11 July 1998

SPEECH BY RADM TEO CHEE HEAN, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND SECOND MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, AT THE LAUNCH OF eduMALL AND SINGAPORE ONE@SCHOOLS ON SAT 11 JUL 98 @ 10.40 AM AT THE CHINESE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

It is my pleasure to officiate at the launch of eduMALL and Singapore One@Schools this morning.

2 eduMALL and Singapore One@Schools are the two latest initiatives under the Masterplan for IT in Education, which aims at creating an IT-enriched teaching and learning environment in our schools. To achieve the goals of the Masterplan, the Ministry has been training teachers on the use of IT for teaching and learning and has been putting in place the necessary technological infrastructure.

3 I am glad to see that our teachers have taken a positive approach to IT, and are actively expanding their own knowledge of the use of IT for teaching and learning. Whilst it is necessary to provide training to all teachers, it is equally important to put in place a supporting framework for teachers to access useful information, and where they can share their ideas, experiences, insights and even their setbacks. eduMALL provides one such mechanism. It is an on-line one-stop centre for teachers, offering a wide range of educational resources and services. Teachers can draw upon educational resources such as Internet sites and a recommended software list to plan and design IT-based lesson activities. The educational workshops, seminars and discussion fora which take place in eduMALL provide more convenience for teachers, as they can participate in these activities through their computers from school or at home. eduMALL also houses a selection of shops providing educational software and on-line resources. Besides teachers, parents and other members of the public are also welcome to browse, obtain information, preview the materials and then make purchases through the Internet .

3 I hope that teachers will make full use of the facilities and services on eduMALL to share and tap ideas from one another, and harness the potential of IT to help our pupils learn better.

4 The provision of Singapore ONE to schools is another milestone in the Masterplan for IT in education. Singapore ONE will enable schools to have access to a wider range of information to support the use of IT in education. Schools are being connected to Singapore ONE in phases and by August, all schools will have at least two access points. Teachers and students will then be able to gain high-speed access to content-rich educational materials such as videos and other multimedia resources via the Singapore ONE network in their schools.

5 The Masterplan for IT in education is part of our strategic investment to equip our people with skills that are critical for the future. However, the Ministry of Education cannot implement this programme alone. We welcome the support and participation of the private sector to achieve the goals of the Masterplan. Local software developers, for example, are working with the Ministry to develop software which is relevant to the school curriculum. Industry is also participating in developing innovative programmes in our schools through the School-Industry Partnership Scheme. eduMALL and Singapore One@Schools offer more opportunities for industry to participate and contribute towards the Masterplan.

6 In this regard, I would like to thank Kent Ridge Digital Labs for their collaboration with NCB and the Ministry to develop eduMALL and the various vendors for participating in the eduMALL shops. NCB has also been instrumental in helping the Ministry bring Singapore ONE to schools. We look forward to more such collaborative efforts with the community to build up our IT infrastructure, and to put Singapore in good stead to face future challenges.