Raising the Minimum Qualifications for New Teachers

High quality teaching requires good mastery of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Past experience has shown that the growing number of graduates in primary schools have helped to raise standards. As part of its review, the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee, chaired by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education, will explore requiring all new teachers to have degrees as minimum qualifications. This will include recruiting good A-level and diploma-level holders who qualify for the National Institute of Education’s Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Science in Education programmes.

Currently, MOE recruits teachers from the top 30% of each cohort. Over the last few years, the percentage of graduates¹” among newly recruited teachers has averaged at 69% for primary schools and 92% for secondary schools. At the same time, an increasing number of non-graduate teachers have also obtained their undergraduate degrees in-service - from 256 in 2004 to 364 in 2008. At present, 55% of our primary school teachers and 91% of our secondary school teachers are graduates.

As more of our diploma graduates obtain degrees and we expand our university cohort participation rate to 30% in 2015, it is timely to move towards recruiting as teachers only those with a degree or who qualify for an undergraduate programme.

The rigour of our teacher selection process has to be maintained. Besides academic credentials, we will continue to look at a candidate’s aptitude for teaching and whether he has a heart for nurturing young people. The content knowledge and learning skills acquired through the additional years of university study is always an asset.

High-performing education systems around the world have teachers with high qualifications. For example, countries like Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America require their teachers to be graduates while all teachers in Finland are required to possess a Master’s degree. Hong Kong has also been moving towards an all-graduate teaching force.

The PERI Committee will also look into providing more opportunities for in-service non-graduate teachers to upgrade their qualifications. Present in our system today are many excellent teachers who are diploma holders. They remain valued members of the school team and there will be no change to the schemes they are on or their route of advancements. In areas such as the languages and other specialised areas, there will also still be room to employ diploma holders with specialised skills.

Professional Development and Growth

The teaching profession must be a learning profession, where its members continuously learn and grow. The GROW 2.0 package underscores MOE’s commitment to develop teachers and school leaders. Various schemes such as the Professional Development Leave (PDL) and Professional Development Packages have helped teachers add value to their teaching. As at Aug 2008, 448 teachers had applied for PDL to upgrade themselves, a two-fold increase from 214 in 2007. Teachers are also participating in Professional Learning Circles in schools to enhance their pedagogical skills, as well as making use of the Teacher Work Attachment to broaden their perspectives and outlook beyond the school environment.

MOE will continue to support the professional upgrading of our officers. From October 2008, MOE will double the current interest-free study loan amounts for both local part-time studies as well as local and overseas full-time studies. Currently, teachers can apply for a variety of study loans, grants, awards and scholarships for professional upgrading.

Introducing a New Allied Educators Scheme

To strengthen the professionalism of the school team, MOE will introduce a new Allied Educators Scheme (AES) from 1 Jan 2009 to attract, motivate and retain good quality people to be Allied Educators (AEDs).

Today, the allied educators working in our schools include Full-time School Counsellors (FTSCs), Special Needs Officers (SNOs) and Education Associates (EDAs). Allied educators are important members of the school team. They work closely with teachers to ensure the holistic development of our students. Currently, there are about 600 allied educators in our schools²”. MOE aims to increase the number of allied educators four-fold to 2,800 by 2016.

Under the new scheme, the salaries of the AEDs will be benchmarked to the market to ensure competitiveness. They will enjoy the school holiday scheme. AEDs will also benefit from better career development and advancement opportunities. Outstanding AEDs can aspire to progress up to positions of superscale grade in MOE HQ.

With the introduction of the AES, the designation of FTSCs, SNOs and EDAs will also be revised from 1 Jan 2009 (refer to table below) to foster a sense of belonging to the larger AED family.

More Allied Educators (Teaching and Learning) to Support Schools

MOE will provide more Allied Educators (Teaching and Learning) [AED (TL)s] to primary and secondary schools, to support teachers in enhancing students’ learning. While teachers remain overall responsible for the total development of students, AED(TL)s will help co-teach with teachers in classes from Primary 3 level onwards, assist teachers in providing pastoral care and support to students, assist with managing co-curricular activities or undertake a mixture of these duties.

This year, AED(TL)s, previously known as EDAs, were deployed to 87 secondary schools to co-teach the Normal curriculum with teachers. They have provided invaluable help to teachers. Hence, the pool of AED(TL)s will be expanded so that all schools will benefit from the additional manpower resources. Deployment of AED(TL)s will be extended to all schools in phases and by end 2015, they will eventually number about 1,900. Primary schools with an average enrolment of 1,600 pupils (or about 1,000 Primary 3 to Primary 6 pupils) will receive 5 AED(TL)s. Secondary schools with an average enrolment of 1,400 students will receive 7 AED(TL)s.

AED(TL)s must have post-secondary qualifications with credits in English and Maths and possess the passion, aptitude and skills to teach different groups of students. MOE will provide a structured pre-service training programme to equip AED(TL)s with basic teaching skills.

Footnote

1. Including teachers recruited into National Institute of Education (NIE)’s Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Science in Education degree programme. ↵
2. There are 597 AEDs currently. Of these, 340 are AED(Counselling)s, 166 are AED(LBS)s and 91 are AED(TL)s. ↵

Related Links

• Minister’s Speech at the MOE Work Plan Seminar 2008
• Strengthening the Foundation for Future Learning - Enhancing Primary Education

Laying out the broad directions of the review at MOE’s annual Work Plan Seminar on 25 September 2008, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, highlighted two strategies for a more balanced primary education:

• Enhancing academic and co-curricular programmes to nurture lifeskills and develop character in our pupils from a young age; and
• Moving towards single-session primary schools to create more space and time for holistic learning.

Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education, will chair a Committee to look into these strategies and explore others to enhance primary education. The Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee will be consulting various stakeholders including school leaders, teachers, parents, pupils and the public, on this initiative in the next few months. The Committee is expected to put up its detailed recommendations by March 2009.

Enhancing Academic and Co-Curricular Programmes

The new PERI Committee, led by Ms Grace Fu, will review the teaching and learning strategies in primary school, so as to provide more platforms to effectively develop key lifeskills and inculcate values in our pupils. These strategies could include the use of innovative pedagogical approaches in the classroom, such as group work and oral presentation, as well as out of the classroom, such as drama and outdoor education.

More opportunities will also be provided for all primary school pupils to participate in Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) as a means to promote leadership, inculcate values, develop character and hone life-skills. The PERI Committee will look into providing CCAs for all primary school pupils, with the possibility of introducing modular CCAs for Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils within curriculum time. This broad exposure will help pupils identify their interests and talents earlier, and help them develop ‘softer’ skills.

To ensure that students have the financial resources to participate in more CCAs and enrichment programmes, MOE will increase the contribution to Edusave Accounts for pupils from the current $180 to $200 per year for primary pupils, and $220 per year to $240 for secondary pupils from January 2009. In addition, MOE will lift the current age cap for Edusave eligibility and extend the Edusave contributions to all Singaporeans students at the secondary level, regardless of age. The current policy is to give Edusave contributions only to Singaporean students between 6 years and 16 years of age. The lifting of the age cap would allow students who join school late or take a longer time to complete their secondary studies access to additional financial support from Edusave. This will allow students to co-pay for more enrichment programmes to enhance their learning in school.

Creating More Time and Space Through Single-Session Primary Schools

To provide a more holistic learning experience for our children, teachers will require more time to make use of innovative pedagogies to instruct and interact with each pupil. In turn, pupils will also need more time to practise and develop the skills taught. To provide a more conducive environment for our schools to achieve this, the PERI Committee will study the details of moving all primary schools to a single-session structure within a reasonable timeframe. In its study, the Committee will take into consideration the experience of the existing partial and full single-session primary schools.

Since 2004, the Ministry has been moving from double-session schools to partial single-session schools to allow Primary 3 to 6 pupils to be able to utilise the freed-up facilities in the afternoon for enrichment programmes and CCA activities. Some of the schools have been able to move further and operate as single-session primary schools. Currently, we have 72 single-session primary schools. Whilst the partial single-session model has been very helpful to primary schools, it still places significant time and space constraints on schools as they find it challenging to schedule and conduct CCAs and other programmes that can help develop pupils’ lifeskills, character and values.

Schools that have moved to single-session have shared positive feedback on how operating at single-session has provided them with a better environment to develop their pupils more holistically, as they have more time and space to plan and accomplish what they want to achieve for their pupils’ education.

A single-session structure will allow for more time and flexibility in organising the school day. Pupils can benefit from more contact time with their teachers, and higher quality teacher-pupil interaction. It will allow teachers to use the classroom environment more fully to achieve learning outcomes, without being constrained by having to cater to pupils from different levels sharing the same classroom. It will also enable schools to set a common time for greater professional exchange, so that teachers from all levels can interact and learn from one another to raise the level of instruction, and allow for seamless mapping of curriculum and teaching strategies from Primary 1 to 6.

Related Links

• Minister’s Speech at the MOE Work Plan Seminar 2008
• Developing a New Generation School Team

The pinnacle award for educational excellence under the Ministry of Education (MOE) Masterplan of Awards (MoA), the School Excellence Award (SEA), will be given to a primary school for the first time this year. Raffles Girls’ Primary will receive this top accolade with two other schools, National Junior College and Temasek Junior College. This year, a total of 246 schools will receive 555 Level Two Awards¹ and Special Awards² under the MoA. These awards will be presented to the schools at the 2008 MOE Work Plan Seminar on 25 September 2008 by Minister for Education, Dr Ng Eng Hen.

The MoA recognises our schools’ efforts in providing a holistic education to enable our students to achieve the Desired Outcomes of Education. The awards serve as milestone checks to guide schools on their journey to excellence by providing a systematic and progressive framework to chart progress through self-assessment, benchmarking and continuous improvement.

Parents and students can also refer to the MoA for information on the key dimensions of a school’s performance to help them in the selection of schools.

This press release provides information on the following:

1. Award Winners under the MoA³. These comprise schools that have attained commendable achievements in various categories, including exemplary school processes as well as excellent outcomes in academic and non-academic areas. Information on the 2008 award winners are provided in the Honour Rolls. Information on past Level Two and Special Award winners whose awards are still valid is also provided.
2. School Achievement Tables. Introduced in 2004 to replace the school ranking tables, they highlight secondary school achievements in academic value-added and non-academic domains.

A. Masterplan of Awards

The MoA was expanded and refined in 2004 to provide a broader and more holistic picture of schools’ performance. It comprises four levels of awards as shown in the following diagram.

MOE Masterplan of Awards for Schools
Printable Version (68kb .pdf)

Level One Awards are given to schools to affirm their achievement in certain domains in a single year, while Level Two Awards recognise schools for their sustained excellence in specific areas. The Special Awards recognise schools’ holistic efforts in establishing outstanding educational processes and obtaining excellent outcomes.

School Excellence Award

The SEA recognises schools for their excellence in both education processes and outcomes. It is the highest and most prestigious award in the MoA framework and serves as a mark of distinction for schools that have achieved sustained achievements in a wide spectrum of student development processes.

This year, 3 schools will be presented with the SEA. They are:

1. Raffles Girls’ Primary School
2. National Junior College
3. Temasek Junior College

School Distinction Award

The School Distinction Award (SDA) recognises the high-achieving schools with exemplary school processes and practices, and that are on their way to achieving the SEA.

This year, 11 schools - 4 Primary Schools, 3 Secondary Schools, 3 Full Schools and 1 Junior College (JC) - will be presented with the SDA. They are:

• Primary Schools
  1. Ai Tong School
  2. Henry Park Primary School
  3. Kong Hwa School
  4. Radin Mas Primary School
• Secondary Schools
  1. CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh)
  2. St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School
  3. St. Margaret’s Secondary School
• Full Schools
  1. Catholic High School
  2. CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School
  3. Maris Stella High School
• Junior College
  1. Anglo-Chinese Junior College

The honour rolls for the SEA and the SDA are listed in Annex A1. The lists of SEA and SDA winners from 2004 to 2008 can be found in Annex A2.

Sustained Achievement Award

31 schools will receive the Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) for the 10th time this year, with sustained excellence in one or more academic as well as non-academic areas.

The SAA recognises schools’ ability in sustaining good outcomes over a number of years, in five areas: Academic Value-Added, Aesthetics, Sports, Uniformed Groups and Physical Fitness. Schools need to achieve an Achievement Award (AA) in the same category over three consecutive years before they may be awarded the SAA.

This year, a total of 243 schools will be presented with 505 SAAs. The breakdown of the 505 SAAs is shown in Table 1. The schools will receive a plaque for each SAA won. Details of the SAAs for the Academic Value-Domain and the SAAs for the Physical & Aesthetics Domain can be found in Annex B1 and Annex B2 respectively.

Table 1: Summary of Schools Winning SAAs in 2008

Refinement to Criteria for Academic Value-Added Awards

Refinements have been made to the criteria for the Academic Value-Added (VA) awards this year. With immediate effect, JCs offering the Integrated Programme (IP) will no longer be eligible for the VA awards. The VA awards recognise Secondary Schools and JCs which have added value to the academic performance of their students, after taking into account the O-level performance of the students prior to admission. For IP JCs⁸ , these students constitute an increasingly small proportion of their student populations.

Best Practice Award

The Best Practice Award (BPA) recognises schools for their effective practices and systems that lead to good educational outcomes in both academic and non-academic areas. There are 4 categories of award for the BPA: Organisational Effectiveness, Student All-Round Development, Staff Well-Being, and Teaching and Learning.

The sharing of best practices by award winners in the Best Practice Sharing Forums organised annually has allowed other schools to put in place similar processes to enhance the educational outcomes for their students.

This year, 17 schools will be presented with 24 BPAs (see Annex C1). The schools will receive a plaque for each category of the BPA. The breakdown is as follows:

• 3 schools will receive the BPA for Student All-Round Development
• 7 schools will receive the BPA for Staff Well-Being
• 14 schools will receive the BPA for Teaching and Learning

The BPA is valid for 5 years. The list of BPA winners from 2004 to 2008 can be found in Annex C2.

Awards for National Education

National Education (NE) is an important part of the education process. It aims to develop in our young, the instinct for survival, national cohesion and confidence in our future. NE provides the knowledge, experiences and tools for our young to know and understand Singapore, to acquire a well-founded confidence about the Singaporean way of life, and to critically think about how they can shape Singapore’s future.

The NE Awards aim to encourage and recognise schools for their NE efforts. There are two levels of attainment for the NE Awards: the Development Award, i.e., DA (NE), and at the next higher level, the Outstanding Development Award, i.e., ODA (NE). The attainment of each level of award depends on how well a school meets the same set of evaluation criteria for both levels.

Development Award for National Education

The DA (NE) is valid for 3 years beginning from the year the Award was conferred, or till a higher level award is attained, whichever is earlier. A certificate will be presented to the winning schools. The list of 2008 winners for DA (NE) is given in Annex D1.

Outstanding Development Award for National Education

The ODA (NE) is valid for 5 years beginning from the year the Award was conferred, or till a higher level award is attained, whichever is earlier. A plaque will be presented to the winning schools. This year, 3 schools will be presented with the ODA (NE). They are:

• Admiralty Primary School
• Chong Boon Secondary School
• Sembawang Secondary School

The list of schools that have attained ODA (NE) from 2005 to 2008 can be found in Annex D2.

Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award

Introduced in 2002, the Lee Kuan Yew National Education (LKY NE) Award recognises schools that have excelled in their National Education efforts in imbuing our students with a strong sense of national identity and social responsibility. The LKY NE Award is the pinnacle of the NE Awards. The winner will emerge from the LKY NE Award candidates, which are chosen from the ODA (NE) award winners for that year. A maximum of 2 awards will be given out each year, one for the Primary Schools category, and another for the Secondary Schools & Junior Colleges/Centralised Institute category.

This year, 2 schools will be receiving the LKY NE Award. The schools will each receive a crystal plaque and a cash award of $3,000. One teacher from each school will also be sponsored to attend a conference related to National Education. The LKY NE Award winners for 2008 are:

• North Spring Primary School
• National Junior College (also winner of the inaugural LKY NE Award in 2002)

Awards for Character Development

The goal of education is to nurture the whole child, including his character. Character Development is the teaching of values and social and emotional competencies, and the provision of opportunities for students to demonstrate behaviour consistent with these values.

Development Award for Character Development

The Development Award for Character Development [DA (CD)] recognises schools which have put in place systems and processes for the effective development of students’ character. It is valid for 3 years. The list of 2008 winners for DA (CD) is at Annex D1.

Outstanding Development Award for Character Development

The Outstanding Development Award for Character Development [ODA (CD)] recognises schools with innovative, sustainable and exemplary approaches to character development.

This year, 7 schools will be presented with ODA (CD). The ODA (CD) is valid for 5 years. The schools will each receive a plaque. The ODA (CD) winners for 2008 are as follows:

• St. Andrew’s Junior School
• Telok Kurau Primary School
• Haig Girls’ School
• Nanyang Girls’ High School
• Tanjong Katong Secondary School
• Anglo-Chinese Junior College
• National Junior College

The list of schools that have attained ODA (CD) from 2006 to 2008 can be found in Annex D2.

B. School Achievement Tables: A Holistic Approach

The School Achievement Tables provide a broad picture of schools’ performance, capturing schools’ achievements in both the academic and non-academic domains. These comprise:

• School Excellence Award and School Distinction Award
• Best Practice Awards
• Character Development Awards
• Academic Value-Added Awards
• Physical & Aesthetics Awards⁹

The 2008 School Achievement Tables for the Special/Express course and the Normal course can be found in Annex E1 and Annex E2 respectively. These tables display schools in the first 9 bands for Special/Express course, and the first 5 bands for Normal course. Schools that offer the Integrated Programme (IP) and those with small candidature (fewer than 40 students) are excluded from the tables. The list of schools that are excluded from the banding exercise can be found in Annex F.

In addition, information on the achievements of schools will also be available to the public through the following:

• School Information Service
• Secondary One Posting Booklet
• School websites maintained by individual schools

The information provided at these sources will help parents and students make informed decisions when selecting schools.

Footnote

1. Level Two Awards include Sustained Achievement Awards (SAAs), Outstanding Development Awards (ODAs), and Best Practice Awards (BPAs). ↵
2. Special Awards include the School Excellence Award (SEA) and the School Distinction Award (SDA). ↵
3. The MOE Masterplan of Awards was instituted in 1998 as part of the implementation of the School Excellence Model (SEM). The SEM is a framework for school self-assessment that emphasises a holistic approach to education with equal focus on processes and outcomes. ↵
4. SAA Physical Fitness will be given out for the last time in 2009. ↵
5. The SAA CHERISH award will replace the SAA Physical Fitness from 2010. ↵
6. AA Physical Fitness (TAF Award) will be given out for the last time in 2008. ↵
7. The Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH award will be presented for the first time in 2008. ↵
8. The IP JCs refer to Raffles JC, Hwa Chong Institution, National JC, Victoria JC and Temasek JC, and the JC sections of River Valley High School, Dunman High School and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). ↵
9. Due to the high number of Level One Achievement Awards in the Physical & Aesthetics domain, only Level Two SAAs are indicated for this domain. ↵

Vision of SCCL

The Centre will bring together resources from the education sector, academia and the community to position Singapore as a centre of excellence for the training and development of CL teachers catering to a wide range of learners, including those from non Chinese-speaking backgrounds.

For a start, SCCL will focus on the needs of local CL teachers through the provision of structured in-service programmes and professional development courses. The Centre will also function as a “test-bed” for innovative ideas on pedagogy and learning activities, and establish itself as a knowledge hub in the teaching of CL.

In the medium term, SCCL will extend its services to cover the pre-school segment and overseas CL teachers. It aims to build up a brand name in the region, as an authority in the teaching of CL in a bilingual environment. In the longer term, it aims to export its expertise, by providing consultancy and offering training to CL teachers from the region and beyond.

“Having implemented many decades of bilingual policy, Singapore has accumulated invaluable and unique experience in the teaching and learning of the Chinese Language predominantly as a second language. Indeed, Singapore is well-positioned to be an international centre of excellence for the teaching and learning of Chinese Language. For a start, we would like to see the Centre playing a key role in the professional development of our teachers, We are confident that SCCL will be able to cater to learners from a variety of backgrounds including those from non-Chinese speaking environments in the region,” said Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Development.

The SCCL Leadership

The SCCL will have a Board of Directors headed by Mr Robin Hu, Executive Vice President of Chinese Newspapers Division, Singapore Press Holdings. Mr Hu’s wealth of experience, having helmed positions in both the public and private sectors, will greatly benefit the Centre in growing its capabilities and building its standing as a centre of excellence for the teaching of CL. SMS Grace Fu will serve as the Advisor to the SCCL Board which will provide strategic direction and oversight on the development, management and administration of the Centre. The SCCL Board will comprise individuals from industry, academia, and government, including representatives from MOE, NIE, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of SCCL will be Dr Chin Chee Kuen and Dr Tan Chee Lay respectively, both of whom are Assistant Professors at NIE’s Department of Asian Languages and Cultures

Write-ups on Mr Robin Hu, Dr Chin and Dr Tan are at the Annex.

Programmes at SCCL

From mid-2009, CL teachers can look forward to attending a range of in-service courses and programmes offered at SCCL. SCCL will provide courses in areas such as pedagogies for teaching Chinese as a second language, language proficiency, Chinese cultural knowledge, linguistics, child language development, curriculum development and evaluation, school-based educational research and the use of information communication technology in language teaching. In addition, SCCL will engage in practitioner-based research that is aligned with the needs of CL learning in schools, so as to develop quality content for future teacher training. SCCL aims to train 25% of in-service CL teachers in its first year, and to reach out to all in-service CL teachers by the fifth year.

The Centre will also explore opportunities to partner the people sector such as the Chinese clan or business associations to organise public education programmes, seminars and conferences to promote the learning of CL and appreciation of Chinese culture among the community.

SCCL Operations

Recruitment of key personnel and academic staff for SCCL will commence from late 2008. The academic staff will work closely with teachers in our national schools to develop practitioner-based research.

The SCCL will operate from an interim site located at Ghim Moh Primary School during its first three years of operation.

Mr Robin Hu (胡以晨)

Executive Vice-President, Chinese Newspapers Division, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH)

Mr Hu joined SPH in February 2004 as the Executive Vice-President of its Chinese Newspapers Division. Prior to this, he held various management positions with the then National Computer Board, Economic Development Board and SingTel’s National Computer Systems Ltd.

Mr Hu has worked in China for over six years from 1995 to 2001 and was among the first teams sent by the Economic Development Board to promote the Suzhou Industrial Park project. In 1995, he was made the Regional Director for China and Deputy Director of the Singapore Software Project Office in Suzhou and was the Industry and Investment Counsellor at the Singapore Embassy in Beijing in March 1998.

Mr Hu is a director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and a trustee of the Chinese Development Assistance Council. Mr Hu studied at the Chinese High School and National Junior College. He received his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics from the University of Kent and holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Wales, United Kingdom.

Dr Chin Chee Kuen (陈之权)

Assistant Professor Division of Chinese Language and Culture, National Institute of Education (NIE)

Dr Chin is an Assistant Professor with the NIE Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group and holds a PhD in Chinese Language Curriculum and Pedagogy from Central China Normal University.

Dr Chin is an experienced educator with over 10 years of teaching experience in secondary schools. He has taught Chinese as a first and second language as well as various Chinese subjects such as Chinese Literature and Confucian Ethics. He was also a Specialist Writer in the former Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore where he was heavily involved in the development of instructional materials for both Chinese as a second language and Higher Chinese for secondary schools. From 1997-2000, Dr Chin was also appointed as a Curriculum Specialist in the Curriculum Planning and Development Division in MOE before joining NIE.

Dr Chin has presented many papers on subjects ranging from Curriculum Review, Chinese cultures and incorporating ICT in CL learning, and has been the keynote speaker at several international conferences in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the international refereed Journal of Chinese Language Education.

Dr Chin was elected Assistant Secretary of the Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union in 1997 and held the post of General Secretary from 2000 to 2006. He was conferred the Veteran of Labour Award in May 2008 by the National Trades Union Congress, for his significant contributions to the Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union.

Dr Tan Chee Lay (陈志锐)

Assistant Professor Division of Chinese Language and Culture, National Institute of Education

Dr Tan is also an Assistant Professor with the NIE Asian Languages and Cultures Academic Group. He holds a PhD in Oriental Studies (Chinese) from Cambridge University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Leicester University and a Master in Arts (English Studies) from National University of Singapore. He was awarded the Public Service Commission Scholarship (teaching) from 1992-1996 and the Overseas Graduate Scholarship from National Institute of Education from 2004 to 2007.

Dr Tan has 7 years of experience teaching Chinese in a secondary school and junior college, including the Chinese Language Elective Programme. He was awarded the Inspiring Chinese Teacher Award by SPH in 2000. He has also taught Chinese to native Chinese students in Taipei, as well as to British and international students in Cambridge.

As an Ex-co member of the Rediffusion Youth and Children Drama group, he has trained young children in Chinese broadcasting, drama and other Chinese enrichment classes. Since 1998, he has also served as mentor and trainer for primary, secondary and junior college composition and creative writing classes for Chinese clans and schools. His academic research was awarded accolades in both Taiwan and UK. With 10 books to his name, Dr Tan received the National Arts Council Young Artist Award in 2004, as well as the highest honour for youth, the Singapore Youth Award (Art and Culture) in 2006.

• Mrs Ong-Chua Li Ling Eileen, Haig Girls’ School,
• Mrs Lee Kok Hong, Temasek Primary School and
• Mrs Lim-Ng Yee Ping Diana, Coral Secondary School.

More information on the award recipients is in Annex A.

The annual President’s Award for Teachers recognises the commitment of teachers to the total development of students and to nation-building. This year’s recipients are outstanding teachers who have demonstrated inspiring passion, innovation and dedication in teaching. Not only do they infuse values education into the teaching of Maths and Science, they also take pains to make lessons come alive for their students, from tapping on cookie-baking to teach mathematical concepts to organising experiential learning journeys beyond the classroom so that students can learn more about Information Communications Technology.

This year saw a record number of nominations received since the Award was introduced in 1998. A total of 7806 nominations for the Award were received from principals, teachers, students, parents and former students, for the nomination of 2043 teachers who come from 225 schools. A Selection Panel, comprising prominent members of the community and senior officers from the Ministry of Education selected the three recipients. (Annex B)

Mrs Ong-Chua Li Ling Eileen

Haig Girls’ School

For Mrs Eileen Ong, changing her pupils’ mindset towards Mathematics and maximising their potential are her greatest contribution to teaching and her proudest achievements yet.

Currently the Level Head for Mathematics and a dedicated teacher at Haig Girls’ School, Mrs Eileen Ong initiated the “A-Fractionally Yours” project where P6 students were given opportunities to design and create mathematics manipulatives to help their younger schoolmates learn and practise concepts on Fractions.

The idea for “A-Fractionally Yours” came about when she asked her P6 pupils to think about the difficulty they experienced in learning Mathematics and how the concepts could have been better taught - and her pupils’ creativity far exceeded her expectations. The project was subsequently supported by MOE Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) Ignite! as a School Curriculum Innovation in 2008.

As a key member of the Pupil Well-being and Development (PWD) team in Haig Girls’ School, Mrs Eileen Ong strongly believes in the holistic development of every student. She spends time to interact with her pupils and capitalises on stories and teachable moments to instil values.

Another project that she initiated was simply called “A Maths Game Project”, which infused Maths and values education. Through this project, P5 and P6 pupils were trained to be facilitators in visual games that enhanced pupils’ understanding of Mathematics concept. In turn, these facilitators will train the younger pupils to play the games and learn mathematics concepts in a fun way during recess time.

“Sometimes, the P5 and P6 pupils will give up being facilitators after a few days,” said Mrs Eileen Ong. “I will then talk to them and explain why they need to continue because they have made a commitment to cooperate with one another in helping the younger pupils and in showing care and concern for them. In this way, the pupils learned important values in daily-life situation too.

Mrs Eileen Ong is also a people-person who builds quality relationships with parents and colleagues. She conducts workshops on the teaching and learning of Mathematics for parents and colleagues and was selected to be the cluster representative in the Zonal Centre of Excellence for Mathematics.

Mrs Lee Kok Hong

Temasek Primary School

Ask Mrs Lee Kok Hong, Head of Department (Mathematics) of Temasek Primary School, what drives her passion for teaching after 29 years, and her reply is “I don’t know, but I am excited about coming to school and seeing my pupils progress and gain confidence everyday in the classroom.”

Indeed, Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s pupils share her excitement in and out of the classroom as they are allowed to experiment during some of Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s innovative lessons, along with the learning of important Mathematics concepts, self-reflection, teamwork and respect for their fellow pupils.

For example, in one lesson that integrated science and mathematics concepts on speed and averages, Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s pupils had to research parachute-making and then compete in teams to make the most efficient parachute. In addition to mastering their concepts effortlessly, the pupils got to learn not only how to be independent learners, but to make the best parachutes through sharing their observations and discoveries with one another, all amidst the excitement of watching their parachutes sail from the second storey of the school.

Other innovative teaching methods Mrs Lee Kok Hong has used include budgeting and writing cheques up to one million, baking cookies to teach the concept of numbers, ratio and proportion, using cartoon characters to teach the order of mathematical operations and literally getting her pupils to put on their thinking caps.

As a passionate advocate of holistic development of her students, Mrs Lee Kok Hong infuses social emotional learning principles and the school’s core values into her lessons. Mrs Lee Kok Hong also organises student focus group discussions and one-to-one conferencing to know her students and respond to their needs better. At these sessions, she coaches and motivates her students to refocus, reflect and review, and spurs them to achieve their targets. She also communicates frequently with the parents to keep them updated on the development of their children.

Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s passion for the teaching of Mathematics has also inspired her to conduct numerous sharing sessions at the school, national and international platforms. She has also attended overseas conferences and participated in overseas attachments to schools to improve her understanding of pedagogy and curriculum design. Mrs Lee Kok Hong’s commitment to innovation in teaching and learning, as well as her belief in interdisciplinary integration and enthusiasm in making her lessons come alive have earned her much respect among her students, colleagues and parents.

Mrs Lim-Ng Yee Ping Diana

Coral Secondary School

Mrs Diana Lim wears many hats in Coral Secondary School. She is the Head of Department for Information & Communications Technology while also teaching Biology and General Science and initiating innovative projects for teachers and her students. But just ten years ago, she was doing something entirely different.

Teaching is Mrs Diana Lim’s second career. Previously she worked as a money-broker. While it was financially and personally rewarding, she yearned for more. After seven years, she left her corporate job and pursued a new path in teaching, and she has not looked back ever since.

Mrs Diana Lim has a strong conviction that every child can learn and if properly guided and motivated, will achieve nothing less than excellence. This strong sense of purpose has led her to use innovative IT tools and Action Research in her lessons.

Mrs Diana Lim was instrumental in creating the school Student Action Research Programme (STAR) which involved students using a systematic inquiry approach of plan, act and observe, and reflect to investigate various issues that affect the school and the community. For its innovative and creative approach, the STAR programme was selected as one of MOE’s Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) prototypes.

Mrs Diana Lim also works closely with colleagues, parents and the community to develop her students holistically. She spends time to get to know every student she teaches and provides constant feedback to parents. She also seeks learning opportunities beyond the classroom for her students by organising experiential learning journeys and attachments to various organisations for her students.

For Mrs Diana Lim, teaching as a profession “rewards subtly”; it cannot be easily measured or quantified. She gave the story of how she met an ex-student a few years ago who revealed that she was the inspiration for the student’s decision to be a teacher as well. Many other ex-students also continue to keep in touch with her and update her on their life achievements. “These rewards leave indelible marks and life would never be the same again,” she explains.

Her teaching experience in the past ten years have been challenging and fulfilling, but Mrs Diana Lim is looking forward to more years of service to contribute. “I wish to pass the light, stirring my students to be flaming beacons who are resilient to the winds of change and uncertainty,” she says.

Annex B

President’s Award for Teachers - Selection Panel 2008

Chairman:

Dr Lily Neo
Chairman of GPC (Education)

Members:

Ms Yeoh Chee Yan
Second Permanent Secretary (Education)

Miss Seah Jiak Choo
Director-General of Education

Mr Alan John
COMPASS Member
Deputy Editor, The Straits Times
Singapore Press Holdings Limited

Mr Syed Ahmad
COMPASS Member
General Manager
Geolab Services Pte Ltd

A single intake system will facilitate a stronger educational programming in these schools where all students would start their course of study together. It obviates the need for the two admission exercises and the turn-over of students due to the two intakes (see background). In addition, it will also reduce the waiting time for some ‘O’ level graduates, who might otherwise need to wait for three months before entering JCs/MI.

JCs and MI will continue to share between 10 and 12 common weeks of school holidays with the primary and secondary schools (see 2009 School Terms and Holidays webpage). The common holiday periods of 1 week each in March and September, 4 weeks in Jun and the remaining weeks at the end of the year, will enable families with children studying in different educational levels to spend time together.

To make the single-intake possible, the following changes will take place from 2009:

1. The ‘O’ level results, which are currently released in late January, will be released in early January; and
2. The posting results from the Joint Admissions Exercise, currently released in mid-February, will be released in end January.

The revised school calendars for JCs and MI, based on a single intake in early February of 2009, are on the 2009 School Terms and Holidays webpage.

Background

Currently, there are two JC/MI intakes: one in January that is based on school preliminary examination results, and another in March based on ‘O’ level results. The two-intake situation gives rise to “churning” of students in JCs and MI in March, as quite a number of JC students chooses to switch courses or colleges after receiving the ‘O’ level results. The students in the second intake, who have not attended the pre-university course in the first 3 months, might also have difficulties in catching up with the ‘A’ level curriculum. In addition, some students who failed to meet the criteria to enter the JC/MI after the release of ‘O’ level results, faced disappointment when they have to leave after 3 months.

The revision of JC and MI calendars was one of the recommendations of the JC / Upper Secondary Education Review Committee in October 2002.

This change from the current two-intake system is made possible as the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board has taken greater control of the GCE ‘O’ level examinations since 2006. In addition, MOE has streamlined the processes for the ‘O’ level examinations and Joint Admissions Exercise, conducted after the release of the ‘O’ level results for students to select courses in JCs, MI, polytechnics and ITE.

The Guest-of-Honour for the ceremony, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, presented the awards at the SEAMEO Regional Language Centre.

The Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence

The Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence, established in 2005, is a pinnacle award which recognises well-rounded students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic spheres, and who exemplify positive character development, strong leadership qualities and commitment to service to the community. The award is presented at the end of Secondary education.

This award is part of the overall framework of Lee Kuan Yew awards, made possible through the interest proceeds from the principal fund of the Lee Kuan Yew Donation account of the Education Fund.

Seven students were presented with this Award. The names of the awardees are given in Annex A.

The Prime Minister’s Book Prize

The Prime Minister’s Book Prize, established in 1974, is an annual award for bilingualism given at the primary, secondary and pre-university levels. This year, 30 students were awarded the Prime Minister’s Book Prize—12 in the Primary section, 12 in the Secondary section and six in the Pre-University section. The names of the awardees are given in Annex B.

The Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science

The Lee Kuan Yew Award for excellence in Mathematics and Science was instituted in 1992. The awards are given under three categories—Secondary, Pre-University and Polytechnic. This year, of the 40 recipients, 15 are in the Secondary category, ten in the Pre-University category and 15 in the Polytechnic category. The names of the awardees are given in Annex C.

The Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students

The Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students was presented for the first time in 2004. This year, two awards were given out to the top two Normal (Technical) students, based on their ‘N’ level examination results. The names of the awardees are given in Annex D.

The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP Award)

The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP Award) was given out for the first time in 2001. This year, a total of 15 LKY-STEP awards were presented—ten to outstanding Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates pursuing full-time studies at our polytechnics, and five to outstanding polytechnic graduates pursuing full-time undergraduate studies at our universities. The names of the awardees are given in Annex E.

The New Publicly-Funded University

Chairman of the New University Steering Committee

MOE has appointed Mr. Philip Ng Chee Tat, Chief Executive Officer of the Far East Organization, as Chairman of a Steering Committee to oversee the establishment of the new university. Mr Ng brings with him extensive experience in the corporate sector. He has also been actively involved in the development of the higher education sector in Singapore through his membership on the Board of Trustees of the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Board of Governors of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Republic Polytechnic. A write-up on Mr Ng is at the Annex.

The Steering Committee will comprise leaders from academia, industry and the public sector. Some of its key tasks are to:-

• Facilitate the appointment of the Board of Trustees and management team for the new university. This will include an international search for the President of the new University.
• Develop a Masterplan for the development of the new university’s permanent campus and in the interim, to locate a temporary campus;
• Guide the development of the new university’s academic programmes; and
• Identify suitable and reputable overseas universities to form partnerships and collaborations to enhance these academic programs.

Location of the New University

The new university’s campus will be located in Changi near the Singapore Expo. The site is within walking distance of the Expo MRT station and easily accessible by road via the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) and East Coast Parkway (ECP). It will also be served by the Downtown Line (under stage 3) upon its completion in 2016.

The new university’s campus is right next to the Changi Business Park, home to high technology businesses and knowledge-intensive facilities of leading companies. This will offer the new university opportunities to develop a vibrant industry-academia eco-system around its campus. Housing facilities are also planned for student accommodation and to facilitate residential learning programs.

Apart from the amenities at the Tampines Regional Centre and Simei Town Centre nearby, students will also be able to enjoy new commercial amenities such as food & beverage and retail outlets being developed in the Changi Business Park.

Overall, the new university will be a key feature within these dynamic environs. Its location will add to the richness and diversity of the experience for its students and staff.

Please refer to the factsheet for Information on the disciplines to be offered by the new publicly funded university.

Starting Date and First Intake

The new university is expected to take in its first intake in 2011.

Public Consultation on the Naming of the New Publicly-Funded University

A public consultation on the naming of the new publicly-funded university will be conducted from 11 Aug 08 to 30 Nov 08. Members of the public can submit their ideas for the Steering Committee’s consideration.

Other Recommendations of the Committee on the Expansion of the University Sector

The Government supports the plans of the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University to deepen their capabilities in research while enhancing the quality of their undergraduate programmes. The Government also supports the Singapore Management University’s plans to grow to a mid-sized university.

The Government agrees that liberal arts education could be a potentially valuable addition to Singapore’s university landscape, and will undertake further study to determine how this model of education can be introduced here. The Government has also agreed to explore the provision of public funding to more degree programmes in niche areas.

Background

The Committee on the Expansion of the University Sector began work in September 2007, after the Prime Minister announced the Government’s commitment to increase the target cohort participation rate to 30% by 2015 at the 2007 National Day Rally. The Committee was chaired by Senior Minister of State for Education RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew and comprised members from the private and public sector as well as academia. Dr Tony Tan, Chairman of the Ministry of Education’s International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP), served as advisor to the Committee.

The preliminary recommendations of the Committee were debated in Parliament at the Committee of Supply Debate in March 2008. The Committee released the recommendations of its preliminary report to the public on 24 June 2008. Following this, the IAAP endorsed the Committee’s recommendations at its 7th Meeting (25-27 Jun 2008) held in Singapore. Please see the executive summary and final report (520kb .pdf) of the Committee for more details.

Philip Ng Chee Tat
Chief Executive Officer
Far East Organization, Singapore
Singapore Citizen, Born on 16 September 1958

Mr Philip Ng is the Chief Executive Officer of Far East Organization, a family-owned property development and investment group operating in Singapore and Malaysia. He is also the Executive Chairman of Orchard Parade Holdings Ltd (the Organization’s listed hotel arm) and Chairman of Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd (the Organization’s listed food and beverage vehicle) and Yeo Hiap Seng (Malaysia) Berhad. He is also a Director of Hong Kong-based Sino Group, which is Far East Organization’s sister company, engaging in real estate activities in Hong Kong and China.

Mr Ng holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with First Class Honours from King’s College, London University, UK and two Master degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, which are:

1. Master of Science in Technology & Policy specialising in Geotechnical Engineering and Policy Analysis
2. Master in City Planning specialising in Urban Economics

Mr Ng is on the board of various community groups and public education institutions such as National University of Singapore Board of Trustees, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He is also the Non-Resident Ambassador of The Republic of Singapore to The Republic of Chile.

He and his wife, Vy-vyen, have six children.

The broad strategies of the third Masterplan for ICT in Education are:

• To strengthen integration of ICT into curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to enhance learning and develop competencies for the 21st century;
• To provide differentiated professional development that is more practice-based and models how ICT can be effectively used to help students learn better;
• To improve the sharing of best practices and successful innovations; and
• To enhance ICT provisions in schools to support the implementation of mp3.

Strengthening Integration of ICT into Curriculum, Assessment & Pedagogy

ICT will be more extensively integrated into the planning, design and implementation stages of the curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. There will be greater alignment of students’ learning outcomes in the syllabi, national examinations, and classroom experience to 21st century skills such as IT skills, and the ability to communicate persuasively and collaborate effectively. Students will be required to use ICT to look for information, synthesise reports, give feedback on each others’ work and collaborate with peers within and outside school.

Differentiated Professional Development

School leaders can create the environment for teachers to reflect and learn from each other about effective teaching practices that incorporate ICT use in the classrooms to achieve desired learning outcomes for their students.

In addition, MOE will train a pool of “ICT specialist teachers” with strong pedagogical groundings to model and lead professional development efforts within and across schools. A learning roadmap will also be developed to help pace teachers in learning how to effectively use ICT in their classes.

Improve the sharing of best practices and successful innovations

To improve the sharing of best practices, MOE will support the establishment of a network of educational labs where innovations can be prototyped and tested. These labs will provide the latest technologies to promote exploration of learning possibilities. They can also serve as training ground for pre- and in-service teachers.

MOE will continue to support schools to innovate in the use of ICT and to facilitate sharing of good practices among schools through programmes like the FutureSchools@Singapore and LEAD ICT@Schools.

Enhanced ICT Provisions

Accessibility of ICT to students will be increased through more flexible and mobile infrastructure provisions such as wireless internet access, piloting 1-notebook-to-1-pupil ratio in more schools, and higher data bandwidth to the Internet.

Background

The Masterplans for ICT in Education drive the use of ICT in education. The underlying philosophy of the Masterplans is that education should continually anticipate the needs of the future and prepare pupils to meet those needs.

The first Masterplan for ICT in Education (1997 — 2002) laid a strong foundation for schools to harness ICT, particularly in the provision of basic ICT infrastructure and in equipping teachers with a basic level of ICT integration competency, which achieved a widespread acceptance for its use in education.

The second Masterplan for ICT in Education (2003 — 2008) built on this foundation to strive for an effective and pervasive use of ICT in education by, for example, strengthening the integration of ICT into the curriculum, establishing baseline ICT standards for students, and seeding innovative use of ICT among schools.

For more information on the Masterplans for ICT in Education, visit the following websites:

• Masterplan 1
• Masterplan 2
• Masterplan 3

Related Links

• Information Sheet on iCTLT
• Information Sheet on edumall 2.0

19th International Biology Olympiad (IBO)

The four students who represented Singapore at the 19th IBO held in Mumbai, India, from 13 to 20 July 2008, received two Gold and two Silver medals in a field of 220 student participants from 55 countries.

Singapore was in the top ten in terms of medals won, having placed 5th out of 55 countries.

The two Gold medallists are Men Yifei of Raffles Junior College and Sng Weirong Joshua of Hwa Chong Institution, with Men Yifei placed 5th in terms of individual world ranking. The Silver medallists are Choy Chi Chuen Kevin and Lim Min De Timothy of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

The Singapore delegation was led by Associate Professor Shirley Lim, Head of Natural Sciences and Science Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.

39th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)

At the 39th IPhO held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 20 to 29 July 2008, the Singapore team received the following medals: one Gold, three Silver and one Bronze in a field of 376 student participants from 82 countries.

In terms of medals won, Singapore was placed 11th out of 82 countries.

The Gold medallist is Chan Wai Hong Ronald of Raffles Junior College. The Silver medalists are Zhao Ye and Lam Chee Yong Leslie of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science; and Ng Kia Boon of Raffles Junior College. Zhai Weichao of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science received a Bronze medal.

The Singapore delegation was led by Associate Professor Kwek Leong Chuan and Associate Professor Rajdeep Singh Rawat from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.

40th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)

The 40th IChO was held in Budapest, Hungary from 12 to 21 July 2008. Four students representing Singapore received one Gold, one Silver and two Bronze medals in a field of 255 student participants from 71 countries.

In terms of medals won, Singapore was placed 12th out of 71 countries.

The Gold medallist is Yeong Li Qian of Raffles Junior College, who was placed 2nd in terms of individual world ranking. The Silver medallist is Wang Yong Jin from Raffles Junior College. Foo Mei Hua Fiona and Lau Kang Ruey Gregory of NUS High School received Bronze medals.

The Singapore delegation was led by Dr Mak Ka Wai Karen and Dr Basheer Chanbasha from the National University of Singapore.

49th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)

The 49th IMO was held in Madrid, Spain from 14 to 22 July 2008. The Singapore team received one Silver and three Bronze medals in a field of 535 student participants from 97 countries.

The Silver medallist is Lei Lei of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science. The Bronze medallists are Lim Wei Quan of Hwa Chong Institution; Lee Jun Dominic of NUS High School of Mathematics and Science and Chiam Jia-Han of Raffles Junior College.

The Singapore delegation was led by Associate Professor Wong Yan Loi from the National University of Singapore.

A Joint Effort

Our students’ participation in the four International Olympiads is a joint effort between the Ministry of Education and the following organisations:

• Institute of Physics, Singapore;
• Singapore Institute of Biology;
• Singapore National Institute of Chemistry;
• Singapore Mathematical Society;
• National University of Singapore; and
• National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.

Background

The International Olympiads for Science and Mathematics bring together the best and brightest students from around the world, challenging and stimulating their minds in the spirit of competition. Through rigorous tests of theoretical knowledge, students demonstrate their mastery of scientific and mathematical concepts. Their experimental skills are also put to the test in the Science Olympiads.

The Olympiads are thus global platforms to stretch some of our most able students in Science and Mathematics. By pitting their skills and knowledge against international peers, not only would our students be exposed to an enriching learning experience, they would also be motivated to strive for excellence in the international arena.

The 2008 School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (SPERS) is open for registration from 28 July 2008 for Singaporean children who are returning from overseas and wish to join our secondary schools, junior colleges (JC) or Millennia Institute (MI) at the beginning of academic year 2009.

This is the third year that the Ministry of Education (MOE) is conducting SPERS, a centralised placement exercise held at the end of the year for returning Singaporeans (RS). With SPERS, Singaporean parents working abroad can look forward to easier re-entry into the mainstream school system for their children when they return to Singapore. RS children will only need to sit for one set of centralised SPERS papers for school admission and will no longer need to take multiple school-based tests.

RS children seeking admission to Secondary 1-3 or Pre-U1 in 2009 can participate in SPERS-Sec or SPERS-JC/MI respectively. Applicants will receive their school placement results in December and will be able join our secondary schools and JC/MI at the start of the school term in early 2009.

Pilot Supplementary Placement Exercise

Last year, in response to feedback from some overseas Singaporeans who were unable to return in time for the locally-conducted SPERS papers, MOE invited applications for SPERS papers to be taken in Shanghai at the same time when the same papers were being taken in Singapore. Shanghai was chosen because our data showed that PRC had the largest number of RS children seeking admission to our schools. The pilot eventually did not proceed as there was less than the minimum candidature of 20 applicants. Owing to this poor response, MOE will not be conducting the SPERS test overseas this year.

Instead, to better facilitate RS who are unable to return in time for the SPERS exercise, MOE will pilot a supplementary placement exercise after the SPERS exercise. RS will be able to choose to take part in SPERS or the pilot supplementary exercise and enjoy more flexibility in timing their return to Singapore.

The centralised SPERS papers for this supplementary exercise will be held locally in early January 2009 and applicants will receive their school placement results in February 2009. Registration for this pilot will open later this year, in October.

Information/Registration Website

Details of the 2008 SPERS-Sec and SPERS-JC/MI exercises and the pilot supplementary exercise can be found in the Annex. For more details and registration, please refer to the MOE RS website or contact us at the following:

RS seeking admission to primary schools may approach MOE at any time of the year for assistance. MOE will offer the RS a place in a primary school with vacancies near his/her home at the level appropriate for his/her age cohort. The RS will not have to sit for any placement test for admission, although the primary school may conduct assessment tests after admission to ascertain the child’s current attainment level and provide the appropriate assistance to help the child settle into the school. As Secondary 4 and Pre-U2 are national examination years, RS generally would not re-join at these levels.

SPERS Exercise Format

Eligibility Phase - Applicable to SPERS-Sec & SPERS-JC/MI

Under the Eligibility Phase, applicants will sit for English and Mathematics papers to determine the schools they would be eligible for. Besides assessing literacy and numeracy, the papers will also include non-content-based general ability items that assess reasoning and thinking skills. This will more holistically assess RS who have attended overseas schools with curricula different from Singapore’s.

Following the conduct of the papers, applicants will each be provided with a list of schools that they are eligible for, based on their performance in the papers. This will ensure that RS are of similar abilities¹ as the students in the schools that they are eligible for.

As the number of RS seeking admission to JC/MI is usually small, there is no need for MOE to conduct a centralised posting exercise for this group. Hence, there is no School Option Phase or School Posting Phase under SPERS-JC/MI. After the Eligibility Phase, successful applicants will each receive a list of JC/MI they are eligible for and can approach any of the listed JC/MI directly for admission.

For RS seeking admission to secondary schools, they will proceed on to the School Option Phase.

School Option Phase - Applicable to SPERS-Sec Only

Applicants seeking admission to secondary schools (Secondary 1 to 3) will be required to indicate a maximum of six choices in their school option forms, based on the list of eligible schools given to them.

School Posting Phase - Applicable to SPERS-Sec Only

Secondary schools will admit a small number of RS, over and above their planned capacity, at the School Posting Phase. This recognises that overseas Singaporean children may have similar abilities as the local cohort in these schools, even though they have been away and were thus unable to seek admission into these schools together with other Singaporean children who had taken the PSLE. This change will not reduce the chances for students in Singapore to get into their schools of their choice as there will be no reduction in the number of school places available to them.

The School Posting Phase will take into account the performance of the RS at the Eligibility Phase, their school choices, and the places available in these schools. In the instance where an applicant is not successfully posted to any of his/her chosen schools, MOE will assign him/her a place in a secondary school with vacancies near his/her home.

After receiving their postings, RS should then complete the admission formalities at their posted schools. If they choose not to accept the posting, they can still approach another school directly to apply for admission. The child will be admitted if the school approached is on his/her list of eligible schools and if there is a vacancy in the course that he/she is eligible for. Otherwise, the school has the discretion to assess the child, including setting school-based assessments, and decide whether to admit the child.

Schedule for 2008 SPERS-Sec

Schedule for 2008 SPERS-JC/MI

Pilot Supplementary Placement Exercise

The pilot supplementary exercise is applicable for admission to Secondary 1-3 and is intended for RS who are unable to take part in the SPERS-Sec exercise. The pilot is similar in structure to SPERS-Sec and involves the same 3 phases, viz. the Eligibility Phase, the School Option Phase and the School Posting Phase.

Schedule for Pilot Supplementary Placement Exercise

Footnote

1. As students in secondary schools are admitted based on their PSLE performance, the abilities of the student populations in different secondary schools would generally differ. ↵

The programme is organised by the Malay Language (ML) Teachers Association and supported by the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC). The objectives of the programme are:

• to provide opportunities for ML teachers to deepen their knowledge on Malay language and culture;
• to learn the culture, language and literature of Brunei Darussalam; and
• to develop network with schools and teacher partners from Brunei Darussalam.

In Brunei, the delegation will visit the Ministry of Education, schools, language and literary agency (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) and institutes of higher learning. The delegates will observe lessons in primary and secondary schools, attend seminars at the University of Brunei Darussalam and have dialogue sessions with teachers.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli will also be meeting his Brunei counterparts from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Affairs to further deepen the strong relationship between the two countries.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be accompanied by ML teachers, principals, Master Teacher and officials from MOE.