PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS (Debate on the Address) (Second Allotted Day)

Order read for Resumption of Debate on Question [17th February, 1981],

'That the following Address in reply to the Speech of the President be agreed to:-

"We, the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore, express our thanks to the President for the Speech which he delivered on behalf of the Government at the opening of the First Session of this Parliament.".'. - [Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng].

Question again proposed.

2.32 p.m.

Encik Wan Hussin Zoohri (Kampong Ubi): Mr Speaker, Sir, in my three-minute speech yesterday I made reference to our economic success amidst seemingly insurmountable problems.

Mr Speaker, Sir, looking at Singapore's many-sided progress, in retrospect, critics have attributed many factors for the success. I would, however, like to mention one other factor which has to my mind been cultivated and cultured over these years by the present leadership. This is what one Harvard psychologist termed it as the "mental virus" in the individual. It is "that certain way of thinking that is relatively rare but which, when it occurs in an individual, tends to make him behave in a peculiarly energetic way".

The "mental virus" is given an odd name of n Ach, an acronym for "need for Achievement". It is this "mental virus" or the n Ach content in the individual which has to do with "doing something well" and "doing something better".

It is this "mental virus" or the high n Ach content prevalent in the political leadership and transmitted to the general population that has, over these years, contributed to the success of our modernisation programme.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the political scenario at the international as well as at the regional level has indeed become more and more discomforting. Of immediate concern to us is still the Kampuchean problem. Present political developments with their high degree of unpredictability could adversely affect any country with such speed that leaves the affected nation little time to react. It is in this context that countries, like ours, not very far from centres of conflict should always be vigilant and have that maximum capability to meet external eventualities. As such, the strengthening of our reserves in the Armed Forces is all the more important and urgent.

As for the question of self-renewal in the political leadership, a subject gaining great currency within and outside this Parliament, the systematic search for men and women of calibre, integrity, dedication and commit- ment must surely continue. Both the political and the bureaucratic leadership must be injected with a constant flow of new ideas which are in consonance with the changing mood and complexities of not only the electorate but the society at large. Hopefully, in this search and scanning process not only the right men but also the right women matching the criteria and demands of present-day politics will emerge.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would now like to refer to the Ministry of Education Addendum to the Presidential Address. On the question of Moral Education, the Addendum mentioned that the Ong Teng Cheong Report would form the basis of the new approach in the teaching and learning of Moral Education in schools. The Ong Tong Cheong Report also emphasized that the principal objective is to "produce good, useful and loyal citizens through the inculcation of the desired moral values and social attitudes". This principle is derived from the description of the ideal Singaporean made by the Prime Minister in his response to the Report on the Ministry of Education, 1978. However, I would like to add that the profile of the good Singaporean outlined by the Prime Minister in his same response to the Education Report is equally relevant to this subject of Moral Education. For its aptness it is worth repeating. I quote:

'The best of the East and of the West must be blended to advantage in the Singaporean. Confucianist ethics, Malay traditions, and the Hindu ethos must be combined with sceptical Western methods of scientific inquiry, the open discursive methods in the search for truth. We have to discard obscurantist and superstitious beliefs and practices of the East, as we have to reject the passing fads of the West. Particularly important are intra-family relationships. We must reinforce these traditional family ties found in all Asian societies. But we must excise the nepotism which usually grows out of this extended family net of mutual help.'

The question which arises is whether the Moral Education programme in schools would be able to contribute to the achievement of these moral objectives. The answer will only be known many, many years from hence. Nevertheless, certain observations can be made from the Moral Education programme of the Ministry of Education.

It would appear that there is compartmentalisation in the approach and presentation of the programme. For the primary and the lower secondary level, the approach and presentation is more integrated with suitable activities structured in the syllabus. In its favour, it is religious-free though not totally culture-free. But for the upper secondary level the approach and presentation would appear academic and bookish. It is clearly religious bias. The linkage, it seems to me, in methodology between the primary and lower secondary level on the one hand and the upper secondary level on the other appears rather weak. I am aware that for the upper secondary level Religious Education is examination oriented. Herein, therefore, lies the problem. Would the gradual build-up of the moral education programme for the primary level and strengthened at the lower secondary level with all its attendant benefits give way to the academic exercise of accumulating religious facts, seemingly divorced from our original objectives of moral education? Here, I must emphasise that I am not for one moment against the study of religions. My reservation is that in trying to improve the GCE 'O' level results, teachers and students may lose sight of the original and laudable objectives of our moral education programme as enunciated in the Ong Teng Cheong Report. I recall that in the midfifties there were non-Christians who were able to score credits in scripture for their School Certificate Examinations.

May I, therefore, appeal that the syllabus and methodology in the moral education program me for the upper secondary level be so structured that the students not only will be able to perform well in the examination but, more important, discover and experience the joy and contentment emanating from their moral and religious lessons.

One other aspect is the introduction of comparative religion in the curriculum. We should in this respect tread very cautiously. Perhaps the Ministry of Education would allow the syllabus on comparative religion to be commented by knowledgeable people in their area of religious specialization. Comparative religion as viewed by occidentalists may not be quite in focus with the views of local orientalists.

I would also like to add that before the subject of comparative education is introduced in the curriculum, suitable teachers need to be trained. It is logical that qualified lecturers should first be recruited by the Institute of Education to train our teachers in this subject.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I would now like to refer to the Senior Education Service (SES). It is strange that the Ministry of Education took two years to realise and admit its failure in attracting good officers into the HQ. One would have thought that with the support of the systems engineers, this crucial area would have been identified earlier and remedies already suggested. However, it is heartening to note that this proposal has now been announced.

This proposal, however, begs many questions. The key posts in the HQ and the schools have still to be named and what the minimum requirements are for application into the SES have yet to be stipulated. As this SES caters only for the bright and selected few in the teaching profession, the promotion prospects for those remaining in the upper timescale have yet to be looked into. As a practitioner in the teaching profession, I agree that whilst it is desirable to have good officers in the HQ it is much more important to have dedicated and contented teachers in the classrooms. With the previous mode of promotion exercise left unresolved an alternative mode of the advancement prospects for the general teachers should be considered. Perhaps the Ministry of Education would be able to draw up the career-path of the teacher from the time he joins the service up to the point he retires. In this career-path a teacher would be able to know what are the requirements spelt out in the career-path at each rung of the promotion ladder and the time-kame between each rung. This would serve as a permanent guide to the teachers in trying to better their prospects and performance in the teaching profession.

In the area of communication, the Ministry of Education has suggested the establishment of the Schools Council. The objective of the Schools Council is to establish an ongoing two-way communication between the HQ and the schools so that, through the Principals, the schools will be involved in the decision-making process. This involvement in the decision-making process will enhance the feeling of shared ownership and of being part of a collective enterprise. However, the feeling of shared ownership is not enough without the "feeling of self-efficacy". In other words, in the shared decision-making process it should logically lead to shared influence on the decisions made.

To illustrate, a teacher serving in a committee feels efficacious if he contributes in the area of curriculum design an improved course for the students. His feeling of self-efficacy is increased if his recommended course is actually adopted and he sees the students enjoying and learning from the recommended course. In a recent article in the Educational Administration Quarterly (Winter 1980) published by the University Council for Educational Administration, the following reminder has relevance with the question of involvement in the decision-making process.

'Since the benefits of shared decision-making accrue, not from mere involvement, but rather from a combination of involvement and influence, it would seem unwise to offer opportunities for shared decision-making which do not include provisions for actual influence over decisions.' It would, therefore, be an exercise in futility if the Schools Council turns out to be the "rubber stamping agent" for the policies of the HQ.

As for the composition of the Schools Council, the Ministry of Education has wittingly or otherwise excluded the Teachers' Union. With the limited experience I have in the Teachers' Union, I can safely say that the Executive Committee in the union receives valuable feed-back from the teachers. Perhaps the Ministry would consider most favourably the inclusion of representatives from the various Teachers' Unions in theproposed Schools Council.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the popularity (or some critics would prefer to say, the notoriety) of the Ministry of Education is evident from the response given to the Ministry's policies by the public. The magnitude and complexities of educational issues and problems are appreciated by many. Just on the Addendum to the Presidential Address, we have been presented with 16 items for debate. I am sure many more equally important items are in store for future debates. What I would like to reiterate here is that, in the course of formulating and implementing the policies, let us not lose sight of one cardinal principle, that is, what ultimately counts is the person. Whatever happens in the schools depends on the men and women who staff them. It is worth reminding ourselves of a UNESCO Report on education which says:

'. . . good school buildings, sufficient educational equipment and a perfect curriculum will be dead things if there are no educated teachers to give them life.'

Mr Speaker, Sir, let us by all means educate our pupils, and educate them well, but we should not forget to keep educating our teachers, too.

2.47 p.m.