22 October 2001

SPEECH BY MR PETER CHEN, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF "TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION - SINGAPORE AND UK EXPERIENCES", ON MONDAY 22 OCTOBER 2001 AT 9.00 AM AT THE MERSC LOUNGE, MOE BUILDING

Mr Stephen Timms,
UK Minister for School Standards at the Department for Education and Skills,

To our friends from abroad, a very warm welcome to Singapore. We are delighted to be hosting the Technology and Education Seminar and the MontageWorld Workshop here in Singapore.

2 In October 1999, the Ministry of Education, Singapore, and the Department of Education, UK, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The aim of the MOU is to explore opportunities for co-operation in the enhancement of learning and training at all levels, and to equip our young people with the skills required for the emerging global information society.

3 Much has been achieved under the MOU. Regular meetings have been held to share information on policy directions in both countries. Teachers and pupils in the UK and Singapore have had several opportunities to share good practices and learning experiences via exchange programmes and school attachments. Schools in Singapore have collaborated with UK industry partners to explore new technologies.

4 The Seminar, "Technology and Education - Singapore and UK Experiences", and MontageWorld Workshop are yet new avenues for Singapore and UK educators to come together to share expertise, experiences, and good practices in the area of the use of IT in education.

5 Singapore's Masterplan for IT in Education, launched in April 1997, is now in its final stage of implementation. As we chart new directions in the use of technology for education, the Seminar is an opportunity for local educators to dialogue and learn from the six distinguished speakers from the UK, who were specially flown in by British Council, from our Principals and from the National Institute of Education. The MontageWorld Workshop, which some of you will be attending, will help to further the collaborative links between Singapore and the UK and also between teachers and pupils from Malaysia and Thailand. This will take place through partnership on web-based projects between schools in the UK and other countries.

6 Once again, I welcome all of you to the Seminar and Workshop and to Singapore, and may you have a fruitful and enriching experience.