents and express

how they wish to be supported. Lets watch a video of Parent-Child-Teacher Conferencing sessions for the upper primary levels at Haig Girls School. We can see that for the upper primary levels, the process of holistic assessment and feedback engages students more

actively in decisions that affect their learning. The students are motivated and have clear

information about the next steps they have to take. They know how to learn. These are

invaluable skills and attitudes that augur well for their journey of life-long learning and

continuous improvement.

4th Principle: Affirm the Childrens Efforts

Valuing Each Student

22Children thrive when they are valued as individuals. I am glad that our schools are putting

in place structures and processes to understand the different needs of each child. The weekly

Form Teacher Guidance Period (or FTGP) dedicates time for Form Teachers to interact with

all students in the class. Schools have also scheduled one-to-one teacher-student interaction

time. Students use cue cards with cartoon facial expressions to indicate their feelings while

teachers use log sheets to record the main discussion points. These generate a culture of

genuine listening and responding to each child. St Andrews Junior School shared that students feel valued and the school is able to respond more pertinently to the students aspirations and needs.

Research on Language of Praise

23Teachers and parents know it is important to encourage the children. But is there a right

way to praise children? In her investigation, Professor Carol Dweck found that the children

who were told that they were smart avoided difficult puzzles and showed greater anxiety.

However, those who were praised not for their intelligence but for their effort were more

motivated to tackle increasingly difficult puzzles and exhibited higher levels of confidence

and progress in solving the puzzles. The findings may seem counterintuitive, but praising

childrens talents and abilities seems to rattle their confidence. For these children, tackling more difficult puzzles carries the risk of losing the status of being smart.

24Teachers and parents, for our childrens sake, we are better off focusing on their efforts and the process of learning. When schools and parents praise our children for efforts made

towards learning, our children are more likely to persevere in their learning. In addition, it

helps to promote resilience, self-belief and a love for learning, which would serve our

children well in school, and in life.

Teachers Professional Learning

25Our teachers play an indispensable role in helping our children learn. Teaching is complex

and teachers need to continue to hone their skills. An effective way for teachers to learn is

through active professional discourse and collaboration. I am pleased to note that to-date,

1,350 teachers from 72 primary schools have formed Teacher Learning Communities (or

TLC) that focus on improving student learning through the use of formative assessment and

modifying teaching to help each student. The teachers meet regularly to learn and plan in

collaborative teams. They try out various formative assessment strategies in their classrooms,

observe one other and give constructive feedback.

Schools Feedback on benefits of teachers collaborative learning

26Mdm Hazel Cheong, a TLC member of Anchor Green Primary School shared that she has

become more conscious about how to use descriptive feedback to help her students learn

better. Instead of just giving a grade or evaluative remarks such as Good Job! and Well Done! to her P1 students artwork, she would highlight what each student has done well and give feedback on how the artwork can be further improved. Her students have improved

when she nudged them in the right direction.

27Ms Lim Gek Wah, a Primary 4 Mathematics teacher of Punggol Primary School, shared

that she used to only look out for right answers from her students. As a result of conscious

efforts to improve her teaching through professional sharing and reflection, she now

examines her students wrong answers to understand their thinking better and address their misconceptions and errors with targeted teaching and feedback. Her students have benefited

and have become more confident and reflective.

28Mr Lua Ee Ping, the Vice-Principal of Anchor Green Primary, assured his teachers that the

school is supportive and would make special time-table arrangement to facilitate such peer

learning among teachers. After half a year, Mr Lua has observed positive changes in the

teachers classroom practices. He found that teachers are now planning and delivering their lessons more purposefully.

29MOE has extended support to the Teacher Learning Communities by providing

professional resources and organising network sessions. The schools have set up a TLC booth

at todays exhibition and more than 100 TLC leaders will be meeting here this afternoon to exchange ideas and network. Feel free to join them!

Parents - Our Partners in Education

30Parents are a key influence in a childs development. They play a critical role in reinforcing the values and dispositions we hope to see in our children. Schools must continue

to work closely with parents, helping them to understand what our schools are doing for their

children. We need to engage parents and harness their support for the efforts and programmes

in our schools.

Involving Parents in VIA (Da Qiao)

31I commend schools and parents for having made progress in forging a collaborative

partnership. In Da Qiao Primary School, parents joined their children in the schools Values in Action (or VIA) Day. They worked hand in hand to bring about positive changes in the school environment and community. This event allows children to bond with their parents

while they learn compassion, responsibility and appreciation. Mr Derrick Lim worked with

his P3 son, Dylan, on a community project. He has gained a better understanding of what his

son is like in school, as well as his sons learning environment and friends. He said that this shared experience has helped improve his communication with his son at home and he hopes

the school will continue to organise more of such activities. Dylan is proud and happy that his

father was with him on VIA Day. Dylan is appreciative that despite his fathers busy schedule, he could make time to be with him in school on that day.

32I encourage schools to continue to actively involve parents so that they can understand

their childrens learning experience in school and appreciate what the school seeks to achieve with their children. By putting students at the centre of education, schools and parents would

always have shared purposes and goals, and be able to support each others efforts.

Conclusion

33With the developmental stages and needs of children in mind, we must make our primary

school education engaging and purposeful by:

Building Strong Fundamentals;

Providing Active, visible and interactive learning;

Giving Feedback to support learning; and

Affirming the childrens Efforts.

34These will enable our children to learn better, love learning, and continue to engage in life-

long learning. We acknowledge the good work of our primary schools and teachers and we

thank parents for their support in this journey.

35The quest for education excellence for our children is a continuous journey. At the many

OSC sessions for MOE, many positive and constructive views were shared and participants

were very keen to contribute to ensure that education in Singapore is meaningful and relevant,

enabling all students to grow and be equipped for life and work. MOE will continue to seek

systemic improvement and support schools and teachers to raise the quality of learning for all

students.

36Todays exhibition features the collective efforts of MOE and schools to realise a more holistic primary school education. To all present, I wish you a fruitful day of sharing and

learning.

37Thank you.

FY 2013 Committee of Supply Debate: 1st Reply by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for

Education: Hope - Opportunities For All

1Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank members for sharing their views and constructive

suggestions on education and speaking with such passion, starting with Mr Lim Biow Chuan.

I share your passion for doing better, and I am happy to see many of our students watching

this debate from the gallery. You are our future.

2Over the past 7 months, we have engaged many Singaporeans, including students and over

5,000 educators, to discuss our nations future and how education can help us get there. Your voices echo the passion of many that we have heard in Our Singapore Conversation.

3I have heard many rich and varied discussions firsthand. Through the Conversation, many Singaporeans have re-affirmed the strengths of our education system, and advocated that we

build on them. But many participants also noted that there are areas where we must continue

to recalibrate, and even to take a fresh approach.

4Allow me to touch on three areas today:

First, reaffirming our commitment to provide the best opportunities for every child.

This includes efforts in

o pre-school education,

o levelling-up all our students,

o expanding post-secondary options, and

o supporting students with special needs.

Second, recalibrating towards a holistic education centred on values.

And Third, refreshing our approaches to achieve our basic goals of education.

REAFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR

EVERY CHILD

5Let me first reaffirm the Governments commitment to provide opportunities for all our children to excel. This is important to building a more inclusive society; and it is important to

enable our students and our young people to seize opportunities and access high quality jobs,

as we restructure our economy. The Minister for Finance outlined a number of key MOE

initiatives in the Budget Speech, including expanding school-based student care centres,

developing online resources, and expanding the Opportunity Fund. MOE will provide details

on these at a later date.

6I fully agree with my parliamentary colleagues that our education system must provide

opportunities, and Mr Lim Biow Chuan spoke about this at the start.

7Indeed, over the decade, the government has almost doubled the investment in education -

from $6.5 billion in 2003, to $11.6 billion this year. These investments have supported three

broad changes in our education system.

First, we have invested more in developing well-rounded students who can think

creatively and independently. Recent results in TIMMS and PIRLS showed our

students doing well, but more importantly, doing better in reasoning and analysis.

Second, students now have more choices at all levels through many more pathways to

develop their abilities and interests.

o At the secondary level, we have a diversity of schools with niches and

programmes, catering to a wide range of talents and interests.

o At the post-secondary level, we have more options at the polytechnics and ITE,

with better facilities and programmes. And at the university level, we are also

expanding options.

Third, we have raised the number and quality of our teaching professionals:

o We now employ 30% more teachers than a decade ago and are investing more

in their professional development.

o Experienced principals and skilful teachers are distributed across our schools,

so that all our schools will be good schools.

o I thank Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Ms Low Yen Ling, and Mr Yee Jenn Jong for

talking about better pupil teacher ratios and smaller class sizes. Indeed, better

resources have translated into better pupil-teacher ratios (PTR). For instance,

the PTR in our primary schools today is 17.6, down from 25.9 in 2000. In our

secondary schools, it is 14.2 today, down from 19.2 in 2000. Our pupil-teacher

ratios are comparable with OECD average and better than the UK and Korea.

8This higher quality of education throughout our system from primary to secondary to post-

secondary, allows us to provide better opportunities for all our students today. Less than 1%

of each cohort do not compl