Press Releases
Singapore and Thailand to Expand Education Cooperation
Singapore and Thailand will expand education cooperation in the areas of vocational and technical education, the teaching of mathematics and science, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT).
At a meeting today, Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Singapore’s Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, and Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, reaffirmed their commitment to these new areas of cooperation, discussed under the Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP). Mr. Somchai is on an official visit to Singapore from 8–9 July 2008 at the invitation of Dr. Ng. This is the first meeting between the two Education Ministers.
The Eighth CSEP Coordinating Meeting took place in Bangkok from 29#8211;30 June 2008. During the meeting, Singapore and Thailand also agreed to increase the number of partner schools from 10 to 15 pairs, and to support the continuation of on-going initiatives such as annual student camps, exchange of teachers, scholarships and school visits.
While in Singapore, Mr. Somchai also visited the National Institute of Education, Institute of Technical Education College East and Jurong Secondary School, to observe their application of ICT in education.
Annex
About the Singapore–Thailand Enhanced Partnership (STEP)
The Singapore–Thailand Enhanced Partnership (STEP) was launched in 1997 as a broad vision for a long-term strategic partnership between both countries. It provides the framework for the expansion of sectoral cooperation. STEP comprises four pillars: (a) enhanced economic cooperation; (b) strong defence relations; (c) people-to-people cooperation; and (d) the Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP).
About the Civil Service Exchange Programme (CESP)
To institutionalise civil service exchanges under STEP, CESP was set up. CESP was endorsed by former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and former Thai Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh during the latter’s visit to Singapore in June 1997.
The main objectives of CESP are to institutionalise exchanges between the civil services of the two countries in the socio-cultural fronts and promote continuity in bilateral relations. CESP also provides a forum to explore new areas of cooperation and develop a long-term framework for partnership. Officials from both countries meet annually to review the progress of CESP projects.
Singapore hosted the inaugural, third, fifth and seventh CESP coordinating meetings in January 1998, June 2000, November 2002 and August 2005 respectively while Thailand hosted the second, fourth, sixth and eighth CESP coordinating meetings in February 1999, November 2001, November 2003 and June 2008.