KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MR HAWAZI DAIPI, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & MINISTRY OF MANPOWER, AT THE UITS-ITE JOINT FORUM: ‘ACHIEVING A SOCIAL AND MORAL BALANCE IN GLOBALISATION’ ON WEDNESDAY, 31 AUGUST 2005, AT 1.30 PM, AT ITE COLLEGE EAST

Dr Benjamin Tan

Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Corporate), ITE (Institute of Technical Education)

Mr Mok Soh Har

President, UITS (Union of ITE Teaching Staff)

Mr Tan Seng Hua

Principal, ITE College East

Mr Tan Hong Choon

Principal, ITE College West

Dr Ricky Tam

Principal, ITE College Central

Staff of ITE, Union Officials

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good afternoon

INTRODUCTION

1. I am very pleased to join you today for the UITS-ITE joint forum for ITE staff and union members. I am glad that you have chosen the theme ‘Achieving a Social and Moral Balance in Globalisation’ for the forum. I believe that this theme is timely given the increasing challenges we face in today’s environment of stiff global competition, coupled with the concerted strategies Singapore has continued to implement in the effort to keep up with this competition.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE

2. The world today is considerably different from what it was 30, or even 10 years ago. Globalisation and the advent of modern technology means that people, countries, companies, products and services have become more and more closely inter-connected and integrated. The policies and decisions made by one country can often have a serious impact upon another country located thousands of miles away. A company that is based in one country may have its manufacturing processes carried out in another country, and its call centre services based in yet another country. Likewise, people are now increasingly mobile. Unlike during our parents’ time when most people would live, grow up, work and start families in the same country, even the same village, that they were born in, many people now move freely around the world for travel, work, business and study. In short, who we are and what we do is no longer constrained by geography and national boundaries.

3. So the world is constantly changing. And in turn, we must ensure that we keep up with these changes and stay ahead of the curve. As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself illustrated during the recent National Day Rally speech, “we started with mosquito coils, exporting them. We went on to make semiconductors. We started with bee hoon makers, now we have the Biopolis”. We cannot hope to survive and prosper together as a country if we do not continue to make the effort to re-look, re-invent and re-vitalise ourselves. We cannot hope to survive and prosper as individuals if we do not continue to upgrade our skills and capabilities, and keep an open mind. Indeed, those who are able to survive and thrive in this new borderless, global environment are those who can respond quickly to take advantage of the new opportunities and meet the challenges presented by globalisation.

IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON EDUCATION

4. The impact of globalisation is felt not just in political and economic terms. Globalisation, and with it, the impetus for change, also has considerable impact upon education – whom we teach, how we teach and what we teach.

5. Firstly, let us look at how globalisation has impacted upon whom we teach. From primary schools to university, the profile of our students has broadened. It is not uncommon to see students from all over the world in our mainstream schools, post-secondary institutions, private institutions and universities. Singapore itself is fast developing as an education hub. In order to upgrade their skills and widen their knowledge, older Singaporeans are also going back to school, some for part-time study, others for full-time study.

6. Not surprisingly, we are also seeing a greater diversity in terms of our universities and private schools. One example is the establishment of Singapore’s third local university, the Singapore Management University, in 2000. In 2007, we will also witness the opening of Singapore’s first foreign private university, the University of New South Wales. More recently, it was reported that the Management Development Institute of Singapore had expanded to take in up to 10,000 foreign and 5,000 local students.[1]

7. Secondly, globalisation has brought about a resultant change in teaching methods. I am sure all of you will agree with me when I say that how our students are being taught now is vastly different from what we ourselves experienced when we were in school. From the traditional pen and paper method, we have moved towards the wide use of IT in our classrooms. Take primary schools for instance. Even there, lessons in the computer lab are de rigueur, and IT is now a commonplace teaching tool. Thus, our teachers now adopt more sophisticated teaching aids and instructional materials, and better teaching pedagogies.

8. In addition, to provide our students with a more diverse and complete educational experience, learning often takes place outside of the normal school environment. And this is not only confined to field trips to local places of interest. Students often go on overseas trips, whether for study, exchange programmes, practical attachments and internships, or just to broaden their cultural and social horizons.

9. Thirdly, what is being taught has also undergone considerable change due to the need to keep up with shifting demands and needs. The Ministry of Education conducts curriculum reviews periodically to ensure that the content is up-to-date. The same goes for diploma programmes offered by the polytechnics, which provide their students with comprehensive technical and practical-oriented learning, and so, have to be especially responsive to employers’ needs. For instance, to address Singapore’s manpower needs in digital entertainment and medical technology sectors, Nanyang Polytechnic launched two new diploma programmes in digital entertainment technology and biomedical engineering in January earlier this year. Similarly, Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) reacted quickly to the potential created by the future integrated resort (IR) industry in Singapore. TP set up a campus in Sentosa – the Tourism Academy @ Sentosa, while NP revamped its business and facilities management diploma courses to prepare students for jobs at the IRs.

ITE – BECOMING A GLOBAL LEADER IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION

10. How then has ITE responded to the challenges posed by globalisation? As we have seen, globalisation affects all organisations and all sectors, including education. Thus, the challenge for ITE is to equip its students with the relevant skills, and to ensure that they are enterprising and able to adapt in the global economy. ITE will also need to ensure that course curriculum remains relevant and responsive to economic needs. To equip its students with an international mindset and relevant skill sets, ITE must also continue to expose them to the different industrial trends and developments, both locally and overseas. ITE must also remain committed to nurturing innovative, critical and independent thinking skills in their students, so that they are well prepared for the world’s changing environment.

11. I am glad to note that ITE has strove to align itself with Singapore’s move to becoming a globalised, entrepreneurial and diversified economy. ITE has achieved this through the formulation of three 5-year strategic plans – ITE 2000 (1995 – 1999), ITE Breakthrough (2000 – 2004) and ITE Advantage (2005 -2009).

12. While ITE 2000 focussed on building ITE into an established post-secondary technical institution, ITE Breakthrough built upon the strong foundation laid under the ITE 2000 Plan to develop ITE into a world-class technical education institution. ITE is now at the beginning stages of its third strategic plan, ITE Advantage, which hopes to achieve four outcomes.

13. First, ITE aims to produce graduates who have the required skills, are adaptable and able to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the globalised economy. Second, ITE seeks to ensure lifelong employability for their graduates through instilling a love for lifelong learning in them. Third, ITE sets out to create an increased global presence for ITE through stronger and more extensive strategic alliances with international industry players and educational institutions. I understand that ITE is already leveraging on the new opportunities offered by growing overseas markets in countries like Vietnam, China and India by offering technical assistance and consultancy services. As such, many of the programmes under ITE Advantage, like International Certification and Global Education Programme, are geared towards strengthening ITE’s global presence.

14. Lastly, the final outcome of ITE Advantage is to enhance staff capability so that new benchmarks in Vocational & Technical Education can be set. I would say that this final outcome is probably the most crucial of the four, as it has a clear impact upon the success of the other three outcomes.

15. So how has ITE fared so far under these three strategic plans? I am glad to note that ITE has made considerable achievements since its establishment in 1992. It has been responsive in meeting changing needs as dictated by the globalised economy. For example, from 2001 to 2005, ITE introduced 16 new courses in the electronics and electrical, engineering-mechanical, chemicals and life sciences, info-communications technology, and business and services course clusters.

16. Other indications of ITE’s success are reflected in its increased student enrolment, which is in turn, a recognition of the quality of ITE’s programmes. ITE saw a record high enrolment of nearly 22,000 students in 2004, compared to about 10,000 students in 1995. This represents an almost 120 per cent rise in enrolment, a tremendous increase.

17. You have produced students that you can rightly be proud of. Six of your graduates who are now studying in the polytechnics were recently presented with the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP Award). There are numerous other achievements made by your students. Despite stiff competition from the junior college and polytechnic teams, a group of students from ITE MacPherson won the ROBO Grand Prix F1 Masters Race in February this year. Sairin Sani, a former student of ITE Balestier who later went on to Singapore Polytechnic, graduated with First Class Honours in Mechanical and Production Engineering from the Nanyang Technological University in July this year. In an interview with The Straits Times, Mr Sairin said that going to ITE was one of the “best decisions (he had) ever made”.[2] In sports, 17-year-old Wan Lay Chi from ITE Clementi became the first Singaporean to be named Best Female Athlete in the 29 years of the ASEAN School Track and Field Championships.

UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING THE NEEDS OF STAFF

18. Hence, these achievements show that ITE has done well in responding to the changing demands and needs of today’s global environment. The staff of ITE has contributed greatly towards ITE’s progress, and I believe that the considerable effort that you have put in has not gone unrecognised by management.

19. I understand that there are numerous staff welfare practices that have been put in place. These include the Community Service Leave, which was introduced in October 2002 to encourage staff to do community work; time off for staff during office hours so that they can exercise together in a group; and the Flexi-Benefits Scheme, which allows staff to select their staff benefits.

Several professional development schemes are also in place to support teaching staff in keeping up with global challenges. For instance, staff can go on industry attachments at least once every 5 years. This will allow teaching staff to update and upgrade their technical knowledge and skills in their teaching areas. I understand that ITE also provides educational assistance in the form of a co-pay reimbursement scheme for staff certification programmes both locally and overseas.

20. As ITE moves forward in the next phase of its strategic plan, the management and staff of ITE will need to continue to work closely together. In particular, ITE should carry on to provide the necessary assistance to staff so as to ensure that they are well-equipped with the skills needed to adapt to the challenges brought about by the changing global environment. Employees are generally fearful of failure to adapt to the changes in the organisation. The management, therefore, should develop suitable training and communication programmes to minimise this fear. The lines of communication between management and staff should continue to be kept open so that collaborative efforts can be strengthened even further. The Union, on its part, can help the management to communicate the changes to its members. Certainly, more can be done to ensure that work-life harmony continues to be preserved despite the demands brought about by globalisation. I strongly believe that you will continue to uphold your values of ITE Care – Integrity Teamwork Excellence Care.

CONCLUSION

21. You, the staff of ITE have played a big role in preparing students for a changing world by inculcating the right values and mindsets in them. You have helped to develop them into well-rounded individuals through ITE’s “Hands-on, Minds-on and Hearts-on” education. I applaud your efforts and encourage you to continue to enhance your knowledge and capabilities, and to stay attuned to global developments to ensure that the skills you impart remain relevant.

22. The vision of ITE Advantage is for ITE to be ‘A Global Leader in Technical Education’. With your achievements so far, and the strategies that you have put in place, I believe that your realising this vision is well within sight.

23. In conclusion, I would like to extend my thanks to the organising committee for putting together today’s forum. I believe that you will find the insights provided by the other speakers from the private and public sectors to be both useful and relevant. On this note, it is my pleasure to open the forum.

Thank you.

[1]“S’pore to get bigger slice of education pie” (Sandra Davie, The Straits Times, 22/8, p1)

[2]“He gave up O levels but is now among top grads” (Jane Ng, The Straits Times, 11/7, pH7)