The Centre will bring together resources from the education sector, academia and the community to position Singapore as a centre of excellence for the training and development of CL teachers catering to a wide range of learners, including those from non Chinese-speaking backgrounds.
For a start, SCCL will focus on the needs of local CL teachers through the provision of structured in-service programmes and professional development courses. The Centre will also function as a “test-bed” for innovative ideas on pedagogy and learning activities, and establish itself as a knowledge hub in the teaching of CL.
In the medium term, SCCL will extend its services to cover the pre-school segment and overseas CL teachers. It aims to build up a brand name in the region, as an authority in the teaching of CL in a bilingual environment. In the longer term, it aims to export its expertise, by providing consultancy and offering training to CL teachers from the region and beyond.
“Having implemented many decades of bilingual policy, Singapore has accumulated invaluable and unique experience in the teaching and learning of the Chinese Language predominantly as a second language. Indeed, Singapore is well-positioned to be an international centre of excellence for the teaching and learning of Chinese Language. For a start, we would like to see the Centre playing a key role in the professional development of our teachers, We are confident that SCCL will be able to cater to learners from a variety of backgrounds including those from non-Chinese speaking environments in the region,” said Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Development.
The SCCL will have a Board of Directors headed by Mr Robin Hu, Executive Vice President of Chinese Newspapers Division, Singapore Press Holdings. Mr Hu’s wealth of experience, having helmed positions in both the public and private sectors, will greatly benefit the Centre in growing its capabilities and building its standing as a centre of excellence for the teaching of CL. SMS Grace Fu will serve as the Advisor to the SCCL Board which will provide strategic direction and oversight on the development, management and administration of the Centre. The SCCL Board will comprise individuals from industry, academia, and government, including representatives from MOE, NIE, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of SCCL will be Dr Chin Chee Kuen and Dr Tan Chee Lay respectively, both of whom are Assistant Professors at NIE’s Department of Asian Languages and Cultures
Write-ups on Mr Robin Hu, Dr Chin and Dr Tan are at the Annex.
From mid-2009, CL teachers can look forward to attending a range of in-service courses and programmes offered at SCCL. SCCL will provide courses in areas such as pedagogies for teaching Chinese as a second language, language proficiency, Chinese cultural knowledge, linguistics, child language development, curriculum development and evaluation, school-based educational research and the use of information communication technology in language teaching. In addition, SCCL will engage in practitioner-based research that is aligned with the needs of CL learning in schools, so as to develop quality content for future teacher training. SCCL aims to train 25% of in-service CL teachers in its first year, and to reach out to all in-service CL teachers by the fifth year.
The Centre will also explore opportunities to partner the people sector such as the Chinese clan or business associations to organise public education programmes, seminars and conferences to promote the learning of CL and appreciation of Chinese culture among the community.
Recruitment of key personnel and academic staff for SCCL will commence from late 2008. The academic staff will work closely with teachers in our national schools to develop practitioner-based research.
The SCCL will operate from an interim site located at Ghim Moh Primary School during its first three years of operation.
]]> AnnexExecutive Vice-President, Chinese Newspapers Division, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH)
Mr Hu joined SPH in February 2004 as the Executive Vice-President of its Chinese Newspapers Division. Prior to this, he held various management positions with the then National Computer Board, Economic Development Board and SingTel’s National Computer Systems Ltd.
Mr Hu has worked in China for over six years from 1995 to 2001 and was among the first teams sent by the Economic Development Board to promote the Suzhou Industrial Park project. In 1995, he was made the Regional Director for China and Deputy Director of the Singapore Software Project Office in Suzhou and was the Industry and Investment Counsellor at the Singapore Embassy in Beijing in March 1998.
Mr Hu is a director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and a trustee of the Chinese Development Assistance Council. Mr Hu studied at the Chinese High School and National Junior College. He received his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics from the University of Kent and holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Wales, United Kingdom.
Assistant Professor Division of Chinese Language and Culture, National Institute of Education (NIE)
Dr Chin is an Assistant Professor with the NIE Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group and holds a PhD in Chinese Language Curriculum and Pedagogy from Central China Normal University.
Dr Chin is an experienced educator with over 10 years of teaching experience in secondary schools. He has taught Chinese as a first and second language as well as various Chinese subjects such as Chinese Literature and Confucian Ethics. He was also a Specialist Writer in the former Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore where he was heavily involved in the development of instructional materials for both Chinese as a second language and Higher Chinese for secondary schools. From 1997-2000, Dr Chin was also appointed as a Curriculum Specialist in the Curriculum Planning and Development Division in MOE before joining NIE.
Dr Chin has presented many papers on subjects ranging from Curriculum Review, Chinese cultures and incorporating ICT in CL learning, and has been the keynote speaker at several international conferences in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the international refereed Journal of Chinese Language Education.
Dr Chin was elected Assistant Secretary of the Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union in 1997 and held the post of General Secretary from 2000 to 2006. He was conferred the Veteran of Labour Award in May 2008 by the National Trades Union Congress, for his significant contributions to the Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union.
Assistant Professor Division of Chinese Language and Culture, National Institute of Education
Dr Tan is also an Assistant Professor with the NIE Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group. He holds a PhD in Oriental Studies (Chinese) from Cambridge University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Leicester University and a Master in Arts (English Studies) from National University of Singapore. He was awarded the Public Service Commission Scholarship (teaching) from 1992-1996 and the Overseas Graduate Scholarship from National Institute of Education from 2004 to 2007.
Dr Tan has 7 years of experience teaching Chinese in a secondary school and junior college, including the Chinese Language Elective Programme. He was awarded the Inspiring Chinese Teacher Award by SPH in 2000. He has also taught Chinese to native Chinese students in Taipei, as well as to British and international students in Cambridge.
As an Ex-co member of the Rediffusion Youth and Children Drama group, he has trained young children in Chinese broadcasting, drama and other Chinese enrichment classes. Since 1998, he has also served as mentor and trainer for primary, secondary and junior college composition and creative writing classes for Chinese clans and schools. His academic research was awarded accolades in both Taiwan and UK. With 10 books to his name, Dr Tan received the National Arts Council Young Artist Award in 2004, as well as the highest honour for youth, the Singapore Youth Award (Art and Culture) in 2006.
]]>More information on the award recipients is in Annex A.
The annual President’s Award for Teachers recognises the commitment of teachers to the total development of students and to nation-building. This year’s recipients are outstanding teachers who have demonstrated inspiring passion, innovation and dedication in teaching. Not only do they infuse values education into the teaching of Maths and Science, they also take pains to make lessons come alive for their students, from tapping on cookie-baking to teach mathematical concepts to organising experiential learning journeys beyond the classroom so that students can learn more about Information Communications Technology.
This year saw a record number of nominations received since the Award was introduced in 1998. A total of 7806 nominations for the Award were received from principals, teachers, students, parents and former students, for the nomination of 2043 teachers who come from 225 schools. A Selection Panel, comprising prominent members of the community and senior officers from the Ministry of Education selected the three recipients. (Annex B)
]]> Annex AFor Mrs Eileen Ong, changing her pupils’ mindset towards Mathematics and maximising their potential are her greatest contribution to teaching and her proudest achievements yet.
Currently the Level Head for Mathematics and a dedicated teacher at Haig Girls’ School, Mrs Eileen Ong initiated the “A-Fractionally Yours” project where P6 students were given opportunities to design and create mathematics manipulatives to help their younger schoolmates learn and practise concepts on Fractions.
The idea for “A-Fractionally Yours” came about when she asked her P6 pupils to think about the difficulty they experienced in learning Mathematics and how the concepts could have been better taught - and her pupils’ creativity far exceeded her expectations. The project was subsequently supported by MOE Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) Ignite! as a School Curriculum Innovation in 2008.
As a key member of the Pupil Well-being and Development (PWD) team in Haig Girls’ School, Mrs Eileen Ong strongly believes in the holistic development of every student. She spends time to interact with her pupils and capitalises on stories and teachable moments to instil values.
Another project that she initiated was simply called “A Maths Game Project”, which infused Maths and values education. Through this project, P5 and P6 pupils were trained to be facilitators in visual games that enhanced pupils’ understanding of Mathematics concept. In turn, these facilitators will train the younger pupils to play the games and learn mathematics concepts in a fun way during recess time.
“Sometimes, the P5 and P6 pupils will give up being facilitators after a few days,” said Mrs Eileen Ong. “I will then talk to them and explain why they need to continue because they have made a commitment to cooperate with one another in helping the younger pupils and in showing care and concern for them. In this way, the pupils learned important values in daily-life situation too.
Mrs Eileen Ong is also a people-person who builds quality relationships with parents and colleagues. She conducts workshops on the teaching and learning of Mathematics for parents and colleagues and was selected to be the cluster representative in the Zonal Centre of Excellence for Mathematics.
Ask Mrs Lee Kok Hong, Head of Department (Mathematics) of Temasek Primary School, what drives her passion for teaching after 29 years, and her reply is “I don’t know, but I am excited about coming to school and seeing my pupils progress and gain confidence everyday in the classroom.”
Indeed, Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s pupils share her excitement in and out of the classroom as they are allowed to experiment during some of Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s innovative lessons, along with the learning of important Mathematics concepts, self-reflection, teamwork and respect for their fellow pupils.
For example, in one lesson that integrated science and mathematics concepts on speed and averages, Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s pupils had to research parachute-making and then compete in teams to make the most efficient parachute. In addition to mastering their concepts effortlessly, the pupils got to learn not only how to be independent learners, but to make the best parachutes through sharing their observations and discoveries with one another, all amidst the excitement of watching their parachutes sail from the second storey of the school.
Other innovative teaching methods Mrs Lee Kok Hong has used include budgeting and writing cheques up to one million, baking cookies to teach the concept of numbers, ratio and proportion, using cartoon characters to teach the order of mathematical operations and literally getting her pupils to put on their thinking caps.
As a passionate advocate of holistic development of her students, Mrs Lee Kok Hong infuses social emotional learning principles and the school’s core values into her lessons. Mrs Lee Kok Hong also organises student focus group discussions and one-to-one conferencing to know her students and respond to their needs better. At these sessions, she coaches and motivates her students to refocus, reflect and review, and spurs them to achieve their targets. She also communicates frequently with the parents to keep them updated on the development of their children.
Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s passion for the teaching of Mathematics has also inspired her to conduct numerous sharing sessions at the school, national and international platforms. She has also attended overseas conferences and participated in overseas attachments to schools to improve her understanding of pedagogy and curriculum design. Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s commitment to innovation in teaching and learning, as well as her belief in interdisciplinary integration and enthusiasm in making her lessons come alive have earned her much respect among her students, colleagues and parents.
Mrs Diana Lim wears many hats in Coral Secondary School. She is the Head of Department for Information & Communications Technology while also teaching Biology and General Science and initiating innovative projects for teachers and her students. But just ten years ago, she was doing something entirely different.
Teaching is Mrs Diana Lim’s second career. Previously she worked as a money-broker. While it was financially and personally rewarding, she yearned for more. After seven years, she left her corporate job and pursued a new path in teaching, and she has not looked back ever since.
Mrs Diana Lim has a strong conviction that every child can learn and if properly guided and motivated, will achieve nothing less than excellence. This strong sense of purpose has led her to use innovative IT tools and Action Research in her lessons.
Mrs Diana Lim was instrumental in creating the school Student Action Research Programme (STAR) which involved students using a systematic inquiry approach of plan, act and observe, and reflect to investigate various issues that affect the school and the community. For its innovative and creative approach, the STAR programme was selected as one of MOE’s Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) prototypes.
Mrs Diana Lim also works closely with colleagues, parents and the community to develop her students holistically. She spends time to get to know every student she teaches and provides constant feedback to parents. She also seeks learning opportunities beyond the classroom for her students by organising experiential learning journeys and attachments to various organisations for her students.
For Mrs Diana Lim, teaching as a profession “rewards subtly”; it cannot be easily measured or quantified. She gave the story of how she met an ex-student a few years ago who revealed that she was the inspiration for the student’s decision to be a teacher as well. Many other ex-students also continue to keep in touch with her and update her on their life achievements. “These rewards leave indelible marks and life would never be the same again,” she explains.
Her teaching experience in the past ten years have been challenging and fulfilling, but Mrs Diana Lim is looking forward to more years of service to contribute. “I wish to pass the light, stirring my students to be flaming beacons who are resilient to the winds of change and uncertainty,” she says.
Dr Lily Neo
Chairman of GPC (Education)
Ms Yeoh Chee Yan
Second Permanent Secretary (Education)
Miss Seah Jiak Choo
Director-General of Education
Mr Alan John
COMPASS Member
Deputy Editor, The Straits Times
Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Mr Syed Ahmad
COMPASS Member
General Manager
Geolab Services Pte Ltd
A single intake system will facilitate a stronger educational programming in these schools where all students would start their course of study together. It obviates the need for the two admission exercises and the turn-over of students due to the two intakes (see background). In addition, it will also reduce the waiting time for some ‘O’ level graduates, who might otherwise need to wait for three months before entering JCs/MI.
JCs and MI will continue to share between 10 and 12 common weeks of school holidays with the primary and secondary schools (see 2009 School Terms and Holidays webpage). The common holiday periods of 1 week each in March and September, 4 weeks in Jun and the remaining weeks at the end of the year, will enable families with children studying in different educational levels to spend time together.
To make the single-intake possible, the following changes will take place from 2009:
The revised school calendars for JCs and MI, based on a single intake in early February of 2009, are on the 2009 School Terms and Holidays webpage.
Currently, there are two JC/MI intakes: one in January that is based on school preliminary examination results, and another in March based on ‘O’ level results. The two-intake situation gives rise to “churning” of students in JCs and MI in March, as quite a number of JC students chooses to switch courses or colleges after receiving the ‘O’ level results. The students in the second intake, who have not attended the pre-university course in the first 3 months, might also have difficulties in catching up with the ‘A’ level curriculum. In addition, some students who failed to meet the criteria to enter the JC/MI after the release of ‘O’ level results, faced disappointment when they have to leave after 3 months.
The revision of JC and MI calendars was one of the recommendations of the JC / Upper Secondary Education Review Committee in October 2002.
This change from the current two-intake system is made possible as the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board has taken greater control of the GCE ‘O’ level examinations since 2006. In addition, MOE has streamlined the processes for the ‘O’ level examinations and Joint Admissions Exercise, conducted after the release of the ‘O’ level results for students to select courses in JCs, MI, polytechnics and ITE.
]]>The Guest-of-Honour for the ceremony, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, presented the awards at the SEAMEO Regional Language Centre.
The Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence, established in 2005, is a pinnacle award which recognises well-rounded students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic spheres, and who exemplify positive character development, strong leadership qualities and commitment to service to the community. The award is presented at the end of Secondary education.
This award is part of the overall framework of Lee Kuan Yew awards, made possible through the interest proceeds from the principal fund of the Lee Kuan Yew Donation account of the Education Fund.
Seven students were presented with this Award. The names of the awardees are given in Annex A.
The Prime Minister’s Book Prize, established in 1974, is an annual award for bilingualism given at the primary, secondary and pre-university levels. This year, 30 students were awarded the Prime Minister’s Book Prize—12 in the Primary section, 12 in the Secondary section and six in the Pre-University section. The names of the awardees are given in Annex B.
The Lee Kuan Yew Award for excellence in Mathematics and Science was instituted in 1992. The awards are given under three categories—Secondary, Pre-University and Polytechnic. This year, of the 40 recipients, 15 are in the Secondary category, ten in the Pre-University category and 15 in the Polytechnic category. The names of the awardees are given in Annex C.
The Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students was presented for the first time in 2004. This year, two awards were given out to the top two Normal (Technical) students, based on their ‘N’ level examination results. The names of the awardees are given in Annex D.
The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP Award) was given out for the first time in 2001. This year, a total of 15 LKY-STEP awards were presented—ten to outstanding Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates pursuing full-time studies at our polytechnics, and five to outstanding polytechnic graduates pursuing full-time undergraduate studies at our universities. The names of the awardees are given in Annex E.
]]>The disciplinary areas chosen for the new university’s initial offerings are aligned with the main thrust of Singapore’s economy and manpower needs over the medium term. The choice of these disciplinary areas also aims to ensure that graduates would have good employment prospects and exciting opportunities for career development on graduation.
| Core Disciplinary Areas | Alignment with Main Thrust of Economy & Manpower Needs |
|---|---|
| Engineering & Applied Sciences |
|
| Business & IT |
|
| Design & Architecture |
|
These three disciplinary areas were also chosen for their compatibility with the educational approach of the new university. As the new university will emphasise interdisciplinary learning, its disciplinary areas should have a strong potential for collaboration and synergy. For example, top universities like Stanford University have infused design thinking principles into other disciplines like Engineering and Business. The cross-fertilisation of ideas emerging from the interdisciplinary approach can potentially yield innovative solutions to difficult problems.
The new university’s disciplinary areas provide it with scope to develop innovative flagship programmes that would be attractive to bright students. The discipline areas form a strong core that would appeal to students with diverse backgrounds, and form the basis for strong academia-industry collaboration.
]]>MOE has appointed Mr. Philip Ng Chee Tat, Chief Executive Officer of the Far East Organization, as Chairman of a Steering Committee to oversee the establishment of the new university. Mr Ng brings with him extensive experience in the corporate sector. He has also been actively involved in the development of the higher education sector in Singapore through his membership on the Board of Trustees of the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Board of Governors of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Republic Polytechnic. A write-up on Mr Ng is at the Annex.
The Steering Committee will comprise leaders from academia, industry and the public sector. Some of its key tasks are to:-
The new university’s campus will be located in Changi near the Singapore Expo. The site is within walking distance of the Expo MRT station and easily accessible by road via the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) and East Coast Parkway (ECP). It will also be served by the Downtown Line (under stage 3) upon its completion in 2016.
The new university’s campus is right next to the Changi Business Park, home to high technology businesses and knowledge-intensive facilities of leading companies. This will offer the new university opportunities to develop a vibrant industry-academia eco-system around its campus. Housing facilities are also planned for student accommodation and to facilitate residential learning programs.
Apart from the amenities at the Tampines Regional Centre and Simei Town Centre nearby, students will also be able to enjoy new commercial amenities such as food & beverage and retail outlets being developed in the Changi Business Park.
Overall, the new university will be a key feature within these dynamic environs. Its location will add to the richness and diversity of the experience for its students and staff.
Please refer to the factsheet for Information on the disciplines to be offered by the new publicly funded university.
The new university is expected to take in its first intake in 2011.
A public consultation on the naming of the new publicly-funded university will be conducted from 11 Aug 08 to 30 Nov 08. Members of the public can submit their ideas for the Steering Committee’s consideration.
The Government supports the plans of the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University to deepen their capabilities in research while enhancing the quality of their undergraduate programmes. The Government also supports the Singapore Management University’s plans to grow to a mid-sized university.
The Government agrees that liberal arts education could be a potentially valuable addition to Singapore’s university landscape, and will undertake further study to determine how this model of education can be introduced here. The Government has also agreed to explore the provision of public funding to more degree programmes in niche areas.
The Committee on the Expansion of the University Sector began work in September 2007, after the Prime Minister announced the Government’s commitment to increase the target cohort participation rate to 30% by 2015 at the 2007 National Day Rally. The Committee was chaired by Senior Minister of State for Education RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew and comprised members from the private and public sector as well as academia. Dr Tony Tan, Chairman of the Ministry of Education’s International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP), served as advisor to the Committee.
The preliminary recommendations of the Committee were debated in Parliament at the Committee of Supply Debate in March 2008. The Committee released the recommendations of its preliminary report to the public on 24 June 2008. Following this, the IAAP endorsed the Committee’s recommendations at its 7th Meeting (25-27 Jun 2008) held in Singapore. Please see the executive summary and final report (520kb .pdf) of the Committee for more details.
]]> AnnexPhilip Ng Chee Tat
Chief Executive Officer
Far East Organization, Singapore
Singapore Citizen, Born on 16 September 1958
Mr Philip Ng is the Chief Executive Officer of Far East Organization, a family-owned property development and investment group operating in Singapore and Malaysia. He is also the Executive Chairman of Orchard Parade Holdings Ltd (the Organization’s listed hotel arm) and Chairman of Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd (the Organization’s listed food and beverage vehicle) and Yeo Hiap Seng (Malaysia) Berhad. He is also a Director of Hong Kong-based Sino Group, which is Far East Organization’s sister company, engaging in real estate activities in Hong Kong and China.
Mr Ng holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with First Class Honours from King’s College, London University, UK and two Master degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, which are:
Mr Ng is on the board of various community groups and public education institutions such as National University of Singapore Board of Trustees, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He is also the Non-Resident Ambassador of The Republic of Singapore to The Republic of Chile.
He and his wife, Vy-vyen, have six children.
]]>Over the next few years, edumall 2.0 aims to provide every teacher with a wide range of digital resources including full length videos, video clips, interactive websites, multimedia activities, lesson plans and visual, aural and textual archived resources. Over the next few years edumall 2.0 will build up a wide data base of quality resources from trusted sources and provide an array of easy-to-use online tools and an effective search engine.
edumall 2.0 will also feature individual subject pages for each subject on the school curriculum that will develop into online centres for educational communities where teachers can discuss ideas, debate issues, and share resources and teaching tips with one another.
Every teacher will have a private, online web space in edumall 2.0. This can be designed to meet individual needs and preferences so as to become a personalised online resource centre.
The current preview at the International Conference on Teaching and Learning with Technology (ICTLT) 2008 on 5 Aug, is the seed from which edumall 2.0 will grow and flourish over the next few years. Once edumall 2.0 has taken root among teachers, it will be opened to students so as to foster independent and collaborative learning and research. Over time, we intend for edumall 2.0 to become self-sustaining, and, as much as possible, self-regulating. We envisage a wiki-community who will use edumall 2.0 to exploit the full potential of web2.0 technology through the utilisation of on-line resources, collaboration in the creation of new resources and ideas, and a national and international on-line community of learning.
]]>Themed “Learning, Leading, Innovating”, iCTLT 2008 will feature a host of topics covering the use of ICT in learning environments and the exploration of emerging technologies for enhanced teaching and learning.
The conference will bring together about 1,700 school leaders and educators from the education sector, research and academic institutes, and authorities to exchange views and experience on new developments and practices in the use of ICT for learning and teaching. This year’s conference has attracted more than 100 presentations, about half of which are from countries such as Australia, China, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. The participants for this conference come from about 20 countries.
The iCTLT 2008 is supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, National Institute of Education and the Singapore Tourism Board. Three similar conferences will be held from 2008 to 2012.
iCTLT 2008 comprises a two-day main conference cum exhibition, held on 5 and 6 August 2008. Prior to the main conference, school visits were held on 4 August 2008 for foreign delegates to showcase how ICT is used in teaching and learning, and how Singapore schools have implemented MOE’s Masterplan for ICT in Education. Workshops were also held prior to the conference on the innovative use of ICT for pedagogy.
Apart from three keynote speakers, the conference also features four other invited speakers, as well as paper presentations by academics, teachers, school leaders and industry partners. The conference will end with a panel discussion to consolidate the knowledge and experiences gained during the conference.
The exhibition, which includes exhibits by 15 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 4 junior colleges, two Japanese universities and 37 industry partners, will showcase 4 key areas:
For more information on iCTLT, visit the iCTLT website.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a non-profit membership organisation based in the United States for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education.
Founded in 1979, ISTE is home to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). It supports more than 100,000 members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of transforming education.
To learn more about ISTE, visit the ISTE website.
]]>The broad strategies of the third Masterplan for ICT in Education are:
ICT will be more extensively integrated into the planning, design and implementation stages of the curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. There will be greater alignment of students’ learning outcomes in the syllabi, national examinations, and classroom experience to 21st century skills such as IT skills, and the ability to communicate persuasively and collaborate effectively. Students will be required to use ICT to look for information, synthesise reports, give feedback on each others’ work and collaborate with peers within and outside school.
School leaders can create the environment for teachers to reflect and learn from each other about effective teaching practices that incorporate ICT use in the classrooms to achieve desired learning outcomes for their students.
In addition, MOE will train a pool of “ICT specialist teachers” with strong pedagogical groundings to model and lead professional development efforts within and across schools. A learning roadmap will also be developed to help pace teachers in learning how to effectively use ICT in their classes.
To improve the sharing of best practices, MOE will support the establishment of a network of educational labs where innovations can be prototyped and tested. These labs will provide the latest technologies to promote exploration of learning possibilities. They can also serve as training ground for pre- and in-service teachers.
MOE will continue to support schools to innovate in the use of ICT and to facilitate sharing of good practices among schools through programmes like the FutureSchools@Singapore and LEAD ICT@Schools.
Accessibility of ICT to students will be increased through more flexible and mobile infrastructure provisions such as wireless internet access, piloting 1-notebook-to-1-pupil ratio in more schools, and higher data bandwidth to the Internet.
The Masterplans for ICT in Education drive the use of ICT in education. The underlying philosophy of the Masterplans is that education should continually anticipate the needs of the future and prepare pupils to meet those needs.
The first Masterplan for ICT in Education (1997 — 2002) laid a strong foundation for schools to harness ICT, particularly in the provision of basic ICT infrastructure and in equipping teachers with a basic level of ICT integration competency, which achieved a widespread acceptance for its use in education.
The second Masterplan for ICT in Education (2003 — 2008) built on this foundation to strive for an effective and pervasive use of ICT in education by, for example, strengthening the integration of ICT into the curriculum, establishing baseline ICT standards for students, and seeding innovative use of ICT among schools.
For more information on the Masterplans for ICT in Education, visit the following websites:
The four students who represented Singapore at the 19th IBO held in Mumbai, India, from 13 to 20 July 2008, received two Gold and two Silver medals in a field of 220 student participants from 55 countries.
Singapore was in the top ten in terms of medals won, having placed 5th out of 55 countries.
The two Gold medallists are Men Yifei of Raffles Junior College and Sng Weirong Joshua of Hwa Chong Institution, with Men Yifei placed 5th in terms of individual world ranking. The Silver medallists are Choy Chi Chuen Kevin and Lim Min De Timothy of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).
The Singapore delegation was led by Associate Professor Shirley Lim, Head of Natural Sciences and Science Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.
At the 39th IPhO held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 20 to 29 July 2008, the Singapore team received the following medals: one Gold, three Silver and one Bronze in a field of 376 student participants from 82 countries.
In terms of medals won, Singapore was placed 11th out of 82 countries.
The Gold medallist is Chan Wai Hong Ronald of Raffles Junior College. The Silver medalists are Zhao Ye and Lam Chee Yong Leslie of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science; and Ng Kia Boon of Raffles Junior College. Zhai Weichao of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science received a Bronze medal.
The Singapore delegation was led by Associate Professor Kwek Leong Chuan and Associate Professor Rajdeep Singh Rawat from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.
The 40th IChO was held in Budapest, Hungary from 12 to 21 July 2008. Four students representing Singapore received one Gold, one Silver and two Bronze medals in a field of 255 student participants from 71 countries.
In terms of medals won, Singapore was placed 12th out of 71 countries.
The Gold medallist is Yeong Li Qian of Raffles Junior College, who was placed 2nd in terms of individual world ranking. The Silver medallist is Wang Yong Jin from Raffles Junior College. Foo Mei Hua Fiona and Lau Kang Ruey Gregory of NUS High School received Bronze medals.
The Singapore delegation was led by Dr Mak Ka Wai Karen and Dr Basheer Chanbasha from the National University of Singapore.
The 49th IMO was held in Madrid, Spain from 14 to 22 July 2008. The Singapore team received one Silver and three Bronze medals in a field of 535 student participants from 97 countries.
The Silver medallist is Lei Lei of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science. The Bronze medallists are Lim Wei Quan of Hwa Chong Institution; Lee Jun Dominic of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science and Chiam Jia-Han of Raffles Junior College.
The Singapore delegation was led by Associate Professor Wong Yan Loi from the National University of Singapore.
Our students’ participation in the four International Olympiads is a joint effort between the Ministry of Education and the following organisations:
The International Olympiads for Science and Mathematics bring together the best and brightest students from around the world, challenging and stimulating their minds in the spirit of competition. Through rigorous tests of theoretical knowledge, students demonstrate their mastery of scientific and mathematical concepts. Their experimental skills are also put to the test in the Science Olympiads.
The Olympiads are thus global platforms to stretch some of our most able students in Science and Mathematics. By pitting their skills and knowledge against international peers, not only would our students be exposed to an enriching learning experience, they would also be motivated to strive for excellence in the international arena.
]]>The 2008 School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (SPERS) is open for registration from 28 July 2008 for Singaporean children who are returning from overseas and wish to join our secondary schools, junior colleges (JC) or Millennia Institute (MI) at the beginning of academic year 2009.
This is the third year that the Ministry of Education (MOE) is conducting SPERS, a centralised placement exercise held at the end of the year for returning Singaporeans (RS). With SPERS, Singaporean parents working abroad can look forward to easier re-entry into the mainstream school system for their children when they return to Singapore. RS children will only need to sit for one set of centralised SPERS papers for school admission and will no longer need to take multiple school-based tests.
RS children seeking admission to Secondary 1-3 or Pre-U1 in 2009 can participate in SPERS-Sec or SPERS-JC/MI respectively. Applicants will receive their school placement results in December and will be able join our secondary schools and JC/MI at the start of the school term in early 2009.
Last year, in response to feedback from some overseas Singaporeans who were unable to return in time for the locally-conducted SPERS papers, MOE invited applications for SPERS papers to be taken in Shanghai at the same time when the same papers were being taken in Singapore. Shanghai was chosen because our data showed that PRC had the largest number of RS children seeking admission to our schools. The pilot eventually did not proceed as there was less than the minimum candidature of 20 applicants. Owing to this poor response, MOE will not be conducting the SPERS test overseas this year.
Instead, to better facilitate RS who are unable to return in time for the SPERS exercise, MOE will pilot a supplementary placement exercise after the SPERS exercise. RS will be able to choose to take part in SPERS or the pilot supplementary exercise and enjoy more flexibility in timing their return to Singapore.
The centralised SPERS papers for this supplementary exercise will be held locally in early January 2009 and applicants will receive their school placement results in February 2009. Registration for this pilot will open later this year, in October.
Details of the 2008 SPERS-Sec and SPERS-JC/MI exercises and the pilot supplementary exercise can be found in the Annex. For more details and registration, please refer to the MOE RS website or contact us at the following:
RS seeking admission to primary schools may approach MOE at any time of the year for assistance. MOE will offer the RS a place in a primary school with vacancies near his/her home at the level appropriate for his/her age cohort. The RS will not have to sit for any placement test for admission, although the primary school may conduct assessment tests after admission to ascertain the child’s current attainment level and provide the appropriate assistance to help the child settle into the school. As Secondary 4 and Pre-U2 are national examination years, RS generally would not re-join at these levels.
]]> AnnexUnder the Eligibility Phase, applicants will sit for English and Mathematics papers to determine the schools they would be eligible for. Besides assessing literacy and numeracy, the papers will also include non-content-based general ability items that assess reasoning and thinking skills. This will more holistically assess RS who have attended overseas schools with curricula different from Singapore’s.
Following the conduct of the papers, applicants will each be provided with a list of schools that they are eligible for, based on their performance in the papers. This will ensure that RS are of similar abilities1 as the students in the schools that they are eligible for.
As the number of RS seeking admission to JC/MI is usually small, there is no need for MOE to conduct a centralised posting exercise for this group. Hence, there is no School Option Phase or School Posting Phase under SPERS-JC/MI. After the Eligibility Phase, successful applicants will each receive a list of JC/MI they are eligible for and can approach any of the listed JC/MI directly for admission.
For RS seeking admission to secondary schools, they will proceed on to the School Option Phase.
Applicants seeking admission to secondary schools (Secondary 1 to 3) will be required to indicate a maximum of six choices in their school option forms, based on the list of eligible schools given to them.
Secondary schools will admit a small number of RS, over and above their planned capacity, at the School Posting Phase. This recognises that overseas Singaporean children may have similar abilities as the local cohort in these schools, even though they have been away and were thus unable to seek admission into these schools together with other Singaporean children who had taken the PSLE. This change will not reduce the chances for students in Singapore to get into their schools of their choice as there will be no reduction in the number of school places available to them.
The School Posting Phase will take into account the performance of the RS at the Eligibility Phase, their school choices, and the places available in these schools. In the instance where an applicant is not successfully posted to any of his/her chosen schools, MOE will assign him/her a place in a secondary school with vacancies near his/her home.
After receiving their postings, RS should then complete the admission formalities at their posted schools. If they choose not to accept the posting, they can still approach another school directly to apply for admission. The child will be admitted if the school approached is on his/her list of eligible schools and if there is a vacancy in the course that he/she is eligible for. Otherwise, the school has the discretion to assess the child, including setting school-based assessments, and decide whether to admit the child.
| Phase | Period | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility Phase | 28 Jul – 3 Oct 08 | Registration for SPERS-Sec papers |
| 13 Oct 08 | Conduct of SPERS-Sec papers | |
| School Option Phase | 13 Nov 08 | Applicants to receive lists of secondary schools they are eligible for |
| 13 Nov – 17 Nov 08 | Applicants to submit secondary school choices to MOE | |
| School Posting Phase | 5 Dec 08 (tentative) | Release of school posting results (Sec 2 & Sec 3) |
| 9 Dec – 23 Dec 08 | Sec 2 & 3 applicants to report to school | |
| 18 Dec 08 (tentative) | Release of school posting results (Sec 1) | |
| 19 Dec 08 – 2 Jan 09 | Sec 1 applicants to report to school |
| Phase | Period | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility Phase | 28 Jul – 14 Nov 08 | Registration for SPERS-JC/MI papers |
| 1 Dec 08 | Conduct of SPERS-JC/MI papers | |
| School Admission | 30 Dec 08 (tentative) | Applicants to receive lists of JC/MI they are eligible for & to approach any listed JC/MI for admission |
The pilot supplementary exercise is applicable for admission to Secondary 1-3 and is intended for RS who are unable to take part in the SPERS-Sec exercise. The pilot is similar in structure to SPERS-Sec and involves the same 3 phases, viz. the Eligibility Phase, the School Option Phase and the School Posting Phase.
| Phase | Period | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility Phase | 14 Oct – 12 Dec 08 | Registration for pilot supplementary exercise |
| 2 Jan 09 | Conduct of centralised papers | |
| School Option Phase | 20 Jan 09 | Applicants to receive lists of secondary schools they are eligible for |
| 20 Jan – 22 Jan 09 | Applicants to submit secondary school choices to MOE | |
| School Posting Phase | 4 Feb 09 (tentative) | Release of school posting results (Sec 1-3) |
| 4 Feb – 6 Feb 09 | Applicants to report to school |
The programme is organised by the Malay Language (ML) Teachers Association and supported by the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC). The objectives of the programme are:
In Brunei, the delegation will visit the Ministry of Education, schools, language and literary agency (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) and institutes of higher learning. The delegates will observe lessons in primary and secondary schools, attend seminars at the University of Brunei Darussalam and have dialogue sessions with teachers.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli will also be meeting his Brunei counterparts from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs to further deepen the strong relationship between the two countries.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be accompanied by ML teachers, principals, Master Teacher and officials from MOE.
]]>The initiative has taken off well. The number of schools offering CCM has since increased by more than 2.5 fold from 2006 to 2008. In 2006 there were 87 schools offering Conversational Chinese (CL) and 97 schools offering Conversational Malay (ML). This year, 239 schools offer Conversational CL and 249 schools offer Conversational ML. MOE’s aim is for all primary schools and two-thirds of our secondary schools to offer the CCM programme to their students by 2012.
In March 2007, MOE announced that additional resources would be provided to encourage as many schools as possible to offer CCM to students not taking these languages as their Mother Tongues.
With more support from MOE, schools now offer a more structured programme with a longer duration of 20 hours or more per year. To facilitate its implementation, a modular approach has been adopted - Beginner and Basic modules for primary schools and Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced modules for secondary and post-secondary institutions.
The support from MOE has enabled schools to implement CCM in a variety of innovative ways. Some schools have taken the opportunity to strengthen home-school partnership by tapping on parents and alumni to teach the lessons. Others reach out further into the community by working with Community Development Councils (CDC) to engage retirees and housewives as instructors. The CDCs have been very forthcoming and offer good support to the instructors recruited, which include pre- and post-training counseling and IT courses. Examples of these schools are listed in the Annex.
Some schools have even moved beyond the confines of their own school community to incorporate and instil the importance of sharing and caring in our young. For instance, students from Bedok Green Secondary taught CCM to students from nearby Yu Neng Primary.
]]>| Primary Schools | Instructors |
|---|---|
| Admiralty Primary School | Parent Volunteer |
| Bukit View Primary School | CDC Instructor |
| Changkat Primary School | Parent Volunteer |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary School | CDC Instructor |
| Junyuan Primary School | Teachers |
| Lian Hua Primary School | Teachers |
| Yu Neng Primary School | Students from Bedok Green Secondary |
| Secondary Schools | Instructors |
|---|---|
| Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School | Alumni |
| Bedok Green Secondary School | Instructor |
| Dunman Secondary School | Teachers |
| Gan Eng Seng Secondary School | CDC Instructor |
| Mayflower Secondary School | Alumni |
| Riverside Secondary School | Parent Volunteer |
| Serangoon Garden Secondary School | Teachers |
| Tanjong Katong Secondary School | Teachers |
| Primary Schools | Instructors |
|---|---|
| Admiralty Primary School | Parent Volunteer |
| Changkat Primary School | CDC Instructor |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary School | CDC Instructor |
| Lian Hua Primary School | Teachers |
| Opera Estate Primary School | Parent Volunteer |
| Poi Ching Primary School | CDC Instructor |
| Qiaonan Primary School | CDC Instructor |
| Tao Nan School | CDC Instructor |
| Secondary Schools | Instructors |
|---|---|
| Deyi Secondary School | Parent Volunteer |
| Dunman High School | Teachers |
| Mayflower Secondary School | Parent Volunteer, Alumni |
| Nanyang Girls’ High School | Teachers |
| Raffles Girls School | CDC Instructor, Alumni |
| Riverside Secondary School | Parent Volunteer |
| Serangoon Garden Secondary School | Adjunct Teachers |
| Tanjong Katong Secondary School | Adjunct Teachers |
At a meeting today, Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Singapore’s Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, and Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, reaffirmed their commitment to these new areas of cooperation, discussed under the Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP). Mr. Somchai is on an official visit to Singapore from 8–9 July 2008 at the invitation of Dr. Ng. This is the first meeting between the two Education Ministers.
The Eighth CSEP Coordinating Meeting took place in Bangkok from 29#8211;30 June 2008. During the meeting, Singapore and Thailand also agreed to increase the number of partner schools from 10 to 15 pairs, and to support the continuation of on-going initiatives such as annual student camps, exchange of teachers, scholarships and school visits.
While in Singapore, Mr. Somchai also visited the National Institute of Education, Institute of Technical Education College East and Jurong Secondary School, to observe their application of ICT in education.
]]> AnnexThe Singapore–Thailand Enhanced Partnership (STEP) was launched in 1997 as a broad vision for a long-term strategic partnership between both countries. It provides the framework for the expansion of sectoral cooperation. STEP comprises four pillars: (a) enhanced economic cooperation; (b) strong defence relations; (c) people-to-people cooperation; and (d) the Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP).
To institutionalise civil service exchanges under STEP, CESP was set up. CESP was endorsed by former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and former Thai Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh during the latter’s visit to Singapore in June 1997.
The main objectives of CESP are to institutionalise exchanges between the civil services of the two countries in the socio-cultural fronts and promote continuity in bilateral relations. CESP also provides a forum to explore new areas of cooperation and develop a long-term framework for partnership. Officials from both countries meet annually to review the progress of CESP projects.
Singapore hosted the inaugural, third, fifth and seventh CESP coordinating meetings in January 1998, June 2000, November 2002 and August 2005 respectively while Thailand hosted the second, fourth, sixth and eighth CESP coordinating meetings in February 1999, November 2001, November 2003 and June 2008.
]]>This year’s OYEA winners are:
These three exceptional teachers stood out from 12 outstanding finalists who were selected from a total of 301 nominated teachers. Strongly anchored in their belief that education is much more than teaching various subjects, they seek to nurture all-rounded individuals through the lessons they deliver. They have also distinguished themselves by their deep passion for the subjects they teach, which translated into a desire to inspire and develop their students in those areas. They adopted innovative approaches both in and beyond the classroom, and demonstrated dedication to maximising their students’ potential. The achievements of these teachers are outlined in Annex A.
Besides receiving a trophy and citation certificate, the winners will also be fully sponsored to attend an overseas conference to further their professional development.
The OYEA is administered by the National Youth Council and supported by Teachers Network of the Ministry of Education. Besides honouring the achievements of young educators, the OYEA aims to inspire youths to take up a teaching career and be an excellent role model for the younger generation. Details of the OYEA can be found in Annex B. The list of the finalists can be found at Annex C.
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