University Education
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Miss Irene Ng Phek Hoong, Tampines GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education, in view of the plan to offer scholarships to 100 to 200 students each year for them to develop a deep understanding of Chinese culture and history and a strong command of the Chinese language, whether scholarships can also be offered to students to develop them into world-class Southeast Asian specialists, as Singapore is located at the heart of Southeast Asia.
Response
1. Singapore is part of Southeast Asia and our future will always be interwoven with that of the region. It is therefore important to develop an understanding of the region, and nurture Singaporeans who feel confident and assured in operating in the region.
2. There are several dimensions to this effort. First, there is significant emphasis on Southeast Asia in our school curriculum. Southeast Asia is studied in subjects such as Social Studies at both the primary and secondary levels, and History and Geography at the secondary and pre-university levels. In History, for example, students develop an understanding of the key historical developments that shaped Southeast Asia, like colonialism, nationalism and independence. All students are also engaged in National Education (NE), an integral part of which is awareness of Singapore’s position in the region and how developments in our neighbouring countries can affect us. These efforts build an appreciation of the diversity of the region and an understanding of regional challenges and issues.
3. It is also important to develop a group of students who have a strong grasp of the Malay language. We encourage students who take Malay as their Mother Tongue language students to study Higher Malay if they have the ability to do so. We are also nurturing a Malay bilingual elite through the Elective Programme in Malay Language for Secondary Schools (EMAS) and Language Elective Programme (Malay) at the JC level. This year, there are 473 students in EMAS (from Secondary 1 to 4) and 30 students in the LEP (Malay) (from JC1 to JC2). These students offer Higher Malay as well as learn about Southeast Asian culture and society in their curriculum. The LEP (Malay) students receive MOE scholarships and go on immersion programmes in Malaysia.
Private Education
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mdm Halimah Yacob, Jurong GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education in view of the mounting complaints against private schools whether his Ministry will consider regulating such schools to ensure better standards as well as fair treatment of the students.
Response
1. Under the Education Act, private schools have to be registered with MOE before they can operate. As part of the registration process, these schools have to comply with statutory requirements on building and fire safety; an acceptable curriculum; and whether the teachers have basic academic qualifications for the courses offered.
2. There are provisions in the Education Act for MOE to cancel the registration of a school, for instance, if the school’s committee of management is not administering the school efficiently. The private education sector is a very diverse one. Private schools offer a wide range of educational programmes, including tuition, enrichment, and continuing education programmes. It is not practical for MOE to monitor and regulate the quality standards of all the private schools in Singapore. MOE believes that it is best for the industry to work with accreditation agencies to differentiate and to raise the overall standards of the private schools.
3. SPRING has launched the Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations (SQC-PEO) scheme in 2003 to recognise business process excellence. To recognise institutions for providing quality education, SPRING in consultation with industry players is drawing up an accreditation scheme, and is targeting to launch it next year. We are also supportive of various industry associations such as Singapore Education International (SEI), Association of Private Schools (APS), and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) taking on the initiative to help private schools upgrade and to provide recognition for those who do so.
4. In addition, CASE is working on a CaseTrust for Private Schools scheme to help safeguard the interest of the students. STB has also launched the Singapore Education website in 2003 and is actively promoting it. This website provides information to help all potential students who want to study in Singapore get reliable information about the private education sector here. Students wishing to enrol in private schools can then make an informed choice.
