Press Releases
Schools Share Best Practices on Integrating International Students at Inaugural Symposium
To promote integration between Singaporean and international students in our schools and educational institutions, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has developed the Best Practices Package, a resource for all schools and educational institutions on effective integration activities.
The Best Practices Package is launched today by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education, at the inaugural Symposium on Integration in Schools. The Symposium was organised by the National Integration Working Group for Schools (NIWG-S)1 , with the aim of providing a platform for schools to share ideas and best practices on integration in schools.
Supporting schools in their integration efforts
As part of a holistic education, schools and educational institutions should help young people develop a strong sense of their own national identity, while enabling them to cultivate a global orientation and the inter-cultural skills they will need to thrive in an inter-connected world. MOE encourages schools to take ownership of these efforts, as they know best how to achieve these important student outcomes.
With the development of the Best Practices Package, the NIWG-S hopes that it will serve as a resource of good practices which can be adapted and implemented according to each school’s individual needs and profile. The Package highlights examples of effective integration initiatives undertaken by schools in Singapore. It also includes personal stories from local and international students, parents and educators, of their experiences in building bridges between Singaporean and international students.
Sharing ideas and best practices at inaugural Integration Symposium
The Symposium’s theme, “A Shared Future”, highlights that everyone in Singapore shares a common future. Over 400 school leaders and educators from national schools, institutes of higher learning, as well as international and privately funded schools, attended the Symposium.
At the Symposium, Ms Grace Fu engaged participants in a dialogue session to share views on how schools and educational institutions could foster a well-integrated student body. Said Ms Fu during the Symposium, “Successful social integration is necessary for Singapore to reap the full benefits of an open, cosmopolitan society. Both Singaporeans and newcomers need to play their part in this two-way process.” She urged schools and educational institutions to draw from best practices to “actively promote social integration and not leave it to chance”.
The Symposium participants also had the opportunity to hear personal accounts from Singaporean and international students, parents and educators, about their experiences in integration and the benefits they have enjoyed as part of a well-integrated school and society.
The National Integration Council was established in April 2009 to promote social integration among Singaporeans and newcomers. It is supported by four Working Groups to drive new integration initiatives in schools, workplaces, the community and through the media. The NIWG-S is chaired by the Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Ms Yeoh Chee Yan. It works with schools and educational institutions to promote opportunities for students of all nationalities to interact with one another and the wider Singapore community. This involves helping newcomers understand the importance of racial harmony, mutual respect and social cohesion in Singapore, as well as encouraging local students to be open and welcoming towards newcomers.
Footnotes:
- The NIWG-S is one of the four working groups set up to support the National Integration Council. ↩