School Programmes Inculcating Respect for All Job Types

Mr Teo Siong Seng asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider developing programmes from the primary school level onwards that inculcate respect for all job types, including blue-collar and low-skilled jobs, so as to change Singaporeans' mindsets on job preferences.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Respect for all is a fundamental value taught to all students by our schools. In addition, as part of the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum from 2014, the Education and Career Guidance (ECG) module further emphasises this value within the context of education courses and occupations.

Schools provide ECG to students from Primary to post-Secondary levels, based on their developmental needs. At the Primary level, ECG helps our pupils know themselves – their abilities and interests and be aware of the many different occupations in the world of work. Teachers help to correct misconceptions about occupations, such as gender-role stereotypes and perceived social status of certain occupations.

At the Secondary level, teachers will reinforce in our students, an appreciation for the value of all occupations and how different jobs contribute to the well-functioning of society. Students will have opportunities to explore a wide array of occupations, including new jobs and new industries.

To supplement the curriculum, an online ECG portal, ecareers.sg, has been implemented in schools since 2009. This allows students to discover their own strengths and interests, engage in education planning and career exploration. The occupational database comprises jobs requiring different skills available in Singapore. This expands our students’ minds to consider jobs aligned to their interests and abilities that they have not thought of.