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9 March 2005

GREATER INFRASTRUCTURAL FLEXIBILITY FOR PRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.                   MOE will provide greater infrastructural flexibility for primary and secondary schools. This is part of MOE’s continuing efforts to give more resources to schools and provide teachers more flexibility in trying different teaching approaches for better teaching outcomes. We will do so by reducing planned enrolment of schools to free up 10 – 15% physical capacity in each school so that there will be more resources per student.

2.                   Schools will have the flexibility to decide how to make best use of the physical resources freed up to achieve their desired teaching outcomes that are driven by curriculum and pedagogy.

3.         Government-aided schools will be given a choice on the reduction of planned enrolment.

Background

4.         At the National Day Rally on 22 Aug 2004, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the provision of an additional 1,000 teachers for primary schools by 2010. Schools will have the flexibility to decide how to make best use of these teachers in support of their own strategies for quality education and to cater to the specific needs of their students.  Some examples for deploying the additional teachers include:

a.       Experimentation with new teaching approaches and smaller classes;

b.       Reducing the average teaching load to provide more time for teachers to

       plan their lessons and adopt more innovative teaching practices;

c.       Enhancing character development; and

d.       Building niches of excellence

5.         Moving forward, MOE will provide greater infrastructural flexibility for primary and secondary schools by reducing planned enrolment to free up capacity in each school.