Growing our Educators, Growing our Future
1. Good morning and a warm welcome to all our educators who are here at the Singapore EXPO and to the many more joining us online. I am delighted to be here with you at the 12th Teachers' Conference and ExCEL Fest (TCEF), which we hold once every two years.
2. This is my 9th day at the Ministry of Education. I have been attending briefings and meetings, and there is still a lot for me to learn and understand. So, I want to make sure that my first priority is to listen to and learn from you, about our education system. Your experiences over the years in the classroom, your daily interactions with your students, and your insights into what works – and what doesn't – are invaluable.
3. In the coming months, I look forward to visiting our schools, SPED schools and IHLs, to understand what you do, and to hear directly from you.
I. Preparing Students for the Future World
4. This year's theme for TCEF – 'Readying Our Students for the Future' – speaks to the heart of our mission to nurture our students, now and for the future. The world our children will inherit will be very different from the one we now know. We are witnessing seismic shifts in the global landscape – from a fragmenting global order where peace can no longer be taken for granted, to a fragile economic order with the rising tide of protectionism.
5. Technology is also fast developing. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how we work, live and learn. Social media has democratised access to information but also proliferated half-truths and untruths. Many countries are also battling fractious domestic politics and societal tensions. And amidst all this, climate change if not properly addressed, will threaten our lives, our homes and our future.
6. What do all these mean for Singapore? It means that the way we live, work, and interact with one another will change. The growth areas in Singapore today might not be the same as those of the future. Jobs will evolve rapidly, and so will the skills needed to secure them. And even as we enjoy opportunities and progress in Singapore today, we must be mindful to remain nimble, agile and adaptable, so that we can keep up with emerging trends and stay relevant. What I have described comes with lots of risks, lots of unknown, but also tremendous opportunities for us and for our children.
7. All these raise fundamental questions for us as educators and as an education system: How do we prepare our students for the future? What aptitudes and skills do they need in order to thrive in this complex world? How do we help them to build these up?
8. In this increasingly complex world, beyond strong fundamentals in literacy, numeracy and subject matter knowledge, our students will need to develop new competencies, such as the ability to discern critically and think creatively, to communicate and collaborate across cultures and diverse perspectives, to be able to connect, adapt and apply their knowledge to real-world challenges.
9. More importantly, they will need a strong set of values as their moral compass to navigate this uncertainty and complexity. For example, AI and technology will, in time, be able to do many things that we cannot imagine we will be able to do today. Intelligence will tell us to push the boundaries, but we will also need moral judgement to tell us where to stop. As teachers, you play an important role in nurturing our students to develop these values and competencies.
II. Strong Foundations and Evolution of our Education System
10. And we can be confident that our teachers will rise to the occasion. As we commemorate SG60 this year, we look back at how our education system has evolved over the years to help our students build better lives and to build a better Singapore.
11. In the 1960s and 70s, our focus was on survival-driven education – to unify a fragmented system of schools with varying languages of instruction and ensure basic educational standards. In the 1980s, we emphasised efficiency-driven education – to prepare students for the workforce and an increasingly globalised world. We focused on building quality curricular material that would cater to students of different needs, strengths and aptitudes. Since the 1990s, we have deepened our commitment to holistic education and created diverse pathways for success, while supporting our educators in career growth and lifelong learning.
12. These changes were not easy to make, but they were carried through by the passion and hard work of our educators, among others. I thank our fraternity of educators – past and present – for your contributions to this journey. Our education story is an inspiring one. The system will continue to evolve. But what remains steadfast is our teachers' strong sense of mission.
III. Growing our Educators, Growing our Future
13. Teachers are the influencers of every generation. While technology and AI can enhance teaching and learning, it can never replace what you bring to the classroom – your knowledge, experience, passion and care for your students. Your impact on students goes far beyond the classroom. Together with their families, you shape not just minds, but also lives. Many of you would have had a teacher who made a positive impact on you, and even inspired you to become one.
14. We value and respect our educators. At MOE, we will continue to support and protect our teachers so that you have the space to do your professional work well. By growing our educators, we are also securing our future. That is why we will continue to support you in three key priority areas: First, growing our teachers' professional capabilities. Second, attracting diverse talents to join our fraternity. Third, partnering stakeholders and the community to shape our future.
15. Let me briefly elaborate.
A. Growing our Teachers' Professional Capabilities
16. First, we are committed to investing in our teachers' professional growth throughout your career. Teaching is a meaningful, dynamic and transformative profession. Many of you have shared with us that the beauty of the teaching profession is that it embodies the best of both worlds. There is a timeless ethos and mission which anchors the profession; yet the profession is far from static. There are opportunities for you to continually pick up knowledge and skills, in order to help our students learn and grow.
17. To prepare our students for the future, we will ensure that our teachers are well-prepared for the future of learning. We will do this by giving you opportunities to keep up-to-date on developments in your subject areas and in the field of education, such as the learning sciences, by sharpening your pedagogical knowledge and dexterity, by harnessing EdTech meaningfully for teaching and learning, and by nurturing students' character and social-emotional skills.
18. There are provisions and plans to support our teachers. You can tap into a rich variety of learning opportunities – from courses and learning communities, to masterclasses and mentoring. Done through different modalities – in-person, online, or blended approaches, to suit teachers' schedules and learning styles.
19. Our Master Teachers and Specialists also work hand-in-hand with schools and teachers to hone teaching strategies and design targeted professional learning support. Through such support, you can teach with confidence, while nurturing the whole child.
20. Professional learning opportunities also go beyond the education context, as seen in the Teacher Work Attachment Plus programme, or TWA+. Whether through learning journeys or short-term work attachments, you can step out of your classrooms to gain fresh perspectives and understand the latest developments across various industries. You then bring valuable real-world insights back to your students and colleagues. Since its introduction in 2022, our teachers have embraced these opportunities, participating in 3,800 learning journeys and 700 work attachments. I encourage you to tap on these enriching opportunities.
21. Let me share an example. Ms Wong Kai Ning, the Head of the Science Department in Anderson Serangoon Junior College, completed her TWA+ attachment at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Singapore. She gained valuable insights into semiconductor technology which she could apply to make the teaching of STEM concepts come alive. But she also experiencd firsthand the qualities that are required in the fast-changing technology sector – qualities such as adaptability, self-directedness and communication skills. She is now working with teachers across departments to give due focus to developing these competencies that go beyond subject knowledge and skills. Well done!
22. The strength of our teaching fraternity is that our teachers also take the lead in professional learning. This conference is testament to this collaborative spirit. Many presentations at TCEF are the fruit of your professional learning communities (or PLC) within and beyond schools. This year, for the first time, we welcome colleagues from Special Education schools who will be presenting their experiences. By sharing your insights and good practices, you can help to enrich the learning of our teachers in mainstream schools as they support students with Special Educational Needs..
23. For our teachers to grow their professional competencies, you need time and space for learning. I appreciate the daily demands placed on our teachers. We care for your well-being. Hence, I am glad to know that we have moved to manage some of the administrative workload of our teachers. For example, MOE is piloting procurement approaches to make it easier for you to organise cohort camps and make small value purchases. We will roll this out to more schools once ready. By the end of this year, you will no longer need to manually track and collate absentee records as parents will submit documents directly through Parents' Gateway.
24. Many schools set aside time for you to focus on professional learning with colleagues that have practical application on teaching and learning. MOE and our school leaders will continue to find ways to help you manage your workload, so that you can focus on what matters most – helping our students to learn and grow well.
B.Attracting Diverse Talents to join our Fraternity
25. It is often said that the quality of education is determined by the quality of our teachers. In Singapore, we have a strong teaching force, and we value the dedication of our experienced teachers who are stalwarts of our education system.
26. We are committed to grow and strengthen the profession. In addition to our efforts to retain good teachers, we are also redoubling our efforts to attract individuals with sound values and the right motivations to join our fraternity. We welcome teachers who have different life experiences and skills. These include Mid-Career Individuals.
27. With greater diversity, everyone grows. Newer teachers benefit from time-tested wisdom and practical strategies from experienced educators, and seasoned educators gain fresh insights to enrich their perspectives and competencies. This dynamic exchange strengthens our fraternity, which will benefit and enrich our students' learning and growth.
28. To meet the learning needs of an increasingly diverse teaching force, MOE and NIE are reviewing the 16-month Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme. Building on the strengths of our current teacher preparation programmes, we will refresh teacher preparation in two main ways.
29. First, we will strengthen the support for professional learning for our teachers. We will refresh the PGDE into a year-long programme with a stronger focus on integrating theory and practical application. Upon graduation from the programme, Beginning Teachers can look forward to more support for in-service professional learning to hone their craft. We will do this through practice-oriented learning, grounded in authentic classroom experiences.
30. Many of you tell us that when you start teaching, there is still much to learn – each day, each classroom you step into, presents new opportunities for you to refine your practice. We learn by doing – and we will walk alongside our new teachers as you hone your craft to help our students learn and grow.
31. Second, we will provide greater flexibility in learning. We want to give new teachers greater autonomy in shaping your professional learning – both during the PGDE and when you enter schools. We envision a more flexible approach where all teachers will take core learning components which are essential to teaching, while they can choose elective learning components based on their needs and interests. In this way, our new teachers will continue to be well-prepared for your roles, and we can better cater to your diverse backgrounds and learning needs. We will share more details once our review is complete.
32. We also want to strengthen our ecosystem of Allied Educators, Special Educational Needs, or SEN Officers and other colleagues who play important, complementary roles alongside teachers. In recent years, we have expanded our Allied Educator workforce, bringing in more to provide support in specialised areas such as counselling and special educational needs. While diverse, our school team functions as a united team – teachers work closely with Allied Educators, SEN Officers and other non-teaching colleagues to ensure the holistic development of our students.
C. Partnering Stakeholders and the Community to Grow our Future
33. While we strengthen our internal ecosystem, we also recognise that education extends well beyond the school. This brings me to the third key priority in our support for teachers: Partnering stakeholders and the community to grow our students.
34. First, parents are our most crucial partners in nurturing our young. The recently Refreshed Guidelines for School-Home Partnership provide clear guidance on building effective parent-teacher collaboration, centred on the child's interest. When founded on mutual trust and respect, this partnership creates a consistent and supportive environment for our students to thrive.
35. Second, we appreciate the strong support of our alumni, who serve as powerful role models when they return to their alma mater to serve. Their continued involvement also fosters a culture of giving back that strengthens our school communities.
36. Third, we value our industry and community partners. Collaboration with industry, social service agencies and other community partners opens windows into the world beyond school for our students. They can help our students learn how to navigate real-world challenges and better understand societal needs. Such partnerships also support our teachers in their work to nurture our students.
37. For example, Ms Cindy Chng, an Associate Director at MSD Singapore, a biopharmaceutical company, wanted to give back to her alma mater. She went back to Chua Chu Kang Primary School to serve in the School Advisory Committee. She helped to forge a partnership between the school and MSD Singapore, creating invaluable learning opportunities for the students. Beyond visits to MSD's facilities to make Science learning come alive for students, MSD staff also shared about careers in Science during the school's Education and Career Guidance programme. This is a good example of how partnerships can support our teachers and open new opportunities for our students, regardless of their backgrounds.
38. In closing, let me emphasise that supporting and investing in our education fraternity is critical to the continued success of our education system. Building the professional competence and confidence of our educators will enable us to fulfil our education mission well, which is to nurture and steward young lives, and prepare them for the future.
39. Not only do we want our students to learn how to navigate a more complex world, we hope that our students will also grow up to be values-driven pioneers, innovators, problem-solvers, bridge-builders, connectors and contributors for the betterment of our community, our nation, and even the region and the world. Only then, can Singapore continue to be a shining light far beyond SG60.
40. So let us continue to grow together as an education fraternity. These three days will be valuable opportunities for you to refresh, to reignite learning within the fraternity, to build connections, to grow and innovate, so that we can continue to nurture our children – and shape our future – together.
41. I look forward to meeting and connecting with you! Thank you.