Professor Liu Woon Chia, Director, NIE
Colleagues,
Graduands,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Good afternoon. I would like to first start off by congratulating all our graduands on completing your teacher preparation programme at NIE. Today marks an important milestone in your own learning pathway, and the beginning of a deeply meaningful journey.
2. As educators, you will teach, guide, and inspire our children. In doing so, you will help shape both their future and the future of Singapore. It is a heavy responsibility, but you will not walk alone.
3. To the professors, lecturers and mentors at NIE, thank you for preparing our beginning teachers for this important calling.
4. To the family members and loved ones here today, thank you for supporting our graduands through this journey.
Refreshing Our Education System
5. When I attended last year's Investiture Ceremony, I had only just joined MOE. I spoke then about the fast-changing world we must prepare our students for — shaped by geopolitical shifts, artificial intelligence (AI), and climate change, amongst others.
- One year on, these driving forces have only intensified.
- So we must refresh and strengthen our education system, so that every Singaporean can learn, reach their fullest potential, and seize opportunities, regardless of their starting point in life.
6. Amidst all these changes, one thing remains ever constant: the central role of our teachers. In Singapore, we are fortunate to have a passionate and professional teaching force. You are the lifeblood of our education system. It is your professional judgement, your care, and your human touch that make the difference in students' lives.
7. Let me take this opportunity to share with you a few major efforts in our next bound of education reforms — efforts that you will help bring to life in our schools and classrooms, and which I hope will excite and energise you as you begin teaching.
Adapting to an AI-Transformed World
8. First, we must adapt to an AI-transformed world. It brings opportunities, but also disruptions. Technology is advancing rapidly, and students are already using it everyday. We must help them use such technology well, without becoming over-reliant on it. Our approach puts pedagogy first: teaching must drive technology, not the other way round. In Singapore, we organise this through the "4 Learns" framework, first developed here at NIE and adapted for MOE's and Singapore's use.
9. As this technology becomes more powerful and enters our curriculum, the human work of teaching in fact, will matter even more. You ignite curiosity, shape values and build resilience, and help struggling students regain confidence. These are things technology cannot replace. At the same time, AI and technology can help to personalise learning under your careful guidance and generate lesson ideas and materials that you can adapt.
10. So as you begin your teaching career, keep strengthening your professional expertise and critical thinking through daily experience. Experiment with technology — guided by your judgement, subject knowledge and values — to help you teach better, work more efficiently, and guide our students to use AI responsibly.
11. I am encouraged that some of you are already exploring these opportunities and possibilities, while at the same time holding fast to the essential humanity of teaching.
- One example is Ms Nuruzzulfaa Binte Rusli from the BA/BSc Double Major Programme, specialising in Malay Language and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE). She uses Canva and AI to make learning the Malay language engaging and relevant. She brings the same care and encouragement she benefitted from as a student, when her teacher helped her overcome academic struggles.
12. At MOE, we will continue investing in your professional growth, including helping you keep pace with technology. For example, we have developed the Teacher AI Literacy Professional Learning Roadmap to support our teachers in using AI purposefully and responsibly.
- The Roadmap provides a progression of learning opportunities, from foundational AI literacy and responsible AI use to more advanced applications in lesson design, assessment and teacher productivity.
- The aim of this Roadmap is to help you make informed and purposeful decisions about when, how and whether AI should be used to support our students' learning.
Refreshing Education for Holistic Development and a "We-First" Society
13. Yet another major effort is to strengthen holistic development. To do so, we must confront the academic arms race — where an over-fixation on academic achievement can crowd out the joy of learning.
14. Now, academic rigour remains important. But we must also deliberately make more space for students to discover their strengths, build character and agency, contribute to others, and nurture their curiosity and love for learning all through life.
- These qualities are crucial in setting students up for success in our rapidly changing world.
- We have already made some major moves in recent years, such as removing all examinations at Primary 1 and 2 and mid-year examinations at primary to pre-university levels, and replacing PSLE T-scores with broader Achievement Levels.
- But we must do more.
15. That is why we have embarked on Education Conversations this year — bringing the wider community to share ideas on the next bound of education reform. As newly minted members of the education fraternity, your perspectives are valuable too.
16. Through this exercise, we are studying how to dampen the academic arms race.
- For example, do we need to adjust how PSLE is used for secondary school posting, to reduce stress from this high-stakes exam? How can we adjust Direct School Admissions, or DSA, given concerns that some parents are hothousing their children from as young as Primary 1?
- But policy and systems-level changes are just part of the puzzle. We need you too, to emphasise holistic development on the ground and in our schools.
17. As teachers, you will help students become confident, self-directed learners. Many of you experienced this from your own teachers, and I am glad that you are now passing on that torch.
- One example would be Ms Anandakumar Divyanandhini, from the PGDE Primary programme. I was told she was once a quiet student. Her English and Literature teachers noticed her talent, encouraged her to write, and nominated her for writing competitions. She now creates space for every child to be seen and heard, just as her teachers did for her.
18. Holistic education and development also mean guiding students to be active contributors as well as concerned citizens. This is an important building block for a "We-First" society — one where we place the good of society above narrow self-interest. In a world where inequality, intergenerational differences and social media can fragment our common space, cultivating this "We-First" society and disposition will help Singapore remain united and cohesive, even as we become a more diverse society.
- Mr Sng Shan En, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Education, role-models this very spirit of contribution. After five years in the Army, he found his calling to teach. While pursuing his degree, Shan En founded TeachersTogether, a community-driven mentorship initiative for early-career teachers, supported by the National Youth Council's Youth Changemakers Grant.
19. To nurture such values in our students and better cultivate their 21st century competencies, we are looking into how we can further strengthen Character and Citizenship Education and CCAs in our schools.
Supporting Our Beginning Teachers to Focus on What Matters Most
20. Finally, as you step into our schools, we will support you as beginning teachers. You will learn much: about your students, your craft, and yourselves. And you will not be expected to have all the answers from day one. Indeed, it is important that you continue to learn all through your career.
21. In your schools, you will learn alongside more experienced colleagues, mentors and school leaders who will guide you as you grow in confidence and professional judgement. They will never be too busy to give you time. You will also have school-based Instructional Mentors who will help you to integrate into the school environment, and all of you would have already done your practicum and seen what the school environment is like. They will guide you in your pedagogical practice, and support you in your growth and when you face challenges. Don't hesitate to ask, they will be there for you.
22. We will also continue to invest in your development and strengthen support for teachers at different career stages, so that you can keep learning, contributing and thriving in this profession and calling. For example, please tap on professional learning courses, programmes and resources, as well as on Master Teachers who will support you in growing your professional practice.
23. We will also continue practical efforts to manage our teacher workload, so that teachers' time and energies are directed to where they matter most — guiding, mentoring, role-modelling and bringing out the very best in our students.
Closing
24. The efforts I have sketched out require commitment at every level — from us at MOE HQ, school leaders, to teachers in every single classroom. From my school visits and conversations, I know our educators care deeply about making a positive difference in our students' lives. In fact, in many of my teacher dialogues when I ask how can we better support you, they will focus on the children. They would say look after the children, and they will feel well supported too as teachers.
25. As you embark on this journey, remember that teaching is a team effort.
- Learn from your colleagues, your schools and the wider education fraternity.
- Build strong partnerships with parents and caregivers. Call them not just when things go wrong, but when things go well, and build that social capital. When educators and families share a common purpose and mutual trust, our children benefit from a consistent environment of care and encouragement.
- NIE has given you a strong foundation in pedagogy, subject knowledge, and practical experience. Build on that foundation as you step into schools, through continuous learning.
26. Thank you for choosing to serve. You will touch lives in ways you may never fully know. A word of encouragement, a lesson that opens a young mind, a patient conversation that restores confidence — these can stay with a student for life.
27. So, congratulations once again. I wish each of you a meaningful, fulfilling and enduring career as educators. Thank you and good afternoon.