FORMATION OF THE COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING (CPCLL) AND ITS WORKING GROUPS

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16 February 2005

FORMATION OF THE COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING (CPCLL) AND ITS WORKING GROUPS

1. Chinese Language Curriculum and Pedagogy Review Committee, (CLCPRC) chaired by Mr Wee Heng Tin, former Director-General of Education was set up in February 2004 to articulate the objectives and target groups of the various CL syllabuses, and to review the structure, curriculum content, pedagogy and assessment methods used in CL teaching and learning today.

2. The CLCPRC has recommended a Chinese Language (CL) curriculum designed to enthuse all CL students and develop in them an abiding interest in the Chinese language and culture. In addition, the CLCPRC had proposed that MOE set up a committee to garner the support of the community for these recommendations, and to facilitate a continuing process of collaboration between our schools, community organisations and the media.

3. The Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) was therefore set up in January 2005 to garner support for the recommendations of the CLCPRC and to create a conducive environment for promoting the use of CL beyond the schools.

4. It aims to mobilise the community in organising activities to support the teaching and learning of CL, with the emphasis on the production and import of interesting reading materials and quality media programmes as well as organising events that complement the activities of schools, clusters and Centres of Excellence.

5. The committee is led by Minister of State (Education) Chan Soo Sen and comprises Members of Parliament, representatives from MOE, tertiary education institutes, Chinese Community Organisations, the media, publishers and other professional bodies. The composition of the CPCLL is in Annex A.

6. Based on the key recommendations proposed by the CLCPRC, 5 working groups are set up to address 5 specific areas:

              (a) Pre-school CL education;
              (b) Reading and Reading Materials;
              (c) Writing Programmes;
              (d) Media and Programme; and
              (e) Educational Exchange Programmes.

7. Each working group comprises of a group leader, core members from the CPCLL main committee and other working members.

8. Working Group (a), chaired by Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, MP for Aljunied GRC, focuses on the support for CL education in pre-schools. The working group will provide support in enhancing the learning of Chinese Language in pre-schools, so as to make CL learning fun and enriching for our children, while ensuring that the pre-school curriculum is closely aligned with the primary CL curriculum at the same time. In addition to promoting the teaching and learning of CL to the community at large (e.g. parents and public), the working group will also work closely with MOE, community organisations, media, etc, in communicating the key features of the pre-school CL curriculum guidelines to the community at large. It will also encourage community organisations and service providers (includes publishers, enrichment centres, media, etc) to develop interesting activities, programmes and materials that would support parents and the home environment to imbue children with enthusiasm towards CL learning. The composition of Working Group A is in Annex B.

9. Working Group (b), chaired by Mr Gan Kim Yong, MP for Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC, focuses on reading and reading materials. The group will seek to promote reading among the youth in the community so as to support the learning of CL in schools and to produce suitable reading materials and CL children literature work to enhance the reading activities. The working group will also assist schools to set up reading clubs and to coordinate the CL Reading Programme and related activities with National Library Board (NLB), Media, Publishers and CL Literature Clubs etc., so as to create a conducive reading environment to support the CL learning in school. For a start, the working group will work with the Singapore Chinese Publishers’ Association to produce suitable print reading materials for primary schools. Xinzhi Reading club will work with SCTU to assist schools to set up reading clubs and to conduct training for CL teachers. Master Teacher Mr Chye Cheer Lim will work with SCTU and MOE to improve the reading programme in schools. The composition of Working Group B is in Annex C.

10. Working Group (c), chaired by Mrs Ho Woon Ho, Principal of Nanyang Junior College, focuses on the promotion of writing programmes. It aims to promote and create opportunities for continuous interests in writing among students of different levels as well as adults. The working group will work closely with various organisations and schools to create more avenues for expression in CL through activities or competitions such as CL song writing competitions, using SMS to write short poem competitions and writing via online platform etc. and publications of pupils’ literary works and to provide resources for and assistance to schools in promoting writing programmes. The activities in the pipeline include talks by writers in schools and writing camps. Competitions include the Multimedia Project Competition in CL organised by Nanyang Junior College in April 05 and the National CL Song Writing Competition organised by St. Andrew’s Junior College scheduled in August 05. The composition of Working Group C is in Annex D.

11. Working Group (d), chaired by Mdm Chua Foo Yong, CEO of MediaCorp TV, focuses on media and programme. The working group will seek to deliver and promote effectively the “Learning of Chinese” messages through the mass media, to harness each media’s uniqueness in approach and delivery to raise interest towards the learning of Chinese Language, to utilise the full potential of each medium in the conduct of promotional activities for the CPCLL and to encourage each medium to promote the language via its news reporting, publication and programming. The working group will look into producing or importing quality and authentic Chinese children’s programmes, especially animations, instead of the translated versions. It will also work closely with MediaCorp in exploring all possibilities of incorporating CL subtitles to CL programmes and collaborating with the other working groups in organising activities and competitions that involve wider community. In addition, TV, Radio and Print (newspapers, periodicals) will work hand in hand to make the learning of CL a fun process for all. We will look into the possibility of celebrities’ involvement and appointing them as “ambassadors” for CL learning. The composition of Working Group D is in Annex E.

12. Working Group (e), chaired by Mr Hee Theng Fong, Council Member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, focuses on educational exchange programmes in the local context as well as exchanges between schools in Singapore and other countries. The working group aims to organise and coordinate educational exchanges between local and foreign Chinese students, establish links between local and foreign schools, provide assistance to schools on overseas educational exchange programmes; and to establish a working model for overseas immersion programmes and study trips. The working group will recommend suitable models for the educational exchange programmes. Currently, we are exploring three models, namely two-way overseas immersion or exchange programmes between Singapore students and students from PRC China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, virtual cultural exchange through IT media (email, ICQ, MSN messenger etc) and post mail and cultural exchange between local students and students from PRC China, Hong Kong and Taiwan residing in Singapore. The composition of Working Group E is in Annex F.

Annex A

COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE
CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNING (CPCLL)

CHAIRMAN

Mr Chan Soo Sen
Minister of State (Education)

MEMBERS

Mr Gan Kim Yong
Member of Parliament, Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang
Member of Parliament, Aljunied GRC

Mr Yue Lip Sin
Deputy Director, Languages and Literature, Curriculum Planning and Development Division

Dr Ho Soo Guang
CL Co-ordinator, Pre-school Unit, Education Programme Division

Mrs Ho Woon Ho
Principal, Nanyang Junior College

Mr Ong Kock Hua
Principal, Jurongville Secondary

Mr Ng Teng Joo
Principal, Henry Park Primary

Mr Tan Choon Kheng
Principal, Tao Nan School

Mr Chye Cheer Lim
Master Teacher/Chinese Language

Assoc Prof Lee Cheuk Yin
Head, Department of Chinese Studies, NUS

Asst Prof Koh Hock Kiat
Asian Languages and Culture, Nanyang Technological University

Mr Hee Theng Fong
Council member, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Mr Lim Fang Chee
Chairman of Cultural Committee, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Mr Lee Peng Shu
Deputy Secretary General, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association

Mr Lim Jim Koon
Chief Editor, Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore Press Holdings

Mr Yeow Kai Chai
Deputy Editor, Life! & Lifestyle, The Straits Times

Mdm Chua Foo Yong
Chief Executive Officer, MediaCorp TV

Ms Veron Yeo
Assistant General Manager (Chinese Programming), MediaCorp Radio

Dr Wee Chow Hou
Chairman, Promote Mandarin Council

Mr Lee Ngian Kai
President, Singapore Chinese Teachers Union

Mr Tan Ik Ching
President, Singapore Middle School Chinese Teachers’ Association

Mr Yap Koon Chan
President, Singapore Literature Society

Mr Chia Hwee Pheng
President, Singapore Association of Writers

Mrs Kiang-Koh Lai Lin
Deputy Director, Service Innovation and Development, National Library Board

Mdm Lee Chaw Eng
Xin Zhi Reading Club

Mdm Lim Geok Ling
President, Singapore Chinese Publisher’s Association

Annex B

COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUP
(PRE-SCHOOL CL EDUCATION)

GROUP LEADER

Mr Yeo Guat Kwang
Member of Parliament, Aljunied GRC

MEMBERS

Mr Tan Choon Kheng
Principal, Tao Nan School

Dr Ho Soo Guang
CL Coordinator, Pre-school Unit, Education Programmes Division, MOE

Ms Tan Ah Hong
Lecturer, Asian Languages and Cultures, National Institute of Education

Ms Ho Yin Fong
Assistant General Manager (Curriculum and Professional Leadership),
NTUC Childcare

Ms Ruth Low
Acting Chief Executive, PAP Community Foundation Headquarters

Mdm Li Li
Senior Teacher, Creative O Preschoolers’ Bay

Ms Kathleen Chan
Part-time Lecturer, Regional Training and Resource Centre – Asia

Mdm Lim Geok Leng
President, Singapore Chinese Publishers’ Association

Mr Peh Chong Teck
Curriculum Planning Officer, Curriculum Planning and Development Division, MOE

Annex C

COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUP
(READING AND READING MATERIALS)

GROUP LEADER

Mr Gan Kim Yong
Member of Parliament, Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC

MEMBERS

Mr Ng Teng Joo
Principal, Henry Park Primary School

Mr Lee Ngian Kai
President, Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union

Mdm Lim Geok Leng
President, Singapore Chinese Publishers’ Association

Mr Chye Cheer Lim
Master Teacher/Chinese Language

Mdm Lee Chaw Eng
Xin Zhi Reading Club

Mrs Kiang-Koh Lai Lin
Deputy Director, Service Innovation and Development/National Library Board

Ms Ng Puay Eng
Associate Fukan Editor, Lianhe Zaobao

Annex D

COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUP
(WRITING PROGRAMMES)

GROUP LEADER

Mrs Ho Woon Ho
Principal, Nanyang Junior College

MEMBERS

Mr Ong Kock Hua
Principal, Jurongville Secondary School

Assoc Prof Lee Cheuk Yin
Head of Department of Chinese Studies, NUS

Asst Prof Koh Hock Kiat
Assistant Professor of Asian Languages and Culture, NIE/NTU

Mr Chan Yen Teng
2004/05 Vice-chairperson for Working Group, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association

Mr Tan Ik Ching
President, Singapore Middle School Chinese Teachers’ Association

Mr Chia Hwee Pheng
President, Singapore Association of Writers

Ms Teoh Hee La
Correspondent, Fukan Desk, Lianhe Zaobao

Annex E

COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUP
(MEDIA AND PROGRAMME)

GROUP LEADER

Mdm Chua Foo Yong
Chief Executive Officer, MediaCorp TV

MEMBERS

Ms Veron Yeo
Assistant General Manager (Chinese Programming), MediaCorp Radio

Mr Yeow Kai Chai
Deputy Editor, Life! & Lifestyles, The Straits Times/Singapore Press Holdings

Mr Lim Fang Chee
Chairman, Cultural Committee, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Mr Chua Chim Kang
Associate Local News Editor, Zaobao/Singapore Press Holdings

Ms Ho Soo Fung
Channel Vice President, Network Programming & Promotions (Chinese Broadcast), MediaCorp TV

Ms Tan Hwee Ping
Principal, Zhong Hua Secondary School

Mrs Cheng Huey Teng
Principal, Ngee Ann Primary School

Miss Ek Soo Ben
Principal, River Valley High School

Annex F

COMPOSITION OF WORKING GROUP
(EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES)

GROUP LEADER
Mr Hee Theng Fong
Council Member, Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry

DEPUTY LEADER

Mr Lee Peng Shu
Deputy-Secretary General, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association

MEMBERS

Mr Yap Koon Chan
President, Singapore Literature Society

Mr Chua Chor Huat
Principal, Ngee Ann Secondary School

Mdm Ong Ai Sian
Vice-Principle, Red Swastika School

Mr Ng Buck Chwee
HOD, MTL, Tampines Secondary School

Mdm Ng Tai Cheen
HOD, MTL, Anglo-Chinese Junior School

Ms Yap Wah Choo
Supt/E5, Schools Division

Ms Poon Sing Wah
Senior Correspondent, Lianhe Zaobao