Ministry of Education Singapore : Contact Online

Issue 14 - July 2005

Today in History

Teachers — A Profession of Learners

Unleashing a Myriad of Colours

Pedagogy Researchers Confer

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Teachers — A Profession of Learners

	Related Article
	•	Hear the New Teachers

Teachers who are keen to enhance their professional skills will enjoy more training options under the Professional Development Continuum Model (PDCM). Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education, announced this at the Teachers’ Investiture Ceremony 2005.

Graduands come from all backgrounds... married to single, but all committed to their chosen profession.

Held over three sessions at the Nanyang Technological University from 28 to 30 June, the ceremony saw 1774 newly qualified teachers receiving their diplomas from Mr Shanmugaratnam. He also handed out the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) to three recipients. Read more about the OYEA in the next issue of Contact Online.

New PDCM courses (Click to read more)

Masters in Education

in Guidance and Counselling, Early Childhood and Special Education;

Masters in Science

in Exercise and Sports Studies;

Certificate in Special Needs

to attend to students with learning difficulties;

Diploma in School Counselling

with the aim of equipping all secondary schools with full-time counsellors by 2006 and all primary schools and junior colleges by 2008; and

Action Research Workshops

to gain skills to conduct research related to the classroom experience.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education, handing over an award to one of the Outstanding Young Educators.

Mr Shanmugaratnam urged the teacher graduates to “work on the intangibles in education, the things that cannot be easily measured… to fire the imagination of your pupils, give them room to question and work out alternatives for themselves, and help them develop strength of character. And you will have to be a learning profession par excellence, a team of professionals who find new lessons for themselves all the time and keep looking to improving their craft,” with a reminder that “the teaching profession must at heart be a learning profession”.

Prof Leo Tan, Director of NIE, encourages graduands to keep abreast of educational changes.

Professor Leo Tan, Director of NIE, had encouraging words for the new teachers, exhorting them not to be disheartened and to share their difficulties with senior colleagues, mentors and NIE lecturers. He assured them that NIE's multi-faceted programmes are developed to support teachers' lifelong learning process. He said, “It is important for you as teachers to keep abreast of the changes in the educational landscape. It is all the more crucial for the trainers of the trainers to ensure that their expertise is abreast with, if not ahead, of time.”

Serious issues aside, the sombre tone of the ceremony was punctuated by cheers from attendant family and friends during the presentation of certificates. Even speeches had their light-hearted moments, particularly from the three valedictorians (see Related Article).