Transforming learning from quantity to quality
Adopted as the Ministry’s mission statement in 1997, “Thinking Schools, Learning Nation” (TSLN) provides direction to the transformation in the education system in recent years. Since 2003, the Ministry has placed a stronger focus on nurturing a spirit of Innovation and Enterprise (I&E). This emphasis would help to build up a core set of life skills and attitudes that we want in our students, and promote the mindsets that we want to see in our students, teachers and school leaders.
At the National Day Rally in 2004, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called on our teachers to “teach less, so that our students could learn more”. “Teach Less, Learn More” (TLLM) builds on the groundwork laid in place by the improvements made under the TSLN vision, as well as the mindset changes encouraged in our schools under I&E.
TLLM continues the TSLN journey by focusing on improving the quality of interaction between teachers and learners, so that our learners can be more engaged in learning and better achieve the desired outcomes of education.
TLLM would mean less dependence on rote learning, repetitive tests and a ‘one size fits all’ type of instruction, and more on experiential discovery, engaged learning, differentiated teaching, the learning of life-long skills, and the building of character through innovative and effective teaching approaches and strategies.
More opportunities are being created for holistic learning so that students can go beyond academic excellence to develop the attributes, mindsets, character and values that would be critical to successful living.
In essence, TLLM aims to touch the hearts and engage the minds of our learners. It reaches into the core of education – why we teach, what we teach and how we teach.