SCHOOL CLUSTERS

Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for Education (a) how are schools grouped into clusters of schools; (b) what are the organisational structure and composition of members of a school cluster management; and (c) what are the roles and responsibilities of a school cluster management.

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: There are currently 9 school clusters, with 6 to 7 schools per cluster. Three clusters comprise secondary schools only; one cluster has a mix of secondary schools and a junior college; one a mix of primary and secondary schools; and four comprise primary schools only. Cluster schools tend to be geographically close to each other. This is to facilitate personal interaction and maximum collaboration among schools in the pooling of personnel, financial and physical resources. School variety is another factor. Variety in terms of pupil intake, stage of development and size add richness to the cluster experience.

Each school cluster is led by a Superintendent. He is a senior education officer who chairs the Cluster Management Board (CMB) comprising principals of the member schools.

It is an important tenet of the cluster scheme that individual schools be given maximum freedom to develop its own ethos and character. The CMB is therefore to facilitate the sharing of ideas and resources, but not dictate the running of the schools for which final authority remains with the individual principal. The CMB collects feedback from member schools through sharing sessions, self-appraisal and regular contact sessions with staff members. The Superintendent works with the individual principals in appraising the performance and potential of key personnel, and see to the grooming of promising officers.