SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced a one-off grant of S$154.8 million in the Edusave scheme.
The fund is split into two areas.
The first is a one-off top-up of S$130 into the Edusave account of each Singaporean primary and secondary student, which will cost MOE S$54.8 million.
The remainder S$100 million will be set aside for all public schools to upgrade their IT equipment.
Together with the annual contribution, a primary student would receive S$330 from the government this year, while each secondary student would get S$370.
The annual contribution for primary schools is currently S$200 and for secondary schools, S$240.
They may use the Edusave money for school enrichment programmes as well as sports and leadership courses.
The S$54.8m to be pumped into the Edusave accounts is the largest to be disbursed so far since the scheme started in 1993.
The last top-up to the Edusave accounts was in 2009 - a one-off sum of S$80. And in 2005, there was a top-up of S$100 to each account.
Separately, from this year, the ministry is increasing by 25 per cent the quantum of bursaries given out by the Community Development Councils and the Citizens' Consultative Committees.
This is targeted at Singaporeans studying in the Institutes of Technical Education.
For households with a per capita monthly income of S$300 and below, recipients will get S$1,000 per year, compared to S$800 previously.
Those with a per capita income of between S$301 and S$500, the bursary amount will be S$750 a year.
These enhancements were announced by Education Minister Ng Eng Hen on Sunday. He said they are to help schools and students cope with rising costs.
"We recognise that inflation this year will go up, because the price of oil has gone up, the commodity prices have gone up because of the floods (in other countries). We want to make sure that schools have the resources, when inflation goes up, to be able to ensure that education isn't compromised," said Dr Ng.
He was at a community walkabout in Bukit Timah. During his visit to a hawker centre, it coincided with a walkabout by Singapore Democratic Party members who were selling their party newsletter. But the encounter passed without incident.
Later, at a dialogue with residents, Dr Ng took questions on coping with the mother tongue language.
One mother wondered if primary school students can learn a second language like Mandarin well, given that most speak mainly English at home.
"How do we reward those kids who can get 100 percent in three subjects, but who barely pass or get 50 percent in their second language," asked a resident.
Dr Ng said parents and preschools would have to find a balance.
"They should ask the parents, 'what do you speak most at home?' If the children speak mainly English at home, I think they should spend 70 percent of their time in their kindergarten learning Mandarin. And then the other way around, if they're okay in Mandarin or speak more mother tongue language at home, they should teach mainly English to balance it," said Dr Ng.
As for concerns about doing mother tongue exams using computer keyboard, Dr Ng assured parents that this will only be done at the secondary level. At the primary level, the focus will still be on pen-and-paper writing.
-CNA/wk/ir
The fund is split into two areas.
The first is a one-off top-up of S$130 into the Edusave account of each Singaporean primary and secondary student, which will cost MOE S$54.8 million.
The remainder S$100 million will be set aside for all public schools to upgrade their IT equipment.
Together with the annual contribution, a primary student would receive S$330 from the government this year, while each secondary student would get S$370.
The annual contribution for primary schools is currently S$200 and for secondary schools, S$240.
They may use the Edusave money for school enrichment programmes as well as sports and leadership courses.
The S$54.8m to be pumped into the Edusave accounts is the largest to be disbursed so far since the scheme started in 1993.
The last top-up to the Edusave accounts was in 2009 - a one-off sum of S$80. And in 2005, there was a top-up of S$100 to each account.
Separately, from this year, the ministry is increasing by 25 per cent the quantum of bursaries given out by the Community Development Councils and the Citizens' Consultative Committees.
This is targeted at Singaporeans studying in the Institutes of Technical Education.
For households with a per capita monthly income of S$300 and below, recipients will get S$1,000 per year, compared to S$800 previously.
Those with a per capita income of between S$301 and S$500, the bursary amount will be S$750 a year.
These enhancements were announced by Education Minister Ng Eng Hen on Sunday. He said they are to help schools and students cope with rising costs.
"We recognise that inflation this year will go up, because the price of oil has gone up, the commodity prices have gone up because of the floods (in other countries). We want to make sure that schools have the resources, when inflation goes up, to be able to ensure that education isn't compromised," said Dr Ng.
He was at a community walkabout in Bukit Timah. During his visit to a hawker centre, it coincided with a walkabout by Singapore Democratic Party members who were selling their party newsletter. But the encounter passed without incident.
Later, at a dialogue with residents, Dr Ng took questions on coping with the mother tongue language.
One mother wondered if primary school students can learn a second language like Mandarin well, given that most speak mainly English at home.
"How do we reward those kids who can get 100 percent in three subjects, but who barely pass or get 50 percent in their second language," asked a resident.
Dr Ng said parents and preschools would have to find a balance.
"They should ask the parents, 'what do you speak most at home?' If the children speak mainly English at home, I think they should spend 70 percent of their time in their kindergarten learning Mandarin. And then the other way around, if they're okay in Mandarin or speak more mother tongue language at home, they should teach mainly English to balance it," said Dr Ng.
As for concerns about doing mother tongue exams using computer keyboard, Dr Ng assured parents that this will only be done at the secondary level. At the primary level, the focus will still be on pen-and-paper writing.
-CNA/wk/ir
