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Ref No : EDUN N25-02-004

Press Release No : 01701

Date: 19 Mar 2001

Singapore hosts the first International Science Teachers' Programme
(19 Mar to 5 Apr 2001)

1. The International Science Teachers' Programme (InSTeP) will be held in Singapore from 19 Mar to 5 Apr 2001. Hosted by the Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Institutions of Higher Learning, InSTeP is part of MOE's continuing efforts to establish collaboration with science educators from other countries. It aims to bring together teachers from different parts of the world to Singapore to share their expertise and exchange ideas on the teaching and learning of science.

2. The programme is open to teachers who are teaching science to students aged 13 to 16 years. Fourteen countries are participating in this year's inaugural programme. Science teachers and educators from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Republic of the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, the United States of America and Vietnam are meeting in Singapore for the three-week programme.

3. Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong, gave the inaugural address at the opening ceremony of the Singapore International Science Teachers' Programme (InSTeP) at the Ministry of Education Headquarters on 19 Mar 2001.

4. During the next three weeks, international participants will be interacting with our education officers to share ideas on how educational policies, curriculum design and various teaching strategies work in tandem to bring about Singapore's good academic track record, particularly in Mathematics and Science.

5. Participants will be visiting the Singapore Science Centre, polytechnics and the Universities to gain insights into science research activities as well as how these institutes collaborate with schools to enthuse and involve students in science.

6. Schools will also be playing host to the international participants to provide them with first hand experience of the culture of Singapore schools. International participants will, in turn, be sharing their best practices with our teachers through co-teaching in the classrooms and conducting presentations and demonstrations at the Teachers' Network.