MOE seeks to provide opportunities for our young to realise their potential through high quality education in schools, and post-secondary educational institutions. We cater to different aptitudes, styles and paces of learning through differentiated curricula and different pathways. We will provide our children with a balanced and well-rounded education to help them discover their talents and realise their full potential, and nurture them into committed citizens. Our schools, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and universities strive to bring out the best in our young and provide them with a strong foundation in the knowledge and skills necessary for work and life.

MOE will not cut back spending on education even in this economic downturn. Education is a necessary investment in good times as well as in bad times. In these difficult times, it is even more important for us to invest in the future, so that Singapore, as a country, is ready to take up new challenges when the economy picks up. MOE is therefore stepping up investment in the education system across all levels so as to better prepare our younger generation to meet the challenges of tomorrow. A total budget of $8,701 million has been voted to MOE in FY2009 to achieve this mission.

MOE heavily subsidises the education of our students in schools and tertiary institutions:

• $4,349 million to subsidise education in primary schools, special education schools, secondary schools, independent schools, centralised institute and junior colleges;
• $2,118 million to subsidise education in the 3 autonomous universities and UniSIM;
• $1,106 million to subsidise education in the 5 polytechnics and 2 arts institutions; and
• $311 million to subsidise education in the ITE.

For FY2009, MOE will continue to build on our strong fundamentals and expand opportunities. We aim to achieve the following outcomes:

• Preparing Students for the Future – We will build on our strong fundamentals and ensure that we continue to prepare our young well for the future by raising the quality of primary education.
• Investing in Educators – We will invest in educators by bringing forward recruitment targets and facilitating mid-career entrants into the education service.
• Supporting Singaporeans in Education – We will put in place measures to better support Singaporeans in education and ensure that they continue to have access to school and post-secondary education.

Preparing Our Students for the Future

Education is the key to maintaining Singapore’s competitive edge. MOE has in recent years introduced various initiatives to bring about greater flexibility and diversity in our education system to cater to the different needs of students. At the same time, it is important to continue to ensure that our children are well-prepared for the future, starting from primary education which is foundational.

Raising the Quality of Primary Education

The Primary Education Review & Implementation (PERI) Committee, led by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education, was formed in Oct 2008 to study ways to enhance primary education and to consult stakeholders and members of the public. The Committee released its preliminary recommendations in January 2009 in the following areas:

1. Balancing Knowledge with Skills and Values
2. Providing More Resources for a Quality Primary Education

(i) Balancing Knowledge with Skills and Values

The Committee recommends that MOE places greater emphasis on more engaging teaching methods and strengthen the training of teachers in content mastery, teaching methods and assessment techniques. Going forward, MOE should train and deploy teachers so that they specialise in teaching specific subjects at the upper primary level.

To facilitate the well-rounded development of pupils, MOE should also set up a new Programme for Active Learning (PAL), where all Primary 1 and 2 pupils would participate in modular activities in two broad areas, Sports and Outdoor Education, and Performing and Visual Arts, within curriculum time. All Primary 3 to 6 pupils would continue to participate in either a main Co-Curricular Activity elective or in modular activities offered by the school, as part of PAL.

The Committee also recommends that regular feedback to parents and pupils should be improved to include more qualitative feedback on skills and non-academic areas. At lower primary (Primary 1 and 2), when students are just beginning school, a key focus should be placed on building pupils’ confidence and desire to learn. The intention is to encourage schools to move away from an overly-strong emphasis on examinations at lower primary and explore the use of other forms of assessment which place greater emphasis on learning rather than on grades alone, and which can also provide richer information on the pupils’ learning. At Primary 1, less emphasis could be placed on semestral examinations to facilitate the smooth transition to primary school. At Primary 2, the pupils could be slowly eased into taking examinations. MOE should train teachers to use a range of appropriate assessment techniques and tools to provide parents and pupils with better feedback on their progress. For instance, teachers could observe and provide meaningful feedback that goes beyond just marks, in both academic and non-academic areas, so that pupils find it useful for their development. This will help our children build greater confidence and interest in learning, not just studying for examinations. The transition could be done at a pace which is comfortable for schools by taking the next few years to build the capacity of schools to use different assessment modes.

(ii) Providing More Resources for a Quality Primary Education

To achieve the outcomes of a more balanced education, primary schools have to be given more resources to implement the proposed recommendations.

In order to invest in a quality teaching force, the Committee recommends that MOE recruits and trains more PE, Music and Art teachers as well as develops a scheme for schools to engage individuals with strong oral communication skills as language facilitators. As MOE currently recruits teachers from the top 30% of each national cohort, the Committee recognises that MOE will need to focus its efforts to recruit new teachers from the university graduate pool or those who qualify for an undergraduate education by 2015, while still continuing to select first for the interest and aptitude to teach. NIE will also offer more places in its degree programme to accommodate eligible A-level or Diploma holders to join the teaching service. A-level or diploma holders can also join the Allied Educators (Teaching & Learning) Scheme, working closely with teachers to hone their skills in teaching.

The Committee affirms that a single-session structure provides schools with more time and flexibility in organising the school day to achieve a more holistic education. The Committee recommends that MOE facilitates the transition of all government primary schools to single-session by 2016 and work closely with government-aided schools to facilitate their transition to single-session at a pace comfortable to them. Schools should continue to have the flexibility to adjust their start and end times and MOE should work closely with LTA on school bus transportation issues. The Committee further recommends that MOE studies how to design school facilities for a new generation of primary schools, so that learning spaces are able to better support the teaching approaches for a balanced and high quality primary education. Provision for facilities within the school should also be made so that Voluntary Welfare Organisations and Self-Help Groups can provide student care services, especially for pupils from disadvantaged families.

The Committee recommends that substantial investment be made over the next 10 years to raise the quality of primary education. Based on MOE’s preliminary estimates, an expenditure of approximately $4.5 billion will be needed over the next ten years to move all schools to single session, upgrade facilities for a more holistic education, as well as strengthen the quality of teaching and educational programmes. More details on the preliminary recommendations can be found at www.moe.gov.sg/initiatives/peri/. The Committee will submit its final report and recommendations to the Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen in March 2009.

Investing in Educators

Stepping up Recruitment of Teachers and Education Professionals

To build capacity for the long term and to uplift the quality of education in our schools, it is important for MOE to continually invest in educators. The current economic situation presents a window of opportunity for MOE to step up recruitment efforts and attract passionate and talented individuals seeking meaningful careers as educators in our schools and post-secondary educational institutions. A new training pathway for kindergarten teachers will also be introduced to attract better-qualified people into the kindergarten sector.

In 2009, MOE will raise the teacher recruitment target to 3,000. The increase in the recruitment target for 2009 opens up more positions for aspiring individuals with the passion and aptitude to teach. With more teachers, schools will be able to improve their pupil-teacher ratios, further enrich their students’ learning experiences and provide more time for existing teachers to enhance their professional development.

MOE will also enlarge and expedite the recruitment for Allied Educators (AEDs) who partner teachers in providing specialised support in areas such as counselling, teaching and learning and special educational needs. Currently, there are about 600 AEDs in our schools¹. In light of the economic downturn, MOE will bring forward the recruitment target of 2,800 AEDs by one year, from 2016 to 2015.

MOE will also be launching the Language Facilitator Scheme in mid 2009 which will offer more opportunities for mid-career professionals interested in a career switch to the education sector. Graduates with professional qualifications in communications or those who can demonstrate a high level of proficiency in the spoken language will also be recruited as language facilitators.

High-calibre young graduates who are keen to make a contribution to education policy can consider joining MOE Headquarters as Education Policy Analysts. They will have the opportunity to review and shape education policies which cover a wide range of issues including school and higher education policies, MOE's talent attraction and retention efforts, school development planning and education finance.

The post-secondary educational institutions, namely, the ITE, Polytechnics and Autonomous Universities, will also step up recruitment to hire qualified individuals with industry experience and a passion for nurturing young people so as to improve faculty-student ratio.

¹ Of the 600 AEDs, 345 are AEDs (Counselling), 165 are AEDs (Learning and Behavioural Support) and 90 are AEDs (Teaching and Learning).

New Qualification Pathway for Kindergarten Teachers

MOE will work with Singapore Polytechnic to develop a new Advanced Diploma in Kindergarten Education-Teaching (ADKET), aimed at attracting qualified mid-career entrants and fresh graduates to teach in kindergartens. 80 to 100 training places will be available for the ADKET this year, starting in April 2009. Trainees in the new ADKET course will complete their training in 700 to 900 hours, or approximately 10 months. This is about half the time taken for the existing Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (SDECCE), which lasts 1,600 hours over two or three years. The SDECCE programme is designed to prepare graduates and diploma holders to teach and lead in kindergartens and childcare centres while the ADKET programme will focus on the educational aspects of teaching children at pre-school, especially curriculum knowledge and teaching methods. This will ensure that the trainees have the competencies and skills to teach young children effectively.

As a whole, the education sector will be providing around 7,500 jobs in kindergartens, schools and post-secondary educational institutions. About half the jobs are teaching, teaching-support and administrative jobs in MOE. The rest of the jobs are for academic and research, and non-academic positions in the ITEs, Polytechnics and Autonomous Universities and kindergarten teachers in the kindergartens.

Supporting Singaporeans in Education

Given the global financial crisis, MOE will continue building on current efforts to ensure that students from all backgrounds can continue to receive a sound education.

Enhancing Financial Assistance

Needy students can look forward to more financial aid as MOE enhances its financial assistance measures to help students cope with the current economic downturn.

Assistance for Primary, Secondary and Pre-University Students

At the primary, secondary and pre-university levels, MOE will enhance the benefits under the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (MOE FAS). MOE will also provide a one-time grant to schools to support school-based financial assistance schemes. The Ministry expects to spend $23.4 million on these schemes in 2009.

Under the enhancements to the MOE FAS, the recipients will receive more assistance with immediate effect. Students at the primary and secondary levels will now receive help on a wider range of school essentials. In addition to free textbooks that MOE FAS recipients currently receive, they will also get free school attire, which will defray a substantial cost for lower-income families. At the pre-university level, students will receive a bursary of $750 from MOE, an increase of $250 in bursary support to help them cover textbooks, stationery and other schooling expenses. Parents and students can approach the schools directly if they require financial assistance. With the enhanced FAS, MOE’s budget for the MOE FAS will increase by an estimated $7.3 million, from $10.7 million in 2008 to $18 million in 2009.

In addition to the MOE FAS, schools also provide discretionary assistance to needy students (e.g. transport allowance, meal coupons) using donated funds. Schools are well-placed to assess their students’ specific needs and to provide additional support where necessary. School-based schemes can be extended to those who do not meet the qualifying criteria for the MOE FAS, in addition to those already on the FAS.

As schools might find it more difficult to raise funds under the current tough economic conditions, MOE will provide a one-time $10,000 grant to all schools via their School Advisory Committees / School Management Committees. MOE will also provide an additional $10,000 top-up to schools which have more than 10 per cent of students under the MOE FAS. This one-time grant will ensure that all schools have sufficient funds for school-based financial assistance to help students from families affected by the economic downturn, including those not on the MOE FAS. The estimated cost for providing grants to schools is $5.4 million.

Assistance for Post-Secondary Students

For students in post-secondary educational institutions, MOE will introduce a new Short-Term Study Assistance Scheme (SSAS), as well as implement a one-year suspension of the repayment of Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and Study Loan (SL).

Singaporean students in post-secondary educational institutions who face financial difficulty can also apply for assistance through MOE’s new SSAS from Academic Year (AY) 2009. This is to help students whose families might face temporary financial difficulties, e.g. as a result of breadwinners losing their jobs. The SSAS will provide up to $2,060 worth of additional assistance per year to Singaporean students pursuing subsidised degree, diploma and ITE programmes at the three autonomous universities, polytechnics and ITE. The actual quantum given out will depend on the level of study and the help needed by individual students. To qualify, the applicant’s gross monthly household per capita income should be $1,700 and below, and the student should be already receiving existing financial assistance such as loans and bursaries. Students can approach the institutions at which they are studying for details on the SSAS.

The SSAS will be implemented for an initial duration of 2 years from AY2009 to AY2010. Following that, MOE will review the provision of the SSAS depending on the economic outlook at that time.

In addition MOE will also suspend the repayment of TFL and SL for a year for all university and polytechnic graduates, from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010. During this period, students will not have to repay their loans and no interest will be levied on any outstanding loan. All graduates who have taken loans under the TFL and SL schemes will have their repayments suspended automatically. This includes graduates who are already servicing their loans as well as those who will start their repayments before 31 March 2010.

Creating more and new opportunities in Post Secondary Sector

MOE will provide more university and polytechnic places this year, to cater to the larger cohort sizes. For AY2009, MOE will provide more than 500 additional subsidized university places, compared to the previous year. This will enable slightly more than 25% of the cohort to obtain places in subsidized degree programmes in AY2009. For the polytechnics, the increase of 700 more places in AY2009 caters to the increasing popularity of a polytechnic education as well as the upgrading needs of ITE students.

MOE will also provide more information on university cut-off points and course places from this year onwards, to help applicants make informed choices on their course of study.

In the ITE sector, the new ITE College Central, together with ITE Colleges East and West, will strengthen the provision of vocational education and cater to the training needs of skilled manpower to support economic recovery under the “One ITE System, Three Colleges” framework.

In addition, to enhance ITE students’ employability, ITE will be reviewing existing and rolling out new, industry-relevant NITEC and Higher NITEC courses. ITE will also continue to provide courses for members of the workforce and displaced workers to re-skill and prepare themselves for the job market when the economy improves again. These Continuing Education Training courses include NITEC, Higher NITEC, ITE Skills Certificate and Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification courses.

Improving Quality in Private Education

MOE will be moving a Private Education (PE) Act to provide for the powers to regulate the private education sector more effectively and to improve its quality. It will also set up the Council for Private Education to oversee the new regulatory regime. The private education sector plays a complementary role to our public education sector in developing human capital, by providing opportunities for Singaporeans who wish to upgrade themselves, including those who aspire to pursue programmes leading to degrees. An improved private education sector will also strengthen Singapore’s position as a global education hub and bring in economic benefits, including the creation of jobs and revenue growth in the education industry.

To achieve this strategic goal, the PE Act will provide for the powers to regulate the sector through an enhanced registration framework and a voluntary quality assurance certification scheme called EduTrust. In overseeing the regulation of the sector, the Council will undertake the roles of facilitating and promoting a better understanding of the private education sector for consumers as well as look into initiatives to help the industry grow and develop.

A Pro-tem Council has been formed to oversee the transition preparations to the new regulatory regime. The Pro-tem Council comprises experienced persons from the fields of education, quality assurance, business as well as economic agencies overseeing the promotion of the private education sector. The Pro-tem Council will be formally appointed as the Council for Private Education once the PE Act takes effect.

The new legislation will be enacted in the second half of the year allowing for the commencement of the new regulatory regime and the launch of the EduTrust scheme.

To find out more about MOE and our initiatives, visit our website at www.moe.gov.sg.