预算辩论 · 2015-03-06 · 第 12 届国会

教育预算与就业匹配

Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)

AI 与就业AI 与教育AI 与公共部门 争议度 3 · 实质辩论

质询方关注新加坡大学毕业生就业匹配问题，借鉴韩国、中国毕业生高失业率案例，担忧新加坡青年失业风险。强调教育应注重实用技能，呼吁政府通过SkillsFuture推动终身学习，提升就业竞争力。政府回应聚焦投资公民技能，支持未来就业准备。核心争议在于教育与就业市场需求的匹配及青年失业风险防范。

关键要点

  • • 毕业生就业匹配问题
  • • 教育应注重实用技能
  • • 推动终身学习机制
政府立场

支持SkillsFuture促进技能提升

质询立场

担忧青年失业与教育脱节

政策信号

强化技能培训与终身学习

"Singaporeans cannot take full employment for granted."

参与人员（27）

完整译文（中文）

Hansard 英文原文译文 · 翻译日期：2026-05-02

普通教育政策

林标泉议员（蒙巴顿选区）：主席女士，我请求动议：“将估算表中K项的总拨款减少100元。”

《海峡时报》最近的一篇文章引起了我的注意。文章报道说，韩国有太多求职者争夺太少的工作岗位。报道指出，大学入学率已从1990年代的30%上升到80%。据报道，韩国家长在课外辅导上的花费高达19万亿韩元，约合224亿新元。但许多大学毕业生由于劳动力严重错配，找不到工作。15至29岁人群的失业率为8%，韩国政府数据显示，有超过三百万毕业生处于“经济非活跃”状态。

另一篇BBC去年七月的文章报道，2014年中国将有惊人的726万大学毕业生。事实上，文章标题为“如何处理数百万额外毕业生？”这些新毕业生离校六个月后的失业率约为15%。

看到如此令人沮丧的消息，我不禁想知道新加坡毕业生的情况。像韩国和中国一样，新加坡人非常重视教育，许多学生渴望接受高等教育。这一点从最近一项家庭调查中可以看出，新加坡家庭在辅导上的花费高达11亿新元。

我担心越来越多的学生将获得大学学位视为人生的终极目标，并认为毕业后必定有光明的未来。对我来说，追求进一步教育没有错。然而，我担心那些花费大量时间和金钱获得高等教育的新加坡人，毕业后却找不到高薪工作。新加坡会不会出现像韩国、中国和欧洲许多地区那样的高青年失业率？如果出现，我相信这些人会感到极大的挫败和深深的不满。

去年，我曾敦促政府确保所有来自工艺教育学院（ITE）、理工学院和大学的学生都能为各行业未来需求做好充分准备。我们必须确保学生在高等学府（IHL）学到的技能是实用且与行业相关的。因此，我很高兴在预算声明中听到关于投资公民以备未来的重点。

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预算辩论中谈到了许多关于SkillsFuture的内容。我同意我们必须帮助公民深化并掌握与其工作相关的技能，因为我们的人民是我们唯一的自然资源。在这个竞争激烈的世界里，新加坡人不能把充分就业视为理所当然。请问部长，SkillsFuture将如何帮助新加坡人更好地理解终身学习的重要性，以在其专业或工作中获得更深层次的技能，并保持职场竞争力？就在今天的《海峡时报》报道中，有报道称越来越少的工人觉得培训有用。教育部能否确保教育和培训提供者教授的课程和技能是有用且相关的？部长能否详细说明SkillsFuture学分，以及新加坡人如何利用SkillsFuture学分提升自己？

接下来，请允许我简要谈谈辅导。虽然我知道许多学生严重依赖辅导，但我担心辅导最终会成为他们的拐杖。他们中的一些人过度依赖辅导以取得高分，可能已经失去了自主学习的能力。这将使他们进入职场时处于劣势，因为他们在学生时期可能没有培养独立解决问题的能力。他们总是依赖辅导老师作为安全网。

我们能否请学校鼓励那些表现良好的学生重新考虑是否真的需要辅导？教师可以鼓励学生勇敢自信，培养自主学习的能力，而不必总是依赖辅导老师陪伴和检查作业。如果我们朝这个方向迈出一小步，就能逐渐减少学生对辅导的过度依赖。希望这能逐步减轻学生的压力，因为学生应看到实际能力、应用技能和终身学习技能在进入职场后更为重要。

最后，我很高兴听到针对中年新加坡人的增强补贴。我认为，一旦新加坡人对自己的职业目标更清晰，我们可以鼓励他们通过技能发展或进一步教育寻求更多发展机会。然而，我希望教育部考虑允许那些工作至少五年的新加坡人享受增强补贴，而不必等到40岁。

我认识许多年轻人，工作几年后觉得是时候提升技能，这通常发生在他们还未面临平衡工作、家庭和学习困难之前。部长，我恳请允许他们在准备好时抓住教育体系提供的机会，而不是等到40岁。

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[（程序文本）提案问题。（程序文本）]

SkillsFuture——晋升机会

宰尼丁·诺丁议员（碧山-大巴窑选区）：（马来语）[请参阅母语发言。]主席女士，我们正在努力重组经济，为全球挑战做好准备。随着这项努力，国家产业将迅速转型。实施SkillsFuture及其他相关终身学习和技能提升计划非常重要且必要。希望这能带来新加坡工人和学生所需的心态转变。这种心态转变是SkillsFuture成功的关键。

虽然我们理解终身学习和技能提升计划的长期益处，但这只是一个预测和潜力，不会产生快速成果。我相信许多人想更详细地了解SkillsFuture计划如何尽快为学生和工人，尤其是成熟工人，提供动力和积极影响。SkillsFuture能否持续帮助学生和工人在职业生涯中取得进步？

关于学校和高等学府（IHL）的SkillsFuture计划，我们希望为学生实现哪些目标和成果？实习和“边学边赚”计划能否决定一个良好且稳定的职业，还是仅仅用于教育和培训？我们如何确保学生在SkillsFuture计划中的匹配度良好，减少流失率和复杂情况，以实现更优的成果？

高等教育的期望

陈佩玲议员（海洋公园选区）：主席女士，我对政府推出ASPIRE和SkillsFuture感到鼓舞。我希望所有这些举措综合起来，长期内能培养一支始终与时俱进、善于做出职业选择、就业能力强且无论世界或经济如何变化都备受青睐的劳动力。更重要的是，培养一群热衷终身学习、乐于寻找机会不断挑战自我的人。

下午1时15分

主席女士，我有两个建议。首先是允许SkillsFuture学分涵盖更广泛的课程。这可以包括本地机构的研究生课程，如硕士项目。这无疑将帮助那些有志且有能力获得更高学历的新加坡人实现目标。

SkillsFuture学分旨在赋权，给予新加坡人对个人发展和职业进步的自主权和责任。因此，为什么不让新加坡人自己决定最适合他们发展和需求的课程呢？因为SkillsFuture学分可能只是硕士课程总费用的一小部分，但它代表了升级的愿望。

因此，我的第二个建议是允许新加坡人动用自己的公积金部分资金来资助这些课程，并明确表示如果动用公积金，毕业后应予以偿还。

支持中年学习

洪伟能议员（裕廊选区）：主席女士，中年定义各异。通常指工作10至15年，年龄大约在30多岁或40岁左右的人。在这个阶段，可能会面临以下几种情况：

（a）感觉需要提升和深化工作技能，以便在职业上表现更好；

（b）寻求人生的终极目标和意义，考虑可能的职业转变；

（c）最糟糕的情况，因技能过时或公司关闭搬迁而面临裁员。

对于第一类需要提升技能以更好完成工作的人员，他们通常更有自我驱动力，能主动寻找合适课程，SkillsFuture学分对他们非常有用。

对于第二类，政府或许可以与行业合作，提供更多中年奖学金，促进职业转变，鼓励人们向成长行业倾斜。这并不意味着鼓励频繁换工作或转行。多项关于中年危机的研究显示，人们常常在从事一段时间的职业后感到不满，这是一种现代病。

第三类最令人担忧。许多30多岁和40多岁的人有重大财务负担，如房贷、抚养年幼或在校子女及赡养年迈父母等，无法承受失业的打击。这类人群最需要关注。

主席女士，随着经济重组加速，更多新加坡人将失业。一个人在同一领域辛苦工作多年后失业，痛苦尤甚。制造业工人是一个特殊群体。许多新加坡人在工厂关闭并迁往槟城、中国等地时被裁员。虽然创造了许多新岗位，但大多集中在服务业。制造业失业者难以适应并转行。

我个人曾尝试帮助一些被裁的新加坡人，提供服务业岗位，但效果不佳。我曾面试多位制造业中层管理人员，最终只有一人适合服务业管理岗位。即使如此，最终被录用的也只有五分之一。

我希望人力部能帮助更多失业工人，组织课程，并与就业促进机构（e2i）合作，寻找新方法帮助他们。

终身学习

林娜议员（非选区议员）：终身学习是为个人或职业目的追求知识，促进社会包容、积极公民意识和个人发展，但更强调自我维持，而非竞争力和就业能力。

终身学习也可视为我们日常与他人及周围世界互动中持续发生的过程。

随着新加坡人寿命延长，他们可以利用更多时间做自己喜欢的事。若香港的同龄人能拥抱终身学习进入课堂，我们的长者若有兴趣、精力和愿望通过持续教育过更充实的生活，也应效仿。

对于因各种原因年轻时未能完成学业的长者，学习机会将备受欢迎，应向他们开放。也应为有需要的长者提供学习机会，以表彰他们为建设新加坡所作贡献，经历过艰难岁月，拥有丰富人生经验。

课堂上的代际学习独特且有益，年轻学生和长者通过互动相互学习，克服彼此的顾虑。

我们生活在全球化世界，科技不断创新，一些长者甚至可以在家或办公室在线学习高等课程。

我欣慰地注意到，新加坡正在研究香港长者重返课堂计划的可行性，长者可在周末和晚上参加参与大学和学校的课程，学习高等教育或生活技能，如基础电脑使用和手工艺。

香港该计划获得政府补贴。希望政府能为技能未来一亿元计划下的继续教育项目提供某种形式的增强补贴。为长者提供高等教育无疑有助于保持其精神敏锐，提高自尊。

继续教育之路并非一帆风顺，但只要有耐心，收获远大于挫折。终身学习不仅是为了获得更多职业资格，也丰富了我们的生活。

引用：“活得越久，学得越多；学得越多，越意识到自己知道得越少。”

实习

余振忠议员（非选区议员）：主席女士，随着我们向更注重技能的经济转型，实习将扮演越来越重要的角色。我之前谈过这个话题。虽然我很高兴实习岗位增多且据说会更有结构，但我仍担心如何让行业参与，确保实习有意义，同时增加实习名额。

过去15年我曾带过实习生，也与其他带实习生的人交流过。从公司的角度看，实习生供应有些不可预测。有些机构提前较长时间通知实习生到来，有些则只提前两周。有时我们可以面试和挑选实习生，有时则不行。

如果供应不可预测，且实习生现有技能与公司需求不匹配，公司很难规划有意义的项目。若能让不同批次实习生之间保持项目连续性，比如实习期间开始的项目可作为毕业设计继续，将更有意义和现实。

今年我们有新的“边学边赚”计划，资金支持充足。我希望看到对每年接收一定数量实习生的公司提供实习资金支持，使他们能投入资源严谨管理实习，类似学徒制。

我也希望公司与学校导师密切协调，使项目对公司有用，同时实习经历满足学校学习要求。若可能，也可引入行业协会专业知识，协助规划和验证实习项目。

针对学生职业的目标行业

蔡启成议员（提名议员）：主席女士，用中文发言。

（中文）[请参阅母语发言。]主席女士，议员们，下午好。2015年预算启动了SkillsFuture“边学边赚”计划，帮助理工学院和工艺教育学院毕业生与潜在雇主对接。今年起，政府将与零售、餐饮和物流行业合作，培养一批SkillsFuture导师，协助中小企业培训人才。这是非常好的消息。

教育的作用是满足社会需求。我们的本地人才在严格结构化的框架下培养。这种模式的优势是能够整体提升劳动力质量。然而，如果在规划阶段忽视了某些行业，人才资源就会出现缺口。

一些传统行业已经出现了缺口。在此，我呼吁所有行业和商会积极参与未来人力资源规划。他们不仅要准确传达各自行业的需求给教育部，还应全力支持实习计划。通过实习，学生可以亲身体验工作环境，了解个人兴趣和优势是否在行业中有发展潜力，帮助规划未来职业道路。另一方面，该计划也帮助雇主识别最优秀的年轻人才并进行招聘。

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然而，我们也必须认识到，大型企业有能力提供实习机会并吸引人才。中小企业则往往缺乏完善的体系。但如果他们现在不参与人力资源规划，未来的人才短缺问题将更加严重。

为了顺应时代，传统产业和中小企业也必须抓住机会提升整体形象。例如，大体上，年轻人并不热衷于在蛋糕店做穿背心的工人。但如果老板努力改善工作环境，提高工作的技能价值，那么招聘的要求就会变成聘请穿着整洁制服的糕点师，这样既能展现专业形象，也能让员工感到满足。

未来，专业教育和职业辅导员将被派驻到所有中学、工艺教育学院（ITE）、理工学院和大学。行业和贸易协会必须与这些辅导员紧密合作，确保他们具备充分且全面的行业知识，帮助他们改变学生对传统产业的刻板印象。

我真诚希望更多的行业协会参与“技能未来学徒计划”（SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme）。同时，我也想了解工艺教育学院和理工学院在选择实习行业时采用的标准。只有充分了解所用的标准和考虑因素，传统产业的业主才能更有目的性和系统性地与学校合作。

职业辅导

洪伟能议员（裕廊）：主席女士，我用普通话发言。

（普通话）：【请参阅方言发言。】有人说，男人最大的恐惧是选择错误的职业，而女人最大的恐惧是嫁错了人。在现代社会，性别平等意味着女性也工作，并且同样担心选择错误的职业。

虽然我们在“技能未来”上投入巨大，我们也需要教育和职业辅导员为学生提供辅导，帮助他们了解自己的优势和劣势，

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以及兴趣领域和各种选择。中学生在选择高等院校课程时可以做出明智的选择，最终在职业选择上做出明智的决定。

然而，教育部聘用的教育和职业辅导员首先必须在不同领域拥有实际工作经验，并接受专业培训，才能有效地为学生提供建议。否则，他们只会空谈，误导学生。

我们都知道每个家长都希望孩子成功。然而，并非每个人都能成为医生或律师。因此，学校应与家长沟通，家长也应与学校合作，使每个学生根据自己的能力和兴趣做出职业选择，而不是仅仅选择薪水最高的职业。毕竟，无论做什么工作，都能成就伟业。

（英语）：用英语发言，女士。我在普通话发言中提到，当教育部辅导员为学生提供职业指导时，需要让家长参与。在高等教育阶段，学生在相关公司实习更为重要，以应用他们在教育机构获得的技能。

副总理沙尔曼在预算陈述中提到，政府将在未来两年内为三分之二的理工学院课程和一半的工艺教育学院课程推出“增强实习”计划。这是一个雄心勃勃的目标。教育部能否与我们分享支持该目标所需的实习机会数量？政府如何激励企业提供有意义的实习？归根结底，这必须是企业和学生的双赢局面。

每所学校都是好学校

潘丽萍议员（茂林-加冷）：女士，冰山水面上可见的10%之下，是其总质量重要的90%。正是这90%在水面之下，受到洋流的作用，导致冰山顶部的行为。我想用冰山的比喻来解释为什么新加坡人仍然很难相信每所学校都是好学校。

下午1时30分

首先，冰山顶部可见的现象。争取进入被认为是更好的学校的动力依然强烈。尽管部长做了很多工作。小学离校考试（PSLE）高分不再公布。十年系列试题对所有人开放。更多的品格教育奖项；ASPIRE计划，甚至计划用一个竞争性较低的系统取代PSLE的T分数系统。然而，人们仍然认为某些学校比其他学校更受欢迎或更好。

去年进入初级学院的分数线低至3分，如莱佛士书院和华侨中学。补习行业继续繁荣，规模可能超过10亿新元。甚至理工学院学生如今也参加补习。直接学校录取（DSA）并不令人鼓舞。家长和学生很快发现，掌握某些课外活动（CCA）是通过DSA系统的最佳方式，这些活动能让他们领先于其他候选人。热门学校不仅吸引最聪明的学生，也吸引最强壮的学生。

回到冰山比喻。水面下有潜在的结构和强烈的信念与心态，持续滋养着这些不良行为。为了节省时间，我只列举几个。

许多新加坡人坚信一个心理模型：为了过上好生活，你需要好成绩进入好学校，进而进入好大学，这是一张通往好工作、好薪水、好配偶、希望有好孩子的通行证，这个循环不断重复。这个心理模型难以动摇。只有当人们看到足够的证据和亲身经历，才能被说服去替代它。

另一个心理模型，由包括公共服务在内的雇主持有，认为顶尖学校的毕业生更受欢迎，他们的学术成绩是能力和潜力的关键决定因素。他们的招聘系统也反映了这一点。

教育环境本身也由一个主要通过学术成绩推动学生升学的系统塑造，学生主要根据高风险考试的成绩被分配到学校。

许多根深蒂固的心态源于良好的初衷。毕竟，教育是最明显且赋权的社会流动方式。但除非解决这些潜在结构和心态，否则试图让大家接受“每所学校都是好学校”是徒劳的。学校教育将继续成为压力锅。

我想提出几种方法，消除冰山顶端这些不健康的症状。

第一，取消不必要的高风险学术考试，如小学离校考试。小学阶段花太多时间准备这项考试。

第二，试点一所十年一贯制学校，同时不降低学术和品格培养的严谨性。

第三，开发基于解决方案的学校和教育项目组织方式。为所有学校提供扎实优质的课程模块，无论是学术还是非学术，从基础到典型再到高级水平。

第四，逐步退出天才学校或特别辅助计划（SAP）学校。不要将同一能力的学生集中在一个地理位置，而是将不同能力的学生安排在同一屋檐下，由教师或生活导师带领。学生可以属于同一个基础班，但按照个人教育计划学习；在一天中，根据自己的能力和节奏，与其他有相似学习需求的学生一起上课。这部分已经在理工学院和大学中有所体现。

第五，更积极地利用科技，使最佳教育实践和资源可供教师、学生甚至照顾者使用，提升他们的竞争力。

最后，必须做更多工作，提供证据和体验，证明通往美好生活有多条路径。包括公共服务在内的雇主必须带头，寻找更进步的招聘、晋升和认可员工的方式，超越传统学术标准。走少有人走的路取得成功的家长应分享他们的经验。

让每所学校成为好学校的愿景是进步的。然而，除非我们所有人都与教育部合作，否则这将只是梦想。

印德吉特·辛格议员（宏茂桥）：女士，今天许多家长认为，孩子必须进入所谓的“顶尖”学校，基于学术成绩，才能在人生中取得成功。让学业优异的学生长期集中在一些热门学校，助长了这些学校比其他学校更好的观念。

这也导致了自我实现的预言，因为这些学校的学生本来学业就强，后来确实表现优异，随着教育层次的提升表现更好。这种稀缺心态使家长希望孩子学业优异，以便进入这些“顶尖学校”。随着更多学业优异的学生涌向这些“顶尖学校”，这些学校的录取分数线提高，正如潘丽萍女士之前提到的，使它们看起来更像“顶尖学校”，因为家长不知道如何衡量学校质量。

这导致家长花费大量金钱为孩子补习，以帮助他们取得更好成绩，从而进入这些“顶尖学校”。这种心态造成了“补习”竞赛，担心如果不给孩子补习，他们会输给已经补习的孩子。因此，这对低收入新加坡人是不利的。

教育部设定了目标，希望孩子们能够自主学习、自我导向学习。补习心态违背了这一目标。是否可以在每所学校设定学业优异学生的配额，帮助将这些学生分散到更多学校，避免形成恶性循环？

这也能让家长不再过分关注学校的录取分数线，因为所有学校都会有学业优异和较弱的学生。教育上，这意味着学校必须能够照顾不同学业表现的学生。另一个好处是，所有孩子都能了解社会多样性，不同才能和能力的学生互动，长期来看将建设更强大的社会。如今，许多相似类型的学生被集中在同一学校。

我建议的这种方法还可以让家长超越录取分数线，关注中学推出的许多特色课程，特别是针对孩子不同优势和兴趣的课程，涵盖广泛领域——这些课程能激发孩子的学习兴趣，让他们看到学习的相关性，使他们更投入、更自主地学习。

最终，我们希望每个孩子都能全面发展，发现兴趣，发挥优势，点燃终身学习的热情，并从与不同背景的人互动中受益，进而建设更强大的社会和新加坡。因此，我想问部长，他是否认为自己正在成功改变新加坡人的心态，让大家相信每所学校确实都是好学校。

综合学校

余振忠议员：女士，这是我第四年就小学至中学一贯制学校的话题发言。如果我显得坚持不懈，是因为我真心相信，在一个适当多元的教育环境中，新加坡人应该有机会选择这种公费教育选项。

这种一贯制学校不需要学生参加小学离校考试（PSLE）。它允许学校与学生长期共同发展全面教育，有时间培养品格和价值观，以及考试之外的其他方面。从其他国家和提供此类一贯制系统的私立学校的成绩来看，学业成就不必受到影响。

我之前提出了大致想法，建议在新加坡分布设立八所此类学校，且排除所有顶尖学校参与试点。我呼吁逐步实施并以试点方式进行，因为大多数新加坡人可能尚未理解没有PSLE的教育系统如何运作。

不过，我相信有相当一部分人愿意让孩子在同一所学校接受十年教育，即使这意味着孩子难以进入现有的顶尖学校。我呼吁教育部认真研究这一选项，进行公众调查，了解家长对试点学校的支持程度，并公布结果，以便我们就这一教育选项展开有意义的讨论。

补习文化

方荣发议员（后港）：女士，教育部高级国务部长曾在本议院表示，“我们的教育系统是建立在不需要补习的基础上的。”我相信许多家长愿意这样想，但现实情况却大相径庭。

2013年9月24日《海峡时报》一篇题为《补习普遍，无法忽视》的评论文章引用了零星但惊人的数据。报道称，私人补习行业规模达10亿新元，各种调查显示有50%至90%的家庭为孩子补习。这是大量家庭和资金投入，而教育部认为补习是不必要的。

作为立法者，我们是否也相信在我们的教育系统下补习是不必要的？在座有多少人曾为孩子安排补习或正在安排？2013年10月30日另一篇文章更强烈地指出，补习流行是因为我们教育系统存在问题。

我敦促教育部进行全国性的补习文化调查。此类调查可以通过网络轻松完成，或让每个学生带一份简单的表格回家由家长填写。

女士，教育部难道不想研究为什么家长在拥有世界一流教育系统的情况下，仍然送孩子去补习吗？我有信心，这样的调查结果将帮助教育部破解我们补习文化的谜团，也许还能帮助制定更有效的政策，不仅惠及学生，也惠及教师。

“少教多学”运动始于2006年，旨在培养学生全面发展，而非仅为考试做准备。我不确定学校现在是否真的减少了教学量，但现实感知是学生从补习中学得更多。

多元路径与可及性

蔡庆文议员（碧山-大巴窑）：女士，教育部和高等院校将在促进新加坡人终身学习方面发挥越来越重要的作用。我们必须继续扩大新加坡教育的路径和可及性。政府推出的学分计划无疑会激发在职成人持续学习新技能的兴趣。通过持续自我提升，即使在工作生涯中，他们也能掌握所从事工作的技能。我相信这将使他们具备转行或从事新行业的能力，正如林瑞生先生所说，使他们能够在竞争激烈、快速变化的全球经济中茁壮成长。

我希望我们的高等院校和培训中心能够满足新加坡人求知的渴望。但我们需要确保有足够的名额供学生和工人使用，并确保教育系统各级学生都能获得这些机会。我想了解教育部如何监管这些课程的质量，确保学生和工人所投入的时间、精力和资金能够转化为良好的就业匹配和职业发展？

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天才教育

余振忠议员：女士，距我们启动天才教育计划（GEP）已有31年。每年约有1%的学生通过全国性的英语、数学和科学能力测试，在小学三年级结束时被选入GEP。

我曾呼吁教育部审查集中式GEP，转而支持更多学校发展高能力学生，使他们无需在小学四年级迁往九所GEP学校之一。

天赋有多种形式，不仅仅体现在语言、科学和数学方面。有些人在艺术或体育方面有天赋。当前对天赋教育计划（GEP）的定义较为狭窄。我们可以鼓励所有学校开展各种形式的深入、专业化的拓展和参与。当我们需要技能时，可以利用学校群组系统，或通过现有在科学、艺术或体育方面具有强大专业知识的机构来实现。对于极少数极具天赋的学生，他们甚至会觉得现有的GEP缺乏吸引力，我们可以借助我们的大学资源。

一些非GEP学校已经开设了自己的天赋班，鼓励他们的优秀学生留在本校，而不是转到GEP学校。我们不必陷入这种竞争。我们可以将为GEP开发的项目推广到更多学校，同时扩大我们对天赋的定义。

下午1时45分

最后，经过31年，教育部是否做过纵向研究，追踪GEP毕业生的职业发展情况？这些研究能否公开？我希望公众能获得更多关于GEP成果的数据，以审视其持续的相关性。

语言能力

许乐（碧山-大巴窑）：女士，去年我在我的Facebook上发帖，论述尽管我们的教育体系良好，新加坡人在一个方面仍然不足，那就是英语口语。一些人回应表示同意，也有人说我的帖子没有认可我们的其他优点。但没有人说我们的英语水平足够好。当然，我们培养出了一些优秀的作家和演讲者，但在沟通技能方面，仅有少数人表现良好是不够的。

这是因为沟通能力是任何工作、任何职业中至关重要的技能；因此，人人达到合格水平非常重要。真正的问题是，我们应该问，一个通过并毕业于新加坡体系的人应具备什么品质，而我们今天是否看到了这些品质？

在沟通能力方面，我认为答案是否定的。这是我与许多雇主交谈时共同感受到的抱怨。新加坡人有良好的实质内容，但形式不足。虽然他们可能知识丰富或有很多贡献，但缺乏清晰自信表达自己的能力。这使新加坡人在国际职场中处于严重劣势。

是什么导致我们的教学方式培养出数学和科学成绩优异的学生，却在语言方面表现不佳？这不仅仅是语法、词汇和拼写的问题，还包括措辞、表达、演讲以及最终的说服力。因为我们生活中很多事情都涉及说服他人。

如果我们同意教育体系的重要目标之一是培养口齿清晰、自信的年轻人，那么我们需要问自己：为什么现行政策未能实现这一目标？例如，我们是否足够重视学前阶段的语言技能，因为那是我们首次有机会培养孩子，防止他们养成不良语言习惯？

我们的一些语言政策可能适得其反。让我举几个例子。

如果学生在GCE“O”水准的高级母语考试中获得C6至A1的成绩，他可以从L1R5分数中扣除两分。事实上，即使他用高级母语代替英语计算语言分数，也可以扣除这两分奖励分。因此，学习英语的动力减少了。

口试在小六离校考试（PSLE）中权重仅为15%，在GCE“O”水准中为20%，而GCE“A”水准则没有相应的口试权重。因此，提升沟通技能的动力很小。我们的评分政策导致英语文学课程的衰落或消亡，正如郭晓莹女士几天前指出的。

即使是高级母语，我们的政策也可能适得其反。如果学生通过了GCE“O”水准的高级母语考试，他就不必继续学习该科目。因此，学习高级母语的动力是学到GCE“O”水准后可以放弃，从而减少一门科目。许多学生就是这样做的——他们获得两分奖励后就放弃了该科目。因此，选择学习高级母语更多是战术性的，而非教育性的。结果是，许多学生在16岁时停止了正式的语言学习，甚至停止使用该语言。

我们知道人们总是为了自身利益行事。因此，如果我们认真想提升沟通能力，就应重新设计体系，鼓励正确的行为和学习习惯。这样，我们的年轻人将掌握一项真正宝贵的技能，终生受益。

全人教育——品格与价值观

黄碧芳女士（淡滨尼）：女士，在今年的教育储蓄品格奖颁奖活动中，我走访了一些学生，问他们为何认为自己获奖。常见回答是：“我不知道”或“我不确定”。

我知道教育储蓄品格奖自2012年设立时初衷良好，但此时回顾该奖项的实用性是有益的。它真的有助于我们年轻人的道德发展吗？学校在选拔获奖者时到底奖励了哪些价值观和品质？这些信息如何传达？更根本的是，我们是否应完全取消品格奖的现金部分？

我敦促教育部对该计划进行仔细审查，探索更好的方式来彰显教育部对品格和价值观的重视。

多项研究表明，在品格教育中，外在动机不仅与内在动机不同，实际上还会侵蚀内在动机。那些因做好事而获得奖励的人，反而不太可能认为自己是关心他人的人，更倾向于将行为归因于奖励。因此，研究人员发现，经常获得奖励的儿童比其他儿童更不可能持续做这些事情。简言之，用现金奖励来激励儿童表现良好品格可能适得其反。

更糟的是，当每所学校获奖人数被人为限制在2%时，这就形成了竞争。我想知道这是否导致获奖者被视为他人想效仿的榜样，还是被看作只是幸运被老师发现的学生。

女士，“教育”一词源自拉丁语，意为“引导出来”。为了支持学生的社会和道德成长，学习过程需要给予他们机会去理解公平、勇气和韧性等概念。他们必须被邀请反思复杂问题，自己和彼此探讨——一个人应成为什么样的人，为什么值得为此努力，以及当周围环境恶劣时如何坚持下去。没有任何品格奖能帮助他们做到这一点。通过学习过程，他们学会自我激励、自我引导，并坚信自己能掌控想成为什么样的人。

我与年轻人交谈时发现，有些人倾向于不加批判地从社交媒体获取新闻，重复问题并寻求解决方案。有时我觉得他们期待我给出标准答案，就像考试题目一样。我常反问他们：“你怎么看？你能做什么？我们来讨论。”这可能不会给他们满意的标准答案，对于不习惯这种方式的人来说，可能会感到不安。

但如果我们想帮助年轻人成为有道德的人，而不是盲目服从或本能反抗所听到的指令，这种批判性思维和自我意识非常重要。这就是为什么我认为我们的教育体系应更注重培养批判判断力，促进个性发展，以及激发对社区、国家和国际问题的兴趣。

学校应更好地利用文学、历史和体育课程，讨论人性，从不同角度看问题，并在压力情境下慎重思考后再行动。

身处关怀的学校社区有助于学生发展自我意识和公民意识。学校本身必须有品格，学生必须感受到归属感。如果我们继续频繁更名学校和更换校长，就有可能培养出匿名学校和匿名校长的局面，这是我们无法承受的。

在这方面，我欢迎每所学校获得的2万元拨款，用于支持他们确定的事业。我敦促学校明智使用这笔资金，建设自身的学校品格，同时引导学生参与有价值的事业，培养他们对周围更广泛社区的个人责任感。如果他们对学校和社区有真正的责任感，行为上应有所改变：例如，他们更不可能乱扔垃圾，更少责怪他人，更愿意成为解决方案的一部分。

我也担心补习心态对年轻人品格发展的影响。即使是成绩优异的学生也觉得需要补习。我担心这会培养他们依赖的心态，削弱他们对自身能力的自信，觉得必须参加更多课程才能成功，而他们本应对自己能力充满信心，敢于追求卓越。我也担心过度补习——

主席：黄女士，请结束发言，时间到了。

黄碧芳：家长在品格培养中也扮演关键角色。我想问部长，如何让家长参与品格培养？

人文与社会科学研究

陈泰勇教授（提名议员）：女士，新加坡过去50年取得了惊人的成就。我们在一代人内从第三世界跃升为第一世界。随着新加坡庆祝50岁生日，人们对我们的兴趣不仅限于经济成就。现在更深层的好奇是，我们来自哪里，作为一个国家我们代表什么，我们经历了什么，发展带来的社会影响，我们在过程中形成了哪些价值观，以及我们将如何迎接未来。

新加坡也很独特且引人入胜，因为在发展历程中，我们经历了高速发展。我们的增长呈现指数级。这意味着每一代在新加坡生活和成长的人经历截然不同。

新加坡的代沟非常明显，可能比世界上任何地方都明显。社会结构、教育体系、工作、生活经历，甚至周围建筑和思维方式都代代不同；甚至我们的主要交流语言可能与父母不同。

本预算案着眼于建设未来，我很高兴政府已制定计划，加强新加坡的竞争力。副总理兼财政部长已确定新加坡将重点发展五大增长集群，即应用健康科学、智能与可持续城市解决方案、物流与航空航天，以及亚洲和全球金融服务。

科学与技术研究确实是我们在这些领域发展竞争优势的必要条件。在这方面，国家研究基金会（NRF）发挥着关键作用。它于2006年作为总理办公室（PMO）下属部门成立，多年来获得大量资金，用于制定研究、创新与企业（RIE）的政策、计划和战略。事实上，新加坡政府已承诺在2011至2015年间投入160亿新元用于研发，纳入RIE2015计划。

虽然我们在建设深厚的技术能力上投入巨大，但现在也是投资人文与社会科学研究能力的适当时机。没有任何科学发明或进步是孤立存在的，重要的是它对人们生活的影响。史蒂夫·乔布斯曾著名地说：“苹果的DNA中，单靠技术是不够的——技术与人文艺术结合，才产生让我们心动的成果。”

此外，今天世界的问题复杂多面，单靠物理科学研究无法解决。

每项政策背后都有经济、社会和政治后果。因此，我们需要在人文与社会科学领域建立更深的能力，以补充我们在科学与技术方面的传统优势，增强我们作为思想领袖的相关性。

对人类经验的研究丰富了我们对所处世界的认识，赋予我们想象未来的工具。人文与社会科学研究为我们理解历史、人民、价值观、国家、社会环境、经济以及全球环境对我国影响增添了维度。这些知识和理解有助于我们塑造未来。反之，缺乏扎实的学术研究，我们对过去或现行政策的认知不过是观点、意见，甚至是猜测。

正值新加坡致力于建设知识之都之际，这是果断投资人文与社会科学的好时机。设立国家人文与社会科学研究理事会，支持人文与社会科学研究，类似NRF支持科学与技术研究，将完善新加坡的研究生态。

我了解到教育部已通过其设立的学术研究基金支持大学进行此类研究。但设立专门的国家理事会，支持超越大学范围的国家研究能力，将有助于在新加坡建立更大、更具多样性的研究基础。大学之外有许多团体在人民与社会领域做重要工作，能从此类支持中受益。

在人文与社会科学上的小额投资——我们知道其成本不高——可能对我们作为社会和国家的发展产生巨大影响。

最后，我引用已故亚瑟·叶的诗句：

“怀旧没有未来。

过去的未来当然没有怀旧。

现在，街角的卖烟者已不在，或许已故。

不，肯定已故，否则他不会消失。

他被邮票机取代，

老厨师被高压锅取代，

老三轮车夫的备用是消防栓，

洗衣妇被甩干机取代。

变化持续，

各种变奏和排列。

怀旧没有未来。”

我必须补充，怀旧没有未来，除非我们从历史和怀旧中构建未来，从对人类行为和动机的理解中获得社会认知，以及我们各种各样的变奏和排列。

培养良好价值观

马炎庆先生（淡滨尼）：女士，父母对孩子价值观的培养负有主要责任。然而，他们需要社区的支持，学校是社区的重要组成部分。学校是孩子们大部分清醒时间所在，也能提供比家庭环境更系统的框架。

我想提出一个建议，说明学校如何帮助学生培养良好价值观。但请放心，这不需要课程开发、家庭作业、考试或额外上课时间。每天只需10分钟。

下午2时

我在小学和中学时，我们有值日表，负责扫地、倒垃圾、擦窗户和擦黑板。议员们应该记得我们还用粉笔黑板的日子。要彻底擦干净黑板，我们必须用湿布，因此要从家里带抹布；还要提水桶，擦完后挂起抹布晾干。我不确定当年值日表是否是标准做法，但根据我随机询问自己三个孩子所在的三所不同学校，今天这种做法并不普遍。

新加坡人习惯了“被清洁”的城市，而非成为一个干净的城市。随着越来越多孩子在有佣人的家庭长大，以及我们日益严重的乱扔垃圾问题，我建议我们效仿日本和台湾学校的每日清洁制度。所有小学和中学学生都应有义务负责自己教室的清洁。应制定值日表，安排不同任务，并在上课前安排时间进行清洁。每天仅需10分钟，不仅能教会学生实用生活技能，培养团队合作精神，还能让他们尊重和珍惜体力劳动。

女士，今天我们不再用黑板书写，但我们可以制定值日表。虽然不再用粉笔擦子，但我们可以充分利用清洁值日表。

通过课外活动和“行动中的价值观”（VIA）促进社会创新

郭晓吟女士（被提名议员）：我声明本人是思想集体的社会创新者。行动中的价值观（VIA）是好的，让我们谈谈如何让它变得更好。阻碍VIA产生更大社会影响的原因是，虽然它向孩子们传授价值观的内容，但未能让孩子们了解这些价值观所能帮助解决的问题的背景。如果教孩子对穷人慷慨，却没有让他理解并洞察并非所有社会解决方案或情况都是平等的，他可能最终变得愤世嫉俗，或者，可能只是帮不上忙。

学校在创造更有影响力的VIA项目时面临的问题不是缺乏良好的意图，而是缺乏战略性的支持网络。教师们确实想做得更好，但他们需要外部专业知识。因此，学校需要来自民间社会部门的可信赖合作伙伴，与他们共同创造和协商。

学校的核心业务是对孩子的全面教育，而不是如何产生巨大社会影响的全面理解。这是民间社会的核心业务，他们是缺失的环节，可以提供帮助。这些人对社会问题了如指掌，关心这些问题，并且他们的整个职业生涯都在思考解决方案。因此，邀请学者、创新者、思想领袖，他们对社会部门解决方案持有强烈的未来愿景，但没有渠道与您接触，分享最大影响力的可能性。关于如何在学校培养社会驱动的创新，我有两个建议。

首先，让我们重新构想一个令人振奋的以社会为导向的课外活动（CCA）新愿景。CCA仍应主要是孩子们发展非学术兴趣的有趣途径，但让我们为它们增加一个社会目标。与体育和戏剧CCA不同，许多学生社团如图书馆、园艺甚至学生会没有大型全国性比赛可供学生争夺。因此，这个提议对他们尤其有利，因为它为他们提供了一个全国级别的挑战。利用CCA帮助孩子们将个人兴趣的探索与“我的个人兴趣如何真正帮助解决社区问题？”这一更广阔的视角结合起来。

第二，组建一个由民间社会领袖和具有前瞻性的公务员组成的联盟，战略性地确定学生可以真正产生影响的国家重大社会问题。将其转化为每所学校都能通过CCA执行的项目。让我们教孩子们将个人兴趣汇聚于服务国家需求。孩子们希望成为大局的一部分。如果我们要给他们2万元，让我们向他们展示这个大局有多大，并帮助他们产生真正明显的影响，而不是想象中的“感觉良好”的影响。

推广户外活动

陈伯尼医生（被提名议员）：多年前，我曾参与一个社会公民使命，前往印度尼西亚的农村地区。同行的是一群十几岁的新加坡人，其中一人指着一只过马路的动物说：“诶，那是什么猫？好大！”我看了看所谓的“猫”，惊呆了。那其实是一只山羊！你看，这个年轻人以前从未见过山羊，只熟悉家养的猫和狗。

女士，我建议户外教育在我们的学校课程中占据更重要的位置。我声明我是新加坡帆船联合会主席。

过去，强调大多数学生在学校生活中至少参加一次户外训练学校（OBS）。因此，我们许多人都有徒步、定向、露营、皮划艇和帆船的经历，这些经历对生活在城市的新加坡普通孩子来说并不容易获得。

随着新加坡日益城市化，年轻人花更多时间面对电脑，户外教育比以往任何时候都更重要。户外教育培养对自然的欣赏和尊重，塑造品格、独立性、韧性和领导力。当然，基本军事训练不应是青年首次接触丛林并学会自我生存的时刻。

当教育部（MOE）首次推动户外教育时，许多学校确保每个年级组在学校生活中至少参加一次OBS课程。多年来，我的印象是，越来越少的学校坚持这一点，OBS只为少数学生保留，如迎新或领导力培训。此外，户外教育可能变得过于温和，有些学校将搭帐篷算作户外教育。

令我欣慰的是，今年年初，OBS已成为国家青年理事会（NYC）的一部分，并将领导NYC作为国家青年发展者的工作。据我了解，未来几年OBS的年度容量将大幅增加，以扩大其对青年的覆盖和参与。这是令人兴奋的前景，所有新加坡青年都将再次有机会体验OBS热情教练带来的冒险式学习。我知道许多教练欢迎对青年的重新关注。

但每年约有4万名学生，我希望教育部不仅充分利用OBS，还能利用教育部冒险学习中心和其他供应商，让每一位青年都能接受优质的户外教育项目。

我希望教育部能向议会更新每个年级组中接受过正规户外教育体验的学生比例，以及是否有意提高这一比例。

拓宽学校的艺术与手工课程

苏秀兰女士（被提名议员）：女士，在我对2015年预算关于发展人力资本方面的回应中，我赞同教育部（MOE）培养每个孩子的自信和学习欲望的使命，从学前到小学阶段。

重要的是要早期开始，在这些形成期，每个孩子都接触广泛的活动，以发现其成长中的才能和兴趣。每个孩子都能获得在21世纪茁壮成长所需的知识、技能和价值观。这些核心价值观，如教育部指导方针所述，特别涉及尊重、责任、韧性、诚信、关怀、和谐，甚至社会和情感能力，如自我意识、自我管理、社会意识、关系管理、负责任的决策，以及新兴能力，如批判性和创新性思维、沟通技能、协作和信息技能，这些都是教育部确定的整体课程不可或缺的一部分。

我之前强调，我们在培养高能力和高资质人才方面表现出色。然而，我相信要达到下一个成长水平，我们需要真正热爱并渴望掌握其技艺的个人！我们需要对所学内容充满热情，并在过程中投入情感，尤其是在设计是关键能力、头脑、心灵和双手必须协同工作的领域。必须鼓励孩子们以连贯的方式使用他们的手、心和头脑。

我也表达了一些担忧，既作为企业主，也作为行业代表。过去十多年，我们许多人注意到需要动手技能的能力逐渐下降。特别是在我的建筑领域，这结合了科学知识和艺术技能，雇主和行业专业人士都沮丧地注意到，毕业生的工艺水平稳步下降。电脑的使用和对移动设备的依赖进一步削弱了他们在视觉化、感官和触觉方面的专注和训练。因此，我决定关注小学艺术课程中的一些具体重点领域。

当我查看教育部小学和初中低年级的艺术课程大纲时，我喜欢其中的内容。女士，请允许我朗读介绍部分。

“艺术在我们日常生活中扮演重要角色。艺术美化环境，捕捉记忆，传达思想，传递价值观，激发情感。艺术以不同形式存在于我们周围，如自然中的色彩和图案，到杂志、产品和媒体上的日常图像和设计。

在历史和各国文化中，艺术反映文化和信仰。学习艺术为学生提供了理解自己和他人历史文化的额外途径。通过创作艺术，学生学会反思并表达独特性，通过图像和物品传达思想和情感。艺术在学生成长和发展中的作用不可低估。通过积极的艺术学习体验，学生发展视觉素养，增强观察和感知世界的意识和审美敏感度。创作艺术还鼓励创造力的发展，同时培养自我价值感。这使学生更好地理解和参与他们所生活的世界。”

为了实现这些目标，课程在“观察、表达和欣赏”的框架下进行，考虑认知、情感和心理运动维度。虽然学生有机会观察环境、产生想法、创作艺术品、讨论艺术及其对社会的价值影响，但我仍觉得以下方面可以进一步改进。

总体而言，关于给予学生的广泛艺术媒介，我觉得我们常把艺术课程当作一次“探险”，学生更多时间是在看而非做。因此，在艺术技巧方面，如绘画、塑形、渲染和数字媒体的使用，指导方针仍然非常笼统。我快速浏览了12所小学的网站，了解它们提供的艺术课程。这绝非详细研究，但我的观察如下。

许多艺术模块本质上是课外活动（CCA），即课外时间进行且非强制性的。约半数学生专注于艺术与手工，使用各种媒介。许多学校在小学四、五、六年级教授数字艺术。艺术、音乐和体育常被合并为一个课程包，学校之间的教学方法差异很大。

我不禁回想起自己上学时接触过许多不同类型的艺术媒介——土豆印刷、用塑形泥制作模型、粘土、编篮子——这些都可以继续。即使在中学，我们也有木工、金工等技术工艺课，许多人爱上了这些手工课，为后来的专业学习奠定了基础。

动手且综合的艺术与手工学习方法对学生有益，即使大多数学生将来从事非艺术相关职业。因此，我有三个问题：第一，小学后期对数字艺术的关注——这真的是增加接触面，还是我们应该先为学生打好基础，然后再教他们使用Photoshop？

主席：苏女士，请您总结发言。

苏秀兰女士：第二个问题是，我们能否将艺术欣赏与后续学习的学科结合起来？即使是简单的积木也能教授机械结构的知识。最后，艺术课程似乎是可选的，我们能否将其纳入主课程？

教育作为社会平衡器

蔡庆林先生：女士，教育常被称为普遍的社会平衡器，这是有道理的。自建国初期以来，我们见证了许多来自谦卑和多样背景的人，通过接受学术或技能教育取得成功。新加坡确实幸运，拥有一个不仅认识到教育重要性，而且努力让所有人都能接受教育的政府。

然而，主席女士，随着我们发展，数据显示来自高收入和中等收入家庭的学生在学校表现仍然更好。在这方面，部长如何确保给予低收入家庭学生足够支持，使他们能从优质教育体系中受益？

下午2时15分

我认为政府在经济上已做了不少帮助，但低收入家庭的问题可能超出金钱范畴。低收入家庭面临的各种社会问题可能破坏孩子的情感和学业发展能力。如何帮助这些孩子的教育之路？

此外，女士，我们如何装备和培训教育者，使他们对教学充满热情，激励他们帮助学生更好学习，无论学生背景如何？同时，我们如何装备教师，确保他们能尽早识别孩子面临的问题，并以更有热情和全面的方式帮助低收入家庭的孩子？

支持所有新加坡学生

谢纳尔·萨帕里先生（巴西立-榜鹅）：女士，孩子是我们的未来。我赞赏政府对教育的投资支持。随着国家努力成为包容性社会，这也必须体现在教育政策中。我相信政府应促进更大包容性和对所有新加坡学生的支持。

将个人教育储蓄账户（Edusave）扩展至所有新加坡学生是进步，但仅限主流学校学生免除考试费的决定，使我们在包容性方面有所不足。

我呼吁政府重新审视对马德拉萨（伊斯兰教学校）作为私立学校的立场，而应将其视为教育体系的一部分。支持马德拉萨学生很重要，他们将在多种族、多宗教国家背景下定义穆斯林社会的价值观和原则。

我呼吁政府免除所有新加坡学生的国家考试费用，只要是他们首次参加国家考试，包括国际文凭考试。这应适用于私立教育机构学生或选择在家教育的学生。

辅助教育者与课后照顾

莫哈达·因坦·阿祖拉医生（宏茂桥）：女士，辅助教育者（AED）计划推出已有约五年。2009年约有600名AED，如今增至约2400名。每所小学和中学约有七名AED。我们必须认识到AED在课堂上协助教师、确保不同学习风格和能力的学生不被落下的重要作用。

虽然我欣慰教育部在早前的议会质询中表示已满足每所小学和中学的AED人员需求，但我仍觉得学校可能需要更多AED，原因有二。

第一，社会及家庭发展部（MSF）推出的发展支持计划将帮助约2000名新加坡学龄前儿童更早被诊断出轻度发展需求。这是好事，有助于在学前及小学阶段给予适当干预。这无形中意味着需要更多AED，以确保学生学年间持续获得适当干预和帮助。

第二，教育部最近宣布2016年起所有小学实施基于学校的阅读障碍补救计划，也意味着需要更多AED或学习支持教育者进入课堂，确保对阅读障碍学生的持续和适当干预。

教育部面临聘用足够受过培训、合格且热情投入AED的挑战。提高薪资是吸引更多人进入该职业的方式之一，但可能不足以留住他们。

教育部是否考虑为AED设立更全面的专业发展路径，一是帮助他们获得更多认可并看到明确的职业发展路径；二是允许他们积累课堂经验和内容熟练度后转轨成为普通教育官员或课堂教师？此外，教育部是否考虑实施技能未来（SkillsFuture）和边学边赚计划（Earn-and-Learn Programme），让家庭主妇、中年转业者或退休人员加入AED行列？这可能是培训和部署更多AED到学校的途径。

关于课后照顾，许多人希望未来几年每所小学都能在校内提供课后照顾。这对许多有学龄儿童的工作父母来说很必要，因为校内课后照顾带来安全感和保障。

然而，提供物理空间是容易的部分。挑战在于拥有足够的看护人员来管理这些课后托管中心。我建议教育部考虑试点一个项目，让我们理工学院和大学的高等教育学生报名成为青年志愿者，作为社区或“行动中的价值观”（VIA）项目的一部分，协助运营课后托管中心。教育部可能需要为基础设施提供资金，而这些青年志愿者可以从外部渠道或通过众筹为这些课后托管中心的项目或运营费用筹集额外资金。

小学学生托管中心

李德源先生（义顺）：主席女士，随着所有小学实行单一上课时间，我知道许多有小学生的在职父母在孩子放学后的照顾安排上遇到困难。尤其是那些选择不请家佣或家中没有看护人员的家庭，或者有两个或以上孩子的家庭。

我们已经成立了早期儿童发展局（ECDA）来监管托儿行业，但我敦促设立一个类似机构，由单一部委全面负责，专注于加强新加坡学生托管中心的数量和质量。一个方法是为大多数小学配备课后学生托管设施。这些小学的学生托管中心将极大地帮助在职父母或有两个及以上孩子的父母。

孩子们可以利用下午到傍晚的时间休息，花时间学习新技能，与朋友互动，参加学习之旅，或在校内通过游戏或体育活动娱乐。或许，自助团体、志愿福利组织（VWO）或合作社可以在新加坡的小学提供这项服务。

学生托管

李丽莲女士（榜鹅东）：女士，众所周知，托儿服务的强烈需求迟早会转化为学生托管的需求。

我在去年的总统致辞辩论中谈过这个问题。像盛港和榜鹅这样的新兴住宅区居住着年轻家庭。因此，校本学生托管中心（SCC）在这些地区受到欢迎。这些中心为双职工家庭提供了急需的便利，让家长安心，不必担心孩子放学后去哪里，或是否安全独自回家。这些中心还提供辅导课程和作业监督。这种安排减少了家庭对家佣的需求，尤其对缺乏家庭支持的孩子非常有用。

在去年的供应委员会辩论中，部长宣布公众可以期待再增加40个学生托管中心。虽然这是受欢迎的，我相信教育部可以做得更多，推动至少每所学校设立一个学生托管中心。我呼吁教育部对此给予更大重视。

（用普通话）：[请参阅方言发言。] 去年在总统致辞辩论中，我提到年轻家庭需要学生托管服务。今天对托儿中心的需求将转变为明天对学生托管服务的需求。学生托管服务将帮助监督学生的行为和作业。家长不必担心放学后孩子去哪里，或孩子独自回家是否安全。这种安排将减少家庭对家佣的依赖。我希望教育部能更多关注这个问题。

课前和课后托管

洪伟能先生：女士，我感谢教育部努力并承诺到2015年将校本学生托管中心数量增加到120个。我也要祝贺部长该计划的成功。许多校本学生托管中心一开办就满员，且有长长的等待名单。

靠近租赁组屋的校本学生托管中心的空位短缺更为严重，因为需求很高。我希望部长能与我们分享提供更多校本学生托管中心名额的限制，是学校空间和基础设施的限制，还是运营者面临的人力限制。

如果是人力限制，教育部是否考虑为志愿福利组织（VWO）提供类似的补贴和资助，以扩大这些中心的名额或在学校附近设立额外的学生托管中心？例如，我有一个VWO准备在裕廊这样做，我希望部长能认真考虑。

教育部长（王瑞杰先生）：女士，获准的话，我可以在LED屏幕上展示一些幻灯片吗？

主席：可以，请。

王瑞杰先生：女士，感谢许多议员提出深思熟虑且广泛的意见。

今年，我们庆祝国家五十周年。我们庆祝教育如何使一代代新加坡人建立更好的生活，并帮助我们建设国家。我们感谢先驱教育者及其家长。

回顾1965年，教育意味着读书。我们的先驱们有未来的目标，知道自己身处何地，并努力弥补差距。当时的主要差距是基本的读写和算术技能——因此“读书”很有意义，因为他们学习三项基本技能——阅读、写作、算术。许多人变得有文化和有计算能力。

随后，我们逐年完善教育体系。在关键时刻，我们做出重要选择以适应和改变。教育者、家长和学生以精神响应，每一波变革都让我们有目的地取得进一步进展。通过这些变化，我们建立了良好的教育体系，发展了人才，促进了经济增长。

但也有无意的负面影响。在我们心中，“读书”越来越等同于考试、成绩和资格。过度关注学业成绩可能成为弱点，因为我们几乎没有时间培养成功和满足所需的其他素质。学生告诉我他们因被寄予厚望而面临的压力。

对更好成绩的追求催生了补习产业。它造成了资格的垂直堆叠，以及家长心中基于学业成绩的学校分层——成绩等级的层次。

我们并非独特。使其他三个亚洲四小龙——韩国、香港、台湾——取得巨大进步的“读书”文化，也在他们社会中产生了同样甚至更大的压力。

像我们的先驱一样，我们必须重新问自己：未来我们想去哪里？我们今天在哪里？如何实现飞跃？

两年前的新加坡对话中，许多新加坡人表达了对充满精神和信任的和谐家庭的期望。一个我们都有机会追求梦想的家园。一个当我们遇到困难时都能得到照顾的家园。一个我们活出有意义生活的家园。所以，这不仅是我们做什么，更是我们作为一个民族的身份。

但许多人也认识到，随着全球经济和政治秩序以不可预测的方式变化，未来将更加不确定和动荡。其他地方的政治和宗教发展可能加强或削弱我们的社会凝聚力。人口老龄化将带来我们无法完全预见的挑战。数字互联的年轻一代可能更加团结，也可能更加分裂。

工作的性质也将改变。首先，许多现有工作将消失。智能机器和其他地方的低成本劳动力将取代这些工作。因此，我们必须换工作，可能一生中多次换工作。但需要独特人类品质的工作无法被机器取代，反而会更有价值。

即使是同一份工作也会不同。因此，创造力、发明力、适应力、社交和情感技能以及文化和全球意识等特质将使新加坡人更具优势。

将创造新的、有趣且多样化的工作岗位。我们中的一些人将成为自雇人士，一些人将作为企业家为他人创造工作岗位。如果我们的经济发展良好，将创造更多工作岗位。

因此，所有这些都为成功提供了新的多条路径。面对这些挑战和机遇，我们处于十字路口。我们有两个选择。我们可以继续走“读书”路线，狭隘地关注成绩和考试，陷入无休止的追分和补习产业扩张，正如许多议员所警告的那样。雇主不投资员工，完全依赖学术资格决定谁获得工作。教育者钻研和测试，认为职责是帮助学生取得最佳考试成绩。家长痴迷于成绩，花费越来越多资源让孩子在其他孩子中脱颖而出。学生追逐下一分，花大部分时间参加补习和狭隘领域的提升课程。社会压力上升，系统培养出考试优异但无法胜任未来工作或找到满足感的学生。失业或就业不足普遍存在。每个人都变得更糟。

这是一条严峻的道路，但遗憾的是其他社会已经走过。林标泉先生在开场发言中举了生动的例子说明其他地方的情况。潘淑英女士警告我们，如果不改变，海底的暗流将使我们漂流，漂向错误方向。这是一种可能的结果。

或者我们可以有另一种结果。我们可以大胆果断地采取另一条前进道路，进行重大转型。我们需要雇主、教师、家长、学生和整个社会的集体意志和行动：雇主在招聘和晋升时超越学术资格，选拔最合适的人；老板支持员工技能提升；教育者专注于全人教育，建立坚实的价值观和学习能力；高等学府在加强学习与工作及终身学习的联系中发挥领导作用；家长认识到每个孩子的独特优势，尽力培养孩子品格；学生通过多样的学术和课外活动（CCA）茁壮成长，走不同成功路径，成长为全面发展的人；经济保持韧性和灵活性，拥有高就业率和众多机会——高技能、高生产力和高薪资；我们的社会和人民继续关爱、和谐、谦逊和团结，我们不将教育视为孩子之间的竞赛。

这是一条尚无社会完全开辟的新路——我一直在研究世界各地的教育体系。开辟这片新领域需要我们再次成为先驱。

在新加坡，基于过去教育体系的诸多变革，我们继续做出进一步改变，朝这个方向迈进。正如潘淑英女士提醒的，我们关注价值观和品格，加强全人教育，取消学校排名，增强对弱势和特殊需要学生的支持。我们在学校发展新的学习方式，使每所学校成为好学校，扩大高等教育的应用路径，并在本预算中提出一系列基于ASPIRE建议的SkillsFuture计划。

所有这些变化为转型奠定了基础，创造一个以深厚技能和强烈价值观为支撑的新加坡美好未来。

但这个未来只有在我们作为一个民族转变教育观念时才属于我们。这不仅仅是“读书”或学习书本，而是关于在各领域随时随地为有目的、有意义、充实的生活而学习。换句话说，我们需要践行先驱精神；超越为成绩而学，转向为精通而学；超越在校学习，转向终身学习；超越为工作而学，转向为生活而学。

余振忠先生提到了综合学校计划。潘淑英女士提出了对学校变革的良好建议，并再次提到贯通式综合计划。事实上，潘女士几个月前还提出了休会动议。我想说，我们应超越学校所做的事情，走得更远。这不仅是彭荣发先生提到的补习问题，而是更根本的变革。请允许我谈谈这些根本变化。

第一个重大转变是超越为成绩而学，转向为精通而学。我们如何培养领域精通？我们没有所有答案。但让我分享一个故事。

三十多年前我在警察学院时，我的一位先驱教官是张约翰先生。他学术资格不高，但在我心中是最好的教官之一。他懂法律，知道如何处理紧张局面，也懂教学。他告诉我，每处理完一个案件，他都会反思如何做得更好。他会在脑海中想象情景——如果遇到更暴力的罪犯，或他们持有枪械，或受害者不配合，他该如何反应。他自学，参加课程，向同事和上司请教。能问的人他都问。

约翰是少数从警员做起，历经多次晋升，最终退休时是助理警司的人。你们看到他晋升时的照片，在当时是相当了不起的成就。

作为一名年轻警官，我从约翰那里学到了很多关于成为有效学习者和如何达到精通的意义。他是自我导向的。没人告诉他如何学习，但他自己学。他善于反思，从经验中学习，无论成功还是失败。他分阶段学习，按需取用。他心态开放，随时随地向所有人学习。他有纪律，学习融入日常生活。他充满热情，深切关心所做的事。这一切都发生在我们谈SkillsFuture之前。

现在在教育工作中，我很幸运遇到许多像约翰一样致力于精通各领域的人。

让我举一个例子——国立大学医院（NUH）高级顾问钟业成副教授。他是医生出身，领导一项全国性的出生队列研究，研究孕期母亲的饮食和生活方式如何影响婴儿出生后的成长。这项研究对预防和管理糖尿病、肥胖等疾病具有重大国家影响。像他这样深谙专业知识的人，不畏创新应用知识和技能，推动新领域，探索未知，发明新事物。

我们应致力成为一个新加坡人在各领域都能达到精通的国家，成为足智多谋、富有创造力、开拓创新的新加坡人。这需要学校、高等学府和产业的共同努力。

让我概述教育部的贡献。在十年基础教育中，我们的目标是，首先，无论学生起点如何，都为每位学生打下坚实的读写、算术和思维技能基础。Hri Kumar先生提到表达能力和自信的重要性，我完全同意并感谢他的宝贵建议。事实上，我们现在从学前和小学阶段就开始推行新的阅读和口语项目。

读写和算术技能至关重要，因为它们使学生能够持续学习和进步。我们将通过适当的评估保持严格性，作为检查点帮助学生跟踪进展，并做出最佳学习路径的决策。必要时，学生可以参加提升基础的课程。

第二，我们将让每位学生广泛接触各种学科和课外活动（CCA），激发他们对体育、艺术、户外探险等领域的兴趣。我赞同陈文德博士对户外和探险学习的热情，感谢他的建议。我也感谢苏丽塔女士对艺术教育的建议及改进意见。

第三，持续改进教学，激发好奇心，让每位学生将知识付诸行动。这包括使用信息通信技术教学，正如潘淑英女士强调的。事实上，我很高兴分享，我们正在开发学生学习空间，希望能提供高质量内容和多种高质量使用方式。

第四，在每位学生身上培养深厚的品格。这对生活重要，对实现精通也重要，因为精通需要在职业和事业中付出努力和坚持。

学习以精通为目标的一个重要方面是将学生的优势和兴趣与学校和高等院校、职业和企业中的机会相匹配。易仁忠先生提到了天才教育计划（GEP），但我想更进一步。我希望激发所有孩子的学习好奇心，为所有学生、所有学校提供丰富且有意义的学习机会。

我们学校最近的一项创新是几乎所有中学都设有应用学习计划（ALPs），这是“每校皆优”运动的一部分。通过有趣且富有创意的方式，学生将各领域知识应用于解决他们感兴趣领域的复杂现实问题。

让我分享两个例子。首先是喜乐中学。喜乐中学有一个飞行与航空航天的应用学习计划。学生学习基础的航空航天理论，并通过建造和驾驶自己的模型飞机，将数学、科学以及设计与技术应用其中。学生们还会参加航空航天高级选修模块，在那里他们学习飞机如何在飞行模拟器中克服重力！

Rayner Lee非常喜欢在喜乐中学的学习，事实上，他现在在南洋理工学院学习航空航天技术，并说：“我选择喜乐是因为青年飞行俱乐部课外活动。我想成为一名飞行员。我的父母和学校老师鼓励我考取私人飞行员执照（PPL）。现在我有了执照，希望加入新加坡空军成为飞行员。”我希望Rayner能够飞得更高。

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另一个例子是大迈中学的健康科学与技术应用学习计划。学生们应用化学和生物学的概念来构建生物医学设备。他们制造了盐度传感器，可以分析尿样以判断人体健康状况。大迈的学生在考虑使用者时也培养了同理心。通过与高等院校和社区的合作，学生们受到医疗保健和医疗技术行业职业可能性的启发。正如大迈三位儿子的母亲Fiona Han女士所说：“这是一次极好的经历，让他们拓宽未来的职业选择。”

不同的应用学习计划为学生提供了将知识付诸实践、使学习生动的不同可能性。学习对每个学生、每所学校都变得相关且引人入胜。我们并不是让学生过早专攻某一领域。事实上，在一个领域获得的深厚技能可以转移到另一个领域。

例如义安理工学院利用制造无人机（UAV）的技术知识，制造无人水下航行器（UUV）来清洁船体——实现了从空中到海上的技能转移。

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理工学院（ITE）的一支团队与新加坡动物园的应用医疗技术合作，设计了一种孵化器，使爬行动物蛋的孵化率从25%提高到75%。所以，如果你看到动物园里有更多的鳄鱼，你就知道原因了。这非常有效！

我们很幸运，充满活力的经济创造了各种优质工作岗位。选择更多，我们需要良好的教育与职业指导（ECG）。学生可以探索并发展多领域的深厚技能——无论是设计、商业、艺术、音乐还是体育。通过让学生接触各种可能性，我们赋予他们做出更好选择、选择合适路径的能力。

因此，我们将加强各级的教育与职业指导。学校、理工学院和高等院校的ECG课程将得到提升，到2017年，我们将拥有专业的ECG辅导员团队和一个展示众多激动人心机会的在线ECG门户网站——这些都将由我们的技能未来（SkillsFuture）计划丰富。

Rita Soh女士早前谈到如何整合艺术与科学，以及如何整合头脑、心灵与双手的学习。事实上，我们的高等院校也在发生许多有意义且令人兴奋的事情。

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如果你要搭建一个让总理在农历新年庆典上站立的精彩舞台，你会怎么做？新加坡科技设计大学（SUTD）的学生运用他们的工程、设计、艺术和文化意识知识，打造了今年牛车水的农历新年灯饰。

他们设计了共计338个羊灯笼，其中28个是电动的。三个特别的羊灯，每个约重400公斤，安置在一座山上，形成了10米高的中心装饰。这不仅是美丽的景象，更生动地迎来了羊年。我们都知道总理非常高兴地出席了这个舞台。屏幕上可以看到总理与团队的合影。

这是SUTD学生第四年参与设计农历新年灯饰，每年随着生肖的更替，他们都从前一年学习，推动自己以不同的思维方式，将所有技能和知识融入新的杰作。

他们用头脑、心灵和双手共同创造。事实上，我们理工学院的座右铭是“动手、动脑、动心”。无论是理工学院还是SUTD，这都是重要的学习方式。这正是超越为成绩而学，迈向为精通而学的意义所在。

我们作为一个民族需要共同实现的第二个重大转变是超越学校学习，迈向终身学习。让我与各位议员分享另一个故事。

我最近访问了实里达航空园。五十年前，实里达以猪场的气味闻名。五十年后，我来到实里达，见证了我们首台在新加坡制造、为新加坡公司Scoot生产的劳斯莱斯TRENT 1000喷气发动机的交付。天壤之别！

我遇到了三位在那工作的新加坡人——Ravinder、Cheria和Siti Mariani。Ravinder是一名拥有24年航空航天经验的团队领导。你可能以为他无所不知，但他说，我引用他的原话：“对我来说，每一天都是学习的过程。”这位先生说这话时非常认真。事实证明，他的儿子也对航空航天工程感兴趣，因此他决定自己“最好回学校学习新技能和更多技能”，以便指导儿子并将技能传给下一代。

于是，他报名参加了淡马锡理工学院的航空航天工程文凭课程，目前已学习六个月。与此同时，他在劳斯莱斯努力工作，指导年轻同事，如Cheria和Siti。

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Cheria在淡马锡理工学院也是Ravinder的“校友”，她也在攻读航空航天工程文凭，但她只有他的三分之一年龄。作为实习生，她在工作场所学习，而Ravinder则在理工学院学习。Siti是理工学院航空航天技术的学生，也是团队成员之一。她曾在樟宜机场的一家书店工作时，看着飞机起飞，激发了她的兴趣，开始思考飞机如何飞行。

如今，她是劳斯莱斯理工学院奖学金获得者，兴奋地参与制造一台由约3万个零件组成的复杂发动机！并且作为实习生学习所有这些。因此，你看，这不仅仅是学习技术技能。她说，我引用她的话：“劳斯莱斯教会我多才多艺和自信，以跟上航空航天行业的变化。”

Ravinder、Cheria和Siti处于人生不同阶段，但都积极学习，力求更好，在工作和生活中取得成功。

但我理解许多新加坡人告诉我，“一旦开始工作或有家庭责任，就很难抽时间学习。”确实，我们必须解决实际限制，赋能终身学习。

我们的高等院校将在赋能新加坡人随时随地终身学习方面发挥主导作用。我们的高等院校将与热衷于打造良好学习环境的企业合作。我们将提供更多优质实习机会，让像Siti和Cheria这样的年轻人能够学习、解决现实问题并获得软技能。我感谢易仁忠先生和李丽莲女士对实习及如何与不同参与者合作的建议。

我们的高等院校将创建技能未来“边学边赚”计划，使Siti、Cheria及其他人能够在工作中获得导师指导并掌握技能。参加“边学边赚”的学生实际上享受了一年或更长时间的高度补贴教育。但他们不仅在高等院校学习，还在工作中接受结构化指导。他们通过此途径获得更高的行业认可资格。

我们还将推出基于技能的模块化课程。到今年年底，我们的理工学院和大学将提供超过300门模块化课程。这些课程涵盖专业领域，如新加坡理工学院的数字取证与调查、南洋理工大学的船舶建筑与海洋工程、新加坡管理大学的功能基因组学，以及共和理工学院的教练与辅导技能。正如你所见，范围非常广泛！

我们将更慷慨地补贴所有新加坡人的兼职、专业及高级文凭课程，即使这不是你第一次获得此类文凭，并为40岁及以上的新加坡人提供更慷慨的技能未来中年增强补贴。我同意谭丽娜女士的观点，我们必须鼓励所有人学习，包括老年人。

我们的高等院校将在特定行业发挥主导作用。首先，我们将为17个战略行业任命行业协调员。这些行业被确定为未来增长行业或满足社会关键需求的行业。除了工程和制造业，我们还将涵盖早期儿童教育（高级国务部长Indranee稍后将详细介绍）、医疗保健等多个领域。

让我解释一下运作方式。例如，共和理工学院（RP）是物流行业的协调员。他们将确保学校学习与物流行业工作学习之间的紧密联系。我想表扬共和理工学院的员工，他们积极与行业参与者接触，联合了包括YCH集团、DHL快递和杨记物流等12家公司，共同设计了为期12个月的“边学边赚”计划。

这些公司将采用共和理工学院的工作场所培训蓝图，使工作学习与学校学习相结合，达到最大效果。完成该计划的学生将获得共和理工学院供应链管理专业文凭中的技能认证，但他们是在工作中获得认可并获得报酬，无需支付学费！他们将学习如何应对全球货物流动中的复杂性和规模，数据分析，管理供应链和库存，并制定优化运输的计划。正如你所见，这些都是高技能领域。他们还将学习解决问题、人际交往及多种软技能。当他们展示已掌握并能应用新技能时，将承担更大责任并获得加薪。早前颜忠宁先生提到如何确保所学技能带来更好职业发展，这就是方法，我希望更多行业参与者加入。

共和理工学院将为导师提供专业培训，帮助企业建立像Ravinder那样的行业导师网络。这将倍增我们的效能，传播行业专业知识。我将为每个行业系统地推进此举。我们将研究不同的在职学习模式，探索更多在线学习的使用，并寻求创新方法。这就是我们帮助所有新加坡人实现从学校学习到终身学习的路径。

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当我们决心为精通而学、终身学习时，我们需要重新思考一些关于学习及其变革意义的问题。让我分享一些观察。经济合作与发展组织（OECD）最近进行了一项成人技能调查。日本工人在技能方面排名靠前，但在工作中技能的利用率却排名较低。相反，美国工人在技能方面排名较低，但在工作中技能利用率却名列前茅——无论他们拥有什么技能，都能充分利用。

我们预算辩论的许多内容集中在课程质量控制及工人是否能参加课程上。这些技能学习课程很重要。但OECD的研究生动地说明，更重要的是工人是否能使用所学技能。我们不能仅仅争论哪些课程能获得学分，也不能用技能未来积分去追求另一种资格认证或争论哪些课程能获得资格。培训课程只是手段。我们的关注点必须是目标——获得、精通并使用深厚技能。

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因此，如果工人或公司参加课程只是为了完成配额或因为有激励措施，参加课程的效果将非常有限。但如果公司充分利用工人的高技能，便会带来更高生产力和更高利润；反过来，他们可以支付更高工资。高技能、高生产力、高工资。这是我们必须实现的良性循环。

要实现这一良性循环，公司发挥关键作用。因此，我很高兴YCH集团董事长兼首席执行官、新加坡全国雇主联合会主席叶国荣先生非常支持公司与共和理工学院的合作。我希望更多雇主将员工技能发展和利用纳入其生产力和创新战略。我也感谢蔡文雄先生呼吁行业协会与教育部密切合作，并呼吁中小企业通过行业协会与我们紧密合作。我们随时准备与他们合作。

另一个观察涉及我们如何引导自己的学习或自主学习。

通过技能未来，各种专业和高级文凭及专业化、模块化的短课程获得更高补贴。实际上，课程选择更为丰富。学习机会遍布我们的高等院校——理工学院、理工学院或大学毕业生可以选修相关模块，或参加劳动力发展局认证课程，或在工作场所学习。

有了这些课程，尤其是模块化课程，系统更加开放灵活。除了高等院校的多条路径，你现在可以创建自己的学习路径——即时、按需、量身定制，按自己的节奏构建技能组合。你可以叠加模块以获得资格，也可以只选择相关模块。这赋予我们每个人掌控自己学习、构建独特技能地图的能力。它使我们能够充分利用技能未来积分和其他学习机会。

洪伟能先生强调了中年失业工人的困境。这也是为什么我们为40岁以上人士提供更高补贴的原因。

但这种自主、独立学习必须从年轻时开始。我们的教师不能填鸭式教学，给学生标准答案。生活中没有标准答案。

我曾收到一位家长的来信，要求为其孩子的学期考试加分。与其在考试中争取额外分数，不如培养孩子在社会上留下自己的印记。

我们必须鼓励孩子成为独立、自主的学习者，善于找到自己的道路。陈泰勇教授提出了一个重要观点，我们不能过度保护孩子，这样他们才能培养适应性韧性，学会应对生活中的不确定性。但如果我们在孩子未获得额外分数时介入，他或她如何培养这种韧性？林标泉先生提醒我们过度依赖他人学习可能导致依赖心理。印德吉特·辛格先生也强调了自主学习的重要性，并提出了如何在学校中创造更多多样性的建议，我们将予以研究。

所以，让我们从学校开始，让孩子成为自主、独立的学习者。让我们集体停下来，反思我们在学校或家庭中培养孩子的方式，是否帮助他们发展独立性、自主学习能力、机智和主动性，还是在填鸭式教学，使他们失去这种能力，一旦失去依赖，就无法创造、发明和建设新事物。

我关于为精通而学的下一个观察是将学习视为一种思维习惯。结构化课程非常有用，这也是我们的高等院校正在推进的方向，劳动力发展局（WDA）也在做大量工作。

但无论我们在技能未来下有多少项目，都无法涵盖所有学习可能性。这不可能。为什么？因为学习可以采取正式和非正式的方式——在课堂上或工作场所，通过自我反思、团队学习或在线学习，与朋友或小组一起。终身学习是一种思维习惯，而不仅仅是参加课程的行为。

因此，即使我们讨论技能未来认证和课程质量等问题，也不能忘记，学习不仅仅是参加课程。我们需要抓住任何地方、任何人、终身甚至独自的学习机会，就像多年前张约翰先生在警察学院所做的那样。

最后，精通学习不仅仅是学习已知的知识。我们很多学习是关于学习别人是如何做的，以及我们如何从中学习基础知识。但它也关乎探索未知，通过创造性地运用我们所有的知识，发明新的可能性，就像钟教授正在做的，帮助父母拥有更健康的宝宝。

所以，让我们培养更多在其领域中不懈追求精通、富有创造力和机智、能够为新加坡取得突破的人。我对精通学习和终身学习做了几项观察：它不仅仅是学习已知的知识；不仅仅是参加课程；不仅仅是依赖他人，而是要成为自主、独立的学习者。

现在让我谈谈第三个重大转变。我们需要共同实现的第三个重大转变是超越为工作而学习，转向为生活而学习。培养深厚的技能以在工作中取得成功固然重要，但生活不仅仅是工作。对周围世界、自然与文化、体育与冒险充满兴趣，对生活充满热情并关心他人，这些才使生活有意义且充实。早些时候，郭晓吟女士、陈伯乐医生和苏丽塔女士都提到了这一点。

让我分享另一个鼓舞人心的故事，这次是关于谢伟达。谢伟达是一位31岁的企业家，18岁时创办了自己的企业。他的Timbre餐厅集团以优质餐饮和现场音乐闻名。Timbre餐厅有社会使命，将美食与音乐结合，支持新加坡音乐人并为他们提供平台。他的员工会为表演乐队鼓掌，并鼓励顾客也这样做。谢伟达分享说，我引用：“我们所做的一切都与支持新加坡音乐场景的社会使命息息相关。在一个非常简单的层面上，我有一个想法，我想做，这个想法对社会有益，我只是想把它实现。”他通过亲力亲为，做所有要求员工做的事情，赢得了团队的尊重，许多员工比他年长。他洗厕所、打扫办公室、经营酒吧、帮忙厨房。所以，我同意马贝炎先生的观点，孩子们学习这些技能非常重要。你看这在生活中有多重要。谢伟达承认那些早年并不容易，但通过与团队合作，他也从他们身上学到了东西。

如今，他将所学回馈社会。他的企业为有抱负的厨师提供平台，最近还与新加坡初创公司Infinium Robotics合作，开发能够绕过餐桌送餐的无人机。如果这听起来像《星球大战》中的场景，那确实如此。有八架无人机送餐，但这仍是一个实验，而且令人兴奋。这意味着服务员可以更高效地工作，做机器无法完成的事情。

对我来说，谢伟达体现了为生活而学习的精神，他在自己的领域充满热情和创新。他回馈社区，为他人创造新机会。他对音乐有深厚兴趣，想为新加坡人才提供平台。所以，他经营着有使命的企业。从音乐人到现在帮助有抱负的厨师。我希望未来我们会有更活跃的场景。

在“我们的新加坡对话”中，我与许多新加坡人交谈。许多人表达了过有意义、有精神生活的愿望。他们希望建设一个成功且团结的社会，一个新加坡人各自以自己的方式过充实生活的社会。

许多人也支持以学生为中心、以价值观为导向的教育。他们相信我们可以充分发展每个人，培养我们的社区意识，以及个人和集体责任感。

因此，我很高兴我们的学生能体验艺术、音乐、体育、户外活动和海外旅行。事实上，我还要补充，世界上几乎没有学校系统——至少我所知没有——会让三分之一的学生参加海外旅行以拓宽视野。我们有很多值得感恩的地方。他们与世界各地的同龄人互动。顺便说一句，这些不仅是顶尖学校的学生，而是每所学校的学生。他们领导并参与各种课外活动。这些经历拓宽了他们的世界观，使他们成为坚韧的个体，身体健康，欣赏生活中的美好事物。

像谢伟达一样，我们希望他们也能培养强烈的目标感和互助回馈社会的愿望。

早些时候，黄爱玲女士谈到了教育储蓄品格奖。我要强调的是，对我来说，这标志着我们教育的一个重要转变，即必须重视品格和价值观。这是变革的催化剂。但出于同样的原因，我们不应过度强调，因此获奖人数保持很少。但我们会研究她的建议，看看如何使其更有意义。我很高兴许多家长和学生也与我交流，校长们也注意到自从引入该奖项以来的进展。实际上，我们正在超越这些奖项。奖项只是一个小部分，真正的变化在于学校的课程——经过改进的品格与公民教育课程，以及最近的生活学习课程，强化这些生活技能。

在东景中学，学生与社区伙伴合作开展食物捐赠活动，并向邻里居民推广健康和信息技术技能。一名学生说：“看到人们脸上的喜悦激励我做更多事情。”

在梅花中学，一个名为“慷慨精神”的项目让学生为朋友、家人和社区做出5万次善举，以庆祝新加坡50周年生日。这使学校与周边社区通过奉献精神紧密联系。师生们都喜欢这让学校成为更有爱心的社区。确实，给予中我们获得的往往同样多，甚至更多。

在我们所有学校，当学生将价值观付诸行动时，品格与公民教育就活了起来。

这些努力都值得称赞。我们希望鼓励学校、理工学院和工艺教育学院的学生做更多。SG50捐赠将提供资金，支持学生参与社区有意义的事业。

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感谢郭晓吟女士提出的建议，如何与志愿福利组织合作，使该项目更具影响力。学生将确定他们希望合作并捐款的公共机构（IPC），并与这些机构合作，在社区中做出真正的改变，无论多小。

全面教育涵盖道德、认知、身体、社会和审美维度。因此，我希望我们的学生成长为欣赏并贡献于生活丰富多维面的个体，精神和目标更加充实。

这就是我们如何建设一个充满活力、富有创造力和关怀的社会。这就是超越为工作而学习，转向为生活而学习——为了丰富、有意义和有目标的生活。

女士，请允许我用中文总结刚才所说的话。

（中文）：[请参阅方言演讲。]开国先驱一代教育者为新加坡教育体系和国家繁荣奠定了基础。他们有勇气开辟新领域，不畏困难，善于培养新加坡年轻一代。

教育的最终目标不仅是学会读写，获得好成绩和文凭。更重要的是学会如何与他人相处，建立有意义的人际关系。

教育有更深更广的含义。教育是培养个体，涵盖道德、认知、身体、社会和审美维度。在传授知识之前，必须先教育个体；在教育个体之前，必须培养心灵。我们需要先培养正确的精神，再培养心灵。

随着经济和社会的快速发展，我们必须与时俱进，灵活应变，不断提升自己。我们必须追求精通，处处学习，终身学习，为生活而学。我们必须建立在开国先驱一代奠定的基础上，继续努力，发扬他们的开拓精神。

在任何领域、任何时间、任何地点，我们都必须努力学习，过充实的生活。让我们转变思维，延续开拓精神，共创美好未来。

首先，我们应超越为成绩而学，转向为精通而学。其次，应超越在校学习，转向终身学习。第三，应超越为工作而学，转向为生活而学。

（英文）：我刚才概述的三大转变——精通学习、终身学习、为生活而学——对每个新加坡人都很重要。我们希望每个新加坡人都能获得学习机会，无论起点如何，正如早前颜永明先生所说，社会流动性的重要性。

许多家长告诉我，他们欣赏学生课后照顾中心提供的结构化支持环境。事实上，这也是我多年来不断扩大学校学生照顾中心的原因，李丽莲女士和洪伟能先生也提到了这一点。我很高兴这受到欢迎。教育部将继续与社会及家庭发展部合作，提高质量和可及性。今年年初，我们已有100个校内学生照顾中心。我很高兴宣布，今年将再设立20个，明年再设20个。我也感谢英丹医生提出的建议，如何通过让年长学生协助，克服高质量人力的限制。我们主要的限制确实是员工的质量和数量。

我们通过从幼儿园到中学的全面提升计划，帮助需要额外支持的学生打好读写和算术基础。受过专业培训的教育者在小组中激励并更好地教导这些学生，效果令人鼓舞。让我分享两个故事。

去年，启华小学六年级学生Siti患有阅读障碍，且经常缺课。但她的老师、辅助教育者和辅导员齐心协力，提供坚定不懈的全方位支持，她从逃学到发现对数学的新兴趣，最终成为启华基础科目的最高分学生！受老师启发，她现在立志成为教师，帮助他人像老师帮助她一样。

乔舒亚入学大桥小学一年级时几乎不会说英语。一年内，他完成了学习支持计划，获得了自信。乔舒亚的母亲林女士与学校合作，使用学校准备的单词卡在家与乔舒亚一起练习。

学校的专业项目如Crest、Spectra、NorthLight和Assumption Pathway让学生保持参与，帮助他们建立自信。

Hairi小学时开始吸烟、喝酒，甚至加入帮派。他不喜欢学校，但热爱足球。Crest中学的老师发现这一点，通过足球与他互动。用Hairi的话说，这是“改变游戏规则”的经历。于是，Hairi开始喜欢学校，成为同伴领袖，戒烟。他的父母看到他的变化，也让他的弟弟Hilmi入读Crest。

对于特殊教育学校的学生，正如沙默伦副总理提到的，过去几年我们在实际投入上增加了50%。我们的校本阅读障碍矫正计划取得成功。英丹医生早些时候提到AEDs。正如沈燕玲国务部长早前分享的，今年我们将该计划扩展到另外60所小学。现在三分之二的小学提供该计划，而去年仅为三分之一。到2016年，所有小学都将提供阅读障碍矫正，确保阅读障碍学生在小学早期获得帮助。沈燕玲国务部长稍后将介绍支持特殊教育需求学生的其他措施。

让我谈谈经济支持。教育已得到大量补贴，但我们将提供更多支持。我重申，这不是因为贫困学生增多，而是政府提供了更大支持。我将总结沙默伦副总理宣布的一些措施，并提供更多细节。

我们将为7至20岁的新加坡公民学生补充教育储蓄账户或高等教育账户，覆盖超过50万新加坡人。我们将免除今年起政府资助学校新加坡公民学生的PSLE、GCE“普通”级、“O”级和“A”级考试费用。我们将免除政府资助特殊教育学校和专门学校新加坡公民学生的职业考试费用，包括ITE技能证书和WSQ模块。我们将为参加国际文凭（IB）文凭考试的政府资助学校新加坡公民学生提供与当前GCE“A”级考试费用相当的补贴。我们将免除2015学年起全日制就读于工艺教育学院和理工学院的新加坡公民学生的考试费用。我们重点关注国家主流学校，因为它们提供重要的联结体验。相关私立学校则由相关机构处理。

教育部的经济援助计划（FAS）多年来不断完善。2012年，我们提高了收入上限，并引入了人均收入标准，使更多学生受益。今年4月1日起，我们将在FAS下提供交通补贴，为低收入家庭提供更多支持。乘坐公共交通的学生每年将获得120元交通补贴。乘坐校车的小学生，FAS将承担校车常规费用的50%。此外，我们将把校本经济援助的年度拨款从500万元增加到1100万元，持续三年，为学校提供更多资源，针对弱势学生提供帮助。我们还将把教育储蓄优异奖学金的收入标准从5000元提高到6000元，惠及更多学生。

无论起点如何，没有孩子应被落下。我们正在加大对起点较弱学生的支持，无论是学习需求、特殊需求还是经济需求。过去五年，相关领域的支出从2亿元增加到5亿元，涵盖所有层级——从学校到高等教育机构。

但要提升学生，不仅是学业成绩，还包括社会情感成长，我们需要资源和“心力”。我赞同陈振声先生的观点，我们必须关注“心力”。“心力”来自支持的家长、坚持不懈的学生、敬业的教育者和支持的社区。高级议员何华姿将进一步讲述如何动员家长和社区，发挥孩子们的最大潜力，包括品格培养。

我非常感谢许多教育者和志愿者在学校、自助团体和其他志愿福利组织中坚持不懈地工作。他们默默无闻、无私奉献，投入大量时间和心血。我对他们深表敬意。

我感到非常鼓舞的是，接受帮助的学生在年纪轻轻时就开始回馈社会。例如，德辉中学的贾奇曾获得FAS支持，通过德辉的数学强化课程和个人激励工作坊发现并发展了对数学的热情。贾奇热情地通过学校的同伴辅导计划辅导朋友数学，并从朋友的进步中获得极大满足。

乌迈拉获得独立学校助学金，得以就读莱佛士女子学校。她感激这次机会，今年通过举办小学马来语和文化竞赛，传播多元背景学生欢迎来到莱佛士女子学校的信息。

我们不能回避卓越，但必须确保无论在哪方面卓越的人都有回馈社会的心。

现在让我做一些总结发言。

我一开始谈到开国先驱一代在国家建设关键时刻做出的艰难选择。他们面临许多十字路口——每一个正确的决定都推动我们前进。

今天，我们面临新的十字路口——是狭隘地关注成绩和考试，还是关注真正重要的事情，通过一生培养强烈的价值观和深厚的技能？是执着于狭隘的价值衡量，还是成为有价值观、有价值的人？

女士，对我来说，路很清晰。那就是尽一切努力成为拥有深厚技能和强烈价值观的人。

我们走开拓创新的道路，培养具有创造力、韧性和关怀精神的新加坡人。我们对这条开拓之路的品质已有一定了解。它将包括在职学习、及时学习、在合适的时间和地点学习、无界限学习——不受机构墙壁、年龄、地点或时间的限制。

我很高兴听到许多议员支持这种精神，因为我们必须作为一个整体社会共同走这条开拓之路。我们并非唯一处于十字路口的人。其他人也在问——教育的未来是什么？我一直在阅读他们的预测，但当我细读他们的文字时，我意识到他们设想的未来中，许多事情我们现在已经在做。

我们的使命特别之处在于，我们不仅仅考虑某一所学校或某一所大学的教育未来，而是考虑整个国家的教育未来。

我们正在开辟一条将塑造整个社会的道路，这条道路需要社会每个人的共同努力。数以百万计的新加坡人的个人行动和选择将推动我们的国家走向更加光明的未来。

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我们今天学校里的学生年龄在五岁到二十五岁之间。五十年后，他们将是五十五岁到七十五岁，将成为SG100的先驱一代。我们会停留在带领我们走过前五十年的“死记硬背”文化中吗？还是我们和这年轻一代将再次发扬开拓精神，改变我们的工作和学习方式？

我相信我们能够成功，因为我们中间已经有许多新的开拓者。我在演讲中提到的每一个例子都是开拓者。但我们需要更多的开拓者，遍布每一所学校、每一个领域、每一份工作。

那些终身学习、主动承担学习责任的新加坡人，比如约翰、钟教授、拉文德、谢莉娅和西蒂——他们充满热情和创新精神，改变了他人的生活，比如爱德华、乌迈拉和嘉琪。

专注于全面教育、为学生打下坚实基础并使学习真实且相关的教师和学校，比如希尔格罗夫和达迈中学、新加坡科技设计大学、理工学院、工艺教育学院、共和理工学院等。超越学术，发掘每个孩子优势和兴趣的家长，比如菲奥娜和拉文德。真正重视员工并帮助员工获得相关技能的雇主，比如裕昌物流和劳斯莱斯。尊重每一份工作，

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鼓励每个人以自己的方式在各自领域达到精通的社会。

这些是根本性的变革，需要时间。但我们必须现在迈出第一步，并共同迈出这一步。转型之旅不会轻松，但每一个决定、每一个行动、每一个人都至关重要。

为精通而学。终身学习。为生活而学。这必须成为我们前进的指南针。

女士们，在这个SG50年，让我们珍惜并发扬先驱者宝贵的遗产。让我们反思今天所处的位置和未来的目标。让我们激励所有新加坡人共同走这条开拓之路，发扬开拓精神，共创更加美好的未来五十年。[掌声]

教育及法律高级国务部长（英德拉妮·拉贾女士）：主席女士，部长已经概述了教育的未来以及教育部（MOE）正在做的工作。我将谈两个具体领域：学前教育和高等教育。

黄慧玲女士和宰尼丁·诺丁先生提到了我们年轻人的社会和情感资源以及支持低收入学生。我们的目标是让孩子们有一个良好的起点。研究显示，接受良好早期教育的孩子以后往往表现更好。因此，早期良好的教育基础极为重要。

我们通过两种方式实现这一目标。首先，推动整个领域内容和教学标准的一致性。其次，通过教育部幼儿园（MOE Kindergartens，简称MK）。迄今为止，我们已有10所MK，为新加坡人提供负担得起的优质学前教育。明年还将开设五所。MK旨在试点教学和学习资源，并建立良好实践以供学前教育领域共享。

让每个孩子有一个良好的开端，并不意味着学前儿童必须在学前阶段就能掌握小学一年级的课程！仍然存在一种误解，认为孩子只有做超出其水平的事情才算表现良好。但在学前阶段不应如此，孩子应以适合其年龄和发展阶段的方式学习。重要的是他们学什么，即内容；以及如何学习，即教学法。

在内容方面，教育部制定了“培养早期学习者课程”，这是一套幼儿园课程资源工具包。它包含全面学前教育的指导方针，包括学习领域，如数字能力、运动技能发展、语言

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和识字能力以及社会和情感发展。

在学习方式方面，教育部有两大核心教学法：首先通过有目的的游戏吸引儿童学习，其次是教师与儿童之间的高质量互动。

今天的MK已非我们记忆中的幼儿园。孩子们不再通过拼写表和死记硬背学习。如今，我们鼓励孩子们通过游戏学习、探索并提出关于他们世界的问题。教师们设计有趣且愉快的学习活动，帮助孩子们全面实现预期的学习成果。

许瑞库玛尔先生谈到了沟通技能。我们通过双语教育帮助孩子们打下坚实基础。研究越来越显示早期学习语言的重要性。从小接触两种语言的孩子，比起晚些开始学习的同龄人，更有可能以更高水平掌握两种语言。

研究人员比较了一组较早学习第二语言并使用时间较长的儿童与另一组较晚学习第二语言的儿童，发现早期双语者比同龄人更流利、更熟练。早期双语者还具备更强的自我调节能力和专注于特定任务的能力。

我们已将双语教育作为MK的核心特色，使孩子们能流利使用英语和母语，并为他们日后语言能力的提升奠定坚实基础。

我们的MK设有“奇妙周”（Weeks of Wonder，简称WoW）。这是促进语言学习的学期项目。每年，孩子们完成四个WoW项目，其中两个用英语，两个用母语，他们与同伴和教师一起探讨母语中的感兴趣话题。主席女士，若获允许，我可在屏幕上展示一些幻灯片吗？

主席：可以，请展示。[幻灯片向尊敬的议员们展示。]

英德拉妮·拉贾女士：这里，您看到MK的孩子们参观一家花店。这些孩子学习泰米尔语，采访印度店主，了解玫瑰在印度文化中的用途。他们还采访了其他人，并查阅了书籍和互联网。店主带他们参观店铺，演示如何用香蕉绳制作玫瑰花环，并解释玫瑰在印度文化中不同场合的用途。

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孩子们兴奋不已，决定开设自己的花店！这需要他们相互合作，练习泰米尔语并发挥创造力。孩子们还学到了教导他人的价值，回家后与家人一起用回收材料制作玫瑰花束，作为他们花店的产品。

这个WoW项目体现了通过游戏学习的教学法以及语言学习的创新技巧。

但要提供优质学前教育，我们还必须拥有优秀的学前教师。教育部正与早期儿童发展局（ECDA）紧密合作培训学前教师。我们制定了“培养早期学习者框架”，指导幼儿园为4至6岁儿童设计和实施优质课程。

我们还推出了《教育者指南》，帮助教师将框架转化为优质的学习体验。预计到2014年底，将有约6,000名学前教育工作者接受培训。

我们需要更多早期儿童专业人才以满足服务需求增长。如果您有兴趣教学，喜欢孩子并热衷于帮助他们建立品格和坚实的生活基础，请考虑投身早期儿童护理与教育事业。我也鼓励包括离职后希望重返职场的女性在内的人士考虑这一职业。

成为早期儿童专业人员有多条途径，涵盖各级入职和培训。工艺教育学院、理工学院和大学均设有早期儿童课程，结合工作经验，为下一阶段提供跳板。

对于预备培训生，ECDA提供培训奖学金，涵盖全日制工艺教育学院和理工学院的早期儿童护理与教育文凭课程。工艺教育学院培训奖学金去年推出，反响良好，迄今约有20名工艺教育学院学生获奖。

洪伟能先生和宰尼丁·诺丁先生询问了对中年转业学习者的支持。对于希望进入该领域的中年专业人士，也有相应途径。李娴曾在会计师事务所做审计员四年，想换工作以获得更好工作与生活平衡。受姐姐（一名早期儿童专业人士）的启发，她参加了新加坡理工学院的早期儿童教育转换文凭课程，并于去年九月完成一年制课程。她对职业转变感到满意，称“每天都享受孩子们无价的拥抱和满足感！”

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还有为无法全职学习者开设的兼职课程。职场人士可从今年十月起在理工学院参加兼职早期儿童护理与教育文凭课程。这些课程认可先前学习和通过工作经验获得的能力，从而缩短整体课程时长。ECDA也正与人力发展局（WDA）紧密合作，开发结构化的基于能力路径。

“技能未来”是本预算的突出特色，教育部积极参与实施“技能未来”的各个方面。首先，强化教育和职业指导将成为我们教育体系的组成部分。

在此，我分享丹尼尔的故事。丹尼尔是工艺教育学院学生，去年我首次见到他时，他正在完成机械工程高级国家工业证书课程。像许多年轻人一样，他不确定下一步该做什么。他选择了机械工程，但这并非他的首选。他不确定是否想继续从事工程。我问他可能喜欢做什么，他说可能是烹饪艺术或运动科学，但仍不确定。我提出为他安排实习，让他更好地做决定。他选择尝试烹饪艺术。

我联系了我选区内经营的PS Cafe，询问是否能接纳他实习。他们欣然同意。丹尼尔顺利完成了实习，且非常喜欢。但结果很有趣，这也是丹尼尔做出决定的过程。

他与其他厨师交谈，听取他们的经验和建议。他还与工艺教育学院机械工程系的主管交流。他知道自己确实喜欢当厨师，在厨房里很开心。但他也考虑到放弃两年所学的成本。经过深思熟虑，他决定继续从事工程，不放弃所学。烹饪仍是他的热情所在，但他希望有一份建立在工程背景上的职业。如果以后烹饪热情依旧强烈，他可能会回归烹饪。我想他可以使用“技能未来”积分。

他已申请理工学院工程相关课程，包括工程与产品设计。这些课程提供有趣、实用且稳定的工作前景，允许他利用机械工程基础技能，同时探索新领域。然而，他在PS Cafe的实习为他提供了宝贵经验，未来若想，他仍可选择回归烹饪。

但这个故事最重要的部分是，建议、指导和实习使丹尼尔能够做出明智且自主的选择。这个故事体现了教育和职业指导（ECG）的重要性。ECG可以通过结构化项目、短期实习或工业参观来实施。

洪伟能先生指出ECG辅导员需要接受适当培训。我们同意。教育部将协调确保ECG项目对从小学到中专的学生都相关。教育部内设立中央ECG单位，负责规划和实施ECG。

我们将试点为中二和中三学生设计的强化参与项目，提升他们对行业和领域的认识，以及理工学院的应用学习环境。今年，中二学生项目将在50所学校试点，中三学生项目将在24所学校试点。理工学院和工艺教育学院将通过统一的ECG成果和学习目标，推行更系统的ECG。

教育部密切参与实施“技能未来”的另一方面是实习和工业实习。实习的好处显而易见。它们提供真实的学习环境，使学生获得实际知识和动手经验。

易仁忠先生谈到了工业实习的管理。有些公司做得很好，有些则不尽如人意。我们同意实习还有改进空间。必须逐行业推进。政府和高等院校将提供支持，但雇主必须尽责。

下午3时45分

在早期儿童领域，ECDA向接纳全日制早期儿童护理与教育课程学生的中心提供能力资助。该资助帮助雇主分担开发和运行实习项目的费用，例如培训、导师部署、实习津贴及教学资源费用。ECDA还与高等院校合作，开发特定时长的结构化实习项目，帮助企业更好规划实习。

我们需要更多企业支持强化实习，提供有意义的工作任务和经验丰富专业人士的指导。我们还需要企业为“技能未来”边学边赚计划提供在职培训岗位。成功完成该技能培训计划的理工学院和工艺教育学院毕业生将获得行业认可的资格证书，如高级文凭、专业文凭或证书。

议员们谈及人力需求。边学边赚计划实际上是本地企业、跨国公司和中小企业强有力的人才招聘平台和人才管道。我鼓励企业积极参与。

终身学习是“技能未来”的另一个重要方面。让我讲讲约翰尼的故事。

我遇见了NKH建筑服务公司的董事总经理约翰尼·黄，该公司从事泵的服务和维护。约翰尼1977年完成普通教育证书“O”水准，随后直接服兵役。兵役后他找工作困难，意识到需要提升自己，参加了当时的新加坡职业学院（SVI）和后来的工艺教育学院的兼职课程。1988年至1992年，他学习电气专业，当时他与兄弟一起安装和维护控制面板。

1993年至1994年，他获得了电工执照。随着业务扩展，他意识到需要其他技能，于1992年至1995年在中华总商会参加管理课程。与此同时，电子行业兴起，他看到了机会，但缺乏技能，于1995年至1999年在工艺教育学院学习电子课程。

1998年金融危机重创许多企业，包括约翰尼的企业。他不气馁，调整商业计划以度过危机。他将业务重点从安装泵转向泵的维护，这是一种更抗冲击的商业模式。为适应新方向，他于1999年至2002年学习管道课程，2002年至2005年学习空调课程。2003年至2004年，他取得了管道工执照。在电子、空调和泵业务之间，他还注意到了坐在他后面的漂亮女孩，并与她结婚。

凭借工艺教育学院和SVI的继续教育和培训，约翰尼在15年间实现了从普通教育证书“O”水准毕业生到如今拥有百万美元企业主的转变。他的公司仍在成长，他也未停止学习，继续参加其他课程。他非常感激工艺教育学院，不仅因为他的事业成功，也因为他的妻子！

教育部资助的理工学院和工艺教育学院继续教育培训课程以及人力发展局资助的WSQ课程将帮助人们像约翰尼一样在人生道路上不断进步。还有短期

理工学院和工艺教育学院（ITE）在广泛兴趣领域提供的课程。

我们的高等教育机构（IHLs）也是创新中心。现在让我讲述Derek的故事。

Derek于2008年毕业于共和理工学院（Republic Polytechnic，简称RP）。他的梦想是创办一家制作鱼肉肉干（bak kwa）的企业。服完国民服役后，他于2011年在RP和新加坡SPRING的帮助下创办了一家公司。但他的第一次创业失败了。然而，他没有放弃，继续寻求投资机会，并与RP企业与传播中心的导师合作，改进他的商业计划。

最初的产品在展示和制作工艺上都不够理想。Derek利用他在RP最后一年项目中学到的防止细菌引入的工艺知识，采用真空包装鱼肉肉干，以延长保质期且不添加防腐剂。Derek于2013年重新推出Ocean King品牌，并于2014年10月获得首笔资金。产品有三种口味——帝王三文鱼、大眼金枪鱼和蓝枪鱼。如今，Ocean King致力于打造世界上最优质的鱼肉肉干，赋予这一传统美食新的诠释，让人们无负担地享受肉干的美味。

Derek的理工教育为他成为企业家打下了坚实基础。他的故事也展示了理工学院创新中心如何助力产业发展。

这就是教育的新面貌——学习与合作不必在学校结束时停止。教育与产业相辅相成，良好结合时能激发创业精神，支持创新与生产力，促进经济活动，帮助梦想成真。主席女士，若允许，我现在用马来语说几句话。

（马来语）：[请参阅方言发言。] Zainudin先生询问了就业前计划和终身学习的预期成果。

有了SkillsFuture，我们的学生将有更多机会在人生中取得成功。无法保证每个人都有就业岗位等待，但SkillsFuture能大幅提升他们的就业前景和职业发展机会。

职业生涯指导（ECG）将帮助学生认识自身优势，发掘多个行业的良好就业机会。实习也能让学生获得实际技能，更好了解行业。如果实习表现优异，雇主会愿意聘用他们。

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“边学边赚”计划让学生一边工作拿薪水，一边学习获得额外资格。继续教育与培训（CET）或终身学习计划让他们终身提升技能，从而获得更好加薪和晋升机会，甚至进入管理层或拥有企业。我之前分享的Johnny Ng先生的故事就是例证。

我鼓励学生抓住SkillsFuture提供的机会。只要努力和坚定，每个人都能成功，无论起点如何。

（英语）：女士，我现在继续用英语。

Tan Tai Yong教授谈到支持人文与社会科学（HSS）研究的必要性。HSS有助于更好理解社会，补充科学与技术研究。投资HSS研究对新加坡发展至关重要，需要集中力量深化基于新加坡语境的研究。

目前，教育部通过学术研究基金支持社会科学研究。许多政府机构委托进行与公共政策相关的HSS研究。政府正考虑加大HSS研究力度，重点服务新加坡需求，并将进一步与学术界沟通。

主席：秩序，我建议现在休息。

[(程序文本)于是议长女士离开委员会主席席，回到议会主席席。 (程序文本)]

议长女士：秩序。我宣布休会，下午4点15分再开会。

会议于下午3点54分休会，至下午4点15分。

会议于下午4点15分恢复。

[议长女士主持]

第98页

拨款委员会辩论继续。

[议长女士主持]

K项（续）——

有落后风险的学生

Denise Phua Lay Peng女士：主席女士，我想提醒教育部关注三类可能有落后风险的儿童。

第一类是来自低收入家庭的儿童。我很高兴看到已有经济援助和课后照顾等计划为这些孩子提供支持。

美国研究表明，学生在长假后表现会下降，尤其是低收入家庭的学生。作为中央区市长，我观察到许多低收入家庭的孩子在假期几乎没有学习或丰富活动。由于父母工作繁忙且缺乏照顾者，他们缺少成人监督。这与较富裕家庭的孩子形成对比，后者能负担额外的学习体验，如课外辅导和家庭旅游。

我和社区发展理事会（CDC）团队组织了假期营，帮助这些孩子缩小与富裕同龄人的差距。我们教他们写电子书、演奏乐器、玩新游戏，甚至制作和剪辑电影。

然而，我担心这些基层努力不够系统和常规，难以产生持续影响。我敦促教育部与相关伙伴合作，确保假期缺乏成人监督的学生能继续学习，不被更富裕的同龄人远远甩在后面。

接下来，主席女士，谈谈主流学校和高等教育机构（IHLs）中有特殊需要的学生。

辅助教育员（AED）计划。2009年引入AED计划，是支持主流小学和中学有特殊需要学生的重要举措。AED人数从2009年的600人增至2014年的2400多人。他们的工作尤其在教学、学习和行为管理支持方面具有挑战性。我想了解教育部对AED计划的最新情况、取得的成就和面临的挑战，以及如何进一步与主要残疾伙伴合作支持和装备这些专业人员。

残疾支持办公室（DSO）。2013年，IHL中有特殊教育需要的学生得到好消息：每所公立大学、理工学院、工艺教育学院和艺术院校都将设立残疾支持办公室。这是重大变革，将为这些学生提供优质支持，因为此前支持不一，很大程度上依赖各IHL的善意。我想了解这些DSO的设立进展。

特殊教育需要基金（SEN基金）。同年，教育部宣布设立SEN基金，帮助身体、听力或视觉障碍学生。该基金目前不包括三种最常见的学习障碍：诵读障碍（dyslexia）、注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）和自闭症。我希望教育部考虑将这些学生纳入SEN基金的资助对象。

特殊教育学校（SPED）中的特殊需要学生。感谢国务部长沈燕女士和部长的热情支持，特殊教育学校持续获得大量支持。但我想提出一些需要关注的空白。

首先，核心生活技能教学材料门户网站。经过大量时间和资源开发课程框架，现在是教育部开始填充框架内容的时候了。

目前，各志愿福利组织（VWO）及其所属特殊教育学校各自开发资源。为提高效率，我建议教育部分配资源开发一个门户网站——核心主题如日常生活技能、读写算能力的材料库。教育部不仅应要求教育者填充框架，还应投资本地和国外内容，使学校和家庭能快速获得更多资源。

第二，提供主流课程的特殊教育学校。虽然已有努力，但仍存在脱节。例如，教授小六会考（PSLE）课程的特殊教育教师未获准参与阅卷员团队，缺乏更好锻炼和发展机会。

第三，信息通信技术（ICT）。最近为主流学校信息俱乐部规划和预算的ICT学习路线图非常有用，但仅针对主流学校。希望报名的特殊教育学校被建议自行联系供应商。

第四，纳入优质国家计划。所有学生，无论是否参加主流学术课程，都应纳入其他优质国家计划，如学校基础的诵读障碍矫正计划、应用学习计划，甚至SkillsFuture总体规划。

主席：Phua女士，请总结。时间已到。

Denise Phua Lay Peng女士：感谢并祝贺教育部团队的勤勉工作，我想告诉你们，你们已经带来了改变。

母语豁免

Yee Jenn Jong先生：主席女士，我认同双语是我们教育体系的基石。现在所有小学和中学学生都必须学习母语。

在最近的国会答复中，教育部表示每年约有3.5%的学生在小六会考时获得母语豁免。我接受有合理豁免理由，如中途加入教育体系且未学过母语，或因医疗原因影响学习能力。

另一答复中，教育部提到过去五年平均每年在母语豁免最多的五所学校中，共有178人获得豁免，平均每校35.6人，占该校小六会考学生约15%至17%。

这一比例远高于全国3.5%的平均水平。教育部是否调查过各校母语豁免率差异大的原因？教育部或高豁免率学校校长是否面谈申请者，深入了解豁免原因？基于医疗理由申请豁免成本高昂。母语豁免与家长社会经济地位是否存在强相关？

我希望学生不会因觉得母语难学或家长担心影响小六会考总分而寻求豁免。

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私立特殊学校监管

Denise Phua Lay Peng女士：主席女士，2009年9月通过了《私立教育法》，旨在加强和提升私立教育部门水平。由此成立了私立教育理事会（CPE），通过有效监管、行业发展和消费者教育提升行业标准。新加坡存在各种私立教育机构。

我想提醒教育部关注私立特殊教育学校。新加坡涌现出许多私立特殊学校，有本地和外资经营。来自本地和外籍家庭的特殊需要儿童就读这些学校。

由于该教育服务针对极为脆弱的儿童和家庭群体，我认为教育部必须承担更强的道德责任，更积极监管这些学校或中心。

CPE的战略重点包括确保质量保证和有效消费者教育等。这些私立特殊学校在市场上被称为教育部注册，家长很可能误以为其教育项目、设施甚至收费获得教育部认可。

我敦促教育部在注册这些学校前进行适当尽职调查和背景核查，履行确保质量保证和有效消费者教育的职责。保护消费者——即儿童——在遭受虐待或伤害后才采取措施，有时为时已晚。

教育质量保证不仅是硬件或行政管理问题，更是教育事业。我希望了解教育部如何保护这些儿童的利益，其中一些甚至无法表达自己。

残疾支持办公室

Chia Yong Yong女士（提名议员）：主席女士，谢谢。我也感谢教育部以开明态度将残疾人士纳入主流教育。正如Denise Phua女士所指出，去年设立残疾支持办公室（DSO）是该领域的好消息。同样，特殊教育需要基金的启动也令人欣慰。我们也希望教育部考虑将基金扩展至其他残疾儿童。

除了资金、技能和设备，我还想具体询问DSO工作人员的能力发展和培训预算是多少？此外，关于IHL更广泛和更高层次的文化建设。DSO不能孤立运作，它们是辅助机构，而非承担全部工作。教育部如何设想从上至下在IHL教职员工中建立包容文化？

跨国青年互动

Benedict Tan博士：主席女士，我鼓励通过体育促进多国青年互动。我们可以通过组织本地教育部学校和国际学校学生的体育交流和比赛来实现。

新加坡本质上是多元文化、多民族、多语言的国家。自独立以来，特别重视融合和新加坡身份的培养。近年来，越来越多国际学校在新加坡设立和扩展，本地学校也设立姐妹国际学校。这可能造成分隔，但也带来机遇。

新加坡居住、工作和学习的国籍众多。为利用这种文化多样性，拓宽新加坡学生视野，实现包容，我认为我们的校际比赛，即国家学校运动会，应纳入国际学校。

目前，教育部体系和非教育部体系学校之间互动有限，缺乏自然的交流平台。体育提供了桥梁。

诚然，存在学期时间、假期、比赛安排、人力和费用分摊等运营挑战。但我相信，拥有充满活力和包容性的学校体育生态系统，将为年轻人带来诸多有形和无形益处，助力他们应对日益全球化的未来。

体育课外活动

Yee Jenn Jong先生：主席女士，包括我在内的多位议员此前谈及增加学生体育参与度和学校体育项目数量。年轻时积极参与体育，有助培养未来的体育文化。

我建议如何补充学校提供更多体育活动的努力。第一：在校内举办更多有趣的体育比赛，分层次进行，让技能较低的学生随着技能提升逐步晋级。

第二：引入次要课外活动（minor CCA）概念，允许学生作为第二或第三课外活动定期接触多种体育项目。时间投入不如常规课外活动密集，但能让学生尝试更多体育项目。课外活动积分相应较少。

第三：认可并奖励学生在校外与外部培训机构定期和竞技性参与体育项目的成就，即使学校未将该体育项目列为课外活动。这可鼓励学生认真追求感兴趣的体育项目，弥补学校资源不足。

最后，允许国际学校参加本地校际比赛，提升竞争水平，这一点也由提名议员Benedict Tan刚才提出。

学校运动会改革

Benedict Tan博士：主席女士，继今年1月19日在国会发表演讲，指出新加坡体育参与的10个令人担忧的趋势后，许多家长、学生和议员私下联系我，提供更多证据。特别是他们认为学校过于注重赢得奖牌，缺乏通过学校系统学习体育的机会。他们对小学阶段被校队拒绝感到不满。且当他们在校外自行参与体育时，学校不予认可。

这种全有或全无的情形，即你要么足够优秀进入校队，要么完全被排除在外，在运动会期间也存在。如果你不够好，不能代表你的组别参赛，那么你就不能参加运动会的比赛。相反，你会被“指派”作为观众参加。而且这些并不是你在巴西体育场看到的那种热情的粉丝——学生和老师都告诉我，他们大多是勉强参与的。经历了如此消极的体验，难怪我们的许多年轻人会

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对体育和体育活动产生厌恶？

与其让只有少部分学生在运动会期间参加田径比赛，而大多数学生坐着观看，不如通过将运动会转变为体育节来让全体学生参与其中。在体育节期间，我们可以给学生机会尝试各种体育运动和游戏。如果孩子在这样的尝试中喜欢上某项运动，学校可以与外部机构如ActiveSG和各社区中心团体合作，深化他或她对该运动的兴趣。即使是在休闲层面，如前一位议员所建议，这种校外活动也应被认可为课外活动（CCA）。

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是的，教育部已经解释过体育课程会让学生轮换体验各种运动。但我们知道，鉴于体育课时间有限，加上准备NAPFA所需的时间，这种接触过于表面，难以让学生养成终身积极生活的习惯。让我们给年轻人，尤其是小学阶段的学生，带来积极的体育体验和良好的开端，审视他们运动会的形式。

女士，让我最后赞扬教育部长及其团队在教育体系转型方面的洞察力和开创性工作。

教育国务部长（沈颖洁女士）：女士，恒部长谈到了我们需要超越单纯关注成绩和考试，强调深层技能、全面教育、坚实价值观和终身学习。我们希望拥有一个有韧性和灵活性的经济体，以及一个关怀、和谐和凝聚的社会。

我现在将谈谈教育部如何在双语教育和支持有特殊教育需要学生方面实现我们的愿景。

早些时候，恒部长和高级国务部长印德拉妮·拉贾承认了许瑞库马尔先生关于语言和沟通技能的观点。因为语言和沟通是我们为学生实现目标的核心，我认为他的观点值得教育部第三位发言人认可。

英语，作为我们的工作语言，为所有种族和背景的新加坡人提供了一个共同的平台，促进相互交流和理解。口语英语也是全球经济中的关键能力。教育部致力于提高学生的英语水平。我们通过2010年实施的英语语言学习与阅读策略（STELLAR）项目，为小学生创造了更多在课堂上说话、提问和互动的机会。2013年，我们增加了GCE“普通”及“普通水准”英语考试中听说部分的比重。我们的预科学生必须参加强调小组讨论并要求学生进行口头陈述的项目作业，作为评估的一部分。

我们的母语是我们亚洲文化和传统价值观的根基，为学生获得跨文化能力提供基础。议员的发言凸显了学习母语中外在动机与内在动机之间的关键矛盾。外在动机如加分可以发挥作用，鼓励学生坚持和挑战自我，也表明我们对母语的重视。然而，过度依赖这些激励可能带来弊端，例如学生一旦激励消失就停止努力。

另一方面，内在动机培养自我导向的学习者，使他们终身保持良好的母语沟通能力。因此，虽然存在外在激励如加分，我们的核心目标是培养内在动机。

我们旨在以有趣且吸引人的方式教授母语，激发学生兴趣。例如，我们所有学校每年都会举办母语文化周，旨在为学生提供在真实情境中学习和使用母语的机会。

此外，我们认识到利用孩子们对科技的天生感知，更有可能持续激发他们对母语的兴趣。为此，我们推出了2011年的Oracy eLand和2013年的iMTL门户网站。这两个在线平台旨在通过多媒体、游戏和互动任务教学生如何用母语交流。主席女士，我现在想用普通话说几句话。

（普通话）：[请参阅方言发言。]今年，教育部采用了2015年小学母语课程。该课程强调学生的口头和书面互动技能，以及通过日常生活中的真实活动学习。例如，老师会引导学生讨论食堂出售的食品，然后教他们如何使用相关短语和句子。为了巩固学生所学，老师会布置任务，让学生使用新学的短语和句子完成。

家长和老师对该课程给予了非常积极的反馈。他们认为课程的真实性和应用性吸引了学生的注意力。卢佩翠女士的孩子今年一月刚入小学。卢女士说，这个课程为孩子们提供了许多参与互动对话的机会，有助于培养孩子们的口语交流能力。

虽然她的孩子才上小学一年级两个月，但他已经开始比入学前更多地说普通话，并且经常用普通话与父母分享在学校学到的内容。

（英语）：为了巩固课堂所教内容，我们希望学生在课外也能运用母语沟通技能。教育部与社区合作伙伴合作，提供机会让学生这样做，这些活动每年吸引超过10万参与者。

我们的教师与马来语学习与推广委员会合作，编写并出版低年级故事书项目的书籍，以培养儿童的阅读兴趣。新民中学与中国语言学习推广委员会及逗号（zbCOMMA）合作，举办中学“创作你自己的报纸”比赛。

去年，我参加了由泰米尔语学习与推广委员会和泰米尔语言文化协会举办的Avvaiyar Vizha活动，以纪念一位有影响力的女性泰米尔诗人。我为学校与社区合作伙伴共同促进泰米尔文学认知和提升学生口语泰米尔能力感到欣慰。

针对花姐关于私立特殊教育（SPED）学校的问题，我先介绍教育部支持有特殊教育需要（SEN）学生的整体情况。教育部的总体策略是支持学生在最适合其需求的教育环境中学习。具备认知能力和适应能力，能在主流学校学习的学生，在主流学校接受教育。需要密集专业协助以优化学习和独立生活潜力的学生，在教育部资助、志愿福利组织运营的20所特殊教育学校接受教育。绝大多数SEN学生在这两类环境中得到照顾。

少数私立教育机构（PEI）提供全日制特殊教育课程。这些学校的大多数学生是非新加坡公民。这些学校也为部分新加坡家长提供了额外选择。

我们会认真考虑议员的建议，但这些学校目前受教育部下属法定机构私立教育理事会根据《私立教育法》监管。理事会不对PEI提供的课程学术质量进行认证，但其监管框架旨在保障学生和家长利益，帮助他们做出更明智的选择。理事会确保企业和学术治理的最低标准，加强学生费用保护措施，并要求PEI披露课程和教师的关键信息。

每当私立SPED学校出现问题，理事会都会认真调查。理事会也采取适当措施解决这些学校的问题。我想向花姐保证，我们不容忍任何私立教育机构，包括私立SPED学校中的虐待或刑事不当行为。如发现相关证据，将移交警方处理。

我们也理解议员对可能被“落下”的学生的关切，我想强调教育部致力于确保所有学生都有机会发挥潜能。恒部长已提及多项措施，包括加强经济援助。

关于潜在的数字鸿沟，我想分享我们的学校可以向低收入家庭学生借出计算设备。关于国际视野，我们的国际体验旅行（TIE）计划为所有学生提供海外学习机会。学校、理工学院和工艺教育学院（ITE）也获得机会基金，可用于补贴计算机购买、海外访问、学生交流和为弱势学生提供的学校丰富课程。

关于议员提出的在主流学校支持SEN的建议，我们持续欢迎志愿福利组织、社区及其他利益相关者的反馈，以加强支持模式。这些反馈过去非常有用，我们将继续征求意见并完善现有做法。

在SEN方面，教育部致力于提升支持水平，每所主流学校10%至20%的教师接受更深入的培训，以支持有特殊需要的学生。他们与学习与行为支持助教（AEDs (LBS)）合作，后者已派驻所有小学和69所中学。

我要感谢几位议员——谢永容女士、花姐和英丹·阿祖拉博士——对我们AEDs (LBS)的浓厚兴趣。我想分享，教育部致力于吸引、留住并系统培训AEDs (LBS)。我们已将AEDs (LBS)人数从2010年的300人增加到现在约400人。此外，所有新招募人员在部署前，均需在国立教育学院（NIE）完成为期一年的全日制特殊教育文凭课程。我们还通过资助人员参加高级特殊教育文凭课程，提供在职专业发展，并将持续审视AEDs (LBS)的人员配置，确保对SEN学生的支持充足。我完全同意议员们的看法，招聘时必须谨慎，因为重要的是招募具备正确心态、对SEN学生有爱心且有潜力出色完成工作的人员。

我们也加大投入帮助阅读障碍学生，恒部长刚才已分享相关情况。我们于2012年推出了校本阅读障碍矫正（SDR）项目，并一直尽快扩大规模。过程中，我们不断完善教学方法，培训更多教师。今年，SDR项目将扩展到另外60所学校，2016年将覆盖所有小学。

对有特殊教育需要的儿童的支持还包括为部分学生参加国家考试提供特殊安排，例如叶振忠先生提到的小学离校考试（PSLE）母语豁免。

我们为一小部分在母语学习上有困难的学生提供特殊豁免。这些学生中，有些可能是中途入学或重新入学，之前未学过母语；还有些是经认证的医疗状况或SEN学生，如阅读障碍、自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）或注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）。

每个基于医疗或SEN理由的豁免申请，均由教育部专家小组仔细审查，考虑提交的医疗报告、学校报告、考试成绩和作业样本。我想强调，豁免绝非轻易给予。如果孩子确实患有申请中提及的状况，将考虑豁免。如议员知悉不实情况，可提供详细信息，我们必定调查。

我现在感谢谢永容女士询问高等教育机构（IHL）中的SEN支持办公室（SSO）或残障支持办公室（DSO）以及能力建设和人力培训，以提升其支持SEN学生的效能。这些是支持IHL中SEN学生的关键举措。每所工艺教育学院、理工学院和公立大学均设有SSO，作为第一线帮助点。SSO还管理SEN基金，帮助工艺教育学院和理工学院中有身体或感官障碍的学生购买辅助技术设备或支持服务。

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已有超过500名学生向这些办公室寻求帮助。为提升能力建设，理工学院和工艺教育学院的SSO每三个月召开一次会议，分享最佳实践。本月，新加坡理工学院将主办由布兰德曼大学残障服务办公室举办的无障碍教育研讨会，面向所有IHL的SSO。

自2013年以来，我们的IHL积极开展员工基础SEN意识和校园支持培训。培训向IHL员工介绍各种SEN，并教授课堂支持策略。

在理工学院和工艺教育学院，已有1500名员工接受培训，约占学术人员的五分之一。未来五年，理工学院和工艺教育学院将努力培训所有学术人员掌握基础SEN意识和支持。我们的大学也为与SEN学生互动的员工提供培训机会。因此，我认为IHL的SSO工作进展显著，感谢谢女士和花姐对此倡议的支持。

让我举一个受益于该倡议的学生例子。他是18岁的李昂内尔·陈，工艺教育学院中央学院商业服务专业学生，视力有障碍。收到信息通信技术（ICT）Nitec课程录取通知后，工艺教育学院学习无障碍办公室与李昂内尔沟通，了解其需求。通过包括ICT实验室参观的会谈，李昂内尔意识到该课程可能不适合他。学习无障碍办公室随后协助他发现其他兴趣，并帮助他报名适合其优势和需求的课程。办公室还提供了相应支持。安排了李昂内尔的讲师与其前任教师（阿末易卜拉欣中学）讨论。办公室还利用SEN基金购买了文本转语音软件和记笔记设备。讲师们也与办公室合作，为他提供无障碍学习材料。

感谢花姐建议允许其他类型SEN学生使用SEN基金。SEN基金应置于支持SEN学生的更广泛框架中考虑。我们旨在根据学生具体需求量身定制支持措施，如为阅读障碍学生提供考试安排，为自闭症谱系障碍学生提供培训设施导向，为注意力缺陷多动障碍学生提供课堂学习额外帮助。教育部及IHL将持续审视并加强支持范围。

副总理兼恒部长已谈及过去五年我们对SPED学校的支出增长了50%。请允许我详细说明这如何转化为新的更好项目，提升SPED的可负担性、可及性和质量。主席女士，若获允许，我想在屏幕上展示一张信息图。

主席：好的，请。 [幻灯片向尊敬的议员展示。]

沈淑贤女士：关于负担能力，我们知道有特殊教育需要（SEN）儿童的家长更可能面临额外的经济支出，因此帮助他们解决负担能力问题非常重要。教育部（MOE）因此提供了大量的财政支持。多年来，我们已将多项计划扩展至我们的特殊教育（SPED）学校，包括教育储蓄计划（Edusave Scheme）、特殊教育财政援助计划（SPED Financial Assistance Scheme，简称FAS）以及学校早餐计划。

我们将继续提供财政支持，帮助我们的特殊教育学生实现他们的愿望。今年，我们将提升基于学校的财政援助，未来三年平均每所学校的援助额度将从15,000新元提高至25,000新元。我们还将增强特殊教育财政援助计划，纳入公共交通补贴。

同时，我们将全额补贴新加坡籍特殊教育学校学生参加国家考试及通往国家职业认证考试的考试费用。

为了让大家了解这意味着什么，我举一个例子：Shaherah bte Daud是Metta学校的一名16岁学生。Shaherah立志成为一名厨师，将参加ITE烘焙实践技能证书考试。在未来两年内，Shaherah无需支付ISC第一类和第三类模块的评估费用。如果她希望提升烘焙技能，随后也无需支付第二类和第四类模块的评估费用。从现在起直到她21岁，Shaherah都可以参加这些评估，努力获得认证。

在便利性方面，教育部致力于让需要特殊教育的儿童更容易被安置到合适的学校。为此，我们定期升级学校基础设施，并扩大部分特殊教育学校的容量，以满足日益增长的入学需求。目前，15所特殊教育学校是专门建造的，另外5所已完成翻新。

（页码：111）

我们还希望帮助家长做出将孩子安置到合适学校的重要决定。为此，我们推出了诊断后教育指导（Post-Diagnosis Educational Guidance），为被建议安置到特殊教育学校的儿童家长提供准确的信息和建议，以及情感支持。

我们提升特殊教育质量的关键举措是2012年实施的特殊教育课程框架（SPED Curriculum Framework）。该框架指导特殊教育学校提供优质且全面的教育，帮助特殊教育学生实现生活、学习和工作目标。我感谢Denise Phua女士与我们不懈合作改进课程，并感谢她提出的新建议，我们将认真研究。

我们还向特殊教育学校投入额外资源，如教学与学习基金、课程提升基金、高需求补助金（用于支持需要更多帮助的学生的人力资源）、教育部-托特董事会信息通信技术基金（MOE-Tote Board ICT Fund，用于购买教学辅助信息通信技术设备）以及家长支持小组基金（Parent Support Group Fund，用于建立和维持家校合作关系）。

除了资金支持，教育部认识到特殊教育学校拥有技术娴熟且敬业的教师和员工至关重要。我们支持特殊教育教师提升技能，开发了里程碑式项目，如特殊教育文凭课程，并向有资质的教师颁发研究生奖学金。我们还慷慨资助特殊教育学校举办培训研讨会，并派遣教师参加会议和学习考察。

一项重要举措是面向有经验教师的高级特殊教育文凭课程。我们收到了非常积极的反馈，教育工作者认为该课程意义深远且内容丰富，欣赏课程采用的从研究到实践的方法。

鉴于特殊教育的背景，我们知道家长和特殊教育教师非常关心孩子或学生离校后的去向。为解决这一关切，我们一直努力帮助特殊教育学生为未来做好准备。

我们于2010年推出了职业教育框架，针对具备更高工作能力的学生。我们还在特殊教育学校推动优质职业教育项目，服务轻度智障学生，提供部分行业领域的国家认证，这使得四分之一的特殊教育毕业生成功就业。

对于能够工作但可能无法从职业认证中受益的学生，我们与社会及家庭发展部（MSF）、SG Enable及特殊教育学校合作，自2014年起在五所特殊教育学校试点“学校到工作”计划。我们计划从2016年起分阶段向更多特殊教育学校推广该计划。

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这些措施为我们的学生提供了不同路径，帮助他们建立坚实的技能基础，为职场做好准备。在这方面，我认为我们的特殊教育领域可以被视为技能未来（SkillsFuture）精神的早期践行者。

女士们，政府一直在加大力度，确保我们继续成为一个给予所有人希望和保障的社会。教育部将继续与社会及家庭发展部、全国社会服务理事会（NCSS）、SG Enable及其他合作伙伴携手，将有特殊需要的新加坡人视为新加坡社会的完整且不可分割的成员。

但政府无法单独完成这项工作。我感谢志愿福利组织（VWOs）、支持的雇主和企业、我们的教育工作者以及所有为建设包容性社会而努力的人。

教育部长高级议员秘书（Hawazi Daipi先生）：主席女士，我认为我无法在12分30秒内完成发言。请问我能否申请延长约五分钟的发言时间？

主席：可以，五分钟没问题。

Hawazi Daipi先生：主席女士，学校、家长和社区是共同努力的关键伙伴，致力于打造一个我们的人民因其本质而被重视，而不仅仅是凭借他们所拥有的资历的未来。为了全面发展我们的孩子，并为他们打下坚实的价值观基础，教育部加强了学校的艺术、音乐、体育和户外活动以及国际化工作。

在体育领域，我们赞同Benedict Tan博士和Yee Jenn Jong先生的观点，所有学生参与竞技和非竞技水平的体育及课外活动（CCA）都有益于他们的全面发展。

我很高兴通知各位议员，随着体育课程的修订，所有学生都学习基本运动技能和概念，并广泛接触至少六种体育项目，以及舞蹈、体操、田径、游泳和户外教育。Benedict Tan博士建议所有学生在运动会上参与体育运动。运动会是学生参与的众多机会之一。除了运动会，学校全年为所有学生提供丰富的体育体验，如班级间和组别间比赛、越野赛、体育嘉年华和体育教育计划。

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课外活动计划补充了这些体验，我们学校提供60多种体育课外活动。约三分之一的学生参与体育课外活动，其中60%不是校队成员。每所学校提供的课外活动种类取决于学生兴趣及设施、财务和人力资源的可用性。每种体育体验都有不同目的，允许卓越表现和大众参与共存。

Tan博士可能会高兴地知道，通过课程中的户外教育，所有小学和中学学生都学习简单的导航和户外生活技能，如烹饪和搭建庇护所。所有学生在小学六年级结束前至少参加过一次户外探险营，中学四年级结束前至少参加过两次营会，其中一次为户外探险营。通过体育、课外活动和户外教育，学生体验团队合作，培养韧性和坚韧，并发现课堂上可能无法发现的自我特质。

这些课堂外的体验还通过学校提供的多种跨文化体验实现，如交流项目、海外学习考察和与新加坡境内外国社区的合作。这些国际化努力更好地为学生准备全球化环境，培养21世纪能力中的全球意识和跨文化技能。

我们同意Benedict Tan博士的观点，体育是促进本国青年与其他国籍青年互动的有效平台。这已通过体育赛事实现，如年度东盟学校运动会、全国学校运动会以及本地与国际学校间的校际合作。例如，裕廊中学和北景中学每年与新加坡美国学校进行篮球友谊赛；皇后道中学过去两年组织了与澳大利亚国际学校的足球和篮球友谊赛。

然而，全面发展不仅是学校的责任。家长和社区必须发挥作用，提供这些机会。社区俱乐部、新加坡体育理事会、国家体育协会和人民协会（PA）提供许多此类项目和活动，学生和家长应参与其中，进一步发展他们在各领域的兴趣和优势。

现在让我谈谈技能未来（SkillsFuture）。部长和高级国务部长Indranee已谈及技能未来及帮助孩子发现独特优势和兴趣的重要性，使他们能够充分发挥不同路径的潜力。

所有学校都通过教育与职业指导（ECG）工作实现这一目标。针对Ang Wei Neng先生关于家长在职业辅导中角色的提问，我想回应：家长应认识到，今天工作所需的能力和技能可能与他们的孩子未来所需不同。

家长可以与学校合作开展ECG工作。利用教育部电子职业门户（MOE e-careers portal）和家长教育网站（Parents-in-Education website）等资源，家长可以支持年轻人探索各种教育路径，并根据兴趣、优势和工作价值观做出明智选择。

在宏茂桥的长老会中学，学生参加“庆祝生命！”研讨会，帮助他们根据兴趣、优势和志向识别不同路径。学校通过向家长介绍电子职业门户，鼓励他们利用工具指导孩子设定和实现人生目标，从而让家长参与其中。家长还通过访问后中学教育机构和高等学府的学习考察，更加了解各种路径。

在巴西立的绿景中学，家长参与名为“与家长一起实习”的项目。中二和中三学生的家长在六月份假期的三天内志愿带孩子去工作场所，向他们展示各种职业，如湿巴刹、监狱、航空和儿科肿瘤科。学生们反映，通过目睹父母的辛勤工作和职场现实，他们更加理解父母。这些真实体验非常宝贵，为学生适应职场期望做好准备。

通过参与ECG工作，家长可能发现孩子想走更非传统的路径。GCE“O”水准考试后，Ariel De Silva符合理工学院入学资格，但她感兴趣的课程均未合格。她的母亲Sarie De Silva女士认识到她在创造力、语言技能和讲故事方面的优势，鼓励她报读ITE的幼儿教育课程。Ariel追随热情，在ITE表现优异，后来进入淡马锡理工学院。她现在是一名合格的学前教师。

作为家长，我们必须相信，当孩子追求自己擅长且热爱的事物时，他们会找到成功和满足感。

家长还可以通过家长支持小组（PSG）网络支持学校的ECG工作，向学生展示超出自己职业范围的职业选择。

在裕廊东小学，高年级学生在ECG课程中使用电子职业门户了解不同职业。通过工作影子计划，PSG成员在工作场所接待六年级学生，给予他们真实的职场体验。自2012年实施以来，该计划已惠及120名学生，越来越多的PSG家长主动支持该计划。

盛港的培华中学在结构化的ECG项目中，邀请PSG、校友、学校咨询委员会（SAC）和行业合作伙伴参与。PSG、校友和SAC与学生举办对话会，分享教育和职业选择及个人挑战中的经验教训。中三学生可选择在圣淘沙名胜世界、新加坡野生动物保护区及部分酒店和零售店实习。这些努力 culminate in an ECG Day for Secondary 4 and 5 students where industry partners, former students or lecturers from IHLs are invited as keynote speakers and course advisors.

因此，行业合作伙伴非常重要，或许没有人比我们的行业领袖更能权威地谈论职场需求和期望。我们将启动系列节目“老板想要什么”，由行业领袖分享雇主重视的技能、态度和特质。该系列旨在提高家长对多样职业选择的认识和欣赏，强调培养孩子优势和兴趣及灌输主动性、韧性、动力和适应力等价值观的重要性。

通过共同努力提升ECG工作，我们更有能力帮助拓宽孩子们的成功机会。

除了参与ECG工作，PSG网络帮助家长支持学校和彼此，共同培养孩子的全面发展。我很高兴看到几乎所有学校都有由热心支持的家长组成的PSG。教育部一直鼓励PSG的发展，并重视在它们之间建立支持网络。

我们计划今年举办四场PSG领袖联谊会，汇聚PSG领袖和学校工作人员，协同努力加强家校合作。约有730名参与者将出席这四场联谊会。

我于2月28日参加了第一场联谊会，看到东区如此积极参与的PSG领袖和工作人员，讨论家长和学校如何在各自集群中合作和支持，令我感到欣慰。

我遇见了多位多年来活跃于孩子学校的PSG领袖，其中一些人在孩子毕业后仍继续贡献。其中一位是嘉诺撒修院小学现任PSG主席George Punnoose先生。他已参与PSG九年，表示即使女儿毕业后仍积极参与，是因为他热爱孩子们，渴望通过PSG活动为他们的校园生活带来欢乐。

我还遇见了来自其他国家的活跃PSG领袖，他们因欣赏我们的教育体系而将孩子送入本地学校。他们参与学校和PSG，增强了学校孩子们的文化多样性和全球意识。

一般而言，PSG成员多为母亲，因此我特别高兴在2月28日的联谊会上看到许多父亲。圣希尔达中学PSG主席Gordon Tan先生自2012年加入PSG，因想成为儿子“最佳父亲”，尤其是在青春期关键阶段。通过亲子活动，他更了解儿子，并共同创造了许多珍贵回忆。

另一位父亲，俊源小学PSG主席Muchtar Bin Abdul Karim先生，是该校首届毕业生。他于2014年为女儿报名入学，并加入学校PSG，以回馈母校。他认为自己在学校的存在帮助女儿增强自信，希望激励她效仿自己回馈社区。

我遇见的这些父亲表示，参与PSG让他们在塑造孩子成长方面发挥更大作用。他们认为PSG应更多吸引父亲参与，并愿意为此贡献力量。

如此积极支持的家长是其他家长的良好榜样。为进一步鼓励这种指导关系，我很高兴通知，第九届COMPASS理事会将启动COMPASS-PSG指导计划。根据学校需求，该计划将为希望进一步发展的PSG匹配来自COMPASS的PSG导师。我们的COMPASS PS代表均为学校PSG的资深成员，能够为其他PSG提供支持。

当COMPASS成员赵忠兴先生在2014年首届PSG会议上分享圣希尔达小学的父亲团体时，来自如如兰小学、武吉知马小学、勿洛绿小学和光阳小学的PSG代表们受到启发，开始探索父亲如何参与他们的学校活动。去年，勿洛绿小学访问圣希尔达小学，观察父亲团体的运作方式，为该校举办了一次攀岩亲子联谊活动铺平了道路。

通过该计划，我们希望鼓励家长支持团体（PSG）加强与学校的合作伙伴关系，以造福他们的孩子，并为未来世界做好准备。

女士，当我们作为一个社区共同努力，为我们的孩子提供机会，拓宽成功的定义时，我们将教导孩子们每个人都因其独特的优势、才能和兴趣而被重视。我们将更好地帮助孩子们未来在社会中取得成功。女士，如果允许，我想用马来语结束我的发言。

（马来语）：[请参阅本地语演讲。]主席女士，我们的孩子长大后生活和工作的世界将与我们今天所知大不相同。因此，终身学习非常重要。我们需要帮助孩子们掌握知识、技能和能力，准备好面对未来的不确定性和复杂性。

这些技能包括沟通能力、信息处理能力和团队合作能力。更重要的是，我们需要帮助他们成长为品格良好、能够做出明智决策、并以韧性和适应力面对挑战的人。这些品质将为他们的未来奠定坚实基础。这些也是雇主在未来员工中所看重的品质，因为他们希望员工具有主动性、积极性和热情。

因此，家长和学校必须携手合作，帮助孩子们培养这些品质，发现他们的动力和热情所在。这可以通过为孩子们提供教育与职业指导（ECG）来实现。虽然教育部（MOE）会为中学、初级学院、中央学院、理工学院和工艺教育学院（ITE）配备ECG辅导员，但家长必须尽其所能真正了解孩子。这意味着要花时间与他们共度优质时光，帮助他们

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探索不同的机会和可能性。

我鼓励所有家长支持学校在教育与职业指导（ECG）方面的努力，利用ECG门户网站和家长教育网站等资源，探索孩子未来的不同职业路径。这些资源为家长提供指导和协助孩子做出成熟未来决策的技巧，还包含各种教育路径的信息，以及引导性问题和自我评估工具，帮助学生根据兴趣、优势和价值观做出明智选择。

当我们的孩子发现他们的动力所在、优势和兴趣所在时，家长和学校可以共同努力，给予他们追求这些的机会。有时，这需要家长走出舒适区，鼓励孩子尝试新事物。只有通过这样的探索，孩子们才能发现自我的新面向。

Adly Azizi Adly Azamin的父母就是给予孩子探索新事物空间如何转化为未来积极力量的例子。当Adly Azizi在蒙福特初级学校首次选择舞蹈作为课外活动时，他没有正式的舞蹈训练，但通过该课外活动，他发现了自己的天赋并培养了深厚的热情。尽管舞蹈经验有限，Adly在家人的支持下参加了艺术学院（SOTA）的入学试。如今，15岁的Adly是一位充满动力和热情的学生，在SOTA舞蹈系追求他的舞蹈之路。

家长和学校必须携手帮助孩子了解可选的不同路径，给予他们空间追求擅长和感兴趣的领域，达到他们的最高潜能。我们应鼓励他们追求能带来快乐和满足的选择，并尊重他们所选择的任何道路。这样，孩子成功的机会将更加广阔。主席女士，谢谢。

下午5时15分

主席：我们还有一点时间做澄清。Zainal Sapari先生？

Zainal Sapari先生：主席女士，我想用马来语澄清。

（马来语）：[请参阅本地语演讲。]教育部长在演讲中表示，无论起点如何，都不会有孩子被落下。部长能否分享政府对几位议员提出的建议的立场，即是否考虑在今年预算中为所有新加坡学生免除考试费用，即使他们在私立学校如全日制伊斯兰学校就读？

Heng Swee Keat先生：女士，所有以私人考生身份参加国家考试的新加坡人，包括伊斯兰学校学生，目前已经享有考试费用补贴。我们的教育体系确实是包容性的。正如我所说，我坚持这一点——不会有孩子被落下。所有家长都可以选择将孩子送入主流学校，接受高度补贴的教育，这其中包括国家考试费用的全额免除。

因此，我们的政策仍然是希望所有新加坡孩子入读主流学校，经历共同的教育体验，一起成长。因此，这不是要平衡主流学校和私立学校之间的所有条件。如果私立学校因特定原因是必要的，相关机构会在非常具体的背景下考虑他们的需求。

Lim Biow Chuan先生：谢谢，主席女士。让我感谢部长分享教育部的重点领域。我希望我们提出的关切和建议能被带回教育部考虑，因为我们许多人谈到了户外活动和艺术等话题。部长谈到了超越成绩的理念。现实是，在许多学校中，对好成绩的重视仍然很强，这也解释了为什么补习文化如此盛行。我们可能谈论超越成绩，但学校确实看重成绩。

我还想问部长，我在发言中提到是否可以提前为中年转职人士提供增强补贴，而不是40岁以后，改为工作五年后。我知道财政部长已经谈过这个问题。我希望部长能带回去，与财政部讨论，看看是否可以考虑提前为中年新加坡人提供增强补贴。

Heng Swee Keat先生：主席女士，当然我们会考虑所有提出的建议。在这简短的发言中，我无法涵盖所有建议，感谢各位议员的建议。

关于超越成绩的问题，确实，这不仅仅是一个变化。正如我在演讲中所说，我们需要作为家长、教育者、学校领导、雇主以及整个社会共同推动这场转型。这是一项重大转型工作，需要我们每个人的参与。正如我所说，每一个决定、每一个行动，

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每个人都很重要。

关于增强中年补贴，我们肯定会与财政部讨论。但让我说的是，我们的许多课程已经得到了高度补贴。正如我所说，我们的重点不应仅仅是补贴和特定课程。谈到终身学习，归根结底，是技能的运用，学习可以在许多不同的环境中进行。美国与日本的例子给了我们一个生动的教训，我们必须关注如何使其有效，技术细节随后可以解决。

Denise Phua Lay Peng女士：谢谢，女士。我想提出两个澄清；一是想了解部长对整合的十年贯通学校的看法。我想澄清，我并不意味着要牺牲学术严谨性。我真的认为学术严谨和品格培养必须保持。我只是想再次征询部长的看法，因为我已经问过几次了。

第二个澄清是给国务部长沈燕女士。关于特殊需要学生，如果能找到特别方案，确保特殊教育（SPED）学校不会被排除在国家层面所有好项目之外，例如目前正在进行的非常好的基于学校的阅读障碍矫正项目。我认为这是非常好的。有一些特殊需要学生同时患有多种疾病，包括阅读障碍。因此，我也想征求您的意见。

Heng Swee Keat先生：主席女士，我认为Denise Phua女士体现了精通学习和终身学习的重要品质——坚持不懈，持续努力。我们都记得Phua女士几个月前提出了休会动议。首先，我要说的是，秉持我所说的精神，我欢迎任何形式的创新，我们必须对可能性保持开放心态。我们必须探索更好做事的方法，因此我们会认真考虑这个问题。

早些时候，Inderjit Singh先生提到了稀缺心态。如果我们认为只有一条成功之路，无论是在学校还是工作中，作为家长、学生或个人，我们会怎么做？我们会竭尽全力进入那条道路。事实上，我们在许多不同的体系中都看到这种现象。

在一些体系中，他们一直忙于改变这一切，结果是许多人抱怨教育体系失去了严谨性，学生准备不足，不仅是面对未来，甚至是现在。在其他体系中，压力如此之大，以至于他们决定废除PSLE、GCE“普通”水准考试，实行贯通制，不仅是十年，而是十二年。

只要只有一条成功之路，压力迟早会显现。在我研究过的体系中，这种压力表现为两个方面：一是我如何进入那条路？首先，在小学阶段，我进入一所好小学，然后进入好中学，最后进入好高中？

然后，压力向下延伸。为什么不进入好幼儿园，以便进入好小学？然后更进一步，为什么不进入好托儿所，以便进入好幼儿园？我有个朋友的孙子三岁时被评估入读海外某托儿所。她说孙子三岁时人生第一次失败，就是在评估时睡着了。其他孩子评估时间很长，轮到他时正是他平时的午睡时间。

这是压力的一个方面。另一个压力点是在高中，因为高中决定你是否能进入大学，而大学决定你是否能成功。

我最近遇到一位新加坡人，他娶了一位女士，他岳父母问他“你是哪个大学毕业的？”当他回答后，他在家庭中成了边缘人。因此，压力在两个极端显现。

我并不是说贯通制是坏主意。我是说我们需要思考是什么驱动了这种压力，以及我们如何在其中创新。

大约两年前，我遇到一位中国的深思熟虑的教育者。讨论这个问题时，她告诉我，只要我们有稀缺心态，认为只有一条成功之路，那么我们看待生活的方式就像“千军万马过独木桥”。难道系统不会有压力吗？这会带来更好的教育吗？肯定会有压力。这是一种应对问题的方式。

另一种是我们是否拥有丰盛心态。当我们拥有丰盛心态时，成功不再由一条道路定义，而是多条道路。学校成功、工作成功，有许多不同的路径。正如我所说，1965年我们刚独立时，读书是重要的晋升途径，因为那是最大的技能缺口。

如今，我们经济发生巨大变化，许多工作岗位需要各领域的深厚技能，因此路径多样化。但我们对教育和路径的思考未能跟上这些变化。

展望未来，我们非常重要的是不要只想到那唯一的独木桥，而是建造许多桥梁。不仅是木桥，还有铁桥、钢桥，寻找不同的过河方式，专用船、机动船、潜艇等等。

这样，我们可以创造更多成功路径。事实上，SkillsFuture奖学金、SkillsFuture学分、SkillsFuture奖项以及所有模块化课程，都是赋能新加坡人创造自己的路径，构建自己的技能地图，以保持相关性。同时，我们需要雇主参与，充分利用这些技能，从而提高公司生产力和利润，进而转化为更高工资，形成更多成功路径的良性循环。

确实，有些新加坡人可能选择自雇、创业，并在这些领域建立成功所需的技能。因此，这是真正需要实现的根本转型——超越学校成功的思维，成功于多个领域，拥有丰盛心态，思考新可能性，具备创新和资源fulness的心态，探索新方法。

在这方面，我重申我始终欢迎好点子，我们必须不断探索更好的做事方式。但我想重申，归根结底，经过对全球体系的考察，我认为我们需要在成功观、路径观以及创造路径的方式上实现重大转型。

Sim Ann女士：女士，我想回应Denise Phua女士关于与特殊教育（SPED）学校分享更多项目如阅读障碍矫正的澄清。她提醒我，我们的专家已经开始与SPED学校合作，提升学生的阅读和识字能力，作为SPED课程框架的一部分。如果我没记错，这项工作实际上比基于学校的阅读障碍矫正项目还早一些。至于她的建议，我们会认真研究。

Irene Ng Phek Hoong女士：我想问学生的压力水平。我欢迎教育部（MOE）转向超越成绩的理念。但现实是，由于竞争激烈和家长期望高，学生面临越来越大的成绩压力。我担心那些难以应对压力、可能出现抑郁和自尊心低下问题的学生，他们可能会产生自杀念头。

下午5时30分

我想问部长，教育部如何增强学生应对压力的情绪资源，面对快速变化的节奏，并与家长合作，管理他们的期望，开放接受部长刚才提到的多元路径？

Heng Swee Keat先生：主席女士，感谢Irene Ng女士的问题。我确实认同议员的关切，我们必须关注学生的社会情绪能力。特别是在过去几年，我们通过多种课程加强了学校中社会情绪能力的学习。同时，正如高级议员Hawazi强调的，最终家长扮演非常重要的角色。家长与孩子的沟通至关重要。

我很高兴看到许多不同组织和家长支持团体（PSG）主动协助，与学校合作，互相支持。我见过这些团体，对他们的工作印象深刻，因为当家长能够分享彼此经历时，会形成一种共同体意识——我们共同面对挑战。这项工作将持续进行，我们必须关注孩子们的社会情绪健康，使他们成长为适应良好、快乐的个体，正如我演讲中所说，学习是为了生活，而不仅仅是为了成绩。

叶振荣先生：主席女士，我有两个问题要问部长。首先，我必须说我完全同意部长的观点，学习不应为了成绩，而应为了掌握知识。部长说过，他提到的这些变化超越了学校的范畴。

首先，部长肯定会同意，我们仍然需要学校来落实我们想要的改变，而有些历史性的结构可能传递出与部长所说不同的信息。例如，中央集中的卓越计划（GEP）赋予了九所入选学校某种精英地位，并且会继续让家长认为这些是顶尖且受欢迎的学校。那么，我们是否应该大胆地批判性审视那些可能已经完成其使命的历史体系，并探讨是否有不同的方式来实现其设立的初衷？

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我第二个问题已经有人问过，但我会换个方式坚持问。部长是否同意，贯通式的小学到中学的学校实际上非常符合部长自己提出的学习不仅仅为了成绩，而是为了好奇心和掌握知识的理念？这将让家长真正认同部长的理念，选择这样的学校，从而不必让孩子们为了进入好学校而在PSLE中追求高分。

我听到了部长的回答，但我觉得我们其实可以将顶尖学校排除在这项改革之外，保持原有的升学路径不变，这样就不会像部长刚才所说的那样，将压力向下转移。

王瑞杰部长：感谢叶振荣先生首先完全同意我关于学习为了掌握的观点。他提出了两个问题。首先，我谈到超越学校，但我们在学校里做了什么？事实上，当我说“超越”时，我的意思是你需要在学校里做事，然后还要超越学校。所以，这不是“非此即彼”，而是两者都需要做好。

关于卓越计划（GEP）及其可能改变的观感，我在演讲中提到，我们现在有多种应用学习计划。但我想超越关于一两个GEP是否造成压力和问题的讨论，思考在我们这样一个拥有约180所中学的大型学校系统中，如何在每所学校创造机会。

我非常致力于“每校皆优”运动。这就是为什么我推出了应用学习计划和生活学习计划。这些计划开始产生效果，家长们开始看到每所学校都提供一些有趣或特别的内容，能够帮助他们的孩子学习。

我在演讲中提到了淡海中学的例子，一位家长有三个孩子参加了健康科学课程。所以，我们要有这种丰盛心态，思考如何创造新的可能性，而不是只关注一两个特定领域。我们真正想要的是在非常广泛的领域开展工作，创造我所说的多元成功路径。

关于议员的第二个问题，是否在这种精神下，如果有贯通式课程，是否会帮助家长不再追逐分数等。我在回复潘淑英女士时也提到，归根结底——我们刚刚讨论了四个多小时，说明社会进行这场重大转型的重要性——我们努力的核心焦点是什么？未来多年我们努力的核心焦点是让每个人的心态发生转变，以实现这场重大变革。

我愿意考虑具体想法和措施的优点，但我也必须非常明确，鉴于我们拥有的资源和关注点，我会把重点放在最能产生最大影响的事情上。所以，如果我们相信，确实建立贯通式学校能产生影响，我再次重申，我愿意考虑。但我花了很多时间思考这些问题，研究世界各地的教育体系，与全球教育者讨论，试图理解全球教育和社会体系行为的驱动力。我确实认为，技能未来计划（SkillsFuture）和我提到的学习掌握、终身学习、生活学习的转型，正是我们需要实现的转型。在这个背景下，我们可以做很多事情。

穆罕默德·费萨尔·宾·阿卜杜勒·马纳普议员（阿裕尼选区）：主席女士，请用马来语。

（马来语）：[请参阅方言发言。] 刚才，部长提到了教育储蓄奖学金（Edusave Merit Bursary）。我想向部长澄清，马德拉萨学生是否有资格获得教育储蓄奖学金或其他教育储蓄奖项？

王瑞杰部长：我相信国务部长沈燕安在本院提出了将教育储蓄扩展至所有学生的法案。所以，我希望尊敬的议员知道这点。

穆罕默德·费萨尔·宾·阿卜杜勒·马纳普议员：我只是想知道，这是否包括教育储蓄奖学金，还是仅仅是教育储蓄计划本身？

王瑞杰部长：是我们存入账户的教育储蓄金额。

主席：马纳普先生，您还想进一步澄清吗？

穆罕默德·费萨尔·宾·阿卜杜勒·马纳普议员：是的，因为我理解教育储蓄计划是否涵盖——

主席：我认为部长刚才已经回答了，不涵盖。在我看来，只涵盖存入账户的金额。

穆罕默德·费萨尔·宾·阿卜杜勒·马纳普议员：我只是想知道，刚才提到的教育储蓄奖项和奖学金是否会提供给马德拉萨学生。

王瑞杰部长：我想我已经回答了尊敬议员的问题，教育储蓄金额是存入账户，供学生用于课外活动，而不是其他奖项。

主席：如果没有其他澄清，林标泉先生，您是否愿意撤回您的修正案？

林标泉先生：谢谢您，主席女士。女士，请允许我借此机会感谢部长、高级国务部长、国务部长和高级议会秘书对我们众多问题和澄清的答复。我代表政府议会委员会（GPC），也想借此机会对教育部以及成千上万为孩子未来做准备的教师和其他教育工作者表示深深的感谢。主席女士，我请求撤回我的修正案。

[(程序文本) 修正案，经许可，撤回 (程序文本)]。

[(程序文本) 114亿新元拨款，列入主要预算（程序文本）]。

[(程序文本) 7亿新元拨款，列入发展预算（程序文本）]。

第127页

英文原文

SPRS Hansard 原始记录 · 抓取日期：2026-05-02

General Education Policies

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten) : Madam, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

A recent article in The Straits Times caught my eye. In the article, it was reported that there were too many Koreans chasing after too few jobs. The report stated that the college entrance rate stands at 80%, up from 30% in the 1990s. South Korean parents were reported to spend up to 19 trillion won, or S$22.4 billion, on extra tuition. But many college graduates were unable to find jobs due to severe labour mismatch. The jobless rate for people aged 15 to 29 is 8% and government data from South Korea showed that there were more than three million graduates who were "economically inactive".

In another BBC article last July, it was reported that a staggering 7.26 million will graduate from China's universities in 2014. In fact, the article was entitled "What do you do with millions of extra graduates?" Unemployment among these new graduates six months after leaving university is around 15%.

Having read such depressing news, I wonder about our Singapore graduates. Like South Korea and China, Singaporeans place a high premium on education and many students aspire towards getting a tertiary education. This is evident from the fact that a recent household survey found that Singapore families spent a staggering $1.1 billion on tuition.

I am concerned that more and more students see achieving a university degree as the ultimate objective in life and they will be assured of a bright future once they graduate. To me, there is nothing wrong in wanting to pursue further education. However, I worry about Singaporeans who, after spending so much time and money on attaining a higher education, are unable to secure well-paying jobs. Will Singapore have the high youth unemployment rates that we see in South Korea, in China and in many parts of Europe? If we do, I am sure that there will be great frustration and deep resentment among these people.

Last year, I urged the Government to ensure that all our students from ITEs, polytechnics and universities are properly prepared to meet the future needs of the various industries. We must ensure that the skills which our students learn in our Institutes of Higher Learning or IHLs must be practical and relevant to the industries. Hence, I am glad to hear the recent focus in the Budget Statement about the need to invest in our citizens to prepare them for the future.

Page: 41

Much was said about SkillsFuture in the Budget Debate. I agree that we must help our citizens deepen and master skills relevant to their jobs because our people are our only natural resource. In this competitive world, Singaporeans cannot take full employment for granted. May I ask the Minister, how will SkillsFuture help Singaporeans understand better the need for lifelong learning to achieve deeper skills in their profession or work, and to remain relevant in the workforce? Just in today's The Straits Times, it was reported that fewer workers find their training useful. Can MOE ensure that courses and skills taught by education and training providers are useful and relevant? Can the Minister elaborate more about the SkillsFuture credit and how Singaporeans can upgrade themselves using the SkillsFuture credit?

Next, allow me to speak briefly about tuition. Whilst I know that many students rely heavily on tuition, I am concerned that tuition will eventually become a crutch for these students. Some of them are so heavily reliant on tuition to achieve high scores that they may have lost the skill of self-directed learning. This will put them at a disadvantage when they enter the workforce as they may not develop problem-solving skills on their own whilst they were students. They will always have a safety net in their tuition teachers.

Can we ask our schools to encourage students who are already performing well to reconsider whether they truly need tuition? Teachers can encourage their students to be bold and confident to develop the skill of self-learning without the need for tuition teachers to constantly hold their hands and check their work. If we take a small step in this direction, we will gradually be able to reduce students' over-dependence on tuition. This hopefully will gradually reduce stress as students should see that actual competence, application skills and lifelong learning skills are more important once they enter the workforce.

Finally, I am excited to hear about the enhanced subsidies for mid-career Singaporeans. I feel that we can encourage Singaporeans to seek further development by pursuing either skills development or further education once they are clearer about their career goals. However, I wish to urge MOE to consider allowing the enhanced subsidies to be given to Singaporeans who have worked for at least five years and not wait until they are 40 years of age.

I know of many young people who, after having worked for a few years, feel that it is timely for them to upgrade their skills and this is before it becomes more difficult for them to take time off to balance office work, family life and still continue their studies. Minister, I wish to appeal that we allow them to seize the opportunities offered by our education system once they are ready instead of waiting until they are 40 years old.

Page: 42

[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]

SkillsFuture – Progression Opportunities

Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh) : ( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mdm Chair, efforts to restructure our economy is well underway to prepare us for the global challenge. With this effort, a rapid transformation will take place in our nation's industries. The implementation of SkillsFuture and other relevant schemes for lifelong learning and upgrading are important and necessary. It is hoped that this will bring about the necessary mindset change to Singaporean workers and students. This mindset change is key to the success of SkillsFuture.

Although we understand the long-term benefits of lifelong learning and upgrading initiatives, it is only a projection and a potential that will not produce quick results. I believe that many people will want to know and understand in more detail how the SkillsFuture schemes can provide motivation and a positive impact as soon as possible to our students and workers, especially for the mature workers. Can SkillsFuture continuously help our students and workers to achieve progression in their careers?

As for SkillsFuture programme in schools and Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs), what are the objectives and outcomes that we would like to achieve for our students? Can the internship and Earn and Learn programmes decide a good and stable career or is it merely for education and training? How can we ensure a good match and minimise the attrition rates and complications among students in the SkillsFuture programme so as to achieve a more optimal outcome?

Aspirations for Higher Education

Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade) : Madam, I am heartened by the Government's introduction of the ASPIRE and SkillsFuture. I hope that all of these initiatives, taken together, will over the long term foster a workforce that is always up-to-date, shrewd in making career choices, higher employability and highly sought after regardless of how the world or economy changes. More importantly, a population that is passionate about lifelong learning and ever willing to seek out opportunities to meaningfully challenge ourselves.

1.15 pm

Madam, I have two suggestions. First is to allow a wider selection of courses to be covered by SkillsFuture Credit. This could include post-graduate qualifications, such as Master's programmes in local institutions. It will no doubt help Singaporeans who aspire and

Page: 43

have the ability to attain higher qualifications to do so.

SkillsFuture Credit is about empowerment and giving Singaporeans the autonomy and responsibility over their own personal development and career progression. Hence, why not let Singaporeans decide what are best suited to their development and to their needs because SkillsFuture credit is, perhaps, only a small fraction of the total cost of a master's programme but it is a nod towards the desire to upgrade.

Hence, my second suggestion is to allow Singaporeans to tap into their own CPF money to fund these programmes, at least partially, and make it known that if they tap on their CPF, they are expected to put it back post-graduation.

Support for Mid-career Learning

Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong): Mdm Chair, the definition of mid-career varies. Typically, it means someone who has worked for 10 to 15 years and is probably in their late-30s or 40s. At this mid-point, one might come to a crossroads and:

(a) have a feeling of a need to upgrade and deepen his work skills so as to do better in his career; or

(b) seek the ultimate goal and meaning of one's life and contemplate a possible change in his career; or

(c) in the worst-case scenario, face retrenchment because his skillset has become redundant or his company has closed down or relocated.

For those who need to upgrade to deepen his skills so as to perform better in his fields of work, he is definitely more self-motivated and can help himself to look for suitable courses, and he will find SkillsFuture Credit very useful.

For the second group, maybe the Government could collaborate with the industries to provide more mid-career scholarships to facilitate change of career, perhaps as a means to encourage people to tilt towards growing industries. It does not mean that we are encouraging people to change jobs or change career. Several literature about mid-career crisis shows that very often people find themselves unhappy in a path which they have trodden for some time. This is a modern-day illness.

As for the third group, it is the most worrying. For many people in their late-30s and 40s, they would have several significant financial commitments, such as housing mortgages,

Page: 44

young or school-going children and elderly parents to support and so on. And they can ill afford to lose their jobs at this time of their life. This group deserves the most attention.

Mdm Chair, as we accelerate our economic restructuring, more Singaporeans will be displaced from their jobs. It is most painful when someone loses his job after working so hard for so many years in the same field. One particular group of people is those working in the manufacturing sector. A significant number of Singaporeans were retrenched when the factories were closed and relocated to Penang and China and so on. Although many new jobs have been created, a lot of these opportunities are created in the service sectors. The displaced workers from the manufacturing sector find it hard to adapt and make such a switch.

In my own personal capacity, I have tried to help some retrenched Singaporeans by offering them opportunities in the service sectors but my experience is not too positive. I used to interview several middle managers displaced from the manufacturing sector before I could find one who would possibly fit into a management role in the service sector. Even then, only one out of five who was eventually offered made it.

I hope MOM can help more displaced workers, help them to organise courses and work with e2i to find new ways to help them.

Lifelong Learning

Mrs Lina Chiam (Non-Constituency Member): Lifelong learning is the pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons which enhances social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development but self-sustainability rather than for competitiveness and employability.

Lifelong learning can also be seen as something that takes place on an ongoing basis from our daily interactions with others and the world around us.

As Singaporeans are living longer these days, they can make use of their added years in ways that please them especially when they have time on their hands. If their counterparts in Hong Kong who embrace lifelong learning can enter the classroom, there is no reason why our elderly should not emulate them if they have the interest, energy and desire to live a more enriching and fulfilling life through continuous education.

For seniors, who for various reasons had to stop their studies during their younger days, learning opportunities for them will be most welcomed and should be made available to them. Learning opportunities should also be provided to needy elderly in recognition of their

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contributions of the generation who built up Singapore and who have survived difficult times in the past and have advantage of life experience.

Intergeneration learning in class is unique and beneficial, in that both the younger students and the senior ones can learn from each other through interactions and also to overcome apprehensiveness with each other in the classroom.

We are living in a globalised world and with constant scientific and technological innovation, some seniors can even pursue courses of higher learning online either in homes or offices.

I am heartened to note that Singapore is studying the feasibility of the Hong Kong scheme for the elderly to re-enter the classroom where the seniors can take classes in participating universities and schools during the weekends and at night for tertiary education or life skills, such as basic computer use and crafts.

Hong Kong's scheme receives subsidies from the government. Hopefully, the Government will work out some form of enhanced subsidies for courses to fund the programmes under the one billion SkillsFuture plan for continued education for the future. Providing seniors with a tertiary education will certainly help keep individuals mentally alert and raise their self-esteem.

Journey of continuing education is not smooth-sailing but the highs outweigh the lows if one is patient enough. Lifelong learning is just not about achieving another qualification for jobs but our lives will be enriched, too.

Quote: "The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realise the less I know".

Internships

Mr Yee Jenn Jong (Non-Constituency Member): Madam, internships will play an increasingly important role as we move to a more skills-based economy. I have spoken on this topic before. While I am happy that there will be more internships and we are told that they will be structured, I remain concerned about how industries will be engaged to ensure that internships are meaningful even as we ramp up the number of such places.

I have taken interns over the past 15 years and I have spoken with others who have as well. From the perspective of companies, the supply of interns has been somewhat unpredictable. Some institutions give longer period of notice of incoming interns and some

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are as short as two weeks before commencement. Sometimes, we are allowed to interview and select interns but often we are not.

It will be difficult for companies to plan for a meaningful project if the supply is unpredictable and if the existing skills of interns are not properly matched to what companies need. For projects to be even more meaningful and realistic, where possible, it will be better if there could be continuity across different internship intakes from education institutions. We can encourage projects commenced during internship to continue, as, say, a final year project when the intern returns to school.

This year, we have a new Earn and Learn programme with generous funding support. I hope to see internship funding support for companies that take in a minimum number of interns a year so that they can dedicate resources to meet internship rigorously akin to a sort of apprenticeship.

I also hope there can be close coordination between companies and supervisors in schools so that projects would be useful to companies while the internship experience will result in the learning required by the school. Where possible, we can also bring in the expertise of industry associations to help plan and validate internship programmes.

Targeted Sector to Help Students' Career

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng (Nominated Member): Mdm Chair, in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mdm Chair, Members of Parliament, good afternoon. The 2015 Budget has initiated the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme to help match graduates of Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education or ITEs with potential employers. From this year onwards, the Government will be collaborating with the retail, food and logistics sectors to nurture a batch of SkillsFuture Mentors to help SMEs with training their talents. This is very good news.

The role of education is to fulfil the needs of society. Our local talents are trained in a rigorously structured framework. The advantage of this model is being able to upgrade the quality of our workforce as a whole. However, if any industry is being overlooked during the planning phase, there will be gaps in our manpower resources.

Gaps have already appeared in some of the traditional industries. On this note, I urge all industry and trade associations to be actively involved in the planning of our future manpower resources. Not only must they convey their respective industry needs to MOE accurately, they should also support the internship programme wholeheartedly. Through the

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internship, students can have first-hand experience of the work environment, understand whether their personal interests and strengths can have growth potential in the industry and help them to chart their future career path. On the other hand, this programme could also help employers to identify the most outstanding young people and recruit talent.

However, we must also realise that larger corporations have the capability to provide internships and attract talents. SMEs, on the other hand, often lack a proper system in place. But, if they do not get involved with manpower resource planning now, the manpower crunch would get even more severe in time to come.

In order to conform to the times, traditional industries and SMEs must also grab the opportunity to improve their overall image. For example, by and large, young people are not keen to seek employment as workers wearing singlets in cake shops. But if the boss works hard to improve the work environment and enhance the job's skills value, the requirement would then be to hire a pastry chef clad in a smart uniform which would then project a professional image and satisfaction to the employee.

Going forward, professional education and career counsellors will be assigned to all secondary schools, ITEs, polytechnics and universities. Industry and trade associations must engage closely with these counsellors to ensure that they have adequate and comprehensive industry knowledge and help them change the stereotypes students have on traditional industries.

I sincerely hope that more trade associations would partake in the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme. At the same time, I would like to understand what yardsticks the ITEs and polytechnics use to select industries for their internship programmes. Only if we fully understand what yardsticks and considerations are being used can the owners of traditional industries collaborate with schools in a more purposeful and systematic manner.

Career Counselling

Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong) : Mdm Chair, in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] It is said that the biggest fear for a man is to choose the wrong career, while the biggest fear for a woman is to marry the wrong man. In modern society, gender equality means women also work and are equally wary of choosing the wrong career.

While we invest heavily on SkillsFuture, we also need education and career counsellors to counsel the students to help them understand their own strengths and weaknesses as

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well as their area of interest and various options. Secondary school students can then make informed choices when they select courses at tertiary institutions, and ultimately, make wise decisions in their career choices.

However, the education and career counsellors engaged by MOE must, first of all, have actual working experience in the different fields and receive specialised training in order to advise the students effectively. Otherwise, they will just be engaging in empty talk and mislead the students.

We are all aware that every parent wants their children to be successful. However, not everyone can become a doctor or a lawyer. As such, schools should communicate with parents and parents should work together with schools so that each student can make career choices according to their ability and interest instead of just picking the one with the highest pay. After all, no matter which job you do, you can achieve greatness.

( In English ): In English, Madam. I have mentioned in my Mandarin speech that we need to involve parents when MOE counsellors provide career guidance to the students. At the tertiary level, it is more important for the students to intern at relevant companies to apply the skillset they have acquired at the educational institutions.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman, in his Budget Statement, mentioned that the Government would roll out "enhanced internship in two-thirds of polytechnic courses and half of ITE courses over the next two years." This is an ambitious target. Could MOE share with us what is the number of internship opportunities required to support the target? How is the Government incentivising the companies to provide meaningful internships? At the end of the day, it has to be a win-win situation for the company, as well as for the student.

Every School a Good School

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Moulmein-Kallang) : Madam, beneath the observable 10% of an iceberg above the water level, is an important 90% of its total mass. It is this 90% beneath the surface that the ocean currents act on and causes the iceberg's behaviour at the top. I would like to apply the analogy of the iceberg to explain why it is still very hard for Singaporeans to believe that every school is a good school.

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First, what is observable at the top of the iceberg. The drive to get into what are perceived as the better schools is still relentless. This is despite all the good work that the Minister has done. Top PSLE scores are no longer announced. Ten-year series assessments

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are made easily available for all. More education awards for good character; ASPIRE and even plans to replace the PSLE T-score system to one that is less competitive. Yet, the belief that some schools are more desirable or better than others still remain.

Cut-off points to enter Junior Colleges last year went as low as three points for schools, such as Raffles Institution and Hwa Chong Institution. The tuition industry continues to thrive to a size of probably more than $1 billion now. Even polytechnic students go for tuition these days. The Direct School Admissions or DSA was not encouraging. Parents and students soon found out the best way to ace the DSA system is by excelling in certain co-curricular activities or CCAs that will put them ahead of other candidates. Popular schools now not only attract the best brains but also the best brawn.

Back to the iceberg analogy. Beneath what is observable, there are underlying structures and strong beliefs and mindsets that continue to feed the undesirable behaviours. In the interest of time, I will name just a few.

Many Singaporeans hold dear the mental model that for a good life, you will need good academic results to get into good schools so that you can get into a good university which is the passport to a good job, good salary, good spouse, hopefully good children and the cycle repeats. This is a mental model that cannot be coaxed away. People can only be convinced if they see and encounter sufficient evidence and personal experiences to replace it.

Another mental model, this time held by employers including the public service, is that graduates from top schools are more desirable and their academic scores are the key determinants of their ability and potential. Their hiring system reflects that accordingly.

The education landscape itself too is shaped by a system which primarily promotes students through academic scores and mainly assigns them to schools based on academic results from high-stakes examinations.

Many of these deep-seated mindsets originate from well-meaning intent. Education is, after all, the most obvious and empowering way to social mobility. But unless these underlying structures and mindsets are addressed, it is futile to try to get the buy-in that every school is a good school. And schooling will continue to be a pressure cooker.

There are several ways I would like to suggest to get rid of these unhealthy symptoms at the tip of the iceberg.

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One, get rid of unnecessary high-stakes academic examinations such as the PSLE. Too much time in a primary school is spent preparing students for this.

Two, pilot a 10-year integrated through-train school without compromising rigour in both academics and character building.

Three, develop a solution-based approach to organising schools and education programmes. Make solid, good subject modules available to all schools, whether they are academic or not, from foundational to typical to advanced levels.

Four, exit schools such as the gifted schools or the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools in the system. Instead of congregating students of the same abilities in one geographic location, assign students of mixed abilities under one roof in classes led by teachers or life coaches. Students can belong to one same base class, but they follow their Individual Education Plan; and in the course of the day, take classes suitable for their own ability and pace with other students of similar learning needs. Part of this is already what we see in the polytechnics and universities.

Five, be more aggressive in the use of technology to make available the best education practices and packages available to teachers, students and even caregivers to level up their playing field.

And lastly, much more must be done to provide the evidence and experiences that prove that there are many pathways to a good life. Employers, including the public service, must lead the way to find more progressive ways of hiring, promoting and recognising employees beyond the usual academics. Parents who have enjoyed the success of taking the path less travelled must share their experiences.

The vision of making every school a good school is a progressive one. It will, however, remain a dream unless all of us in this country work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to make this happen.

Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio): Madam, today many parents think that their children must get into the so-called "top" schools, based on academic results, in order to be successful in life. By allowing academically top students to congregate over time in some popular schools, we fuel the perception that these schools are better than others.

It also results in a self-fulfilling prophecy, as students who attend these schools, because of their strong academic performance to begin with, indeed do well subsequently and as they progress higher in their education. This creates a scarcity mentality that makes parents

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want their children to do well academically in order to qualify for these "top schools". As more of the academically stronger students gravitate to these "top schools", it raises the cut-off point of these schools, as Ms Denise Phua had mentioned earlier, making them look even more like "top schools", because parents do not know how else to measure the quality of a school.

This causes parents to spend a considerable amount of money on tuition for their children in order to help them to score better academically, so that they can still make it to these "top schools". This mentality has created a "tuition" race, fearing that if they do not provide their children with tuition, they will lose out to those children who are already getting tuition. Therefore, this is a disadvantage for lower-income Singaporeans.

MOE has set a goal for our children to learn independently on their own and to be self-directed in learning. The tuition mentality defeats this goal. Could the setting of a quota in each school for academically stronger students help spread these students across more schools and avoid a situation where such a vicious cycle forms?

It could also allow parents to be less fixated with the cut-off points of the schools since all schools will have a spread of academically stronger students and academically weaker students. Educationally, this also means that the school will have to be able to cater to students from across a different range of academic performances. The other advantage is that all our children learn about the diversity in society and this interaction of students of different talents and abilities will build a stronger society in the long term. Today, many of the same mould are put together in the same schools.

This approach I am suggesting will also allow parents to finally see beyond the cut-off points to take note of the many distinctive programmes that our secondary schools are rolling out, particularly aimed at catering better to the different strengths and interests of our children, across a wide range of domains – programmes that could spur the interest of their children to want to learn, see relevance in learning and make them more engaged and self-directed in learning.

Ultimately, our hope must be for each child to develop holistically, discover their interests, build on their strengths and stoke the flame for learning that will last a lifetime and benefit from interacting with people of diverse backgrounds that will later build a stronger society and a stronger Singapore. I, therefore, would like to ask the Minister if he feels that he is succeeding in changing the mindsets of Singaporeans that every school is, indeed, a good school.

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Integrated Schools

Mr Yee Jenn Jong: Madam, this is the fourth year that I am speaking on the topic of through-train schools from primary to secondary. If I seem persistent, it is because I truly believe that in a suitably diverse education landscape, Singaporeans should have access to such a publicly-funded education option.

Such through-train schools would not require the pupil to go through the PSLE. It will allow the schools to develop holistic education for a longer period with the pupils, allowing time to work on their character and values, as well as other aspects beyond examinations. From results seen in other countries and in private schools that offer such a through-train system, academic achievements need not be compromised.

I previously outlined broad ideas on how we can start with eight of such schools distributed throughout Singapore and exclude all top schools from being part of such a pilot. I call for this to be implemented gradually and on a pilot basis because majority of Singaporeans may not yet understand how an education system can work without the PSLE.

Nevertheless, I am convinced that there is a sizeable minority who would be prepared to let their children go through 10 years of education in the same school, even if it means their children would find it difficult to enter the existing top schools without the PSLE. I call upon the Ministry of Education (MOE) to seriously study the option, conduct public surveys to gauge the level of support of parents of such pilot schools and to publish these results, so that we can have a meaningful conversation on this education option.

Tuition Culture

Mr Png Eng Huat (Hougang): Madam, the Senior Minister of State for Education had said in this Chamber that "our education system is run on the basis that tuition is not necessary." I believe many parents would like to think so, but the stark reality on the ground tells a very different story.

An opinion piece in The Straits Times on 24 September 2013 titled "Tuition too prevalent to ignore" cited sporadic but startling data on this issue. It was reported that the private tuition industry is a $1 billion industry and various polls suggest anything from 50% to 90% of households here send their children for tuition. That is a lot of households and money spent on something the Ministry of Education (MOE) thinks is not necessary.

And do we, as legislators, believe that tuition is not necessary under our education system as well? How many of us here in this Chamber had put our children through tuition or are doing so right now? Another article that ran on 30 October 2013 took an even stronger

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stand that tuition is popular because of issues in our education system.

I urge MOE to conduct a nationwide survey into the tuition culture. Such a survey could be easily done online or by giving each student a simple form to take home for the parents to fill up.

Madam, is MOE not curious enough to study why parents are sending their children for extra private lessons despite having access to one of the best education systems in the world? I am quietly confident the results of such a survey will help MOE decipher this great mystery about our tuition culture and, perhaps, it will also help formulate more effective policies not just for the students but for the teachers as well.

The "teach less, learn more" movement was started in 2006 to develop our students holistically beyond preparing for examinations. I am not sure how much lesser the schools are teaching right now but the perception on the ground is that students are learning more from tuition.

Multiple Pathways and Accessibility

Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Madam, MOE and the Institutes of Higher Learning or IHLs will play an increasingly important role in enabling Singaporeans to engage in lifelong learning. We must continue to enlarge the pathways and accessibility to education in Singapore. The credit scheme introduced by the Government will certainly spark off a lot of interest for working adults to keep on acquiring or learning new skills. Through continuous self-improvement even well into working life, they will achieve mastery in whatever jobs they do. I am confident this will allow them to develop new skills should they wish to switch to new industries or whatever new things they want to do when the economy continues to restructure. In other words, they will be futurised, like what Mr Lim Swee Sway said, to thrive in a competitive and rapidly changing global economy.

I hope our IHLs and training centres will be able to meet the thirst of Singaporeans who want to acquire knowledge. But we need to ensure that there are enough places for our students and workers, and also to ensure that it is accessible to all our students at every level of our education system. I would like to know what is the Ministry doing to oversee the quality of such courses and to ensure that all the time, energy and investment spent by our students and our workers will follow through to a good matching to a good paying employment and career?

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Gifted Education

Mr Yee Jenn Jong: Madam, it has been 31 years since we started the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). Each year, about 1% of the cohort is picked for GEP through a series of national tests for abilities in English, Mathematics and Science at the end of Primary 3.

I had previously called for MOE to review centralised GEP and, in its place, provide support for as many schools to develop their higher ability students so that their students would not need to relocate to one of the nine GEP schools at Primary 4.

There are many forms of giftedness, not just in language, Science and Mathematics. Some are gifted in the arts or in sports. The current definition of GEP is narrow. We can encourage all schools to have various forms of deep, specialised enrichments and engagements. When we need skills, we can tap on the school cluster system or work through existing institutions with strong expertise in Science, the Arts or Sports. For the very rare pupil with extreme giftedness, who will even find the current GEP un-engaging, we can tap on our universities.

Some non-GEP schools have developed their own gifted classes to encourage their best students to stay with the school rather than relocate to a GEP school. We need not have this competition. We can spread the programme developed for GEP across more schools and also widen our definition of giftedness.

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Lastly, after 31 years, has MOE done longitudinal studies to track GEP graduates into their careers and can these studies be made public? I hope the public can have more data on the outcomes of GEP to examine its continued relevance.

Language Ability

Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Madam, last year, I posted a note on my Facebook making the argument that despite our good education system, Singaporeans are still coming up short in one area and, that is, spoken English. Some people have responded agreeing, while some said that my post does not recognise our other qualities. But no one said that our standard of English was good enough. Of course, we produce some good writers and speakers, but when it comes to communication skills, it is not enough for only some to do well.

This is because the ability to communicate is a vital skill in any job, any profession; and it is, therefore, important for everyone to reach a competent standard. The real questions

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we should ask are what qualities do we want in a person who goes through and graduates from the Singapore system and are we seeing those qualities today?

In terms of the ability to communicate, I submit that the answer is no. It is a grievance shared by many employers I have spoken to. Singaporeans have good substance but not enough form. While they may know a lot or have a lot to contribute, they lack the ability to express themselves clearly and confidently. This puts Singaporeans at a serious disadvantage in the international workplace.

What is it about the way we teach that produces students who do very well in Mathematics and Science, but not in languages? It is not just about grammar, vocabulary and spelling, but phrasing, articulation, presentation and, ultimately, persuasion. Because much of what we do in life involves persuading someone else of something.

If we can agree that an important objective of our education system should be to produce articulate and confident young adults, then we need to ask ourselves: why are our current policies not achieving this desired outcome? Are we, for example, paying enough attention to language skills at the preschool level, because that is the first opportunity we have to develop the child and prevent bad language habits from being picked up?

Some of our language policies may also be counter productive. Let me give some examples.

If a student obtains a grade between C6 to A1 for Higher Mother Tongue at the GCE "O" levels, he can deduct two points from his L1R5 score. In fact, he can deduct these bonus points even if he uses Higher Mother Tongue instead of English for calculating his language score at the GCE "O" levels. And so, there is less incentive to do well or do better in English.

Oral examinations are given a weightage of only 15% at PSLE and 20% at the GCE "O" levels, no equivalent at the GCE "A" levels. So, there is very little incentive to improve communication skills. The effect of our scoring policies has led to the decline or demise of English Literature, as Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin pointed out a few days ago.

Even for Higher Mother Tongue, our policies may be counter intuitive. If a student passes Higher Mother Tongue at the GCE "O" levels, he does not have to take the subject any further. The incentive is, therefore, to do Higher Mother Tongue up to the GCE "O" levels so that you can drop it and do one fewer subject thereafter. And many of our students do that – they earn the two bonus points and then they drop the subject. The choice about doing Higher Mother Tongue is, therefore, more a tactical one instead of an educational one. The result is that we have many students who stop formal instructions and, in fact, stop using

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the language at the age of 16.

We know that people always act to further their own interests. So, if we are serious about improving our ability to communicate, we should re-engineer our system to encourage the right behaviour and right learning habits. The payoff is that our young will be equipped with a real and valuable skill that will benefit them for life.

Holistic Education – Character and Values

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong ( Tampines): Madam, in this year's batch of Edusave Character Award presentations, I went around asking some students why they thought they won the awards. A common response is: "I do not know" or "I am not sure".

I know the intentions behind giving the Edusave Character Awards are noble when introduced in 2012, but it would be useful to take stock of the usefulness of the awards at this stage. Is it really helping the moral development of our young? What sort of values and traits are the schools actually rewarding in their selection of the winners and how is this being communicated? And more fundamentally, should we scrap the cash element to the Character Awards altogether?

I urge MOE to subject the scheme to careful scrutiny and explore better ways to signal the importance that MOE places on character and values.

Various studies have shown that when it comes to character education, extrinsic motivation is not only quite different from intrinsic motivation but, actually, tends to erode it. Individuals who have been rewarded for doing something helpful become less likely to think of themselves as caring people and more likely to attribute their behaviour to the reward. Hence, researchers have found that children who are frequently rewarded are less likely than other children to keep doing those things. In short, it may be counterproductive to dangle cash rewards in front of children for displaying good character.

And, even worse, when their numbers have been artificially limited to only 2% in each school. This sets the stage for a competition and I wonder if this has resulted in them being held up as role models that others want to emulate or if it has led to the perception that these are just the lucky ones who got spotted by their teachers.

Madam, the word "education" comes from the Latin root words which mean "to lead out". To support our students' social and moral growth, the process of learning requires that they be given the opportunity to make sense of such concepts as fairness, courage and resilience. They must be invited to reflect on complex issues, to figure out for themselves –

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and with one another – what kind of person one ought to be, why this is worth striving for and how to stay the course when things go bad around them. No character awards can help them. In this way, through the process of learning, they learn to be self-motivated, self-directed and be anchored in the truth that they have control over the kind of person they want to be.

One thing I have found in my chats with young people is that some tend to pick up news from the social media, quite uncritically, and repeat the problems highlighted, asking for solutions. Sometimes, I feel that they expect a model answer from me, like an examination question. I often ask them back, "Well, what do you think? What can you do about it? Let us discuss." It may not give them the satisfying pat answer that they seek and, for some who are unused to this approach, they may find it disconcerting.

But such critical thinking and self-awareness is important if we want to help our young become moral people, as opposed to people who follow blindly what they are told or reflexively rebel against what they are told. That is why I believe our education system should put greater focus on developing critical judgements, fostering individuality as well as an interest in the community, national and international problems.

Schools should make better use of Literature, History and Sports to discuss human nature, to look at a problem from different angles and to think through carefully before taking action in stressful situations.

Being in a caring school community would help students to develop their sense of self and also a sense of civic consciousness. The school itself must have character and the students must feel a sense of belonging to it. We cannot afford to have anonymous schools and anonymous principals – which we are in danger of inculcating if we continue to rename schools and change principals rapidly.

In this regard, I welcome the $20,000 grant to each school to use for the causes that they identify. I urge schools to use this wisely, to build on its own school character and, at the same time, channel the students to worthy causes that will imbue in them a sense of personal responsibility for the wider community around them. If they feel a sense of real responsibility towards the school and the community, some behavioural changes should follow: they will be less likely to litter, for one, less likely to blame others for problems and more likely to want to be part of the solution.

I am also concerned about the tuition mentality and how that affects character development in our young. Even students who are doing well in school feel the need to go for tuition. I fear that this will breed in them a crutch mentality, erode their sense of self-

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confidence in their own abilities and feel the need to go for more courses just to feel they can make it when they should feel confident in their own abilities, in their abilities to reach high. I am also worried that excessive tuition —

The Chairman: Ms Ng, can you please wind up your speech? Time is up.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: The role of parents is also crucial in character-building. I would like to ask the Minister how it will engage parents in character-building.

Humanities and Social Sciences Research

Prof Tan Tai Yong (Nominated Member): Madam, Singapore has had an amazing run the past 50 years. We have grown from a third-world to first in a generation. And as Singapore celebrates her 50th birthday, there is renewed interest about us and not just about what we have achieved in economic terms. There is now a deeper curiosity on where we have come from, what we stand for as a nation, what we have gone through, the social implications of our development, the values we have forged in the process and how we will ride the future.

Singapore is also unique and fascinating because in the developmental journey, we have moved along the highways. Our growth is hyperbolic. This means that every generation that has lived and grown in Singapore has had vastly different experiences.

Generation gaps are very stark in Singapore, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world. The social structures, education system, jobs, life experiences, even buildings around us and mindsets are very different from one generation to the other; even our primary language of communication may not be the same as that of our parents.

This Budget is about building our future and I am very heartened that this Government has laid down plans to strengthen Singapore's competitiveness. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance has identified five growth clusters Singapore will build deep capabilities in, namely in applied health sciences, smart and sustainable urban solutions, logistics and aerospace, and in Asian and global financial services.

Science and technology research is, indeed, necessary for us to develop a competitive edge in those areas. And, in this, the National Research Foundation or NRF plays a critical role. It was set up as a department in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in 2006 and, over the years, it has achieved much funding to develop policies, plans and strategies for research, innovation and enterprise (RIE). Indeed, the Singapore Government has committed another

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$16 billion in R&D from 2011 to 2015 under the RIE2015 Plan.

While much has been invested in building deep technological capabilities, it is also timely to invest to build up our capabilities in humanities and social sciences research. No scientific invention or progress exists in a vacuum, but what is significant is its impact on people's lives. Steve Jobs has notably said, "It's in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough – it is technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities that yield us the result that makes our hearts sing."

Furthermore, the world's problems today are complex and multifaceted; problems cannot be solved by a study of the physical sciences alone.

There are economic, social and political consequences behind every policy move. Hence, we need to build deeper capacity in the humanities and social sciences to complement our traditional strengths in science and technology and augment our relevance as thought leaders in many areas.

Research into human experience adds to our knowledge about the world we live in and gives us tools to imagine the future. Humanities and social sciences research adds a dimension to enrich our understanding of our history, people, values, nation, social environment, economy and the impact of the global environment on our country. This knowledge and understanding can help us shape our future. Conversely, without robust academic research, what we know about our past, or of our policies today are but views and opinions or, worse still, conjectures.

This is a good time to invest decisively into the humanities and social sciences as Singapore seeks to build itself up as a knowledge capital. The establishment of a national humanities and social sciences research council that could support research in the humanities and social sciences the way NRF supports science and technology research would complete the research ecology in Singapore.

I understand that MOE already supports such research through its established Academic Research Fund that universities have access to. But having a dedicated national council that undergirds a national research capacity that goes beyond the universities will allow the building of a larger and more diverse research base in Singapore. There are many groups outside the universities that do important work on people and society that could benefit from such support.

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A small investment in the humanities and social sciences – and we know they do not cost a lot – can give us a potentially large impact on our development as a society and country.

Let me end by quoting a verse from a poem by the late Arthur Yap:

"There is no future in nostalgia.

And certainly no nostalgia in the future of the past.

Now, the corner cigarette-seller is gone, is perhaps dead.

No, definitely dead, he would not otherwise have gone.

He is replaced by a stamp-machine,

The old cook by a pressure-cooker,

The old trishaw-rider's standby a fire hydrant,

The washer-woman by a spin-dryer.

And it goes on

In various variations and permutations.

There is no future in nostalgia."

No future in nostalgia, I must add, save what we build from history and nostalgia, and social understandings from what we learn of people's behaviour and motivation, and all our varied variations and permutations.

Building Good Values

Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines) : Madam, parents hold primary responsibility for building good values in their children. However, they need the support of the community and our schools are an integral part of this community. Schools are where our children spend most of their waking time and also can provide a more systematic framework than the home environment.

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I would like to make a suggestion how schools can help to build good values in students. But, not to worry, this does not require curriculum development, homework, examinations or extra lesson time. It just takes 10 minutes a day.

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When I was in primary and secondary schools, we had duty rosters to sweep the floor, empty the dustbin, clean the windows and clean the blackboard. Members would remember the days when we still used chalk blackboards. To clean the blackboards thoroughly, we had to use a wet cloth so we had to bring rags from home; we had to fetch water in pails and, after cleaning, had to hang the rags to dry. I am not sure if the duty roster practice was a standard one during those years but, today, based on a random check with my own children – three children in three different schools – it is not done consistently.

Singaporeans have become used to a "cleaned" city instead of being a clean one. With more children growing up in homes with domestic helpers and our worsening littering problem, I would like to suggest that we emulate the daily cleaning routines in Japanese and Taiwanese schools. There should be a compulsory standard system for all primary and secondary students to be responsible for their own classroom's cleanliness. A roster needs to be drawn up for the different tasks and time be allocated before a lesson for the cleaning duties. So, just 10 minutes a day will not only teach students practical life skills and foster teamwork but also inculcate in them respect and appreciation for manual work.

So, Madam, today, where we no longer write on blackboards, we can write duty rosters. While we no longer use chalk dusters, we can put cleaning rosters to good use.

Promote Social Innovation via CCAs and Values in Action (VIA)

Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin (Nominated Member) : I declare my interest as a social innovator with the Thought Collective. Values in Action or VIA is good. Let us talk about how to make it great. What stops VIA from having a bigger social impact is that though it gives kids content about values, it fails to give kids context surrounding the problems all these values could help solve. Teach a kid to be generous to the poor without grounding him with insights into why not all social solutions or situations are created equal and he might end up either cynical or, maybe, just not helpful.

The problem schools face in creating more impactful VIA programmes is not a lack of good intent. It is a lack of a strategic network of support. Teachers do want to do good, better, but they need outside expertise. So, what schools need are trusted partners from the civil

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society sector with whom they can co-create and consult.

The core business of schools is the holistic education of our children, not the holistic understanding of how to make great social impact. That is the core business of civil society and they are the missing link who could help. These are the people who know and care for these social problems inside out and they spend their entire careers thinking of solutions. So, roping in your academics, innovators, thought leaders, who hold a strong future vision for social sector solutions but having no avenue to engage you to share where the biggest possibilities for an impact are. So, two suggestions on how socially driven innovation can be nurtured in schools.

First, let us recast an exciting new socially oriented vision for co-curricular activities (CCAs). CCAs should still be primarily a fun avenue for kids to develop their non-academic interests. But let us add a social goal for them to accomplish as well. Unlike the Sports and Drama CCAs, many student clubs like Library, Gardening and even Student Councils do not have big national competitions for the students to gun for. So, this proposal is particularly great for them because it now gives them a national level challenge to engage in. Use CCAs to help kids frame the exploration of personal passions with the broader perspective of "How can my individual passions actually help solve a community problem?"

Second, form a consortium of civil society leaders and future-forward civil servants that can strategise about what are the top national social issues to work on where students can actually make a dent in. Turn it into a programme that every school can execute through their CCAs. So, let us teach kids to converge their personal interests in serving a country's needs. Kids want to be part of a big picture. If we are going to give them $20,000, let us show them how big that picture can be and help them make a real obvious difference rather than an imagined "feel good" one.

Promote Outdoor Activities

Dr Benedict Tan (Nominated Member) : Years ago, I was on a socio-civic mission to a rural part of Indonesia. With me was a group of Singaporeans in their late teens. One of them pointed to an animal crossing a road and said: "Eh, what kind of cat is that? It is so big!" I glanced at the so-called "cat" and was dumbfounded. It was actually a goat! You see, this young man had never seen a goat before and is only familiar with domesticated cats and dogs.

Madam, I would like to suggest that outdoor education feature more prominently in our school curriculum. I declare that I am the President of the Singapore Sailing Federation.

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Previously, there was much emphasis on the majority of students attending the Outward Bound School or OBS at least once during their school life. Hence, many of us grew up with trekking, orienteering, camping, kayaking and sailing experiences, which would not have been easily accessible to the average child living in an urban Singapore.

Outdoor education is now more important than ever as Singapore becomes more urbanised and our young spend more time in front of computers. Outdoor education instils an appreciation and respect for nature, builds character, independence, resilience and leadership. Surely, Basic Military Training cannot be the first time that a youth is exposed to the jungle and having to fend for himself.

When the Ministry of Education (MOE) first pushed for outdoor education, many schools ensured that each cohort would have undergone the OBS course at least once during their school life. Over the years, my impression is that fewer and fewer schools insist on this, with OBS reserved only for a selected few, such as during orientation or leadership training. Also, outdoor education may have become too tame, with some schools counting pitching a tent on the school field as outdoor education.

I am heartened that, as of the beginning of this year, OBS has become a part of the National Youth Council or NYC and would be spearheading NYC's efforts as a national youth developer. And from my understanding, the annual capacity of OBS would be significantly increased in the coming years to broaden its outreach and engagement with our youth. This is an exciting prospect as all Singaporean youth would once again have the chance to experience adventure-based learning from the passionate instructors at OBS. I know that many of these instructors welcome the renewed focus on our youth.

But with around 40,000 students in each cohort, I hope that MOE will fully leverage not only on OBS but also on the MOE Adventure Learning Centre and other providers to put every single one of our youths through a quality outdoor education programme.

I hope MOE can update the House on the percentage of students from each cohort who has undergone a proper outdoor education experience and whether there is any intention to increase this percentage.

Broaden Art and Craft Curriculum for Schools

Ms Rita Soh Siow Lan (Nominated Member) : Madam, in my response to Budget 2015 on the aspect of growing our human capital, I am in agreement with the Ministry of Education's (MOE) mission to build in every child the confidence and desire to learn, studying

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from pre-primary to primary schools.

It is important to start early and, during these formative years, each child is exposed to a broad range of activities for him to discover his talents and interests as he grows. Each child will be able to gain knowledge, skills and values he needs to thrive in the 21st century. And these core values, as stated in MOE's guidelines, are specifically with respect to respect, responsibility, resilience, integrity, care, harmony and even social and emotional competencies, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, responsible decision-making and also emerging competencies, such as critical and inventive thinking, communication skills collaborative and informative skills, are also very important. All these skills and competencies are an integral part of the total curriculum, as identified by MOE.

I highlighted earlier, we are excellent in producing highly competent and qualified talents. However, I believe that to attain the next level of growth, we need individuals who truly love and desire to master their craft! We need to be passionate about what we are learning and to be emotionally invested in the process, especially so in the fields where design is the key competency and where the integration of the head, heart and the hands, working together, is a must. The kids must be encouraged to use their hands, heart and head in a connected manner.

I had also expressed a few concerns, both as a business owner and industry representative. Over the past decade or so, many of us have noted a gradual decline in the skill sets which require the use of our hands. Particularly in my field of architecture, which combines the need for scientific knowledge and artistic skills, employers and industry professionals alike have noticed with frustration that there is this steady decline in the level of craftsmanship among incoming batches of graduates. The use of computers and their addiction to mobile devices have further diluted the focus and training in the visualisation, sensory and tactile aspects of their crafts. Hence, I decided perhaps to look at some specific areas of focus for the arts programmes in our primary schools.

When I look at the MOE Art syllabus for primary and lower secondary, I love what is written. Madam, please allow me to read the introduction.

"Art plays an important role in our everyday life. Art beautifies, captures memories, communicates ideas, imparts values and evokes emotions. Art exists all around us in different forms, such as in the colours and patterns in the nature to everyday images and design on magazines, products and media.

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In history and across countries, art reflects cultures and beliefs. Learning about art provides an additional avenue through which students can understand their own and others' histories and cultures. Through making art, our students learn to reflect and express their uniqueness by communicating their thoughts and emotions using images and objects. The role art plays in our students' growth and development cannot be overstated. Through positive learning experiences in art, students develop visual literacy which enables them to observe and perceive the world with increased awareness and aesthetic sensitivity. Making art also encourages the development of creativity while engendering a sense of self-worth. This equips the students to better understand and engage with the world they live in."

To achieve these objectives, therefore, they are teaching under the framework of "Seeing, Expressing and Appreciating", taking into consideration the cognitive, affective and psycho-motor dimensions when learning art. Although our students are provided with opportunities to observe the environment, generate ideas and create artworks, discuss on art and how its values impact the society, I still feel that the following can be further improved.

Broadly speaking, with regard to the wide spectrum of art medium that was given to the students, I feel that we often treat our art programme as a safari, where students spend more time seeing than doing. So, in the area of art techniques, in terms of painting, moulding, rendering and using digital media, it is still very general in terms of the guidelines. I did a quick scan of the websites of 12 primary schools to see what kinds of art programmes were offered. It was by no means a detailed research, but my observations are as such.

A lot of the art modules are essentially co-curricular activities (CCAs), meaning they are done outside curriculum time and are non-compulsory. About half of the students focus on Arts and Crafts, using various mediums of work. A lot of schools are teaching digital art at around the P4, P5 and P6 levels. Art, Music and PE are often lumped together, which is very much a bundled curriculum, and there are very different approaches between schools.

I could not help but look back at my days when I was in school, where we were exposed to many different types of art mediums – potato printing, making of models with plasticine, clay, basket weaving – all these can go on. But even in secondary schools, we had technical workshop classes such as woodwork, metalwork, and many of us fell in love with these craft lessons and they set a foundation for our later years in our chosen pursuits.

A hands-on and integrated approach to learning art and craft benefits the students, even the majority that will go on to pursue careers in fields that are not art-related. Therefore, I have three questions: one, the focus on digital art in the later primary school years – is it really increasing exposure or should we be laying the foundation for the students

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before they learn to use Photoshop?

The Chairman : Ms Soh, can you please conclude your cut?

Ms Rita Soh Siow Lan: The second question is, can we tie art appreciation to the subjects we learn later? Even simple building blocks teach lessons about mechanical structures. Lastly, Art programmes seem optional. Can we integrate them into the main curriculum?

Education as the Social Leveller

Mr Zainudin Nordin : Madam, education is often and rightly called the universal social leveller. Since the early days of nation-building, we have witnessed many successes and achievements from people who came from humble and diverse backgrounds, who had access to an education in academics, skills or both. Singapore is, indeed, very fortunate to come under a Government that not only recognises the importance of education but strives to make it accessible for all.

Yet, Mdm Chair, as we become more developed, data has shown that more students from high and middle-income families are still doing better in schools. In this regard, how does the Minister ensure that sufficient support is given to students from low-income families to help them benefit from our good education system?

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I think the Government has done quite a lot to help financially but problems of low-income families can go beyond monetary issues. The myriad of social problems faced by low-income families can ruin a child's ability to develop well emotionally and academically. What can be done to help these children in their education journey?

Moreover, Madam, how can we equip and train our educators so that they are passionate about the teaching cause and are motivated to help students learn better, regardless of their background? At the same time, how are we equipping our educators and teachers to ensure that they are able to identify issues and problems faced by the children and assist them as early as possible and do this in a more passionate and holistic way for the good of children from the low-income family?

Support for All Singaporean Students

Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol) : Madam, the children are our future. I applaud the support given by the Government to invest in education. As our nation strives to be an

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inclusive society, this must permeate to our education policies as well. I believe that the Government should promote greater inclusiveness and support for all Singaporean students.

The decision to extend personal Edusave to all Singapore students was a step forward but the decision to limit examination fees waiver only to those studying in mainstream schools makes us fall short of being inclusive.

I would like to call for the Government to re-examine its position on Madrasahs as private schools, but rather to see them as part of our education landscape. It is important that we support the Madrasah students who will play an important role in defining the values and principles of our Muslim society in the context of a multiracial and multi-religious nation.

I would like to call for the Government to waive national examination fees for all Singaporean students, as long as it is their first attempt at taking the national examinations, including the International Baccalaurette examinations. This should apply even to those in private educational institutions or those choosing to home-school their children.

Allied Educators and After-school Care

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio) : Madam, it has been about five years since the Allied Educators or AED scheme was introduced. From around 600 AEDs in 2009, this number has grown to about 2,400 today. There are about seven AEDs in each primary and secondary school. We must recognise the important role that our AEDs play in the classroom to assist our teachers and help ensure none of the students is left behind despite their different learning styles and abilities.

While I am heartened that MOE has stated that they have met their staffing needs for AEDs in each primary and secondary school in an earlier Parliamentary Question or PQ reply, I still feel that even more AEDs may be required in our schools. The reasons are two-fold.

First, the developmental support programme that has been rolled out by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) that will help about 2,000 preschoolers across Singapore will mean that students can be diagnosed with mild developmental needs much earlier. This is a good thing so that appropriate intervention can be extended to them through our preschool in their primary school years. Inadvertently, this would mean more AEDs may be required to seed the continuity of appropriate intervention and assistance throughout the student's school years.

Second, the recent announcement by MOE on the school-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme for all primary schools by 2016 would also mean that more AEDs or learning

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support educators are needed in our classrooms, again, to ensure continuity and appropriate intervention and assistance to students with dyslexia.

It is a challenge for MOE to employ sufficiently trained and qualified AEDs who are passionate about and committed to their cause. Raising salaries is just one way to attract more to enter the profession but it may not be enough to retain them.

Would MOE consider having a more comprehensive professional development pathway for our AEDs that may, one, help them to be more recognised for their work and see a clear career path; and, two, allow them to change career tracks to become a General Education Officer or classroom teacher once they have garnered classroom experience and content proficiency? In addition, would MOE consider implementing the SkillsFuture and Earn-and-Learn Programme to allow stay-at-home mothers, mid-career entrants or retirees to join the teaching fraternity as AEDs? This could be one way to train and deploy more AEDs to our schools.

On the matter of after-school care, many have voiced the desire to see each primary school providing after-school care within their premises in the next couple of years. This is necessary for many working parents of primary school-going children as having the after-school care within the school lends a sense of security and assurance.

However, providing the physical space is an easy part. The challenge is having sufficient caregivers to helm these after-school care centres. I would like to propose that MOE consider piloting a project where our tertiary students from the polytechnics and universities to sign up as youth volunteers to help run the after-school care centres as part of the community or Values In Action (VIA) projects. MOE may have to provide the funding for the infrastructure, while these youth volunteers can source for extra fundings from external sources or through crowdfunding for programmes or operating expenses of these after-school care centres.

Student Care Centres in Primary Schools

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Nee Soon) : Mdm Chair, with all primary schools going on single session, I know of many working parents with children in primary schools who encounter difficulties in the care arrangements of their children after school. This is especially so for those who elect to not have domestic help or a caregiver at home, or those with two or more children.

We have set up the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to oversee the childcare sector, but I urge the set-up of a similar outfit with a single Ministry taking full ownership to focus its efforts on beefing up the number and quality of student care centres in Singapore. One way is to equip the majority of primary schools with after-school student

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care facilities. These student care centres in primary schools will be a great boon for working parents or parents with two or more children.

Children can use the afternoon till evening to rest, spend quality time picking up new skills, interacting with friends, going on learning journeys or having fun through games or sports within the school premises. Perhaps, self-help groups, volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) or co-operatives can provide this service across the Primary schools in Singapore.

Student Care

Ms Lee Li Lian (Punggol East) : Madam, it is a known fact that the strong demand for childcare will inevitably be the same for student care in time to come.

I had spoken about this in last year's Debate on the President's Address. New estates like Sengkang and Punggol house younger families. Therefore, school-based student care centres (SCC) are well received in these areas. Such centres provide the much-needed convenience as both parents are working. It provides parents with peace of mind, that they need not worry about where their children will be heading to after school or whether it is safe for them to travel home alone. Such centres also offer enrichment classes and supervision to children doing homework. Such an arrangement reduces the family's need for a domestic helper and is especially useful to children that lack home support.

In last year's Committee of Supply or COS debates, the Minister announced that the public can expect another 40 SCCs. While this is welcomed, I believe the Ministry can do more to push for at least one student care centre in every school. I would like to call upon the Ministry to place greater emphasis on this.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Last year, at the Debate on the President's Address, I mentioned that young families have a need for student care services. Today's need for childcare centres will turn into tomorrow's need for student care services. Student care services will help monitor the students' behaviour, as well as their homework. Parents need not worry about where to leave their children after school or whether the kids will be safe going home alone. This arrangement will reduce the family's reliance on domestic helpers. I hope the Ministry of Education (MOE) can pay more attention to this issue.

Before- and After-school Care

Mr Ang Wei Neng : Madam, I appreciate MOE's effort and promise to increase the number of school-based Student Care Centres or SCCs to 120 by 2015. I also want to

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congratulate the Minister for the success of the scheme. Many of the school-based SCCs are full and, with long waiting lists, as soon as they are opened.

The shortage of vacancies in some of the school-based SCCs that are near to rental blocks is even more severe as the demand is high. I hope the Minister could share with us on the constraints of providing more places at these school-based SSCs, whether it is space and infrastructural constraints in the school or manpower constraints faced by the operators.

If it is a manpower constraint, would MOE consider extending similar subsidies and grants for volunteer welfare organisations (VWOs) to expand the places at these centres or set up additional SCCs near the school? For example, I have a VWO that is ready to do so in Jurong and I hope the Minister can consider it seriously.

The Minister for Education (Mr Heng Swee Keat): Madam, with your permission, may I display some slides on the LED screens?

The Chairman : Yes, please.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Madam, I thank the many Members for their thoughtful and wide-ranging comments.

This year, we celebrate our nation's Golden Jubilee. We celebrate how education has enabled generations of Singaporeans to build a better life and enabled us to build a nation. We thank our Pioneer educators and their parents.

Looking back, in 1965, education meant 读书 or "study book". Our Pioneers had a sense of where they wanted to be in the future, where they were and worked hard to bridge that gap. The big gap then was basic literacy and numeracy skills – so "study book" made sense as they learnt the three "Rs" – reading, writing, arithmetic. Many became literate and numerate.

We then built on this education system, year by year. At critical points, we made important choices to adapt and change. Educators, parents and students responded with spirit and each wave allowed us to make further progress with purpose. With these changes, we built a good education system, developed our people and grew our economy.

But there were also inadvertent negatives. In our minds, "study book" became increasingly about examinations, grades and qualifications. A strength in focusing on academic grades can be over-done and become a weakness, as we leave little time to develop other attributes that are necessary for success and fulfilment. Students tell me of

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the stress they face because of the high expectations placed on them.

The chase for better grades fuelled a tuition industry. It created a vertical stacking of qualifications, as well as the tiering of schools in the minds of parents, based mainly on academic results – a hierarchy of grades.

We are not unique in this. The same "study book" culture that enabled the other three Asian dragons – South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan – to make great strides is also generating the same, if not even greater, pressures in their societies.

Like our Pioneers before us, we have to ask anew: where do we want to be in the future, where are we today and how do we make the leap?

At Our Singapore Conversation two years back, many Singaporeans expressed their aspiration for a cohesive home full of spirit and trust. A home where we all have opportunities to pursue our dreams. A home where we all have the assurance that we will each be taken care of when we face difficulties and where we live out lives of purpose. So, it is not just what we do. It is who we are as a people.

But many also recognised that the future will be more uncertain and volatile as the global economy and political order change in unpredictable ways. Political and religious developments elsewhere can strengthen or weaken our social cohesion. An ageing population will create challenges that we cannot totally foresee. A younger generation that is digitally connected can either be more united or more divided.

The nature of jobs will also change. For a start, many existing jobs will disappear. Smart machines and lower-cost workers elsewhere will take these jobs. So, we have to change jobs, maybe several times over our lifetime. But jobs that need uniquely human qualities cannot be displaced by machines and, indeed, will become more valuable.

Even the same job will look different. So, traits like creativity, inventiveness, adaptability, social and emotional skills and cultural and global awareness will give Singaporeans an edge.

New, interesting and diverse jobs will be created. Some of us will be self-employed, some of us will create jobs for others as entrepreneurs. And if our economy grows well, more jobs will be created.

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So, all these present new and multiple pathways for success. Faced with such challenges and opportunities, we are at a crossroads. We have two options. We could continue with the "study book" path, with a narrow focus on grades and examinations, and descend into a spiralling paper chase and expanding the tuition industry, as many Members have warned. Employers choose not to invest in employees, relying wholly on academic qualifications to determine who gets the job. Educators drill and test and see their duty as helping students to obtain the best possible examination grades. Parents obsess over grades and spend ever-increasing amounts of resources to give their child an edge over other children. Students chase the next point and spend most of their time going for more tuition and enrichment in very narrow areas. Stress levels in society climb and the system churns out students who excel in examinations but are ill-equipped to take on jobs of the future nor find fulfilment in what they do. And unemployment or under-employment becomes pervasive. Everyone is worse off.

This is a grim road, but sadly one in which other societies have already trodden down. Mr Lim Biow Chuan, in his opening speech, raised vivid examples of what is happening elsewhere. Ms Denise Phua warned us that if we do not change, the currents beneath the oceans will cause us to drift and drift us in the wrong direction. This is one possible outcome.

Or we can have another outcome. We can act with boldness and resolve to take another path forward, to embark on a major transformation. We will need collective will and action by employers, teachers, parents, students and society at large where employers look beyond academic qualifications in hiring and promoting the best person for the job; where bosses support employees in skills upgrading; where educators focus on holistic education, building a strong foundation of values and the capacity to learn; where our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) play a leading role strengthening the nexus between learning and work and learning for life; where parents recognise every child's unique strengths and do their part to build their children's character; where students flourish through a range of academic and co-curricular activities (CCAs) and take different pathways to success and grow up to be well-rounded; where the economy stays resilient and flexible, with high levels of employment and many opportunities – high skills, high productivity and high wages. And where our society and our people continue to be caring, harmonious, gracious and cohesive, and we do not see education as a race among our children.

This is a path that no society has charted out fully yet – and I have been looking at education systems around the world. Charting this new territory will require us to, once again, be pioneers.

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Here, in Singapore, building on the many changes in our education system in the past, we have continued to make further changes and to make further moves in this direction. As Ms Denise Phua reminded us, we have focused on values and character, strengthened holistic education, removed school rankings and enhanced support for weaker and special needs students. We developed new ways of learning in our schools, made every school a good school, expanded applied pathways in tertiary education and, in this Budget, outlined a series of SkillsFuture initiatives that build on ASPIRE's recommendations.

All these changes have laid the groundwork for a transformation to create a better future for Singapore, a future anchored by deep skills and strong values.

But this future will belong to us only if we, as a people, shift our mindsets about education. This is not about "study book" or 读书. It is about learning in every domain, anytime, anywhere for a purposeful, meaningful, fulfilling life. In other words, we need to live the pioneering spirit; beyond learning for grades to learning for mastery; beyond learning in school to learning throughout life; beyond learning for work to learning for life.

Mr Yee Jenn Jong mentioned about the Integrated School Programme. Ms Denise Phua made very good suggestions on changes in our schools and also mentioned once again the integrated through-train programme. In fact, Ms Phua even raised an Adjournment Motion some months back. I would say let us go beyond what we do in schools. Let us go much further. It is not just about what Mr Png Eng Huat mentioned about tuition. It is about a more fundamental change. Allow me to touch on these fundamental changes.

The first major shift is to go beyond learning for grades to learning for mastery. How do we develop mastery in our fields? We do not have all the answers. But let me share a story.

When I was in the Police Academy more than 30 years ago, one of my Pioneer instructors was Mr John Chang. He did not have high academic qualifications, but he was, in my mind, one of the best instructors. He knew the law, he knew how to deal with tense situations and he knew how to teach. He explained to me that after handling every case, he would reflect on how he could have done better. He would imagine, in his mind, scenarios – how should he have reacted if the criminals he was dealing with had been more violent, if they were armed with firearms or if the victims were less cooperative and so on and so forth. He studied on his own, he attended classes, he asked his peers and seniors at work. Everybody whom he could get to, he would ask.

John was one of the few police officers who started as a constable, got many promotions, went all the way and retired as an Assistant Superintendent. You see a

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photograph of John when he was promoted. Quite a feat in those days.

I learnt a lot from John, as a very young officer, about what it means to be an effective learner and how one achieves mastery. He was self-directed. No one told him how to learn but he did so on his own. He was reflective. He thought through his own experiences and learnt from both mistakes and successes. He learnt in bite-size modules, picking up what he needed, when he needed. He kept an open mind and learnt from everyone, everywhere, at any time. He was disciplined. Learning was not left to chance but was built into his everyday routine. And he was passionate. He cared deeply about what he does. All these before we spoke about SkillsFuture.

Now in my job in education, I am lucky to meet many who, like John, devote themselves to mastery and in many different fields.

Let me quote just one example – Assoc Prof Chong Yap Seng, a Senior Consultant at the National University Hospital (NUH). A doctor by training, Prof Chong is leading a nationwide birth cohort study on how mothers' diet and lifestyle during pregnancy affect their babies' growth after birth. It is a study of great national impact to prevent and manage diseases like diabetes and obesity. Someone like him, steeped in knowledge of his field, does not shy away from applying his knowledge and skills innovatively to push new frontiers, to explore the unknown and to invent new things.

We should aim to be a nation where Singaporeans develop mastery in every field, Singaporeans who are resourceful, inventive and break new grounds. This will take collective effort across our schools, IHLs and industry.

So, let me outline my Ministry's contribution to this. In 10 years of basic education, we aim to, first, equip every student with a strong foundation in literacy, numeracy and thinking skills, whatever their starting point. Mr Hri Kumar mentioned the importance of expressing our ideas well and being confident. I fully agree with him and I thank him for these useful suggestions on how we could do better. And, indeed, we are starting very early now in preschool and in our primary school, with our new reading and oracy programmes.

Literacy skill, numeracy skills and so on are vital, as they enable our students to keep learning and progressing. Rigour will be maintained through appropriate assessments as checkpoints to help them track progress and to make good decisions on the best pathway to continue learning. And, where necessary, students can access levelling up programmes to build their basics.

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Second, we will give every student broad exposure to a whole range of subjects and co-curricular activities (CCAs) to pique their interest in various fields – sports, arts, outdoor adventures and so on. I share Dr Benedict Tan's enthusiasm for outdoor and adventure-based learning and I thank him for his suggestion. I also thank Ms Rita Soh for her suggestions on art education and how we can continue to improve it.

Third, continue to improve on our teaching, to stimulate curiosity and let every student put knowledge into action. This includes using ICT to teach, as Ms Denise Phua had highlighted. In fact, I am happy to share that we are already developing our Student Learning Spaces, and, hopefully, we will have high-quality content and many high-quality ways of using these.

Fourth, build in every student deep wells of character. It matters in life, and it matters in achieving mastery because mastery takes effort and perseverance in careers and endeavours.

An important aspect of learning for mastery is to match our students' strengths and interests to opportunities in our schools and IHLs, in careers and enterprises. Mr Yee Jenn Jong mentioned the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), but I would like to go further. I would like to stimulate the curiosity of learning in all our children, provide plenty of learning opportunities for them in ways which are meaningful, for all our students, in all our schools.

A recent innovation in our schools is the Applied Learning Programmes or ALPs in almost all our secondary schools, and this is part of our "Every School A Good School" movement. In fun and creative ways, our students apply various domains of knowledge to solve complex, real-life problems in their field of interest.

Let me share two examples. First, Hillgrove Secondary. Hillgrove Secondary has an ALP on Flight and Aerospace. Students learn fundamental Aerospace theories and apply mathematics, science and design and technology by building and flying their own model planes. The students go on to take Advanced Elective Modules in Aerospace, where they learn how planes defy gravity while flying a flight simulator!

Rayner Lee really enjoyed learning at Hillgrove and, in fact, he is now doing Aerospace Technology at Nanyang Polytechnic and says, "I chose Hillgrove because of the Youth Flying Club CCA. I wanted to be a pilot. My parents and school teachers encouraged me to take the Private Pilot Licence PPL. Now that I have my licence, I hope to join the RSAF as a pilot." Well, I hope Rayner flies high.

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Another example is Damai Secondary's ALP on Health Science and Technology. Students apply concepts from Chemistry and Biology to construct biomedical devices. They built salinity sensors that can analyse urine samples to determine the health of a person. Damai students also develop a sense of empathy when thinking about their users. Through tie-ups with IHLs and the community, students are inspired by the possibilities of careers in the healthcare and medical technology sectors. As Mdm Fiona Han, a mother of three sons in Damai, puts it, "This is a great experience that allows them to broaden their future career choices."

Different ALPs open up different possibilities for students to put knowledge into action and bring learning to life. Learning becomes relevant and engaging for every student, in every school. We are not channelling students to specialise early. In fact, deep skills acquired in one field can be transferred to another.

For example, Ngee Ann Polytechnic uses the technical know-how in building unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs to build unmanned underwater vehicles UUVs to clean ship hulls – transferring skills from air to sea.

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A team in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) worked with the Singapore Zoo's applied Medical Technology to design an incubator and succeeded in increasing the hatching rate of reptile eggs from 25% to 75%. So, if you see many more crocodiles in the zoo, you know why. It is quite productive!

We are fortunate that our vibrant economy has created a range of good jobs. With more choices, we need good Education and Career Guidance or ECG. There are many domains and fields that students could explore and develop deep skills in – whether it is design, business, arts, music or sports. By exposing students to possibilities, we empower them to make better choices and choose suitable pathways.

We will, hence, strengthen ECG at all levels. ECG curriculum in schools, ITEs and polytechnics will be enhanced and, by 2017, we will have a professional core of ECG counsellors and an online ECG portal that shows many exciting opportunities – enriched by our SkillsFuture initiatives.

Ms Rita Soh earlier spoke about how we should integrate the arts and sciences and how we should integrate the learning of head, hearts and hands. In fact, many meaningful and exciting things are also happening in our IHLs.

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If you have to build an exciting platform which the Prime Minister will stand on for a Chinese New Year celebration, how would you go about doing it? Well, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) students put to work their knowledge of engineering, design, arts and cultural awareness to create this year's Chinese New Year light-up display in Chinatown.

They designed a total of 338 goat lanterns, including 28 motorised ones. Three special goats, each weighing about 400 kilogrammes, were perched on a mountain to form the 10-metre-tall centerpiece. It is not only a wonderful sight to behold; it vividly brought in the Year of the Goat. And we all know that the Prime Minister was very pleased to grace the platform. You can see on the screen the Prime Minister's wefie with the team.

This is the fourth year SUTD students have helped to design the display for Chinese New Year and, each time, with each new animal of the horoscope, they learned from the previous year, pushed themselves to think differently and put all their skills and knowledge into a new masterpiece.

They put their heads, hearts and hands into creating this. And, indeed, our ITE motto is "Hands-on, Mind-on, Hearts-on." Be it ITE or SUTD, this is an important way to learn. And, indeed, this is what it means to go beyond learning for grades to learning for mastery.

The second major shift that we need to make together as a people is to go beyond learning in school to learning throughout life. Let me share with Members another story.

I was at the Seletar Aerospace Park recently. Fifty years ago, Seletar was better known for the smell of pig farms. Fifty years on, I visited Seletar to witness the delivery of our first Rolls-Royce TRENT 1000 jet engine, made in Singapore for a Singaporean company – Scoot. A world of difference!

I met three Singaporeans working there – Ravinder, Cheria and Siti Mariani. Ravinder is a team leader with 24 years of aerospace experience. You would have thought that he knows everything, but he told me, and I quote, "To me, every day is a learning process". And this gentleman was serious when he said that. It turns out that his son is also interested in aerospace engineering and so he decided that he, too, "had better return to school to pick up new skills and more skills", so that he can mentor his son and pass on his skills to the next generation.

So, he enrolled in Temasek Polytechnic's Diploma in Aerospace Engineering and is now six months into his course. All that, whilst working hard at Rolls-Royce mentoring his younger

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colleagues, like Cheria and Siti.

Cheria is technically Ravinder's "schoolmate" in Temasek Polytechnic or TP as she is also pursuing a Diploma in Aerospace Engineering, but she is one-third his age. As an intern, she is learning at the workplace even as Ravinder is learning in TP. Siti, an ITE student in Aerospace Technology, was also part of the team. And whilst working at a bookshop at Changi Airport, she saw the aeroplanes taking off and it piqued her interest. She started to wonder how planes fly.

Today, she is a Rolls-Royce ITE scholar, thrilled to be building an impressive and complex engine with some 30,000 parts! And learning all that as an intern. So, you see, it is not just about learning technical skills. She said, and I quote, "Rolls-Royce taught me to be versatile and assertive in order to keep up with changes in the aerospace industry."

Ravinder, Cheria and Siti are at different stages of life but all actively learning to be better, to succeed both at work and in life.

But I empathise with many Singaporeans who tell me, "Once we start work or have family commitments, it is hard to set aside time to learn." Indeed, we have to address the practical constraints to empower lifelong learning.

Our IHLs will play a leading role in empowering Singaporeans to learn everywhere, throughout life. Our IHLs will work with companies that are keen to make workplaces great places for learning. We will have more enhanced internship opportunities so that young people like Siti and Cheria can learn and solve real-life problems and acquire soft skills. I thank Mr Yee Jenn Jong and Ms Lee Li Lian for their suggestions on internships and how we can engage the different players.

Our IHLs will create SkillsFuture Earn-and-Learn Programmes so that Siti and Cheria and others can be mentored on the job and acquire skills when they graduate. Students who take up Earn-and-Learn are effectively enjoying one year or more of highly-subsidised education. But instead of learning just in our IHLs, they enjoy a blend of facilitated learning in our IHL and structured mentoring at work. They acquire a higher industry-recognised qualification through this.

We will also put in place skills-based modular courses. By the end of the year, there will be over 300 modular courses offered by our polytechnics and universities. These will be in specialist areas, such as Digital Forensics and Investigation at SP, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at NTU, Functional Genomics at UniSIM and Coaching and Counselling

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and Skills at RP. As you can see, a very wide range!

We will subsidise part-time, Specialist, and Advanced Diplomas for all Singaporeans more generously even if this is not the first time you are getting one and provide the even more generous SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidies for Singaporeans aged 40 and above. I agree with Mrs Lina Chiam that we must encourage everyone to learn, including the elderly.

Our IHLs will play a leading role in specific sectors. For a start, we will appoint Sector Coordinators for 17 strategic sectors. These are sectors identified as future growth sectors or meeting critical needs in our society. Besides engineering and manufacturing sectors, we will also have early childhood education, which Senior Minister of State Indranee will speak more about later, as well as healthcare and many others.

Let me explain how this would work. Republic Polytechnic or RP, for instance, is the Sector Coordinator for Logistics. They will ensure a tighter nexus between learning in school and learning at work in the logistics sector. I want to commend the RP staff who were very enterprising in engaging industry players and galvanising 12 companies, including top players, like YCH Group, DHL Express and Yang Kee Logistics, to come together to design a 12-month Earn-and-Learn programme.

These companies will use RP's workplace training blueprints so that learning at work and learning at RP are integrated for maximum impact. Students who complete the programme will acquire skills that are in RP's Specialist Diploma in Supply Chain Management but they will do so on the job, be recognised for it and get paid in the process, without having to pay fees! They will learn how to deal with complexity and scale in global goods flow, data analytics, manage supply chains and inventories and devise plans to optimise transportation. As you can see, all are very high-skills areas. They will learn problem-solving, people skills and a range of soft skills. When they show that they have acquired and can apply the new skills, they will then take on greater responsibilities and see a wage increase. Mr Zainuddin Nordin earlier raised the issue of how we ensure that the skills that are learnt result in better progression. This is how, and I hope many more, industry players will come on board.

RP will provide specialised training for mentors to help companies build a network of industry mentors, skilled like Ravinder. This will multiply our effectiveness and spread expertise in the sector. I will do it systematically for each of these sectors. We will study different models of learning on-the-job, explore greater use of online learning and look at innovative approaches. This is how we will help all Singaporeans to go beyond learning in

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school to learning throughout life.

As we resolve to learn for mastery and learn throughout life, we need to rethink a few issues about learning and the significance of the changes. Let me share some observations. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development or OECD did a recent survey of adult skills. Workers in Japan ranked highly in their skills but ranked poorly in terms of how well these skills are utilised on the job. At the opposite end, workers in the US ranked poorly in skills but ranked among the top in using skills on the job – so whatever skills they have, they use them to the fullest.

Much of our Budget Debate focused on the quality control of courses and whether workers get to attend. These courses to learn skills matter. But this OECD study paints a very vivid story that what matters even more is whether workers use the skills learnt. We must not end up debating which courses can enjoy the credit and so on. We must not end up using SkillsFuture Credit to chase another form of qualification or debate which courses can acquire qualifications. Training courses are just the means. Our focus must be on the ends – acquiring, mastering and using deep skills.

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So, if workers or companies attend courses to meet quotas or because there are some incentives for it, very little will be achieved from attending the courses. But if companies make the best use of the higher skills of workers, it leads to higher productivity and higher margins; in turn, they can pay higher wages. Higher skills, higher productivity and higher wages. This is the virtuous cycle that we must seek to achieve.

To achieve this virtuous cycle, companies play a critical role. So, I am glad that Mr Robert Yap, Chairman and CEO of YCH Group and also Chairman of Singapore National Employers Federation, has been very supportive of his company's collaboration with RP. I hope many more employers will take action to develop and use their employees' skills as part of their productivity and innovation strategy. And I thank Mr Thomas Chua for calling on industry associations to work closely with MOE and also calling on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who can come together in the industry associations to also work closely with us. We are always ready to work with them.

Another observation relates to how we direct our own learning or self-directed learning.

With SkillsFuture, various specialist and advanced diplomas and specialised, bite-sized modular courses are even more highly subsidised. In fact, there is an even wider range of courses available. Opportunities for learning will be across our IHLs – graduates of

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polytechnics, ITE or university can take relevant modules, or in WDA-certified courses or at the workplace.

With this array of courses, especially modular courses, the system is even more open and flexible. Besides the multiple pathways in our IHLs, you can now create your own learning pathways – build a portfolio of skills, just-in-time, tailored to your own needs, at your own pace. You can stack modules towards a qualification or just choose relevant modules. It empowers each of us to take charge, direct our own learning and build our own unique skills map. It empowers each of us to make the best use of the initiatives, including the SkillsFuture Credit and other learning opportunities.

Mr Ang Wei Neng highlighted the plight of middle-aged displaced workers. And this is why we have even greater subsidies for those aged above 40.

But this self-directed, independent learning must start young. Our teachers must not spoon-feed our students and give them model answers. In life, there are no model answers.

I once had a parent who wrote to me to argue for an extra mark for her child's term test in school. Rather than seek an extra mark in tests, let us nurture our children to make their mark in society.

We have to encourage our children to be independent, self-directed learners, skilful at figuring out their own way. Prof Tan Tai Yong made an important point that we must not over-protect our children so that they can develop adaptive resilience and learn to deal with uncertainties in life. But if we intervene when a child does not get an extra mark, how does he or she develop that resilience? Mr Lim Biow Chuan cautioned about the over-reliance on others to learn and how it can develop a crutch mentality. Mr Inderjit Singh made the same point and emphasised the importance of self-directed learning. Mr Singh also made suggestions on how we can create more diversity in our schools' profile, which we will study.

So, let us start early in our schools and make our children self-directed, independent learners. Let us all take a collective pause and see whether the way that we are bringing up our children in school or at home is helping them to develop that independence, that self-directed learning, the resourcefulness and initiative or whether we are spoon-feeding them and that they are going to lose that ability when the crutch is taken away, that they cannot go out and create, invent and build new things.

My next observation on learning for mastery relates to learning as a habit of mind. Structured courses are very useful, and that is why our IHLs are embarking on that and that

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is why the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is also doing a lot more.

But no matter how many programmes we have under SkillsFuture, we cannot cover every learning possibility. It is not possible. Why? Because learning can take place in formal and informal modes – in the classroom or at the workplace, through self-reflection, team-learning or online learning, with friends or in groups. Lifelong learning is a habit of mind, rather than a mere act of attending courses.

So, it is important that even as we debate about SkillsFuture accreditation and the quality of courses and so on, we must not forget that it is not about attending courses per se. We need to seize learning opportunities everywhere, from anyone, throughout life and even on our own, like the way that Mr John Chang did at the Police Academy many years ago.

Finally, learning for mastery is not just about learning what is known. A lot of our learning is about learning how others have done it and how we might learn the basics from there. But it is also about exploring the unknown and inventing new possibilities by putting all of our knowledge to creative use, like what Prof Chong is doing to help parents have healthier babies.

So, let us nurture many more who seek mastery relentlessly in their field, who are inventive and resourceful and who can make breakthroughs for Singapore. I have made several observations about learning for mastery and learning throughout life and that it is not just about learning what is known; it is not just about attending courses; it is not just about relying on others but, rather, to be self-directed, independent learners.

Let me now move on to a third major shift. The third major shift that we need to make together is to go beyond learning for work to learning for life. Developing deep skills to succeed at work is important. But life is more than just work. Developing a lively interest in the world around us, in nature and culture, in sports and adventure, in having zest for life and a concern for others are what makes life purposeful and fulfilling. Earlier, Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin, Dr Benedict Tan and Ms Rita Soh all touched on this.

So, let me share another inspiring story, this time on Edward Chia. Edward is a 31-year-old entrepreneur who started his own business when he was 18 years old. His Timbre group of restaurants is well-known for good dining and live music. Timbre restaurants have a social mission. Combining food with music, his restaurants champion Singaporean musicians and give them a platform. His staff would applaud the performing bands and urge his diners to do the same. Edward shares that, and I quote, "Everything we do still counts back towards our social mission of supporting Singapore's music scene. At a very simple level, I had an idea

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I wanted to do, that idea was good for society and I just wanted to get it done." He gained respect from his team, many of whom were older, by getting his hands dirty and doing everything he asked of his staff. He washed toilets, cleaned the office, ran the bar and helped out in the kitchen. So, I agree with Mr Baey Yam Keng that it is very important for our children to learn all these skills. You see how important it is in life. Edward acknowledges that those early years were not easy but through working with his team, he also learnt from them.

Today, he pays that learning forward. His ventures provide a platform for budding chefs and he recently partnered Singapore start-up Infinium Robotics to develop drones that can navigate their way around tables to serve food. If this sounds like a scene from Star Wars, it is. There are eight drones delivering food, but this is still an experiment and an exciting one. What it means is that the waiters can work more productively and do things that machines cannot do.

Edward, for me, embodies the spirit of learning for life, in that he is passionate and innovative in his field. He gives back to the community and creates new opportunities for others. He has a deep interest in music and he wants to give Singaporean talent a platform. So, he runs enterprises with a mission. From musicians, now he is going on to helping budding chefs. So, I hope that we will have a more lively scene in the future.

I spoke to many Singaporeans during Our Singapore Conversation. Many shared their aspirations to live a life of purpose and spirit. They wanted to build a successful and cohesive society, a society where Singaporeans lead fulfilling lives, each in his own way.

Many have also expressed support for our student-centric, values-driven education. They believe we can develop each individual fully, and develop our sense of community, and our sense of personal and collective responsibility.

So, I am glad that our students experience the arts, music, sports, outdoor activities and overseas trips. In fact, I should add that there are very few school systems in the world – none that I know of – which send one-third of their students on overseas trips in order to give them the exposure. There is much we should be thankful for. They interact with peers around the world. And, by the way, these are not just students in our top schools. These are students in every school. They lead and participate in a wide range of CCAs. These experiences broaden their worldview and grow them as rugged individuals, physically active and healthy, appreciative of the finer things in life.

Like Edward Chia, we hope that they also develop a strong sense of purpose and a desire to help each other and give back to society.

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Ms Irene Ng earlier on spoke about the Edusave Character Awards. Let me emphasise that, for me, it is a very important signalling of a shift in our education in that we must place emphasis on character and values. It is a catalyst for change. But for the same reason, we should not overdo it and that is why the numbers are kept very small. But we will study her suggestion on how we can make it more meaningful. I am glad that many parents and many students have also spoken to me, and the school principals have noted the progress since we introduced this. And we are actually going beyond all these awards. What is a small part is really the signalling. The real change is in our schools' programmes – in the Character and Citizenship Education programme that has been revamped. And, more recently, in our Learning for Life programmes that reinforce these life skills.

In East View Secondary School, students work with community partners on food donation drives and reach out to promote health and IT skills to the neighbourhood residents. One student said, "The joy on people's faces has driven me to do more."

Over at Mayflower Secondary School, a project called "Spirit of Generosity" has students doing 50,000 acts of kindness to friends, family and the community to celebrate Singapore's 50th birthday. This has brought the school and its surrounding community together through the spirit of giving. Teachers and students alike love how this has made the school a more caring community. Indeed, in giving, we receive as much, if not more.

All across our schools, when students put values into action, character and citizenship education comes alive.

These efforts are all very commendable. We want to encourage our students in our schools, polytechnics and ITE to do more. SG50 giving will provide funds to enable students to support meaningful causes in the community.

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I thank Ms Kuik Shao-Yin for her suggestion on how this programme can work in partnership with VWOs to make it more impactful. Indeed, students will identify Institutions of a Public Character or IPCs that they would like to work with and donate funds to them and they will then partner these IPCs to make a real difference, however small, in their community.

Holistic education covers moral, cognitive, physical, social and aesthetic dimensions. So, I hope our students grow up to appreciate and contribute to the rich multi-dimensional aspects of life and grow richer in spirit and purpose.

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This is how we build a vibrant, creative and caring society. This is what it means to go beyond learning for work to learning for life – for a rich, purposeful and meaningful life.

Madam, allow me to say a few words in Mandarin to summarise what I have just said.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] The Pioneer Generation educators laid the foundation for Singapore's education system and prosperity of our country. They had the courage to chart new territories, were unafraid of difficulties and were resourceful in nurturing young generations of Singaporeans.

Ultimately, the aim of education is not just to learn to read and write, and to obtain good grades and paper qualifications. More importantly, it is to learn how to get along with others and have meaningful relationships.

Education has a deeper and broader meaning. Education is about educating the individual, which encompasses the moral, cognitive, physical, social and aesthetic dimensions. Before the teaching of knowledge, one has to educate the individual; and before educating the individual, one has to nurture the mind. We need to cultivate the right spirit before nurturing the mind.

With rapid economic and social development, we must keep abreast of the times, be flexible and constantly improve ourselves. We must pursue mastery and learn everywhere, learn throughout life and learn for life. We must build upon the foundation laid by the Pioneer Generation and continue to work hard, upholding their pioneering spirit.

In every domain, at any time and any place, we must strive to learn to live a fulfilling life. Let us shift our mindsets, continue the pioneering spirit and create a brighter future together.

Firstly, we should go beyond learning for grades to learning for mastery. Secondly, we should go beyond learning in school to learning throughout life. Thirdly, we should go beyond learning for work to learning for life.

( In English ): The three shifts that I have outlined – Learning for mastery, Learning throughout life, Learning for life – are important for every Singaporean. We want every Singaporean to have access to learning opportunities, whatever their starting point, just as Mr Zainudin Nordin earlier spoke about the importance of social mobility.

Many parents told me that they appreciate the structured supportive environment that student care centres provide for students after school. And, in fact, this is the reason why I

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have been expanding the student care centres in our schools over the years, a point which Ms Lee Li Lian and Mr Ang Wei Neng also mentioned. So, I appreciate that this is well received. MOE will continue to work with MSF to improve quality and accessibility. We have 100 school-based student care centres at the beginning of this year. I am happy to announce that we will set up another 20 school-based student care centres this year and another 20 next year. I would also like to thank Dr Intan for her suggestions on how we can overcome the constraints of high-quality manpower by getting older students to help out. Our main constraint is really the quality and number of staff.

We help students who need additional support to build a good foundation in literacy and numeracy through a comprehensive suite of levelling-up programmes from the kindergarten level right to secondary school. Educators with specialised training work in small groups with these students to motivate and teach them better. And the results have been very heartening. Let me share just two stories.

Siti, a Primary 6 student in Qihua Primary School last year, has dyslexia and was frequently absent from school. But her teachers, allied educators and counsellors all pitched in with such determined and tireless wrap-around support that she went from skipping school to discovering a new interest in mathematics and eventually emerging as Qihua's top scorer in Foundation subjects! Inspired by her teachers, she now aspires to be a teacher so that she can do for others what her teachers did for her.

Joshua could barely speak a word of English when he entered Da Qiao Primary at Primary 1. In one year, Joshua has graduated from the Learning Support Programme and gained confidence. Joshua's mother, Mrs Lim, worked with the school and used word cards the school prepared to practise together with Joshua at home.

Specialised programmes in our schools like Crest, Spectra, NorthLight and Assumption Pathway keep students engaged and help them build confidence.

Hairi picked up smoking, drinking and even joined a gang when he was a primary school student. He disliked school but loved football. His teachers at Crest Secondary recognised that and engaged him through football. And in Hairi's words, it was a "game-changer". So, Hairi started to enjoy school and blossomed as a peer leader. He quit smoking. Hairi's parents, having seen his change, have also enrolled his brother Hilmi in Crest.

For students in Special Education or SPED Schools, we have invested, as Deputy Prime Minister Tharman mentioned, 50% more in real terms to support them over the last few years. Our School-based Dyslexia Remediation programme has been a success. Dr Intan mentioned about the AEDs earlier. As Minister of State Sim Ann shared earlier, we expanded

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the programme to 60 more primary schools this year. Two-thirds of our primary schools now offer it, up from one-third just last year. By next year, 2016, all primary schools will have dyslexia remediation so that students with dyslexia will get help early in their primary school. Minister of State Sim Ann will touch on other efforts to support students across the spectrum of SEN later.

Let me touch on financial support. Education is already heavily subsidised but we will provide further support. Let me reiterate that this is not because more students are poor but because the Government is providing greater support. I will summarise some of the announcements made by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman and provide additional details.

We will top up Edusave accounts or Post-Secondary Education Accounts of Singapore Citizen students aged seven to 20 – reaching more than half a million Singaporeans. We will waive fees for PSLE, GCE "N", "O" and "A" levels for Singapore Citizen students in Government-funded schools starting this year. We will waive vocational examination fees for Singapore Citizen students in Government-funded SPED schools and specialised schools – including ITE Skills Certificate and WSQ modules. We will provide subsidies comparable to the current GCE "A" level fees for Singapore Citizen students in Government-funded schools who sit the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma examination. We will waive examination fees for Singapore Citizen students enrolled full-time in ITEs and polytechnics, starting from Academic Year 2015. Our focus on national, mainstream schools is important because it provides an important bonding experience. And where private schools are relevant, the specific relevant agencies will deal with these.

The MOE Financial Assistance Scheme or FAS has been enhanced over the years. In 2012, we raised the income ceiling and also introduced a per capita income criterion to allow more students to benefit. From 1 April this year, we will provide transport subsidies under MOE's FAS. This will provide further support for lower-income families. Those travelling by public transport will receive $120 in transport credits annually. For primary school students taking the school bus, MOE's FAS will cover 50% of the regular school bus fare. In addition, we will double the sum of annual grants for school-based financial assistance from $5 million to $11 million per year for the next three years. This will give schools more resources to provide further targeted assistance to students from less advantaged backgrounds. We will also raise the income criteria of Edusave Merit Bursary from $5,000 to $6,000 to benefit more students.

No child should be left behind, whatever their starting point. We are doing more to support students with a weaker start, be it learning needs, special needs or financial needs. Spending in these areas, across all levels – from schools to IHLs – has more than doubled from $200 million to $500 million, as compared to five years ago.

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But to uplift our students, not just academically but also in social-emotional growth, we need both resources and "heartware". I echo Mr Sam Tan's point that we must focus on "heartware". "Heartware" comes from supportive parents, persevering students, dedicated educators and supportive community. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi will speak more on how we will engage parents and the community in bringing out the best in our children, including character-building.

I very much appreciate the many educators and volunteers who worked doggedly in our schools, self-help groups and other VWOs. They put in much time and heart into doing this important work, quietly, unstintingly. I have the greatest admiration for them.

I find it most encouraging that students who received help are giving back at this very young age. For example, Jia Qi from Teck Whye Secondary was supported by FAS, and he discovered and developed his passion in mathematics through Teck Whye's Math enrichment programmes and personal motivation workshops. So, Jia Qi gives back enthusiastically by coaching his friends in mathematics through the school's peer tutoring programme and derives great satisfaction from his friends' improvement.

Umaira was supported by the Independent School Bursary to attend Raffles Girls' School (RGS). Grateful for the opportunity, she now wants to spread the message that students of diverse backgrounds are welcome in RGS through a Malay language and culture competition for primary schools this year.

We must not shy away from excellence but we must make sure that those who are excellent in whatever they do have a heart to give back to society.

Let me now make some concluding remarks.

I began by speaking about how our Pioneer Generation made hard choices at critical points of nation-building. They faced many crossroads – each right decision helped us progress.

Today, we face a new crossroads – do we focus narrowly on grades and examinations, or do we focus on what is truly important by building strong values and deep skills throughout our lives? Do we fixate on narrow measurements of our value, or do we actually be people of value, with values?

Madam, to me, the path is clear. It is to do everything we can to be people of deep skills and strong values.

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We take the pioneering path, to nurture Singaporeans who are inventive, resilient and caring. We have some idea of the qualities of this pioneering path. It will have learning on the job, learning just in time, learning in the right place at the right time, learning without boundaries – without the boundaries of institutional walls, age, place or time.

I am happy to hear many Members speak in support of the spirit of this because we must take this pioneering path together, as a whole society. We are not the only ones at a crossroads. Others, too, are asking – what is the future of education? I have been reading their projections, but as I read through what they wrote, I realised that much of what they envision in the future, we are doing now.

And what is special about our mission is that we are not thinking about the future of education in just one school or one university. We are thinking about the future of education for our whole nation.

We are pioneering a path that will shape our whole society, one that will require collective effort from everyone in society. Millions of individual actions and choices by Singaporeans will move our nation towards a brighter future.

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Our students in schools today are between five and 25 years old. In 50 years, they will be 55 to 75 years old. They will be the Pioneer Generation at SG100. Will we be stuck with the "study book" culture that brought us this far in our first 50 years? Or will we, and this younger generation, live again the pioneering spirit and transform how we work and learn?

I am confident that we can succeed, as there are already many new pioneers in our midst. Each of the examples I raised in my speech are pioneers. But we need many more pioneers, in every school, in every field, in every job.

Singaporeans who take ownership of learning throughout life, like John, Prof Chong, Ravinder, Cheria and Siti – who are passionate and innovative and make a difference to the lives of others, like Edward, Umaira and Jia Qi.

Teachers and schools who focus on holistic education, build in students a strong foundation and make learning real and relevant, like those in Hillgrove and Damai Secondary, SUTD, TP, ITE, RP and so on. Parents who build on every child's strength and interest beyond academics, like Fiona and Ravinder. Employers who truly value our people and help our people acquire relevant skills, like YCH and Rolls-Royce. A society that respects every job and

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encourages everyone to achieve mastery in their own fields, in their own way.

These are fundamental changes that will take time. But we need to take the first step now and take it together. The journey of transformation will not be easy. But every decision, every action, by everyone, counts.

Learn for mastery. Learn throughout life. Learn for life. This must be our compass as we chart our way forward.

Madam, in this SG50 year, let us appreciate and build on our pioneers' precious legacy. Let us reflect on where we are today and where we want to go. Let us inspire all Singaporeans to take this pioneering path and live the pioneering spirit, together, and create an even better 50 years ahead of us. [ Applause. ]

The Senior Minister of State for Education and Law (Ms Indranee Rajah) : Mdm Chairperson, the Minister has given an overview of the future of education and what the Ministry of Education (MOE) is doing. I will speak on two specific areas: preschool and tertiary education.

Ms Irene Ng and Mr Zainudin Nordin touched on social and emotional resources of our young and supporting low-income students. We aim to give our children a good start in life. Research shows that children who have a good early childhood education tend to do well later in life. A good educational foundation early in life is, therefore, extremely important.

We are doing this in two ways. First, by promoting consistency of standards in content and teaching across the sector. Secondly, through MOE Kindergartens or MKs. To-date, we have 10 MKs which provide quality preschool education that is affordable to Singaporeans. Five more will open next year. The MKs aim to pilot teaching and learning resources and establish good practices for sharing with the preschool sector.

Giving every child a good start does not mean that the child in preschool must be able to do the Primary 1 syllabus while still in preschool! There is still a preconception that a child is doing well only if the child is doing something beyond that child's level. That should not be the case at the preschool stage; the child should learn in a way that is appropriate to his age and stage of development. What is important is: what they learn, that is, the content; and how they learn, the pedagogy.

For content, MOE has developed the Nurturing Early Learners Curriculum, a toolkit of kindergarten curriculum resources. This contains guidelines for a holistic preschool education, including learning areas, such as numeracy, motor skills development, language

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and literacy and social and emotional development.

In terms of how they learn, MOE has two core pedagogies: to engage children in learning through, firstly, purposeful play, and, secondly, quality interactions between teachers and children.

The MKs of today are not the kindergartens that we remember. Children no longer learn through spelling lists and rote memory. Today, we encourage children to learn, explore and ask questions about their world through play. The teachers plan learning activities that are fun and enjoyable for the children and help them achieve intended learning outcomes holistically.

Mr Hri Kumar talked about communication skills. We are helping our children to build a strong foundation through bilingualism. Research increasingly shows the importance of learning languages at a young age. Children who are exposed to two languages from young are more likely to be able to acquire both languages at a higher level of proficiency than their peers who start later.

Researchers compared a group of children who learnt a second language earlier and used it longer with another group who learnt a second language later. They found that the group of early bilinguals were more fluent and proficient than their peers. The early bilinguals also had greater self-regulation skills and ability to focus on a given task.

We have made bilingualism a key feature of our MKs so that our children will be fluent in English and Mother Tongue and will have a strong anchor on which to build their language capabilities as they grow older.

Our MKs have the Weeks of Wonder or WoW. These are term projects that facilitate language learning. Each year, children do four WoW projects, two in English and two in Mother Tongue, where they work together with their peers and teachers to investigate topics of interest in Mother Tongue. With your permission, Mdm Chairman, may I display some slides on the screens?

The Chairman : Yes, please. [ Slides were shown to hon Members. ]

Ms Indranee Rajah: Here, you see the MK children visiting a flower shop. These are the ones doing Tamil Language and interviewing the Indian owner about the use of roses in the Indian culture. They also interviewed others and searched through books and the Internet. The owner showed them around his shop, demonstrated how a rose garland was made using banana strings and explained the use of roses on different occasions in the Indian culture.

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The children were so excited that they decided to set up their own florist shop! This required them to work with each other, practise their Tamil and express their creativity. The children also learnt about the value of teaching others when they went home and created rose bouquets with their families using recycled materials for their flower shop.

This WoW project illustrates the pedagogical approach of learning through play as well as innovative techniques for language learning.

But in order to provide good preschool education, we must also have good preschool teachers. MOE is working closely with the Early Childhood Development Agency or ECDA to train preschool teachers. We have developed the Nurturing Early Learners Framework which guides preschools in designing and implementing a quality kindergarten curriculum for children aged four to six.

We have also launched the Educators' Guide which helps teachers translate the Framework into quality learning experiences for children. About 6,000 preschool educators were expected to be trained by end-2014.

We need more Early Childhood professionals to meet the growing demand for services. If you are interested in teaching, if you like children and are passionate about helping them build character and a strong foundation for life, do consider a career in Early Childhood Care and Education. I would also encourage persons, including women who have left the workforce and wish to return, to consider a career in early childhood.

There are many different pathways to become an early childhood professional, with entry and training into the sector at all levels. There are early childhood courses at ITE, polytechnic and university levels, each providing a stepping stone to the next level, in combination with work experience.

For pre-service trainees, there are the ECDA Training Awards for both full-time ITE and polytechnic diplomas in Early Childhood Care and Education courses. The ITE Training Award was introduced last year. The take-up has been promising, with about 20 ITE students receiving the award to date.

Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr Zainudin Nordin asked about support for mid-career learners. There are also pathways for mid-career professionals who want to enter the sector. Li Xian was an auditor in an accounting firm for four years. She wanted to change her job for a better work-life balance. Inspired by her older sister who is an early childhood professional, Li Xian took the Singapore Polytechnic Conversion Diploma in Early Childhood Education and completed the one-year course in September last year. She is happy with her career change

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and says that she is "enjoying the moments of satisfaction and the priceless hugs of the children on a daily basis!"

There are also part-time courses for those who cannot study full-time. Working professionals can take the part-time Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education at our polytechnics from October this year. These courses will give recognition for prior learning and competencies gained through work experience, which will shorten the overall course hours. ECDA is also working closely with WDA to develop structured competency-based pathways.

SkillsFuture has been a prominent feature of this Budget, and MOE is actively involved in implementing various aspects of SkillsFuture. First, enhanced education and career guidance will now be an integral part of our education system.

And for this, let me share Daniel's story. Daniel was an ITE student, completing a Higher Nitec in Mechanical Engineering when I first met him last year. Like many young people, he was not sure what his next step should be. He had taken Mechanical Engineering at ITE but it was not his first choice. He was not sure he wanted to continue in engineering. I asked him what he thought he might like to do. He said either culinary arts or sports science but, again, he was not sure. I offered to arrange internships for him so he would be in a better position to decide. He opted to try culinary arts.

I asked PS Cafe, which operates in my constituency, if they could take him on. They kindly agreed to do so. Daniel duly went for his internship which he enjoyed tremendously. The outcome, however, is interesting and this is how Daniel made his decision.

He spoke to the other chefs and they shared their experiences and advice. He also spoke to his section head of Mechanical Engineering at ITE. He knew he really enjoyed his work as a chef and had fun in the kitchen. But he also considered the cost of sacrificing and throwing away everything he had learnt in the two years. So, after much thought, he decided to continue with engineering and not to discard what he has learnt. Cooking remains a passion for him but he wants to have something which builds on his engineering background as a career. And if his passion for culinary arts is still strong, he may go back to it later in life. I suppose he can use the SkillsFuture Credits.

He has since applied for Polytechnic admission in engineering-related courses, including Engineering and Product Design. These courses would offer the prospect of interesting, practical and stable jobs and they allow him to leverage his Mechanical Engineering skills foundation yet explore new areas. However, his internship at PS.Cafe provided him with valuable experience and he now has the option of revisiting culinary arts at a later stage if

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he wants. But the most important part about this story is that the advice, guidance and the internship empowered Daniel to make an informed choice that was his own decision. This story illustrates the importance of Education and Career Guidance or ECG. And this can be delivered through structured ECG programmes, short internships or industrial visits.

Mr Ang Wei Neng noted that ECG counsellors need to be properly trained. We agree. MOE will play a coordinating role to ensure that ECG programmes are relevant to students from primary to post-secondary levels. And a Central ECG Unit is being set up within MOE to oversee planning and implementation of ECG.

We will pilot an enhanced engagement programme for Secondary 2 and 3 students to build awareness of industries and sectors and the applied learning environment in polytechnics. And, this year, we will begin with 50 schools for the Secondary 2 students, and 24 schools for the Secondary 3 students. At the polytechnics and ITE, we will introduce more systematic ECG through a common set of ECG outcomes and learning objectives.

Another aspect of SkillsFuture which MOE is closely involved in implementing is internships and industrial attachments. The benefits of internships are clear. They provide an authentic learning environment which allows the student to gain real-life practical knowledge and hands-on experience.

Mr Yee Jenn Jong spoke about the management of industrial internships. Some companies do them well, some not so well. We agree that more can be done to improve internships. It has to be done sector by sector. And the Government and the IHLs will support, but the employers must do their part.

3.45 pm

In the early childhood sector, ECDA has provided a capability grant to centres that host enhanced internships for students from the full-time Early Childhood Care and Education courses at the IHLs. The grant will help employers defray costs of developing and running internship programmes. For instance, the cost of training, deployment of mentors as well as costs in providing stipends and teaching and learning resources for interns. ECDA is also working with IHLs to develop structured internship programmes for specific durations, which will help companies plan their internships better.

We need more companies to support enhanced internships to provide meaningful work assignments and mentoring by experienced professionals. We also need companies to provide places for on-the-job training within the SkillsFuture Earn-and-Learn Programme. Polytechnic and ITE graduates who successfully complete this skills training programme will

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receive industry-recognised qualifications, such as advanced diplomas, specialised diplomas or certificates.

Members have spoken about the need for manpower. The Earn-and-Learn Programme is, in fact, a powerful recruitment platform and pipeline of talent for local businesses, MNCs and SMEs alike. I would encourage companies to take it up.

Lifelong learning is another important aspect of SkillsFuture. Let me tell you Johnny's story.

I met Mr Johnny Ng, Managing Director of NKH Building Services, a company that does pump services and maintenance. Johnny finished his GCE "O" levels in 1977 and proceeded straight to National Service (NS). He found it difficult to get a job after NS. He realised he needed to upgrade himself and took part-time courses at the then-Singapore Vocational Institute (SVI) and, later, ITE. From 1988 to 1992, he took electrical studies as he was then working with his brother to install and maintain control panels.

From 1993 to 1994, he obtained his qualification as a licensed electrical worker. As business expanded, he realised he needed other skills. So, between 1992 and 1995, he took up management courses at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. And at the same time, electronics was booming. He saw the opportunity but realised he did not have the skills. So, between 1995 and 1999, he took electronics courses at ITE.

Then, came the 1998 crisis which hit many businesses hard, including Johnny's. Undeterred, he modified his business plan to ride out the crisis. He changed his business focus, from installing pumps to the maintenance of pumps, a more shock-proof business model. To equip himself for this new direction, he then took courses in plumbing from 1999 to 2002 and air-conditioning from 2002 to 2005. Not content with this, from 2003 to 2004, he became a licensed plumber. And somewhere between the electronics, air-cons and the pumps, he managed to notice the pretty girl in the seat behind him at ITE and married her.

On the strength of continuing education and training from ITE and SVI courses, Johnny transformed himself over 15 years, from a GCE "O" level school leaver to where he is today – the owner of a million-dollar business. His company is still growing and he has not stopped learning. He continues to take other courses and he remains very grateful to ITE, not just for his success in life but also for his wife!

The MOE-funded CET courses at the polytechnics and ITE and WDA-funded WSQ courses will help people to progress through life, just like Johnny. There are also short

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courses offered by the polytechnics and ITE in a wide range of interest areas.

Our IHLs are also Centres of Innovation. Let me now tell you Derek's story.

Derek graduated from Republic Polytechnic or RP in 2008. His dream was to start a business to make fish bak kwa. After NS, he started a company in 2011 with RP and SPRING Singapore's help. But his first venture failed. However, he did not give up. He continued to pitch for investments, look for opportunities and he continued to work with his mentor from RP's Centre for Enterprise and Communication to improve his business plan.

The original product was not so good in presentation and also in terms of how it was done. Derek tapped on what he learnt during his final-year project at RP about processes to prevent the introduction of bacteria. This led Derek to vacuum-seal the fish bak kwa, to increase its shelf-life without adding preservatives. Derek relaunched Ocean King in 2013 and secured his first funding in October 2014. It comes in three flavours – King Salmon, Big-Eye Tuna and Blue Marlin. Today, Ocean King is set on making the world's finest fish bak kwa, a new take on a timeless tradition and enjoyment of bak kwa without the guilt.

Derek's polytechnic education put him in good stead to be an entrepreneur. His story also shows how our polytechnics' Centres of Innovation can help industry.

This is the new face of education – learning and collaboration do not need to stop when school ends. Education and industry are intertwined and, when done well, can spur entrepreneurship, support innovation and productivity, generate economic activity and help make dreams come true. Mdm Chairperson, if I may now say a few words in Malay.

( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mr Zainudin asked about the desired outcomes of pre-employment programmes and lifelong learning.

With SkillsFuture, our students will have many more opportunities to succeed in life. It is not possible to have guaranteed employment places waiting for everyone. But with SkillsFuture, we can greatly improve their employment prospects and opportunities to progress in their careers.

ECG will help our students to recognise their strengths and identify good job opportunities in many different sectors. Internships will also enable students to gain real life skills and get to know the industry better. If they do well in their internships, employers will want to employ them.

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The Earn-and-Learn programme will enable them to work and receive a salary, and study and obtain additional qualifications at the same time. The Continuing Education and Training or lifelong learning programmes will allow them to upgrade their skills throughout their lives. This will enable them to get better increments and promotion, and also move into supervisory, managerial or even ownership positions. The story of Mr Johnny Ng that I shared earlier shows how this can be done.

I would like to encourage our students to take advantage of the opportunities offered by SkillsFuture. With hard work and determination, everyone can succeed, no matter what your starting point.

( In English ): Madam, I will now continue in English.

Prof Tan Tai Yong spoke about the need to support research in the Humanities and Social Sciences or HSS. HSS contributes to a better understanding of our society. It complements Science and Technology research. Investment in HSS research is important for Singapore's development. Concerted efforts are needed to deepen research grounded in Singapore's context.

Currently, MOE supports research funding for the social sciences through the Academic Research Fund. Many Government agencies commission HSS research in areas relevant to public policy. The Government is considering a bigger push in HSS research, guided by the consideration of serving Singapore's needs. The Government will engage the academic community further on this.

The Chairman : Order, I propose to take the break now.

[(proc text) Thereupon Mdm Speaker left the Chair of Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]

Mdm Speaker : Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 4.15 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 3.54pm until 4.15pm.

Sitting resumed at 4.15pm

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

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Debate in the Committee of Supply resumed.

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

Head K (cont) –

Students at Risk of Being Left Behind

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng : Madam, I wish to draw the Ministry of Education's (MOE) attention to three groups of children that I think could be at risk of being left behind.

The first is children from lower income families. I am glad that financial assistance and other schemes such as after-school care have been put in place for these children.

US research had suggested that students' performance decline after long school holidays, especially for those from families with low income. As Mayor of Central District, I observed that many children from lower-income families engage in little learning or enrichment activities during their school holidays. They tend to lack adult supervision due to the work commitments of their parents and absence of caregivers. This is unlike their peers from more affluent families who can afford additional learning experiences, such as outside enrichment programmes like family vacations.

My Community Development Council (CDC) team and I had organised holiday camps for these children, trying to help them close the gap with their more affluent peers. We taught them how to write e-books, play musical instrument, new games and even make and edit movies.

However, I fear these efforts on the ground are not systemic and regular enough to make sustainable impact. I urge MOE to work with the relevant partners to ensure that students who lack adult supervision during school holidays can continue to learn and are not being left even further behind their more affluent peers.

Next, Madam, on students with special needs in both mainstream schools and the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).

The Allied Educator or AED scheme. The introduction of the AED scheme in 2009 was a significant initiative for students with special needs in mainstream primary and secondary schools. The number of Allied Educators has grown from 600 in 2009 to more than 2,400 in 2014. Their role can be challenging, especially for those involved in teaching and learning and behavioural management support. I would like to seek the Ministry's update of the AED

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scheme, the achievements and challenges to date and how MOE might partner further the major disability partners to support and equip these professionals.

On Disability Support Offices. In 2013, students with special educational needs in IHLs received the great news that there will be a Disability Support Office or DSO in each publicly funded university, polytechnic, ITE college and arts institutions. This is a game changer and will give excellent support for those students, as support had been inconsistent and dependent very much on the good hearts of individual IHLs. I would like to seek an update on the status of the set-up of these DSOs.

On the Special Education Needs or SEN Fund, in the same year, MOE had also announced the setting up of a SEN Fund to help students with physical, hearing or visual impairment. This fund currently does not include the three most common forms of learning disabilities, namely, dyslexia, ADHD and autism. I seek the Ministry's favourable consideration to include these students as candidates for the use of the SEN Fund.

Students with special needs in SPED schools. Thanks to the enthusiasm of Minister of State Sim Ann and the Minister, SPED schools have continued to receive much support. There are some gaps that I would like to bring up for attention.

First, a portal for teaching materials for core common life skills. After expending a lot of time and resources in developing curriculum framework, it is time for MOE to start populating the framework.

Currently, each volunteer welfare organisation (VWO) and their respective SPED schools are developing their own resources. For greater productivity, I urge MOE to allocate resources to develop a portal – a repository of core materials in core topics such as daily living skills, literacy and numeracy. Instead of only asking the educators to populate the framework, MOE can invest in local and foreign content so that more is available quickly for both schools and families to use.

Second, SPED schools offering mainstream curriculum. Efforts have been made in this aspect but there are still disconnects. SPED teachers, for example, who are teaching the PSLE, are not granted the opportunities to be in the markers' pool for better exposure and development.

Third, on ICT. Most recently, the very useful ICT Learning Roadmap for MOE mainstream school Info Clubs were planned and budgeted, but only with mainstream schools in mind. SPED schools who wish to enrol their students were advised to engage the vendors

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separately.

Fourth, on inclusion in good national initiatives. All students, whether taking mainstream academics or not, should also be included in the other good national initiatives, such as the school-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme, applied learning programme and even the SkillsFuture Master Plan.

The Chairman: Ms Phua, please conclude. We are out of time.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: I thank and congratulate the MOE team for the diligent work that they have done and I want to tell you that you have made a difference.

Mother Tongue Exemptions

Mr Yee Jenn Jong: Madam, I agree with bilingualism being a cornerstone of our education system. All students in our primary and secondary schools now have to offer a Mother Tongue Language or MTL.

In a recent Parliamentary reply, MOE had said that around 3.5% of students are exempted from MTL at the PSLE yearly. I accept that there are genuine reasons for exemptions, such as those who join our education system mid-way without prior learning of the MTL or there are medical reasons that adversely affect their ability to cope with MTL.

In another reply, MOE cited that on average, over the past five years, 178 MTL exemptions were given at PSLE in the five schools with the highest exemptions. This is 35.6 students per school, which is around 15% to 17% of the PSLE cohort in an average school.

This is high compared to the national average of 3.5%. Has MOE examined the reasons why there are wide variations in MTL exemptions across schools? Has MOE or have the principals of schools with high exemptions sought to interview applicants to probe further into the reasons for seeking MTL exemptions? Seeking exemption based on medical reasons is costly. Is there a strong correlation between MTL exemptions and the socioeconomic status of parents?

I hope students will not find ways to opt out of MTL even if they find the subject difficult or parents worry that offering MTL may pull down their children's PSLE T-Score.

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Regulating Private Special Schools

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: Madam, the Private Education Act was passed in September 2009 to strengthen and level up the private education sector. As a result, the Council for Private Education or CPE was set up to raise standards in the sector through effective regulation, industry development and consumer education. A wide range of private education institutions exists in Singapore.

It is the private special education schools that I wish to draw the Ministry's attention to. Privately run special schools have been sprouting up in Singapore. Some of them are owned by local operators whilst others are foreign-owned. Children with special needs from both local and expatriate families attend these classes.

However, because this education offering is targeted at a very vulnerable segment of children and families, I believe the Ministry of Education (MOE) must exercise a stronger moral responsibility and take a more active role in overseeing these schools or centres.

The strategic thrusts of the CPE are to ensure quality assurance and effective consumer education, amongst others. These private special schools are known in the market as MOE-registered and it is highly plausible that their education programmes, facilities and even pricings are perceived to be endorsed by MOE by the parents.

I urge MOE to conduct proper due diligence and reference checks before registering these schools and perform its duty of ensuring quality assurance and effective consumer education. To protect the consumers – in this case, the children – after they have been abused or harmed might be too late in some instances.

Quality assurance cannot be just about hardware or administration, in the business of education. I would like to seek the Ministry's inputs on how it intends to protect the interests of especially the children, some of whom may not even be able to express themselves.

Disability Support Offices

Ms Chia Yong Yong (Nominated Member): Madam, thank you. I thank also the MOE for its enlightened approach in including persons with disabilities (PwDs) in mainstream education. And as the hon Member Ms Denise Phua has pointed out, the setting up of the Disability Support Offices or DSOs was welcome news to the sector last year. Likewise, the launch of the Special Education Needs Fund. We also hope that Ministry would consider extending to children of other disabilities.

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Apart from funds, and apart from just skills and equipment, I would also like to ask more specifically how much budget will be allocated for capability development and training of the persons who will be staffing the DSOs? Also, in relation to that, on a broader and higher-level culture of the IHLs. We cannot have DSOs built as operating as silos. They are there to facilitate but they are not there to do all the work. So, how does Ministry envisage that steps will be taken to build a culture of inclusiveness from top down and amongst the faculty and staff of the IHLs?

Multinational Youth Interaction

Dr Benedict Tan: Madam, I would like to encourage multinational interactions among youths through sports. We can do this by bringing together students from local MOE schools and the international schools, increasing interaction and exchanges through sports and games.

Singapore at its core has always been multicultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual. And particular attention has been paid to integration and the development of the Singapore identity since Independence. Over the years, we have seen more and more international schools being set up in Singapore and expanding. We also have local schools, setting up their sister international schools. This may create a divide but it also presents opportunities.

There are many nationalities living, working and studying in Singapore. To leverage on this cultural diversity, to give greater exposure to Singaporean students and to be inclusive, I feel that our inter-school competitions or what is now known as the National School Games, should include international schools as well.

Currently, the schools from the two ecosystems – the MOE and the non-MOE schools – do not interact much. The platforms and avenues for interaction do not present themselves naturally. Sports offers such a bridge.

Granted, there will be operational challenges, such as the timing of school semesters, vacation periods, fixtures and scheduling, manpower and cost sharing issues. But I do believe that the benefits of having a vibrant, inclusive school sports ecosystem will provide many tangible and intangible benefits for the young and prepare them for increasing globalisation.

Sports Co-curricular Activities

Mr Yee Jenn Jong: Madam, several Members, including myself, have spoken previously about a greater level of sports engagement for our pupils and to increase the number of sports on offer by schools. Active participation in sports from young can hopefully help

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students develop a culture of active sports in the future.

I wish to suggest how we can add to schools' efforts to provide more sports engagements for students. Number one: introduce more fun competitions for sports within schools, which can be tiered so students who are at a lesser skill level can move up to a higher level when skills have improved.

Number two: introduce the concept of a minor co-curricular activity (CCA) where students who want regular exposure to various sports can sign up for as a second or even third CCA. The time commitment may not be as intense as a regular CCA, but it will allow students to try out more sports. CCA points would be correspondingly lesser.

Number three: recognise and award CCA points for the achievements of students who participate regularly and competitively with external training providers outside of school hours, even if the school does not offer the sports as a CCA. This might encourage students to pursue sports of their interest at a serious level when schools are not able to find the resources to offer that sport as a CCA.

Lastly, allow international schools to join in the local inter-school competitions to increase the level of competition, a point that was also just raised by Nominated Member Dr Benedict Tan.

Revamp of Schools' Sports Day

Dr Benedict Tan: Madam, following my speech in Parliament on 19 January this year where I identified 10 worrying trends in Singapore's sports participation, many parents and students as well as Members of this House approached me to personally provide even more evidence of such trends. In particular, they affirmed that their schools are too focused on winning medals and that there are not enough opportunities to learn sports through the local school system. They are particularly unhappy at being rejected by the school team, especially at the primary school level. And when they pursue the sport on their own outside the school, their participation is not recognised.

This all-or-none scenario, whereby you are either good enough to make the school team or you are completely shut out, exists during sports day as well. If you are not good enough to represent your house, then you cannot compete during sports day. Instead, you get "arrowed" to attend as a spectator. And these are not the enthusiastic fans that you see in Brazilian stadiums – both students and teachers tell me that they are mostly reluctant participants. With such negative experiences, is it a wonder why many of our young develop

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an aversion to sports and physical activity?

Instead of having only a small proportion of the school population competing in track and field events during sports day while the majority sits and watches, why not engage the

whole population by transforming sports day into a sports festival? During the sports festival, we can give students opportunities to try their hand at the various sports and games. If a child takes a liking to a particular sport during such a try-out, the school can link up with external providers such as ActiveSG and various community centre groups to deepen his or her interest in the sport. And this out-of-school activity should be recognised as a CCA, even if it is at a recreational level as suggested by the Member before me.

4.30 pm

Yes, MOE has explained that the Physical Education or PE curriculum rotates students through various sports. But we know that given the limited time for PE and the time taken up just to prepare for NAPFA, such exposure is too superficial to get the student hooked onto a lifetime of active living. Let us give our young, especially those in Primary schools, a positive sporting experience and a positive start by reviewing the format of their sports day.

Madam, let me conclude by commending the Minister and his team at MOE for their insight and pioneering work in transforming our education system.

The Minister of State for Education (Ms Sim Ann) : Madam, Minister Heng spoke about the need for us to go beyond a narrow focus on grades and exams, and emphasise deep skills, holistic education, strong values and lifelong learning. We want an economy that is resilient and flexible as well as a society that is caring, harmonious and cohesive.

I will now speak on how the Ministry of Education (MOE) seeks to realise our vision in the areas of bilingualism and support for students with special education needs.

Earlier, Minister Heng and Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah acknowledged the points made by Mr Hri Kumar on language and communication skills. Because language and communication are integral to what we are trying to achieve for our students, I think his points bear being acknowledged by the third speaker from MOE.

English, our working language, provides a common platform for Singaporeans of all races and backgrounds to interact with and understand one another. Spoken English is also a key competency for the global economy. MOE is committed to improving our students' proficiency in it. We have created more opportunities for primary school students to speak, ask questions and interact in class through the implementation of the Strategies for English

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Language Learning and Reading (STELLAR) Programme in 2010. We increased the weightage of the listening and speaking components of the GCE "N" and "O" level English Language examinations in 2013. Our pre-university students must offer Project Work, which emphasises group discussion and requires students to make an oral presentation as part of their assessment.

Our Mother Tongue Languages (MTLs) are an anchor to our Asian culture and traditional values and provide a foundation for our students to acquire cross-cultural competencies. The Member's speech highlights a key tension between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in the learning of MTL. Extrinsic motivations like bonus points can be useful. They encourage students to persevere and stretch themselves. They also signal the importance that we place on our Mother Tongue Languages. However, over-reliance on these motivators can have drawbacks, for instance, ending up with situations where students stop putting in effort once the motivators are no longer there.

On the other hand, intrinsic motivation nurtures self-directed learners who will maintain good communication skills in their MTLs over their lifetimes. Therefore, while extrinsic motivators like bonus points do exist, our core goal is to foster intrinsic motivation.

We aim to teach the Mother Tongue Languages in fun and engaging ways that will interest our students. For instance, all our schools organise Mother Tongue Language Fortnights annually. These Fortnights are meant to provide opportunities for students to learn and use their MTLs in authentic contexts.

In addition, we recognise that we are more likely to sustain our children's interest in the MTLs by leveraging on their instinctive feel for technology. To this end, we have introduced initiatives such as the Oracy eLand in 2011 and the iMTL Portal in 2013. Both are online portals that aim to teach students how to communicate in their MTLs through multimedia, games and interactive tasks. Mdm Chairperson, I would now like to say a few words in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] This year, MOE adopted the 2015 Primary School Mother Tongue Curriculum. This curriculum places emphasis on students' oral and written interaction skills, and on learning through authentic, everyday activities in our daily life. For example, our teachers will guide students to discuss food items sold in the canteen and thereafter teach them how to use the relevant phrases and sentences. To reinforce what the students have learnt, our teachers will assign tasks for the students to complete by using the new phrases and sentences they have learned.

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Parents and teachers have given very positive feedback on this curriculum. They think that the curriculum's authentic and applied nature has captured the attention of the students. Ms Patricia Lua's child just started primary school this January. Ms Lua said that this curriculum has provided many opportunities for the children to engage in interactive dialogues and is conducive to developing the children's oral communication capability.

Although her child has only been in Primary 1 for two months, he is already starting to speak more Mandarin as compared to before he started primary school and often shares what he learns in school with his parents at home in Mandarin.

( In English ): To reinforce what is taught in the classroom, we want our students to apply their MTL communication skills outside the classroom. MOE works with community partners to provide opportunities for students to do so and these activities reach out to more than 100,000 participants each year.

Our teachers work with the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee to author and publish books under the Lower Primary Storybooks Project, so as to foster the love of reading among young children. Xinmin Secondary School collaborates with the Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Language and Learning and zbCOMMA 逗号 to organise the "CreateYour Own Newspaper" Competition for secondary schools.

Last year, I attended Avvaiyar Vizha, an event organised by the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee and the Tamil Language and Cultural Society to commemorate an influential female Tamil poet. I was heartened by how our schools worked together with community partners to promote greater awareness of Tamil literature and hone our students' skills in spoken Tamil.

In response to Ms Denise Phua's question about the private Special Education or SPED schools, I will first describe the overall landscape of MOE's support for students with Special Educational Needs or SEN. MOE's broad approach is to support them in education settings most appropriate for their needs. Students who have the cognitive abilities and adaptive skills to learn in mainstream settings are provided for in our mainstream schools. Students who require intensive specialised assistance in their education to optimise learning and their potential for independent living are provided for in the 20 SPED schools funded by MOE and operated by Voluntary Welfare Organisations. The vast majority of our students with SEN are catered for in these two types of settings.

A small number of private education institutions or PEIs offer full-time Special Education courses. The majority of students enrolled across these schools are non-Singaporeans. These schools do provide additional choice for some Singaporean parents too.

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While we will carefully consider the Member's proposal, these schools are currently regulated through the Private Education Act by the Council for Private Education, a statutory board under MOE. While the Council does not accredit the academic quality of programmes offered by PEIs, its regulatory framework aims to safeguard the interests of students and parents and to help them make more informed choices. The Council ensures minimum standards in corporate and academic governance, strengthens student fee protection measures and requires the PEIs to disclose key information on courses and teachers.

Whenever cases involving privately-funded SPED schools come to the Council's attention, they are looked into carefully. The Council has also taken the appropriate steps to address issues at these schools and I wish to assure Ms Phua that we do not condone abuse or criminal misconduct in any of our PEIs, including private SPED schools. If any evidence of such conduct is uncovered, the matter will be referred to the Police.

We also acknowledge the Member's concern for students who are at risk of being "left behind" and I wish to emphasise that MOE is committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Minister Heng has touched on various measures including enhanced financial assistance.

On the issue of a potential digital gap, I would like to share that our schools can loan computing devices to students from lower-income backgrounds. And on the issue of international exposure, our Trips for International Experience (TIE) initiative provide all students with the opportunity to embark on overseas learning programmes. Our schools, polytechnics and ITEs are also provided with an Opportunity Fund which can be used to subsidise computer purchases as well as overseas visits, student exchange programmes and school enrichment programmes for students from less advantaged backgrounds.

On the Member's suggestions on supporting SEN in the mainstream schools, we constantly welcome feedback from VWOs, the community and other stakeholders for strengthening our models of provision for support. Such feedback has been very useful to us in the past and we will continue to seek feedback and refine what we are currently doing.

On SEN, the Ministry is committed to uplifting the current level of support, with 10% to 20% of teachers in every mainstream school trained to have deeper knowledge and skills to support students with special needs. They work together with Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support), otherwise known as AEDs (LBS), who have been posted to all primary schools and 69 secondary schools.

I wish to thank several Members – Ms Chia Yong Yong, Ms Denise Phua and Dr Intan Azura – for expressing strong interest in our AEDs (LBS). I wish to share that MOE is

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committed to attracting, retaining and systematically training our AEDs (LBS). We have increased the numbers of AEDs (LBS) from 300 in 2010 to around 400 today. In addition, all newly recruited officers undergo a one-year full-time diploma in Special Education offered by the National Institute of Education or NIE before they are deployed. We also provide in-service professional development by sponsoring officers to attend the Advanced Diploma in Special Education and we will continue to review our AEDs (LBS) staffing to ensure adequacy of support for our students with SEN. I cannot agree more with our Members that, when doing so, we must always be careful, because it is important to recruit officers who have the right disposition, the right heart for our students with SEN and the potential to do a great job.

We have also invested more to help students with dyslexia, and this has been shared by Minister Heng just now. We introduced the school-based Dyslexia Remediation or SDR Programme in 2012 and, since then, we have been scaling it up as quickly as we can. Along the way, we have refined our instructional methods and trained more instructors. This year sees the expansion of the SDR Programme to 60 additional schools and the programme will be made available to all primary schools in 2016.

Support for children with SEN also comes in the form of allowing special arrangements for some of them sitting for national examinations and one example would be the Mother Tongue Language exemptions at PSLE that Mr Yee Jenn Jong spoke about.

We have made special accommodations for a small group of students at PSLE who have compelling reasons for finding it hard to cope with MTLs. Among these students, some may have joined or re-joined the school system mid-stream without having learnt MTLs before. Others are students with certified medical conditions or SEN, such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder or ASD and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

Each exemption appeal citing medical grounds or SEN is carefully reviewed by an MOE panel comprising specialists who will consider submitted evidence such as medical reports, school reports, examination results and work samples. I wish to highlight that exemptions are not given lightly. If the child indeed has the condition cited in the application, exemption will be considered. And if the Member knows of instances where this is not so, he can provide us with the details and we will be sure to look into these cases.

I would now like to thank Ms Chia Yong Yong for asking about the SEN Support Offices or SSO or Disability Support Offices or DSOs in our Institutes of Higher Learning or IHLs as well as capability development and manpower training to help make them more effective in supporting of students with SEN. These are the key initiatives to support our students with SEN in our IHLs. Every ITE college, polytechnic and publicly funded university now has an SSO that serves as a first-stop help point. The SSOs also administer the SEN Fund, which helps ITE

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and polytechnic students with physical or sensory impairment purchase Assistive Technology devices or support services.

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More than 500 students have sought help from these offices. To enhance capability development, the SSOs in the polytechnics and ITE colleges meet every three months to share best practices. This month, Singapore Polytechnic will be hosting a workshop on Accessible Education by Brandman University's Office of Disability Services for the SSOs in all our IHLs.

Our IHLs have also been actively conducting staff training on basic SEN awareness and support on campus since 2013. The training introduces IHL staff to a wide range of SEN and teaches classroom strategies to support students in their learning.

In our polytechnics and ITEs, 1,500 staff members have been trained, including one in five of these institutions' academic staff. Over the next five years, our polytechnics and ITEs will work towards training all their academic staff in basic SEN awareness and support. Our universities also provide training opportunities for staff who interact with students with SEN. So, I think quite a lot is happening in the SSOs in our IHLs and I want to thank Ms Chia as well as Ms Phua for their strong support of this initiative.

Let me cite the example of a student who has been helped by this initiative. He is Lionel Tan, an 18 year-old Business Services student at ITE College Central with a visual impairment. Upon receiving an offer for the Nitec in Info Communication Technology or ICT course, the ITE's Learning Accessibility Office spoke to Lionel to understand his needs. Through this session, which included a tour of the ICT labs, Lionel realised that the course might not be suitable for him. The Learning Accessibility Office then worked with Lionel to identify his other interests and helped him enrol in a course suitable to his strengths and needs. The Office then helped provide Lionel with the appropriate support. A discussion between Lionel's lecturers and his former teachers at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School was arranged. The Office also purchased a text-to-speech software and a note-taking device using the SEN Fund. Lionel's lecturers have also worked with the Office to provide him with accessible learning materials.

I wish to thank Ms Phua for her proposal to allow students with other types of SEN to tap on the SEN Fund. The SEN Fund has to be viewed in the context of this broader framework of measures to support students with SEN. We aim to tailor our support measures to the specific needs of students, such as access arrangements for students with dyslexia, orientation of training facilities for students with autism spectrum disorder and

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additional assistance in classroom learning for students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. MOE and our IHLs will continue to review the range of support available from time to time and work towards strengthening it.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman and Minister Heng have spoken about how our spending on SPED schools has increased by 50% over the last five years. Please allow me to flesh out how this has translated into new and better programmes that enhance the affordability, accessibility and quality of SPED. With your permission, Mdm Chair, I wish to display an infographic on our screens.

The Chairman : Yes, please. [ A slide was shown to hon Members. ]

Ms Sim Ann : Regarding affordability, we know that parents of children with SEN are more likely to face additional financial outlay and that is why it is so important to help them with affordability. MOE, therefore, provides substantial financial support. We have extended various schemes to our SPED schools over the years, including the Edusave Scheme, the SPED Financial Assistance Scheme or FAS and the School Breakfast Programme.

We will continue to extend financial support to help our SPED students fulfil their aspirations. This year, we will be enhancing school-based financial assistance for the next three years to $25,000 per school on average, up from $15,000. We will also enhance the SPED FAS to include a public transport subsidy.

At the same time, we will fully subsidise the examination fees paid by Singaporean students in SPED schools taking national examinations as well as examinations leading up to national vocational certification.

To give a sense of what this entails, let me cite the example of Shaherah bte Daud, a 16-year-old student at Metta School. Shaherah aspires to be a chef and will be taking the ITE Skills Certificate in Baking Practice. Shaherah does not need to pay for the assessments for ISC Type 1 and Type 3 modules over the next two years. If she wishes to improve her mastery of baking, she will not need to pay for the assessments for the Type 2 and Type 4 modules subsequently. From now until she reaches 21 years of age, Shaherah can take these assessments and work towards obtaining her certification.

For accessibility, MOE works to make it easier for children who need special education to be placed in the right schools. To this end, we regularly upgrade school infrastructure and expand the capacity of some SPED schools to meet the rising demand for places. Today, 15 SPED schools are purpose-built and five have been refurbished.

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We also want to help parents make the important decision of placing their child in the right school. To do so, we have introduced Post-Diagnosis Educational Guidance, providing accurate information and advice, as well as emotional support, to parents whose children have been recommended for placement in a SPED school.

The key plank in our efforts to raise the quality of SPED has been the SPED Curriculum Framework, put in place in 2012. This guides SPED schools in delivering a quality and holistic education and helps SPED students achieve living, learning and working outcomes. I want to thank Ms Denise Phua for working tirelessly with us on improving the curriculum and also for her new suggestions, all of which we will study.

We have also directed additional resources to SPED schools like the Teaching and Learning Fund, the Curriculum Enhancement Fund, the High Needs Grant to fund manpower to support students who need more help, the MOE-Tote Board ICT Fund for schools to purchase infocomm technology as an aid to teaching and a Parent Support Group Fund to build and sustain home-school partnerships.

Beyond funding, MOE recognises that it is crucial for SPED schools to have skilled and dedicated teachers and staff. We support SPED teachers to upgrade their skills by developing milestone programmes like the Diploma in Special Education and awarding post-graduate scholarships to deserving teachers. We also fund SPED schools generously to conduct training workshops and send teachers for conferences and learning journeys.

One key initiative has been the Advanced Diploma in Special Education targeted at experienced teachers. We have received very positive feedback about the Advanced Diploma. Educators have found it meaningful and enriching and appreciated the research-to-practice approach taken by the course.

Given the context of SPED, we know that our parents and SPED educators are very concerned about what their children or students would do after they leave school. To help address this concern, we have been working hard on helping SPED students be future-ready.

We introduced a Vocational Education Framework in 2010 to cater to students who can go further in terms of work capability. We have also facilitated quality vocational education programmes in SPED schools serving students with mild intellectual disability leading to national certification in selected industry areas and this has enabled one in four SPED graduates to be successfully employed.

For students who can work but may not benefit from vocational certification, we have worked with MSF, SG Enable and the SPED schools to prototype a School-to-Work

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programme in five SPED schools starting in 2014. We intend to make it available to more SPED schools in phases from 2016.

These measures provide different pathways for our students to build a robust foundation of skills and prepare for the world of work. And, in this regard, I think we can think of our SPED sector as being an early adopter of the key spirit of SkillsFuture.

Madam, the Government has been doing more to ensure that we continue to be a society that gives hope and assurance to all. MOE will continue to work with MSF, NCSS, SG Enable and other partners to embrace Singaporeans with special needs as full and integral members of Singapore society.

But the Government cannot do it alone. I wish to thank the VWOs, supportive employers and businesses, our educators and everyone who have worked hard to build an inclusive society.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Hawazi Daipi) : Mdm Chairperson, I do not think I can complete my speech within 12.5 minutes. May I seek your permission to extend my speaking time for about five minutes?

The Chairman : Yes. Five minutes is fine.

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Mdm Chairperson, schools, parents and the community are key partners in the collective effort to forge a future where our people are valued for what they are and beyond the credentials they possess. To develop our children holistically and equip them with the strong foundation of values, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has strengthened art, music, sports and outdoor activities as well as internationalisation efforts in schools.

In the area of sports, we agree with Dr Benedict Tan and Mr Yee Jenn Jong that all students would benefit from participating in sports and co-curricular activities (CCAs) at competitive and non-competitive levels as part of their holistic development.

I am pleased to inform Members that with the revised Physical Education (PE) programme, all our students learn fundamental movement skills and concepts, and are given broad exposure to at least six sports, as well as dance, gymnastics, athletics, swimming and outdoor education. Dr Benedict Tan had suggested that all students should play a sport during Sports Day. Sports Day is one of many opportunities for student participation. Besides Sports Day, schools provide a wide range of sporting experiences for all students throughout the year, such as inter-class and inter-house games, cross-country meets, Sports Carnival and

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the Sports Education Programme.

The CCA programme complements these experiences and more than 60 Sports CCAs are offered in our schools. About a third of all our students participate in sports CCAs, of which 60% are non-school team players. The range of CCAs offered within each school would depend on student interests and availability of facilities, financial and manpower resources. Each type of sporting experience serves a different purpose and allows for excellence and mass participation to co-exist.

Dr Tan may be pleased to know that through outdoor education in the curriculum, all primary and secondary school students learn simple navigation and outdoor living skills such as cooking and shelter building. All students would have attended at least one outdoor adventure camp by the end of Primary 6 and at least two camps by the end of Secondary 4, one of which is an outdoor adventure camp. Through sports, CCAs and outdoor education, our students experience to work in teams, develop resilience and ruggedness and discover aspects of themselves that they might not discover in the classroom.

Such out-of-classroom experiences also occur through cross-cultural experiences provided by schools through multiple platforms, such as exchange programmes, overseas learning journeys and partnering foreign communities based in Singapore. These internationalisation efforts better prepare our students for the globalised environment as they develop the 21st Century Competencies of global awareness and cross-cultural skills.

We agree with Dr Benedict Tan that sports is an effective platform that can be used to foster interaction between our youth and those of other nationalities. This is already being done through sports events, such as the Annual ASEAN School Games, National School Games, and school-based collaborations between local and international schools. For example, Jurong Secondary and North Vista Secondary meet the Singapore American School annually for friendly games in basketball; and Queensway Secondary has organised friendly games in football and basketball with the Australian International School for the past two years.

However, holistic development is not the sole responsibility of schools. Parents and the community must play their part to offer these opportunities. Community clubs, Sport Singapore, National Sports Associations and People's Association (PA) offer many such programmes and activities, and students and parents should participate in these to further develop their interests and strengths in various domains.

Let me now talk about SkillsFuture. The Minister and Senior Minister of State Indranee have spoken about SkillsFuture and the importance of helping children discover their unique

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strengths and interests, enabling them to pursue different pathways to their fullest potential.

All schools do this through their Education and Career Guidance (ECG) efforts. Let me respond to Mr Ang Wei Neng's query on the role parents can play in career counselling. It is important that parents recognise that the competencies and skills that were needed for jobs of today may not be the same ones that their children will need for the jobs of tomorrow.

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Parents can partner schools in their ECG efforts. Using resources such as the MOE e-careers portal and Parents-in-Education website, parents can support our young in exploring various education pathways and making informed choices based on their interests, strengths and work values.

In Presbyterian High School in Ang Mo Kio, students go through a Celebrate Life! Seminar that helps them identify various pathways based on their interests, strengths and aspirations. The school includes parents by introducing the e-careers portal to them and encouraging them to use its tools to guide their child in setting and achieving their goals in life. Parents are also made more aware of various pathways through learning journeys to Post-Secondary Education Institutes and Institutes of Higher Learning.

At Greenview Secondary School in Pasir Ris, parents are involved in the programme named "Work Attachment with Parents". For three days during the June holidays, parents of Secondary 2 and 3 students volunteer to take their children to work to expose them to the work they do in various jobs such as in the wet market, prisons, aviation and paediatric oncology. The students reflected that they had greater appreciation for their parents after witnessing how hard they worked and the kind of realities they faced in the workplace. Such authentic experiences are invaluable and prepare students well for the expectations of the workplace.

By engaging in ECG efforts, parents may discover that their children want to pursue pathways that may be more unconventional. After the GCE "O" level examinations, Ariel De Silva qualified for the polytechnic but found that none of the courses she qualified for were of interest to her. Her mother, Mrs Sarie De Silva, recognised her strengths in creativity, language skills and storytelling, and encouraged her to pursue the early childhood education course at ITE. As a result of pursuing her passion, Ariel did well in ITE and went on to Temasek Polytechnic. She is now a qualified pre-school teacher.

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As parents, we must have faith that when our children pursue what they are strong in and passionate about, they will find success and fulfilment.

Parents can also come together through the Parent Support Group (PSG) network to support schools' ECG efforts by giving students exposure to occupations beyond what their own parents are engaged in.

In Eunos Primary School, upper primary students use the e-careers portal to learn about different occupations during ECG lessons. These come to life through a work-shadowing programme where PSG members host Primary 6 students at their workplaces to give them real-world experiences. This initiative has benefited 120 students since its implementation in 2012, and more parents from the PSG are coming forward to support this programme.

Pei Hwa Secondary School in Sengkang engages the PSG, alumni, school advisory committee or SAC and industry partners in a structured ECG programme for all students. The PSG, alumni and SAC host in-conversation sessions with students to share about their education and career choices, and the lessons learnt through their personal challenges. Secondary 3 students can opt to participate in work attachment opportunities at Resorts World Sentosa, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and selected hotels and retail outlets. These efforts culminate in an ECG Day for Secondary 4 and 5 students where industry partners, former students or lecturers from IHLs are invited as keynote speakers and course advisors.

Thus, industry partners are very important, and perhaps no one speaks as credibly on workplace requirements and expectations than our industry leaders. We will embark on a series, "What Bosses Want", where industry captains shared about the skills, attitudes, and attributes valued by employers. This series aims to raise parents' awareness and appreciation of the variety of career options available, and the importance of nurturing children's strengths and interests and imbibing in them values such as initiatives, resilience, motivation and adaptability.

By working collectively to enhance our ECG efforts, we are better placed to help widen our children's opportunities for success.

Beyond involvement in ECG efforts, the PSG network helps parents support schools and each other in nurturing their children holistically. I am happy to note that almost all schools have a PSG made up of enthusiastic and supportive parents. MOE has been encouraging the development of PSGs and sees value in establishing supportive networks amongst them.

We plan to organise a series of four networking sessions for PSG leaders this year. These sessions will bring together the PSG leaders and school staff to synergise efforts for

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enhancing school-home partnerships. About 730 participants will be attending these four sessions.

I attended the first session on 28 February and was heartened to see such an engaged group of PSG leaders and staff from the East Zone, discussing the various ways parents and schools can collaborate and support each other in their clusters.

I met a number of PSG leaders who have been active in their children's schools for many years, some of whom continue to contribute even after their children had graduated. One such parent is Mr George Punnoose, current PSG Chairman at Canossa Convent Primary. He has been with the PSG for nine years, and says that he continues to be active even though his daughter has graduated because of his love for the children and the desire to bring cheer to their school life through the PSG activities.

I also met active PSG leaders who had come from other countries and had placed their children in our schools because they appreciate our education system. Their involvement in schools and PSGs enhances the cultural diversity and global awareness of the children in the school.

Generally, PSGs comprise more mothers and I was especially encouraged therefore to see so many fathers at this session on 28 February. Mr Gordon Tan, PSG Chairman in St Hilda's Secondary School, joined the PSG in 2012 because he wanted to be "the Best Father" for his son, especially during the formative teenage years. Through parent-child bonding activities, he got to know his son better and together, they have created many treasured memories.

Another father, Mr Muchtar Bin Abdul Karim, Chairman of PSG in Junyuan Primary School, was in the school's first graduating cohort. He enrolled his daughter in 2014 and joined the school's PSG as a way to give back to his alma mater. He believes that his presence in school helps his daughter grow in confidence and hopes that it inspires her to follow in his footsteps by giving back to the community.

The fathers I met shared that their involvement in PSG allowed them to play greater role in shaping the way their children developed. They felt that it was important for PSGs to reach out to more fathers and want to do their part to promote this.

Such engaged and supportive parents are positive role models for other parents. To further encourage these mentoring relationships, I am pleased to inform that the 9th Council of COMPASS will launch a COMPASS-PSG Mentoring Programme or Scheme. Depending on the needs of the school, the Scheme will match PSGs who would like support in developing

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further with PSG Mentors from COMPASS. Our PSG representatives on COMPASS are all experienced members of PSGs in schools and are well-placed to provide support to other PSGs.

When COMPASS member, Mr Tio Chong Heng, shared at the inaugural PSG Conference in 2014 about the fathers' group in St Hilda's Primary School, PSG representatives from several schools, namely Rulang Primary, Bukit Timah Primary, Bedok Green Primary, and Guangyang Primary, were inspired to explore how fathers could be involved in their schools. A visit to St Hilda's Primary to observe how the fathers' group conducted itself paved the way for a rock-climbing father-child bonding activity last year for Bedok Green Primary School.

Through this Scheme, we hope to encourage PSGs to strengthen their partnership with schools to benefit their children and prepare them for the world of tomorrow.

Madam, when we work together as a community to provide opportunities for our children and extend our definitions of success, we will teach our children that they are each valued for their unique strengths, talents, and interests. We will better enable our children to succeed in society in the future. Madam, if I may, let me conclude my speech in Malay.

( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mdm Chair, the world that our children will live and work in when they grow up will be one that is very different from what we know of today. Lifelong learning is, therefore, very important. We need to help our children acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies that will prepare them to face the uncertainties and complexities of the future.

Such skills include communication skills, information skills and teamwork. More importantly, we need to help them develop into people of good character, capable of making sound decisions, and facing challenges with resilience and adaptability. These are the qualities that will hold them in good stead for the future. These are also the qualities that employers look for in the worker of the future as they desire employees who show initiative, are motivated, and passionate when performing their duties.

Therefore, it is critical that parents and schools work together to help children develop these qualities and discover what they are motivated by and passionate about. This can be done through Education and Career Guidance or ECG for their children. While MOE will provide secondary schools, junior colleges, centralised institutes, polytechnics and the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) with ECG counsellors, parents must do their part to really get to know their children. This means spending quality time with them to help them

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explore different opportunities and possibilities for themselves.

I encourage all parents to support the schools' efforts in the Education and Career Guidance (ECG) by using resources such as the ECG portal and the Parents-in-Education website to explore different career pathways for their children in the future. These resources provide parents with tips on how they can guide and assist their children in making mature decisions about their future. There is also information on the various educational pathways, and guiding questions and self-profiling tools to help students make informed choices based on their interests, strengths and values.

When our children discover what motivates them, and where their strengths and interests lie, parents and schools can work together to give them opportunities to pursue these. Sometimes, it requires parents to step out of their comfort zone so as to encourage their children to try something new. Only through such explorations will children be able to discover new aspects of themselves.

The parents of Adly Azizi Adly Azamin are examples of how giving your child the space to explore something new can turn into a positive light for the future. When Adly Azizi first picked up dance as his CCA in Montfort Junior School, he had no formal training in dance but, through the CCA, he discovered his talent and developed a deep passion for it. Despite having limited dance experience, Adly auditioned for admission into School of the Arts (SOTA) with the support of his family. Today, Adly is a driven and enthusiastic 15-year-old pursuing his dance journey in SOTA's Faculty of Dance.

Parents and schools must work together to help our children learn about the different pathways that are available to them, and give them the space to pursue what they are good at and interested in, to the highest level they are capable of. We should encourage them to pursue options that will bring them joy and fulfilment, and value them for whatever paths that they choose to take. In this way, opportunities for our child to succeed will be widened. Mdm Chair, thank you.

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The Chairman : We have a little bit of time for clarification. Mr Zainal Sapari?

Mr Zainal Sapari: Mdm Chair, my clarification in Malay please.

( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] The Minister for Education, in his speech, said that no children will be left behind whatever their starting point. Can the Minister share the Government's position on the suggestions by several Members of Parliament for the

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waiver of examination fees to be given to every Singaporean student, even though they are in private schools like the full-time madrasahs, and whether this suggestion will be considered by the Government in this year's Budget?

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Madam, all Singaporeans taking the national examinations as private candidates, including madrasah students, currently already receive a subsidy on their examination fees. And, indeed, our education system is inclusive. And as I have said, and I stand by what I have said – no child will be left behind. All parents can choose to enrol their children in mainstream schools to receive a heavily subsidised education, which now includes full waiver of national examination fees.

So, our policy remains that we want all our Singaporean children to enrol in our mainstream schools, to go through a common educational experience, and grow up together. Therefore, it is not about the equalisation of all conditions between mainstream schools and private schools. If private schools are necessary for specific reasons, the agency coordinating it will look at their needs in that very specific context.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Thank you, Mdm Chairman. Let me thank the Minister for sharing MOE's key area of focus. I hope the concerns and suggestions that we have raised will be brought back to the Ministry of Education (MOE) for consideration, because many of us spoke on many topics like outdoor activities and arts. Minister spoke about going beyond grades. The reality is that in many schools, the emphasis on good grades is still very strong, which explains why there is such a strong tuition culture. We may talk about looking beyond grades but the schools do look at grades.

The other point that I wanted to ask the Minister is that I had, in my speech, asked about bringing forward the enhanced subsidy for mid-career persons instead of beyond 40 to five years after work. I know the Minister for Finance had already spoken about it. I hope the Minister would bring it back, discuss with MOF to see whether we can consider bringing forward the enhanced subsidies for mid-career Singaporeans.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Well, Mdm Chair, certainly we would look at all the suggestions that have been raised. In this short speech, it is not possible for me to cover every idea that has been suggested, so I thank all Members for your suggestions.

On the question of beyond grades, indeed, it is not just a change. As I had said in my speech, we need to take this transformation together, as parents, as educators, as school leaders, as employers, as a society at large. So, this is a major transformational effort that will require every one of us to really pitch in. And as I said, every decision, every action,

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everyone counts.

In terms of the enhanced mid-career subsidy, we will certainly discuss this with MOF. But let me say that many of our courses are already indeed highly subsidised. And, as I said, our focus should not just be about the subsidies and the particular courses. When we talk about lifelong learning, at the end of the day, it is the utilisation of those skills and learning can take place in many different contexts. The example of the US versus Japan gives us a very vivid lesson that we got to focus on how to make it work and the technical details can then follow from there.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng : Thank you, Madam. Madam, I would like to seek two clarifications; one is to seek Minister's thoughts on the integrated 10-year through-train schools. I want to clarify that I do not mean compromising any form of rigour in academics. I really think the rigour of academics and character building must remain so. I just want to seek again the Minister's thoughts on this, since I have been asking several times.

The second clarification is for Minister of State Sim Ann. For the special needs students, if a special solution can be found to ensure that the SPED schools are not left out of all the good things that are happening at the national level, for example, the very good school-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme that is currently ongoing. I thought that was very good. There is a number of special needs students who also have co-morbidities. They have different conditions at the same time, including dyslexia. So, I would like to seek your opinion on that as well.

Mr Heng Swee Keat : Mdm Chair, I think Ms Denise Phua exemplifies learning for mastery and lifelong learning. One important quality is really about perseverance, and really pushing and pushing. We all recall that Ms Phua had filed the Adjournment Motion some months back. So, let me say at the outset, that in the spirit of what I said, I welcome any form of innovation and that we have to keep an open mind to possibilities. We have to explore new and better ways of doing things, and therefore, we will look at this with serious consideration.

Earlier on, Mr Inderjit Singh mentioned about the scarcity mentality. If we think that there is one pathway to success, whether in school or at work, what would we as parents, students, or individuals do? Well, we will do everything we can to get onto that pathway. In fact, we see that in many different systems.

In some systems, they have been busy with changing all these and the end result is many of them lament that the education system has lost its rigour and students are very ill-prepared for, not to mention the future but even the present. In other systems, it is driven

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by so much pressure that they have decided that they will abolish the PSLE, the GCE "O" levels, and they have a through-train system, not just for 10 years, but 12 years, all the way.

For as long as there is only one path to success, the pressure will manifest itself at some point. In the systems that I have studied, it manifests itself in two areas: one, how do I get onto that path? So, first, at the primary school level, I get into a good primary school and, therefore, I can get into a good secondary school and I can get into a good high school?

Then, the pressure goes downwards. Why not get into a good kindergarten so that I can get into a good primary school? And then it goes further down, why not a good nursery so that I can get into a good kindergarten? A friend of mine had a grandchild who was being assessed at the age of three for entry into one of these nurseries overseas. She said her grandchild had his first failure in life at the age of three because he fell asleep while being assessed. The assessment for the other kids took so long that by the time it came to his turn, it was his usual nap time.

That is one point of pressure. The other point of pressure is at the high school, because the high school determines whether you get into university, and whether you get into university determines whether you succeed in life.

I recently met a Singaporean who married a lady and, in this place, his parents-in-law asked him "Which university do you come from?" And after he gave the answer, he became quite an outcast in the family. So, the pressure then exerts itself at two extremes.

I am not saying that through-train is a bad idea. I am saying that what we need to do is to think about what is driving that pressure and how can we innovate within that.

About two years back, I met a very thoughtful educator in China. When we were discussing this issue, she said to me that for as long as we think we have this scarcity mentality and we think there is one path to success, then the way we look at life will be something like this: 千军万马过一条独木桥. In English, it means thousands of horses and soldiers all rushing to cross that one narrow wooden bridge. Would there not be pressure in the system? Would it lead to better education? Certainly, there will be pressure. That is one way of dealing with the problem.

The other is whether we have an abundance mentality. When we have an abundance mentality, then success is not defined by one pathway, but many pathways. Success in schools, success at work, many, many different pathways. As I said, back in 1965, when we first became independent, 读书 was an important way to get ahead because that was the

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biggest skills gap.

Today, we have enormous changes in our economy, many jobs are being created, requiring very deep skills in every area and, therefore, the pathways have multiplied. But our thinking about education and pathways have not kept up with these changes.

When we think about the future, it is very important for us not to think about that one lone single wooden bridge, but really building many bridges. Not just wooden bridges, but iron bridges, steel bridges, find different ways of crossing the river, specialised boats, motorised boats, submarines, whatever.

In that way, we can create many more pathways to success and, indeed, the SkillsFuture fellowship awards, the SkillsFuture Credit, the SkillsFuture Awards and all these modularised courses are really many different ways to empower Singaporeans to create our own pathways, to build our own skills map, so that we can stay relevant. At the same time, we need employers to come onboard to make full use of these skills and, in that way, companies can have higher productivity, higher margin, that can then translate into higher wages and create a virtual circle of many more successful pathways.

Indeed, some Singaporeans might choose to be self-employed, to be entrepreneurs and again build skills to be successful in those different areas. So, really. this is the fundamental transformation that we need to make – thinking about success beyond school, but success in many different fields and having this abundance mentality to think of new possibilities, having this inventive, resourceful mindset to think about new ways of doing things.

In that regard, let me reiterate that I am always open to good ideas, and we must always explore whether there are better ways of doing things. But I want to reiterate the point that at the end of the day, fundamentally, having looked at systems all over the world, I think what we need is that major transformation in the way we think about success, about pathways and in the way that we go out to create those pathways.

Ms Sim Ann : Madam, I wish to respond to Ms Denise Phua's clarification about sharing more programmes like Dyslexia Remediation with our SPED schools. She reminded me of the fact that our specialists have begun working with our SPED schools on reading and literacy improvements for our students as part of our SPED curriculum framework. If memory serves me right, I think that this effort actually predates our School-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme by a bit. As for her suggestion, we will study it seriously.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong : I would like to ask about the stress levels on the students. I welcome the Ministry of Education's (MOE) shift to go beyond grades. But, on the ground,

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the reality is that there is increasing pressure on the students to chase good grades, given the very competitive system and also the high expectations of parents. I am worried about those who find it hard to cope with stress and become exposed to problems like depression and low self-esteem, who may then be vulnerable to suicidal thoughts.

5.30 pm

Can I ask the Minister how the Ministry is building up the emotional resources of students to cope with the pressures, given the rapid pace of change and also to work with parents to manage their expectations and to be open to the multiple pathways that the Minister has just talked about?

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Mdm Chair, I thank Ms Irene Ng for the question. Indeed, I share the Member's concern that we must look at the socio-emotional competencies of our students. Over the last few years in particular, we have strengthened the learning of socio-emotional competencies in our schools through a variety of programmes that is incorporated in the syllabus. At the same time, as Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi has emphasised, at the end of the day, parents play a very, very important role. The communication between parents and their children is critical.

I am very happy that many different organisations and Parent Support Groups (PSGs) have come forward to help and to work together with the schools, and to help one another in this effort. I have met some of these groups. I have been very impressed by what they do because when parents are able to share what each of them is going through, it creates a certain sense of community that we are in this together. This will be a work that will always have to go on and we have to watch the socio-emotional health of our children so that they grow up to be well-adjusted, happy individuals, and very much like what I said in my speech about learning for life and not just learning for grades.

Mr Yee Jenn Jong: Madam, I have two questions for the Minister. First, I have to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the Minister that learning should not be for grades but for mastery. The Minister has said that these changes he spoke about go beyond schools.

First, surely the Minister will agree that we will still need the school to implement the changes that we want and there may be some historical structures that may give a different message to what the Minister has said. For example, centralised GEP gives a certain elite status to the nine selected schools and will continue this perception in parents that these are the top and popular schools. So, should we be bold to critically examine historical systems that may have served their purposes and there may be different ways to achieve

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what it was set up for?

My second question has been asked but I will ask it in a different way to be persistent. Would the Minister agree that the integrated primary to secondary schools will actually go very well with the Minister's own message that learning is not just for grades but for curiosity and mastery? It will let parents truly buy into the Minister's message for this option and to subscribe for such schools, so that they do not need to have the children chase for top grades in PSLE to get into the good schools.

I have heard what the Minister said, but I feel that we can actually exclude the top schools from this exercise and leave the original pathways unchanged so that we do not transfer that pressure downwards, as the Minister has just said.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: I thank Mr Yee for first agreeing wholeheartedly with me about learning for mastery. He raised two questions. First, I talked about beyond school, but what are we doing in schools? Indeed, when I spoke about going beyond school, when I used the word "beyond", what I mean is that you need to do things in school, and you then need to go beyond that. So, it is not "either or". It is that you need to do both and do both well.

On the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) and how that might change perceptions and so on, the point that I have made in my speech is that we have now a variety of Applied Learning Programmes. But I want to go beyond this discussion about whether one or two GEPs are creating all this stress and problems; to go beyond that and think about how, in a very big school system like ours where we have about 180 secondary schools, we can create opportunities in every school.

I am very committed to this "Every School A Good School" movement. That is why I have introduced the Applied Learning Programme and the Learning for Life Programme. This is beginning to have its effects and parents are beginning to see that each of these schools offers something interesting or special that can help their children learn.

I mentioned in my speech the example of Damai Secondary School and how one parent had three of her kids in this Health Sciences programme. So, it is to have this abundance mentality to think about how we can create new possibilities, rather than to focus on one or two specific areas. That we really want to work across a very broad front to create the multiple paths of success that I spoke about.

On the Member's second question about whether in this spirit, if we have the integrated programme, would it not help so that parents do not chase the points and so on. Again, I mentioned in my reply to Ms Denise Phua that, at the end of the day – and we have just

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spoken for over four hours on how important it is for our society to make this major transformation – what is the central focus of our efforts? The central focus of our efforts over the next many years is to create this transformation in our mindsets by everyone, in order to make this very major change possible.

I am open to considering what might be the merits of particular ideas and particular things that we could do. But I also need to be very clear that with the resources that we have and the attention that we have, that I focus it on what will make the biggest impact. So, if we are convinced that, indeed, creating the through-train schools can make the impact, again let me repeat, I am open to considering it. But I have spent a lot of time thinking about these issues, studying systems all over the world, discussing with educators all over the world and trying to understand what is driving the behaviour of education and social systems all around the world. And I do think that this SkillsFuture initiative and this transformation that I spoke about, in terms of learning for mastery, learning throughout one's life, learning for life, is really the transformation that we need to make. And there are many things that we can do within this context.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Madam, in Malay, please.

( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Just a moment ago, the Minister mentioned the Edusave Merit Bursary. I would like to seek clarification from the Minister on the Edusave Merit Bursary and other Edusave awards, whether madrasah students are eligible to receive the Edusave Merit Bursary or the other Edusave awards.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: I believe Minister of State Sim Ann moved the Bill in this House on extending Edusave to all students. So, I hope that the hon Member was aware of this.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: I would just like to know whether it is including the Edusave Bursary Award or is it just the Edusave scheme itself?

Mr Heng Swee Keat: It is the Edusave amount that we credit into the account.

The Chairman: Mr Manap, do you want to clarify further?

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Yes, because my understanding is that the Edusave scheme, does it cover —

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The Chairman: I think the Minister just answered it does not cover. In my view, it covers only the amount credited into the account.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: I just want to know whether the Edusave awards, plus the bursary, as mentioned just now, will be made available to the madrasah students.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: I think I have answered the hon Member's question that the Edusave amount is for the account, for the students to use for their extra-curricular activities, not for the other awards.

The Chairman: If there are no other clarifications, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: Thank you, Mdm Chairperson. Madam, allow me the opportunity to thank the Minister, the Senior Minister of State, the Minister of State and the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for their replies to our many questions and clarifications. On behalf of the Government Parliamentary Committee or GPC, I also want to take the opportunity to put on record our deep appreciation to MOE as well as the thousands of teachers and other educators involved in preparing our children for the future. Mdm Chairperson, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn (proc text)].

[(proc text) The sum of $11,400,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates (proc text)].

[(proc text) The sum of $700,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]

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