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Reference No : Edun N07-11-091 Vol 2

Press Release No : 02196

Date : 26 July 1996

SEMINAR FOR PRINCIPALS ON SINGAPORE’S CONSTRAINTS AND SURVIVAL

1. The Ministry of Education will be organising a seminar for principals of primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes, on the theme "Singapore’s Constraints and Survival" on 27 Jul 96 at the National Junior College. Mr. Lee Yock Suan, Minister for Education will be the guest-of-honour.
2. At the seminar, a set of programmes to teach Singapore’s constraints and survival skills will be launched. The programmes will complement what is already in our school curriculum. However, a more focused approach is used. The variety of strategies adopted will help our pupils to understand better what it means to be a Singaporean and how they can play their role as responsible citizens.
   The set of programmes comprises four components as follows :-
3. The ETV Series
   "We, the Citizens" is an educational television (ETV) series comprising 20 programmes based on key concepts embodied in the National Pledge. The concepts are community spirit, loyalty and sense of belonging, ability to survive in a global community, law and order, realistic expectations, and rights and responsibilities. The ETV programmes span ten levels from Primary 1 to Secondary 4, with two programmes per level.
   The ETV series has accompanying teaching materials including a teacher’s resource book, worksheets, overhead transparency masters, picture cards, charts and jig-saw puzzles appropriate to the age-groups targeted at. The aim of this series is to help pupils understand what is means to be a Singaporean and to accept the reality of living in Singapore. Pupils will realise that being Singaporeans, there are both rights and responsibilities.
4. National Heritage Tours
   The second component is the National Heritage Tour programme which schools can organise for their pupils. The tours for primary schools focus on our social and cultural heritage while those for the secondary level promote understanding and appreciation of our historical, political and architectural heritage. A total of nine tour routes have been planned - three for upper primary, three for lower secondary and three for upper secondary. Relevant materials for each tour are being prepared. These will comprise background information booklets for teachers as well as brochures and worksheets for pupils. Schools are urged to organise at least one heritage tour for their pupils in their primary school years is the Regional Study Tour programme whose objective is to create a greater aand two heritage tours in their secondary school years. These tours will help to reinforce and consolidate what pupils have learnt in the classroom and strengthen their loyalty and sense of belonging to Singapore. 
5. Regional Study Tours 
   The third component wareness among secondary and pre-university students of the lifestyles, cultures and economies of Singapore’s neighbours, and how these impact on our economy. The package of materials which has been developed, includes brochures with write-ups, photographs and location maps of selected places of educational interest in Southeast Asian countries.
6. Resource Packages
   "Our Country, Our People" is the final component. It is a package of resource materials for use in class, during assembly and on special events like the National Day celebrations. These materials aim to broaden and deepen pupils’ understanding of national issues and concerns. Singapore’s constraints and survival as a nation are featured in the materials.
   The package also includes suitable reading materials such as speeches and articles; recommended strategies such as projects, role-play and visits; list of audio-visual materials related to national issues; recommended books for reference or reading; as well as a list of agencies which schools can contact when organising exhibitions and talks.
7. The seminar will explain the rationale and purpose of the four programmes and how and why schools should implement them. Following the seminar for principals, two other similar seminars will be organised for vice-principals and key teachers identified by schools to handle the programmes.