TEACHERS IN GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS (Number from Taiwan and Hongkong)

Mr Lin You Eng asked the Minister for Education how many teachers in Government and Government-aided secondary schools are from Taiwan and Hongkong.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid the question from the Member for Moulmein is somewhat ambiguous. I presume that by "teachers from Taiwan and Hongkong", he is referring to those teachers who, immediately before they were allowed employment in Singapore, were either residents of or were employed in Taiwan or Hongkong. If so, the total number of teachers is 27, the breakdown of which is as follows: From From Total Taiwan Hongkong In Government - 3 3 secondary school In Government- 11 13 24 aided secondary schools Total 11 16 27

All the 27 teachers are on Professional Visit Passes and are allowed to continue in employment on a year-to-year basis. May I add that 21 of these teachers were employed before June 1959, four before July 1961 and two in 1962?

Mr Lin You Eng (Moulmein): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has given information about teachers from Taiwan and Hongkong. But there are many Nanyang University graduates who were not recruited into the Government education service. From this, we can see that the P.A.P. Government -

Mr Speaker: Order. We are now on Question Time. The hon. Member now must ask a question. If he wishes to debate this matter, then he must find another opportunity. He must ask permission to raise this matter on the adjournment or file a notice of motion. He can now ask supplementary questions to get any further information he requires. Mr Lin You Eng.

Mr Lin You Eng: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not understand it. Since there are many local graduate teachers, why should the Government recruit so many teachers from Taiwan and Hongkong? I hope the Minister will clarify this.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: It is very simple, Sir. I have already explained that of the 27 teachers, 21 were employed before June 1959 and 4 before July 1961, making a total of 25 of the 27 teachers who are on year-to-year Professional Visit Passes. I think he can ask his colleagues, the Member for Upper Serangoon and the Member for Serangoon Gardens, who were my Parliamentary Secretaries at one time and who approved them every year, why they approved them then.

These are teachers who are here mainly to teach in secondary and upper secondary classes in the Chinese secondary schools and they all have been reported as extremely competent in their subjects by the principals of the schools, the supervisors and the Inspectorate.

Mr Low Por Tuck (Havelock): Can the Minister inform us whether there are teachers with equivalent qualifications in Singapore, because, according to the Minister's information, these 27 teachers from Taiwan and Hongkong are on Professional Visit Passes?

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: I have already explained that the majority of these teachers are in Government-aided schools - 24 out of 27. If the management committees of these aided schools together with the principals and professional officers think well of their work, I think they should be allowed to continue.

Mr Chan Sun Wing (Upper Serangoon): Can the Minister further inform us how many of the 27 teachers are teaching Science?

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: That is a question of detail of which I would like more notice.