Seven Young Educators Receive National Award for Dedication in Nurturing Students

1. In recognition of their unwavering dedication and impact in nurturing their students, seven teachers received the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) from Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, at the National Institute of Education (NIE) Teachers' Investiture Ceremony held on Wednesday, 9 July 2025. The recipients are (in alphabetical order):

• Mr Ervine Quek Cheng Yi, 34, Nan Hua High School;
• Ms Hshieh Szu An, 34, Presbyterian High School;
• Mr Kartik Gayan S/O Rajaram, 34, Compassvale Secondary School;
• Ms Lim Siew Gek, 33, St. Gabriel's Secondary School;
• Mr Lim Yang Jun, 34, Fuhua Primary School;
• Miss Lim Yen Mei, Amanda, 32, Nan Chiau Primary School;
• Mr Muhammad Sultan Karimshah Bin Mohaideen, 34, St. Joseph's Institution.

2. Introduced in 1999, the OYEA is a national award that recognises young teachers aged 35 and below for their passion for teaching, and commendable enthusiasm, creativity, and active involvement in the development of students to help them realise their full potential.

3. The seven recipients have demonstrated a strong belief that education is about developing students holistically and instilling in them a joy for lifelong learning. The recipients are also committed to nurturing future-ready students who are resilient and empathetic, with strong problem-solving, critical and creative thinking skills.

4. These teachers have worked closely with stakeholders in achieving these educational outcomes, by using innovative pedagogical approaches and leveraging technology to engage their students in meaningful learning experiences. They include designing activities and programmes for their students to make relevant connections to real-life contexts, using games and applications to assess their students' learning, developing life skills and creating opportunities for their students to contribute positively to others.

5. The recipients were selected from 12 finalists (please see Annex) by a selection panel comprising representatives from the Ministry of Education (MOE), NIE, the National Youth Council, and members of MOE's COMPASS (COMmunity and PArents in Support of Schools) group. In total, there were 3,530 nominations from schools and members of the public, for over 1,430 teachers from more than 230 schools.

6. Beyond honouring the achievements of young educators, OYEA aims to inspire youths to take up teaching as a purposeful and fulfilling profession. Each recipient will be fully sponsored to attend an overseas professional learning programme and will share their learning with the education fraternity. They will also each receive a trophy and a certificate. OYEA finalists will receive a grant of $1,000 to attend either overseas or local conferences, seminars, or courses.