home budget debate

쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 2009 PAGE B12

MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS

Mr Heng asked about managing rela-

4 principles to help S’pore tions between foreigners and Singapore-

ans in the workplace and the community.
Dr Balakrishnan said Mr Heng hit the
nail on the head when he noted that “Sin-
gapore must remain an open city and an-
chor itself at the crossroads of talent,

stay open and cohesive

Vivian stresses need to
welcome global talent
and integrate them
BY SUE-ANN CHIA
SINGAPORE is finding ways to integrate
the growing pool of new immigrants
here, with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan listing
four “cardinal” principles to forge an
open and cohesive society.
The chairman of the newly formed Na-
tional Integration Council (NIC) said it
was important to remain open to global
talent and integrate newcomers – just as
Singapore’s forefathers did.
But one difference this time is that
new immigrants “are joining a club with
pre-existing members”. And while the
temptation in a recession is to close the
doors, Singapore cannot afford to do so.
Thus, in thinking about how to remain
open and cohesive, he suggested that four
principles be considered.
The first: Singapore is for Singapore-
ans. Citizenship has its privileges:
“All Singaporeans have a birthright:
Only Singaporeans have the right to vote,
and that is why a government’s sacred du-
ty is to safeguard the long-term interests
of Singaporeans...We cannot shield Singa-
poreans from competition, but we will
help Singaporeans get a head start, nur-
ture their full potential, and pick them up
when they stumble.”
He said even “potential recruits” want
to see that membership has privileges.
But putting Singaporeans first did not
mean shutting the doors, he said, outlin-
ing the second principle: staying open.
“The only way we will thrive is by pro-
viding high value-added services and
products to the world,” he said.
This requires talent.
“While I would like to think that our
marriage and procreation policies will
have an impact, the truth is that they will
probably not work quickly enough.”
Thus, the third principle is to integrate
all those who live and work in Singapore.
It must be done with an open mind and
an open heart. Integration was a
two-way street, he said, adding that even
as foreigners did their best to fit in, locals
must do their most to welcome them.
The last and most critical principle: up-
holding the Singapore system and ideals.
Citing a line in Singapore’s Pledge on
building a democratic society based on
justice and equality, he said: “A fair and
merit-based system is essential for our
children to fulfil their potential and to at-
tract the best people to be a part of Singa-
pore’s future.”
Dr Balakrishnan, who is Minister for
Community Development, Youth and
Sports, was responding to Mr Heng Chee
How (Jalan Besar GRC) during the debate
on his ministry’s budget yesterday.
ideas and commerce if Singaporeans are
to have good jobs and a good living”.
Calling to mind the fact that Singapore
was built by those who came from across
the globe, the minister said: “Without a
constant inflow of immigrants, we would
have remained a fishing village, or at best
a simple trading port. To avoid regressing
to that state, we must continue to remain
open to hard-working talent from around
the world.”
He said the NIC, announced last week,
will have four sub-committees focusing
on the community, school, media and
workplace. Each will devise ways to help
foreigners settle in and mingle with Singa-
poreans. For instance, the community
sub-committee will look to increase grass-
roots social events with the People’s Asso-
ciation providing $1 million for outreach
activities for new immigrants.
The NIC was formed amid rising for-
eigner numbers. Last year, 20,513 foreign-
ers became Singapore citizens and 79,167
took up permanent residency.
sueann@sph.com.sg

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Fast-track course for

kindergarten teachers
BY AMELIA TAN
A NEW fast-track course in kindergarten
education will be launched this year to at-
tract quality preschool teachers and raise
standards in the sector.
Targeted at mid-career entrants and
fresh graduates, the new course – which
starts in April – focuses on curriculum
knowledge and teaching methods. It can
be completed in about half the time of
most other full-time early childhood edu-
cation diploma courses at polytechnics.
Education Minister Ng Eng Hen an-
nounced plans for the course on Tuesday
during the debate on Budget estimates for
his ministry.
He said the Advanced Diploma for Kin-
dergarten Education-Teaching, devel-
oped by the Singapore Polytechnic, will
provide the “much-needed teachers to
raise the quality of preschool education”.
The introduction of the 10-month
course is in line with government efforts
in recent years to boost birth rates, in
part by making childcare centres and kin-
dergartens accessible, and improving the
quality of preschool education.
Last year, the Education Ministry an-
nounced that from this January, all new
preschool teachers must have at least five
O-level passes, including a credit in Eng-
lish, and a diploma in preschool educa-
tion teaching. The diploma must be ob-
tained within four years of joining the pre-
school sector.
From 2013, teachers of kindergarten 1
and 2 classes must have at least a pass in
O-level English or an English proficiency
test, and a diploma.
But two MPs – Mrs Josephine Teo (Bis-
han-Toa Payoh) and Dr Maliki Osman
(Sembawang GRC) – said yesterday that
much work still has to be done.
Mrs Teo noticed a “vast difference in
the scale and depth of efforts” in improv-
ing the primary education teaching force
as compared to preschool teachers.
“When can we do the same for early
childhood education?” she asked.
Dr Maliki said there was a “critical
need” for quality and trained personnel at
preschools and asked how the ministry
planned to achieve this.
Responding to their queries yesterday,
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Educa-
tion) Masagos Zulkifli said the ministry
will introduce a slew of initiatives to raise
the bar in preschool education.
Polytechnics, for one, will provide
more courses in early childhood educa-
tion. Aside from the new advanced diplo-
ma course, Ngee Ann Polytechnic will in-
troduce a new Diploma in Child Psycholo-
gy and Early Education in April, with a
planned intake of 80 students.
From April this year, 30 students en-
rolled in Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma
in Psychology Studies course can also spe-
cialise in early childhood education. The Education Minister Ng Eng Hen, who announced plans for the Advanced Diploma for Kindergarten Education-Teaching on Tuesday, said the 10-month
polytechnic will also launch a part-time course developed by the Singapore Polytechnic will provide the “much-needed teachers to raise the quality of preschool education”. ST FILE PHOTO
Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Edu-
cation Teaching course in November.
Subsidies will also be provided to en- 700-hour version of the course and developing a voluntary quality assurance dergartens will also have to meet criteria
courage people to take up these courses. $9,500 for the 900-hour version. and accreditation framework for kinder- in areas such as the qualifications of prin-
The Education Ministry hopes to at- The ministry will provide $4 million gartens. The programme will be piloted in cipals and teachers, educational pro-
tract about 100 people to enrol in the new worth of bursaries and scholarships each the first half of this year and the ministry grammes and physical premises.
advanced diploma course this year. year for kindergarten teachers’ diploma hopes to introduce it officially in 2011. Those failing to do so will be deregis-
Up to 90 per cent of the course fees and degree courses. To ensure minimum standards in the tered. So far, one kindergarten has been
will be subsidised. It costs $7,500 for the Mr Masagos said the ministry is also quality of early childhood education, kin- struck off the list.

Do more to help needy students: MPs Universities

BY JANE NG
DESPITE the enhancement of financial
help schemes outlined on Tuesday, sever-
al MPs said yesterday that more could
still be done to assist needy students.
The Education Ministry announced it
would increase financial and other assist-
ance schemes for students – including
providing free uniforms and higher bursa-
ry amounts.
But Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong,
one of those who spoke on financial help
yesterday, suggested the ministry relook
the eligibility criteria for the financial as-
sistance scheme to have one that is based
on per capita household income.
“The current criterion does not differ-
entiate between families with three chil-
dren, and families with six children and
two elderly, retired parents,” he said.
Another scheme to provide all schools
with a one-off $10,000 grant to help
needy students was welcomed by Mr
Siew. But he said that richer brand-name
schools with strong alumni networks
would probably not need this top-up.
The ministry should also channel more
money that can be used for discretionary
assistance to schools with little or no re-
serve funds. This is especially if the
schools have more needy students en-
rolled. He also suggested that the funding
be a recurrent, rather than a one-off, pay-
ment.
Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC), in wel-
coming the extra assistance, said she saw
a sizeable number of families seeking fi-
nancial assistance for their children at her
Meet-the-People sessions: “With the re-
cession expected to deepen further, even
the more than doubling of the budget
now for financial aid programmes may
prove inadequate.”
She said some needy students may get
proportionately more help than others,
while others could fall through the cracks
as there is no designated agency to act as
coordinator for the many help agencies.
She suggested that schools act as the
central coordinating body to identify stu-
dents and channel assistance. And if they
need more help, community organisa-
tions can then be approached.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Educa-
tion) Masagos Zulkifli said that with the
ministry spending $5.4 million to support
school-based financial aid schemes,
schools would have more flexibility and
be in a better position to decide on the eli-
gibility criteria and type of assistance:
“With items like uniforms now cov-
ered under the enhancements to the min-
istry’s financial assistance scheme,
schools can provide more discretionary as-
sistance to their students, for example,
meal and transport allowances.”
He also said the ministry would look at
how the one-time payout to schools is
spent and review the need to provide an
additional grant if required.
쏆
FLEXIBILITY FOR SCHOOLS
“With items like uniforms
now covered under the
enhancements to the
ministry’s financial
assistance scheme, schools
can provide more
discretionary assistance to
their students, for example,
meal and transport
allowances.”
Senior Parliamentary Secretary
(Education) Masagos Zulkifli
shouldn’t be
silos: Eng Hen
EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen wants students of
all universities in Singapore, including the fourth one
coming up in the East Coast area, to be able to take
courses across campuses.
It did not make sense for universities in a small
country like Singapore to act like silos, isolated from
one another, he said.
If students from one university could take courses
in another university, the tertiary institutions could
then develop their strengths, he indicated.
Replying to a question from Nominated MP Kalyani
Mehta, he said: “I’d like to see a crossing over where
students, even faculty, can take courses in different
campuses where there’s one stronger, the other not.”
Associate Professor Mehta, a lecturer at the Nation-
al University of Singapore, had asked if students at the
fourth university could enrol at the other three univer-
sities for courses not available at the new campus.
The new university, which will open in 2011, will
emphasise design, engineering, architecture and busi-

Tracking system to keep dropout rates low
A NEW computerised system to be introduced in
April will help teachers better identify and monitor
potential school dropouts.
It will allow teachers to access all the records on
the students and track them even as they move from
class to class or school to school.
The system will enable teachers to reach out early
to those in danger of dropping out, said the Educa-
tion Ministry’s Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Mr
Masagos Zulkifli.
“Through the system, teachers can also get a bet-
ter profile of at-risk students, so that they can fol-
low up in addressing the students’ learning and coun-
selling needs consistently,” he said.
Students at risk of dropping out typically display
such warning signs as high absenteeism rates, little
or no participation in school activities or pro-
grammes, and little interest in academic work.
Mr Masagos also told the House his ministry had
successfully reduced the rate of school dropouts to
1.5 per cent last year, which works out to about 500
to 600 students. Previously, the rate was 3.6 per
cent in 2002 and 5.3 per cent in 1997.
He was replying to Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC)
and Mrs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC).
Dr Khor suggested that schools rope in the com-
munity, either grassroots organisations or the MPs,
to help these children, who tend to be from dysfunc-
tional families that may have money problems.
“The grassroots might also be familiar with the
parents and are in a better position to persuade
them to take an interest in the child’s education,’’
she said.
Mrs Teo noted that youth who do not continue
their education beyond secondary school would add
to the 17,000 or so jobless Singaporeans under the
age of 30. Mr Masagos said 93 per cent of students
progress to post-secondary institutions such as the
Institute of Technical Education or polytechnics.
His ministry has financial aid schemes for poor
students and under a programme called Youth Link,
social workers would coax dropouts to return to
school. He urged more grassroots organisations to
pitch in by contacting schools directly.
JANE NG
ness, and on working with industry.
It will also take a cross-disciplinary approach,
which Dr Ng hoped would produce better thinkers and
leaders who are “more compassionate, more
well-rounded in their views”.
Dr Ng also gave an update on the progress of the
university’s partnership discussions.
He had met the presidents of two leading Chinese
universities last December, he said. Committees have
been formed to evaluate the proposal for a future
link-up with the Singapore university. The presidents
will also be coming to Singapore in the next few
months for further talks.
Dr Ng said: “It is a significant challenge to make
this work but, if done well, will benefit the institutions
and their students and faculty immensely.”
He did not indicate if there was similar progress in
talks with American universities which Singapore is
hoping to tie up with.
AMELIA TAN