Education system now child-centric: Eng Hen
Focus on providing opportunities to develop abilities
By Sandra Davie
Dr Ng told reporters at a press conference at the People's Action Party headquarters in Bedok yesterday that if the Government continued building up the education sector, the system here would be one of the best in five to 10 years. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK
EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday said the education system here has become one that puts the child at the centre, and one that lets each child go as far as his abilities and interests take him.
With the Government putting a premium on education, it will, in the next five or 10 years, make the system here one of the world's best in providing opportunities to the people, he said.
He recalled that, when he took over the education portfolio in 2008, he spent time meeting parents, students and educationists for a grasp of what they wanted of the system.
Issues that were brought up included school stress, the need for tuition and the quality of teachers but, at the end of it all, they were most concerned about opportunities, he said.
It is why his ministry has homed in on raising the quality of education across all schools, and creating avenues to develop students' diverse talents and abilities, in recognition that the system cannot be 'one size fits all'.
He was speaking to reporters at a press conference at the People's Action Party headquarters in Bedok yesterday, after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had held a separate press conference to refocus voters' attention on the issues that matter to the electorate.
PM Lee had, in his meeting with the media to mark the halfway mark of the General Election, said the polls are about securing the people's future. He identified living costs, jobs, housing, education and health care as being uppermost in the minds of Singaporeans.
Dr Ng said that, in his meetings with parents, they expressed worry that their children would be disadvantaged if they did not get into brand-name schools, or if they had neither good teachers nor tuition. Those with children who were not academically strong but were talented in other areas asked whether their children would thrive in the current school system.
Dr Ng said the quest to create opportunities for all and raise the quality of education starts with better teachers, so the Government has not only hired more of them, but raised the quality of the teaching force by hiring more graduates; today, eight in 10 teachers are graduates.
With the number of teachers having gone up from 28,000 in 2006 to 33,000 now, the ratio of teachers to students in primary schools now stands at 19 to 1; in secondary schools, it is 16 to 1.
He noted that, despite the improved ratio, many schools concentrate their resources on weaker pupils by putting them in smaller classes, and the brighter pupils, in bigger classes.
More allied educators, those who help with special needs and counselling, are also being hired to support teachers.
Schools now have specialised physical education, art and music teachers. With a 'student-centric system' in place, the aim is to staff schools with qualified, passionate teachers who can tailor programmes to their charges' abilities.
'We don't believe all children are the same. They're not all academically gifted, not all physically gifted, not all musically gifted,' said Dr Ng.
PM Lee had made this point earlier when he noted that many tracks have been set up, 'so as not to squeeze everyone through a funnel'.
Schools are being rebuilt to support these new initiatives. Music and art rooms and sports halls are being added.
In the pre-school sector, more money is being put into raising the qualifications of pre-school teachers; special-school students are getting more financial aid, and the schools that cater to them are being upgraded.
At the same time, specialised schools are being set up for students good in sports, science or the arts, or in new fields such as drama, 3-D animation and computer science.
The Institute of Technical Education and the polytechnics have been upgraded over the years and the education they provide is now world-class.
Dr Ng said the fact that the Singapore Institute of Technology - set up to give upgrading opportunities to polytechnic diploma holders - has been able to attract top institutions, such as the Culinary Institute of America, as partners shows that the focus on polytechnics is spot-on.
The minister also cited other top institutions that have gone into tie-ups with universities here on the strength of Singapore's brand name, such as Yale University's partnership with the National University of Singapore.
These tie-ups mean students here can have the best of the world right here.
Dr Ng said the education sector takes a long time to build and is 'not amenable to sloganeering or quick fixes'.
He added that if the Government continued building up the sector, the education system here would be truly one of the best in five to 10 years.
[email protected]
Focus on providing opportunities to develop abilities
By Sandra Davie
Dr Ng told reporters at a press conference at the People's Action Party headquarters in Bedok yesterday that if the Government continued building up the education sector, the system here would be one of the best in five to 10 years. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK
EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday said the education system here has become one that puts the child at the centre, and one that lets each child go as far as his abilities and interests take him.
With the Government putting a premium on education, it will, in the next five or 10 years, make the system here one of the world's best in providing opportunities to the people, he said.
He recalled that, when he took over the education portfolio in 2008, he spent time meeting parents, students and educationists for a grasp of what they wanted of the system.
Issues that were brought up included school stress, the need for tuition and the quality of teachers but, at the end of it all, they were most concerned about opportunities, he said.
It is why his ministry has homed in on raising the quality of education across all schools, and creating avenues to develop students' diverse talents and abilities, in recognition that the system cannot be 'one size fits all'.
He was speaking to reporters at a press conference at the People's Action Party headquarters in Bedok yesterday, after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had held a separate press conference to refocus voters' attention on the issues that matter to the electorate.
PM Lee had, in his meeting with the media to mark the halfway mark of the General Election, said the polls are about securing the people's future. He identified living costs, jobs, housing, education and health care as being uppermost in the minds of Singaporeans.
Dr Ng said that, in his meetings with parents, they expressed worry that their children would be disadvantaged if they did not get into brand-name schools, or if they had neither good teachers nor tuition. Those with children who were not academically strong but were talented in other areas asked whether their children would thrive in the current school system.
Dr Ng said the quest to create opportunities for all and raise the quality of education starts with better teachers, so the Government has not only hired more of them, but raised the quality of the teaching force by hiring more graduates; today, eight in 10 teachers are graduates.
With the number of teachers having gone up from 28,000 in 2006 to 33,000 now, the ratio of teachers to students in primary schools now stands at 19 to 1; in secondary schools, it is 16 to 1.
He noted that, despite the improved ratio, many schools concentrate their resources on weaker pupils by putting them in smaller classes, and the brighter pupils, in bigger classes.
More allied educators, those who help with special needs and counselling, are also being hired to support teachers.
Schools now have specialised physical education, art and music teachers. With a 'student-centric system' in place, the aim is to staff schools with qualified, passionate teachers who can tailor programmes to their charges' abilities.
'We don't believe all children are the same. They're not all academically gifted, not all physically gifted, not all musically gifted,' said Dr Ng.
PM Lee had made this point earlier when he noted that many tracks have been set up, 'so as not to squeeze everyone through a funnel'.
Schools are being rebuilt to support these new initiatives. Music and art rooms and sports halls are being added.
In the pre-school sector, more money is being put into raising the qualifications of pre-school teachers; special-school students are getting more financial aid, and the schools that cater to them are being upgraded.
At the same time, specialised schools are being set up for students good in sports, science or the arts, or in new fields such as drama, 3-D animation and computer science.
The Institute of Technical Education and the polytechnics have been upgraded over the years and the education they provide is now world-class.
Dr Ng said the fact that the Singapore Institute of Technology - set up to give upgrading opportunities to polytechnic diploma holders - has been able to attract top institutions, such as the Culinary Institute of America, as partners shows that the focus on polytechnics is spot-on.
The minister also cited other top institutions that have gone into tie-ups with universities here on the strength of Singapore's brand name, such as Yale University's partnership with the National University of Singapore.
These tie-ups mean students here can have the best of the world right here.
Dr Ng said the education sector takes a long time to build and is 'not amenable to sloganeering or quick fixes'.
He added that if the Government continued building up the sector, the education system here would be truly one of the best in five to 10 years.
[email protected]
