11 November 2003

Opening Speech by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Acting Minister for Education at the Second Reading of the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board Bill on 11 Nov 2003

2. Sir, the Bill before this House seeks to establish a statutory board to be known as the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board. The Board will take over the functions of the Examinations Division in the Ministry of Education. It will develop and conduct national examinations, which serve the objectives of our education system and uphold standards in Singapore schools. Over time, it will also look into meeting demands for other assessment services, both in Singapore and abroad. The Board will establish Singapore as a centre of excellence in testing and assessment.

3. Sir, let me explain the rationale for the formation of the statutory board. We have a robust education system. The quality of education in Singapore is widely recognised and our students rate exceptionally well in most international comparisons¹ . The strength of our education system is underpinned by a quality teaching service, a strong and coherent national curriculum and a rigorous examination system.

4. The capacity to design and run a rigorous examination system, closely aligned to our curricular objectives and anchored in high standards, is key to maintaining a sound and effective education system in Singapore.

5. The assessment of students is an integral part of the learning process. How and what we assess reflects our educational objectives. The assessment and examination system therefore cannot be static, and never has been. As our educational objectives evolve to meet the needs of the future, as we develop new emphases in our curriculum and take on new methods of teaching and learning in schools, we have to evolve our assessment methods and review and update the content of our examinations.

6. Control over the examination system is therefore necessary to ensure that it remains in tandem with changes in the Singapore education system and helps prepare our students well for the future. Today, Singapore exercises some degree of control over the examination system. The PSLE is a Singaporean exam, in name and substance. Both the 'O' and 'A' levels have evolved to cater to our needs, and are no longer tied to equivalent exams offered in the UK. For the 'A' levels, MOE has now taken responsibility for development of syllabuses and examination formats, setting of standards and awarding of grades² - in other words, all key functions except the setting of questions and marking of scripts, which we outsource to the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). We will be doing the same for the GCE 'O' level examinations from 2006³.

7. The new, statutory board structure will serve two strategic objectives. First, it will facilitate our efforts to take greater control over the examination system. Establishing the Exams Board will enhance our operational capacity and flexibility in running our national examinations system. It will help in developing local examination expertise, and facilitate research and development in assessment. New developments in assessment will be needed to match ongoing changes in curriculum and teaching methods as Singapore continuously improves its education system.

8. The second objective for establishing the Board is to position it in the long term as a centre for testing and assessment services in the region and beyond. The success of our schools and achievements of our students in areas such as Mathematics and Science has attracted overseas interest in our education system. This is reflected in the growing number of visitors to MOE, increased collaboration with foreign agencies, and requests for assistance from around the world. This strong international standing of our education system presents us with a unique opportunity. The new Board will have the operational flexibility to meet demands for testing and assessment services beyond our national schools, in Singapore and abroad. It will contribute to Singapore's development as an Education Hub.

10. The Bill sets out the broad regulatory principles governing the Board. It empowers the Board to operate an examination system to meet national needs, and also provide assessment services abroad. The Bill also puts in place safeguards to ensure that the integrity and standards of our national examinations are maintained.

11. Clause 5 of the Bill provides for the membership of the Board. To ensure accountability of the Exams Board, the Minister for Education will appoint the Chairman and all directors of the Board. This is essential because the national examinations are a key pillar supporting our meritocratic educational system. The integrity of and public confidence in our national examinations are vital. The Ministry will thus retain responsibility for oversight and control of the Board. Through the appointment of Board members, we also ensure that the examination services provided by the Board respond to the evolving needs of the education system.

12. Clause 11 sets out the functions and duties of the Board. The Board will develop and conduct national examinations which support and promote the goals and objectives of Singapore's education system, and will be able to organise and conduct other assessments in Singapore or abroad.

13. Clause 16-18 pertain to appointments of the Chief Executive, and other staff of the Board.

14. Clause 19 to 31 are the financial provisions. The main source of funding for the Board will be in the form of subvention from MOE and fees or commissions charged for assessment services provided.

15. Clauses 32-38 provide for the transfer of property, assets, liabilities and employees to the Board. Property, assets and liabilities as may be determined by the Minister for Finance will be transferred from MOE to the Board. Examinations Division staff will be transferred on terms no less favourable than what they received before the transfer.

16. Clauses 39 to 46 are general provisions. Clause 41 provides for the preservation of secrecy.

17. Mr Speaker Sir, we have always recognised that our national examinations represent a key anchor in our education system. Establishing the Exams Board will build up our capacity to design and manage a rigorous and reputable examination system. It will be a flag bearer of our high educational standards and strengthen the international standing of Singapore's education system.

¹At the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, conducted in 1999, our students came in overall 1st and 2nd in the world, in Maths and Science respectively. More recently, the 2001 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study ranked our Primary 4 students' reading literacy 15th out of 35 countries, or about the same level as English-speaking countries like New Zealand and Scotland, in spite of the fact that only a minority of Singaporeans, just 43% use English all or most of the time at home.