Speeches
Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education, at the NIE Teachers’ Investiture Ceremony on Tuesday, 14 July 2009, at 2.30pm, at the Nanyang Auditorium, Nanyang Technological University
Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Chairperson, NIE Council
Professor Lee Sing Kong, Director, NIE
Colleagues
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Good afternoon.
It is my pleasure to be here today to share your joy, as you embark on a new and exciting phase of your journey as teachers, with the mission of becoming leaders in the education service. Congratulations to all 655 graduands from the Diploma in Education programmes!
Teaching is a satisfying and fulfilling profession, but as with most beginnings, there will be a learning curve. Some of you may find it smooth sailing, while others may question if they are ready for their new responsibilities over the next few months. I urge you to believe in your abilities and the training that you have received and persevere. Draw support and learn from the more experienced teachers and Principals. It is their role and responsibility to guide and mentor you as a novice teacher.
Enhancing Singapore’s Education System
As new teachers, you can take great pride that Singapore teachers are well regarded internationally. Singapore just hosted the 9th World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals. This was held in conjunction with the inaugural International Education Roundtable, comprising Education Ministers of high-performing systems.
With the increased attention paid to results of international tests like the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), there is now recognition that some school systems consistently out-perform others.
Countries have sent delegations to Singapore to find out what makes our education system tick. For instance, a delegation from North Carolina, USA, visited Singapore in January last year and went away with the conclusion that Singapore’s success in education is due to three factors. These were a) the integrated planning of our education system with our nation building and economic aspirations, b) our heavy investments in teachers and school leaders; and c) our willingness to hunt round the world for best practices and approaches that can be applied to our schools.
However, we must not rest on our laurels. The world is evolving as we speak and we have to constantly review how we can prepare our young Singaporeans to excel in the future. This is what the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) committee seeks to achieve with its recommended changes to deliver holistic education in our primary schools.
The PERI recommendations will have a profound impact if implemented well. We seek to develop the whole child and make learning in primary school more enriching and engaging. Sports and outdoor education, performing and visual arts will be scheduled as part of the curriculum for all children. We will use feedback that provides richer information and utility to guide further development of each child. New primary schools will be built and existing ones expanded with better facilities to support teaching and learning. More teachers will be recruited to enhance primary education, and in particular, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be moving towards an all-graduate recruitment by 2015.
PERI’s recommendations herald our overall directions for the entire education system where we will pay more attention to nurture the moral, physical, social and aesthetic spheres of students in addition to their cognitive development. The key to making all these happen will be our teachers. Our education system will need quality educators to lead and effect the changes.
We had set ourselves a target of recruiting 3,000 teachers this year. We had surpassed our target as of end of June. We had also introduced the Allied Educators Scheme last year to recruit para-educators who partner our teachers in the areas of counselling, learning and behavioural support, and teaching and learning. We have also exceeded our recruitment target of 680 allied educators this year.
While we have stepped up hiring this year, we will continue to be rigorous in our selection of teachers and allied educators and ensure that only those with the passion, aptitude and commitment to education are selected.
Besides recruiting more quality teachers, we must also continually develop our existing pool of teachers to keep them abreast of the latest innovations in education practices and concepts, and to help them to strive towards professional excellence.
Striving for Excellence
If our education service is determined by the standards of our teachers, then how do we further strengthen our capabilities and institutions for training and professional development? This is a central issue for the Education Service and one that we should constantly apply our minds to. Three critical institutions play vital roles to train and develop our teachers.
Firstly, National Institute of Education (NIE) is primarily responsible for the basic training to turn students into teachers. The set up of NIE, since 1991 that allowed the consolidation of resources and a stimulating academic environment, has provided a major boost to elevate standards of teacher training. The continuing challenge for NIE is to strengthen the nexus between theory and practice. It must find more effective ways to provide practical learning experiences for student teachers. It should strengthen the role of mentorship provided during the practicum and induction periods. NIE will need to review and enhance the pedagogical methods and assessment that are aligned with our desired outcomes of education and to train new teachers to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and values for the 21st century classrooms.
NIE has been introducing new ways to expose its teacher trainees to various perspectives. In June this year, in partnership with the University of Reading, three outstanding students from the Bachelor programmes were selected to participate in a pilot overseas practicum programme at Maiden Erlegh High School in the United Kingdom. I understand that NIE is encouraged by the benefits of this pilot programme and will continue to send more students for overseas practicum experiences.
MOE forms the second pillar in the development of teachers. MOE has various programmes to support your professional development throughout your career.
One such professional development scheme is the postgraduate scholarship that MOE offers to outstanding graduate Education Officers. This year, the postgraduate scholarship was offered to 51 Education Officers to pursue their Master’s degree or PhD at local and overseas universities. These officers will apply the knowledge and experience they have gained from their studies to make key contributions in various areas of our Education Service.
Thirdly, the community of teachers must themselves drive and develop a culture of professional excellence. Teachers cannot leave their professional development to MOE and NIE, but must as a body address gaps and help steer the direction of the profession. Discussions are on-going on how teachers can be equipped to do this. I urge all practitioners to provide inputs and take a keen interest in this important area.
Outstanding Role Models
As we seek to provide an all-rounded education for our young, I am heartened to see that our teachers are role models in their own right, actively pursuing non-academic interests beyond their quest for knowledge and professional training. In fact, some of you here today have managed to combine your life-long interests with teaching. One such example is Mohammad Dzhuri, who is passionate about music and looking forward to teaching it with his Diploma in Education. As a talented musician, he has actively performed at numerous events. Dzhuri’s team also outshone the rest and emerged as the winner in an inter-varsity music competition organised by Arts Central, which led to a recording opportunity with local artistes. Even during his training at NIE, he actively immersed himself in music and formed a band with fellow student teachers.
Another example is Yung Keng Sing, whose passion in rugby led him on the path to teaching. Keng Sing was first introduced to rugby at the tender age of ten and became a national rugby player proudly representing Singapore from 2000 to 2008. Encouraged by his former rugby coach at Anglo Chinese Junior College, he tried out a relief teaching stint as a Physical Education teacher and has never looked back. For Keng Sing, every game of rugby is more than just a lesson in sports, but is also an opportunity to teach values such as humility and teamwork.
Three young teachers were also honoured yesterday with the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) for their dedication and passion towards their students both in and beyond the classroom. Mr Eugene Ng Ming Teck of Jing Shan Primary, Miss Leow Hwee Fen of Anderson Secondary and Mr Muhammad Rezal Bin Ramli of Ping Yi Secondary inspired the younger generation with their hearts of service and compassion, through guidance in the classrooms and community development projects for youths.
I hope these examples will spur you on to explore different ways of inspiring your students beyond the academic content taught in the classroom. I urge you to make a difference in the lives of your students so that they may, in turn, make a difference in the lives of others around them.
Conclusion
As you begin your career as a teacher, recognise the extra-ordinary influence you wield over young and eager minds. Exercise this influence with care and diligence, to positively shape those you teach. In your daily lives, uphold the high standing of the teaching profession that has been achieved by your colleagues and predecessors. Give to this your chosen vocation, your passion and commitment to go that extra mile for your students and colleagues. If you can do this, you will be rewarded with gratitude and respect for many years to come.
I wish you a satisfying and fulfilling career ahead.
Thank you.