ARTS SCHOOL (Admission criterion)

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ARTS SCHOOL:

(Admission criterion): 7.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts what is the rationale for wanting to use the Express stream as a criterion to admit aspiring students into the Arts School .

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (Encik Yatiman Yusof) (for the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts): Sir, my Ministry has accepted the recommendations of the Committee on the Specialised Arts School and we are now studying the details of setting up the School, including the admission criteria.

The Committee on the Specialised Arts School had envisioned the Arts School to provide a curriculum that would

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integrate arts learning with the learning of other academic subjects, to ensure the holistic development of its students who are 13 to 18 years old. In the Committee's study of overseas arts schools, it had observed that non-Arts subjects were not of a lower standard than that in mainstream schools. In fact, the Arts enrich the general education of the students and vice versa. The result is that such schools often provide excellent education in both the Arts and other subjects. The Committee proposed that the students of the Arts School would graduate at the end of six years with an IB Diploma. The curriculum in the final two years would be focused on the IB Diploma programme, and the first four years could be structured around the IB Middle-years programme, the GCE 'O' levels or an equivalent. The reference to the Express stream, quoted in the media reports, was made in this context. The demands of the Arts School 's curriculum, at least in the first four years, would be equivalent to that of the Express Stream.

The Committee recommended that admission should be based on merit, and emphasis should be given to the artistic potential of the applicants. The proposed selection process should be through auditions, portfolio assessments or entrance examinations. The Committee also recommended that, in addition to artistic potential, students should demonstrate basic academic achievements.

I agree with the Committee's recommendation that entry requirements should include both artistic talent and academic achievement. I believe that the arts training of our young talents should not be at the expense of overall academic training. In fact, arts training and academic learning should be integrated and should reinforce each other. My Ministry will consult the various stakeholders, including teachers, students, parents and arts practitioners, to

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establish the entry requirements. We will take into consideration the possibility that there may be students with high artistic potential but are weaker academically. We do not want such students to lose the opportunity to enter the Arts School. For example, if we come across an exceptional youngster like Abigail Sin, but without her academic achievements, the School will certainly strive to accommodate such talent with the clear potential to succeed as a musician. The general approach is to ensure that the Arts School is not perceived as a school for those who cannot do well in other schools.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his answer. But I am still not so convinced about this aspect of the GCE 'O' levels because Normal (Academic) students are equally capable of getting two GCE 'O' levels. In such cases, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned about portfolios. If the portfolio is of a higher quality than the academic achievements of the child, what then will be the position of the selection committee?

Encik Yatiman Yusof: Sir, the comparison between the Express stream and the Normal (Academic) stream with a minimum of two GCE 'O' levels is the minimal point. But again, this is the basic consideration that is required before a person is allowed to apply.

Talking about the portfolios, it is a factor to be considered. Some students may not be very bright academically, especially in Mathematics and Science, but in other areas, they are quite strong. But it must be tempered with a balanced academic capability. In other words, a minimum standard will ensure that the Arts School will not be a school for those who could not do well in the academic field because, ultimately, when they qualify later, they could either be professionals, ie, lawyers or doctors, after

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pursuing their studies with very deep-rooted feelings and passion for the arts and vice versa. Those who are very strongly inclined towards arts are capable of switching over to find jobs in other fields or professions if they do not succeed in that field. In other words, the Arts School provides the option for them to go to either academic professional line later or in pursuing their passion in arts.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan (Hong Kah: ): Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary that, given that other normal secondary schools will also be developing niche areas, and that it could be in the arts, how then would the proposed Arts School be differentiated from these other schools, which may choose to develop arts as their niche area?

My second question is: what are the plans to synergise or complement the Arts School with the existing SIA-LaSalle and NAFA arts institutions?

Encik Yatiman Yusof: Sir, the setting up of the Arts School will not in any way affect the current emphasis given in the ordinary secondary schools

for the learning of the arts. The Ministry of Education will make sure that the Arts School could be seen as an additional input into how normal secondary schools could model their arts learning lessons by comparing what is being taught in the Arts School.

As to how do we synergise the Arts School with the existing institutions, such as the SIA-LaSalle College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), the SIA-LaSalle College and NAFA's intake is offered to those students who have gone through the normal secondary school - GCE 'O' level - and they have tied up with a number of foreign institutions to offer some degree courses. Whereas the Arts School will prepare its students for the Ivy League, in

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other words, graduates of the Arts School can proceed to not only other institutions of higher learning, but those which are top in the world. In other words, while the permeability of the Arts School students at the secondary level within the first four years is such that they are allowed to go back to the secondary school, those who continue with the Ivy League institutions will have their own paths. This means that they will not be going to LaSalle or NAFA, because the curriculum of LaSalle and NAFA is quite different compared to the Arts School, in the sense that it will prepare its students both in terms of academic as well as the arts component of the curriculum, whereas the curriculum of LaSalle and NAFA is very heavy towards the practising arts.

Mdm Halimah Yacob: Sir, could the Senior Parliamentary Secretary comment on the recent media reports which stated that the fees to be charged by the Arts School are about $500 per month? Is this already determined? If so, could the Ministry look into making the fees more affordable for children from poorer homes, so that they are not excluded although they may have the talent?

Encik Yatiman Yusof: Sir, according to early estimates, the School is estimated to cost about $80 million and the annual operating expenditure would be about $18 million. With this amount of investment and operating cost, there must be some comparable input from the shared users.

Some people have been talking about the possibility of the fees to be around $500. The question is whether this is too high and whether this would deny those from the lower-income group from benefiting from the scheme. On our part, MITA has carefully considered the proposed fees before deciding on the

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appropriate level. The School is actually for young Singaporeans who have the passion and talent for the arts, regardless of their family background. The School will have to fix its school fees taking into consideration the School's sustainability and the parents' affordability.

Why is it so expensive? Sir, we are having an annual intake of about 200 students only for such an excellent facility. We will have better teacher-student ratio, giving ample space for personal tuition with inter-personal kind of coaching. The school will also cater for the performing arts, visual arts, music, apart from the academic component. And we have to draw in staff with expertise in various areas. Sir, all these are not cheap. We also have to provide the facilities - the dance studios, the performance spaces, music studios, musical instruments, etc.

Sir, while we want to ensure that the School is sustainable, we will not deny the poor from joining the School. If we have poor students who are very talented and have tremendous passion in arts, I think there will be enough scholarships offered to ensure that they have equal opportunity to join the Arts School.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: Sir, could I just ask whether the current emphasis on academic curriculum would be applicable if we have very talented children from the special schools, and remembering here the very special arts programme, mime performance, etc? The second question is: have there been studies done on our current talented people and what is their background where academic qualifications in terms of 'O' levels, etc, are concerned? Because the Arts School is a very good programme.

Encik Yatiman Yusof: Sir, I think I have, more or less, touched on the question of talented people, but I would like to focus on the studies carried out on the

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percentage of talented people, whether they are more inclined towards the Express or Normal Stream. I think the Committee will also conduct studies in this area. In general, it is always perceived that those who are inclined in sports and arts are less capable in the academic field. This is the perception. It could arise because of the motivation found among the students. But studies in other countries have shown that those who are good academically are also capable to perform in sports as well as in the arts. Yes, we will look into this area to make sure that the School will be able to bring in talented people if they are academically inclined or strong, as well as those who are talented but not so academically inclined. In other words, I want to assure Members that the School will cater to their needs to meet this objective. But I think, ultimately, the market will decide whether graduates of this School will find a higher level of entry point to their job opportunities or end up becoming nightclub music players or poor artistes.