MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

The main aim in education is to strengthen moral and civics education, to raise the effectiveness of the education system. This means we have to improve the teaching and the learning of languages and raise the standards of technical education.

Moral and Civics Education

Moral and civics education is mainly taught through the subject Education For Living (which is a combination of Civics, History and Geography) in the pupils' mother tongue. The aim of the subject is to inculcate social discipline and national identity and to imbue in pupils moral and civic values. These virtues are also fostered through the daily flag raising and lowering ceremony, the weekly assembly talks by principals and teachers and extra-curricular activities. Greater effort will be made to ensure that pupils imbibe the tried and tested Asian cultural and moral values. While pupils will learn and acquire more and more knowledge of science and western technology and be proficient in the English language, they will be taught not to adopt the life styles and values of the West that are alien and pernicious to Singapore society.

The Education System

The education system has been revised to improve its effectiveness. Consequently the enormous wastage in terms of pupils not benefiting from the system and having to leave school prematurely will be drastically reduced. The following measures have been implemented, and as they progress they will be monitored and improved upon:-

(a) Revision of the System of Primary Education - the abolition of automatic promotion, the reinstitution of annual assessments and the introduction of the 9th year of primary education. By this, pupils will be promoted to the next level of education only when they are able to follow the lessons there.

(b) Introduction of the Basic Course for pupils who cannot cope with the Standard (i.e, the ordinary) Course. The Basic Course will teach pupils to read and write in one language. to do simple arithmetic as well as to become good citizens.

(c) lntroduction of the Junior Trainee Scheme, an apprenticeship scheme for pupils between 16 and 18 who have completed their Basic Course. This Scheme will help pupils learn a useful trade.

(d) Regular evaluation and monitoring of the education system to correct errors and remove anomalies in the implementation of policies.

(e) Revision of the system of Secondary Education with a view to meeting the manpower requirement of the nation and catering to different individual interests and capabilities. The system of promotion. retention, and the courses to be studied by pupils according to their ability, aptitude and interest, the combination of subjects, the relevance, usefulness and level required of each subject in the curriculum are being studied and the detailed plans for implementation worked out.

(f) Development of curriculum and production of textbooks and reading material. The aim is to make school curricula more relevant to the needs of society, and to produce sufficient number of good and suitable textbooks and reading material, especially in the mother tongues.

(g) More teachers will be trained to meet areas of shortages. With improvement in teacher training and careful selection of recruits, better quality teachers with the right attitude towards teaching will be made available to the schools.

(h) Provision of a wide range of trade and artisan courses through the Industrial Training Board, in order to meet the needs of middle level craftsman and technician manpower requirements.

Bilingual Education and Technical Education

Greater emphasis will be placed on bilingual education in schools, namely, the teaching and the learning of the mother tongue and English, and on technical education. The teaching methods and the learning techniques of these subjects will be improved. There will also be provision of better facilities and teaching aids to achieve better results.

Other Areas of Education

The development and expansion of tertiary education are proceeding as planned. When fully developed, they will be able to produce the high level manpower required for development, management in government. commerce and industry, and in the professions. Adult education continues to provide a wide range of recreational and enrichment courses besides courses leading to specific qualification examinations. To safeguard public interest, private schools, correspondence schools, special education schools and kindergartens are now under better control and supervision of the Ministry.

CHUA SIAN CHIN Minister for Education