KEEPING

TOGETHER
SINDA annual report 2009
content 03
...AS WE PROGRESS
This years theme of
Keeping Together builds
on the spirit of unity that
is at the heart of SINDA.
SINDA Annual Report 2009
MAXIMISING EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
SINDA IN 2009
NURTURING MORE
ENLIGHTENED FAMILIES
STRENGTHENING
PARTNERSHIPS,
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AND OUTREACH
Number of students who attended
SINDAs tuition programmes
5,618
Total number of Straits Times
School Pocket Money Fund, SINDA
and preschool bursaries disbursed
2,396
Total amount raised through
Project Give
More than
$600,000
The theme Keeping Together for SINDAs Annual Report 2009 builds on Coming Together which was the theme for the
SINDA Annual Report 2008. In the words of Henry Ford, Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
Keeping Together to us meant strengthening our partnerships with our donors, volunteers, partners and all well-
wishers so that we can progress together and help the Indian community better. We strongly believe that exponential
progress is only possible when we synergise and tap on one anothers strengths.
We are confident that the progress that has been made last year by Keeping Together will help us towards Working
Together in 2010.
SINDA Annual Report 2009
Number of students who enrolled
in STEP programme
Number of students who received
full or partial subsidies for
tuition programmes
3,139 1,645
Number of Project Give festive gift
packs distributed
1,200
Number of households SINDA
connections was distributed to
72,000
Number of families assisted
by the SINDA Family Service Centre
976
Number of enquiries received at
SINDAs Career Development and
Resource Centre
1,984
The theme Keeping Together for SINDAs Annual Report 2009 builds on Coming Together which was the theme for the
SINDA Annual Report 2008. In the words of Henry Ford, Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
Keeping Together to us meant strengthening our partnerships with our donors, volunteers, partners and all well-
wishers so that we can progress together and help the Indian community better. We strongly believe that exponential
progress is only possible when we synergise and tap on one anothers strengths.
We are confident that the progress that has been made last year by Keeping Together will help us towards Working
Together in 2010.
01 Contents
Vision
To build a strong and vibrant Singaporean
Indian community together
Mission
To build a well-educated, resilient and confident
community of Indians that stands together with
other communities in contributing to the progress
of multi-racial Singapore
Values
Respect, our culture
Integrity, our foundation
Service, our promise
Excellence, our pursuit
Contents
02 Presidents Message
06 Incoming CEOs Message
07 Outgoing CEOs Message
08 Board of Trustees
09 Executive Committee
10 2009 at a Glance
16 Maximising Educational Opportunities for All
24 Nurturing More Enlightened Families
38 Strengthening Partnerships,
Community Engagement and Outreach
46 Donors
48 Educational Indicators 2008
From left to right
SINDA Sta - Maria Albert, Sree Ganesh and Venugopal
SINDA Annual Report 2009
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Making a dierence to the Indian community
through education
Dear Friends,
2009 has been another year of change
and progress for SINDA.
In March 2009, Mr K Shanmugam,
Minister for Law and Second Minister
for Home Aairs handed over the
mantle as President of SINDAs
Executive Committee to me.
Mr Shanmugam was appointed
President, SINDA in March 2002. Under
his able stewardship, partnerships
with community organisations were
enhanced, our volunteer arm was
strengthened and programmes were
improved. He also successfully steered
SINDA through the 2003 nancial
downturn and ensured it remained
responsive to the needs of those
adversely aected by the crisis.
On behalf of all of us, I would like to
acknowledge Mr Shanmugam for the
leadership that he provided SINDA
during his tenure as President. I
am also very happy to report that
Mr Shanmugam will continue to
contribute to SINDA in his capacity as a
Life Trustee.
Leadership renewal also took place
in the oce of the Chief Executive
Ocer (CEO). Mr S Manogaran, who
was seconded from the Ministry of
Education (MOE) to SINDA in February
2007, returned to MOE in Dec 2009
after a stint of almost three years.
Under Mr Manogarans term, SINDA
has strengthened its systems
and procedures in its pursuit of
organisational excellence. He
recruited key sta to strengthen the
senior management and articulated
SINDAs three strategic thrusts
Maximising Educational Opportunities
for All, Nurturing More Enlightened
Families and Strengthening
Partnerships, Community
Engagement and Outreach.
He also initiated a strategic review
of SINDA which sought to Rethink,
03
Reposition and Redesign SINDA and
a Human Resources (HR) Review to
improve sta morale and reduce sta
turnover rate. And he reviewed all
of SINDAs existing programmes and
consolidated key ones that are aligned
with the strategic thrusts.
Mr Manogaran has been succeeded
by Mr T Raja Segar who is no stranger
to the community at large nor at
SINDA. He has served as Senior
Director and then Chief Operating
Oicer at SINDA since 2008. Mr
Raja is a career educationist who
has also done stints at distinctly
non-educational organisations like
Vasantham and MINDEF. His varied
work experience will serve him in
good stead as he seeks to build upon
the achievements of his predecessors
and bring SINDA to new heights of
excellence.
Notwithstanding the leadership
changes, SINDA continued to focus
resolutely on its mission and reached
out and helped students and families
aected by the nancial crisis in 2009.
I am happy to note that SINDAs
management responded quickly to the
crisis and came up with a Response
Plan to the Recession that covered
four key aspects Education, Family
Support, Employment and Outreach.
The response plan helped SINDAs
management sharpen its focus on
those particularly aected by the crisis
by ne tuning its programmes and
initiatives. SINDA also helped as many
families as possible to take advantage
of existing opportunities and the
slew of initiatives rolled out by the
government to help citizens cope with
the dicult times.
Education
Education has and will always be
SINDAs core focus. SINDAs goal is to
ensure that no child is deprived of an
education as a result of lack of funds.
Thus, during the recession, it was
more important than ever for us to
put measures in place to help more
students in their education. In 2009,
we revised the subsidy criteria for our
STEP and Project Teach programmes.
As a result, students from families with
per capita income of $450 and below
received full tuition subsidies while
students with per capita income of
more than $450 and less than $600
received partial subsidies. In 2009,
about 29% of our students received
partial or full tuition subsidies, up from
27% in 2008.
The STEP and Project Teach classes
were further enhanced in 2009 with
the introduction of Programme RISE
(Reading In Sync with Experience)
which seeks to improve the reading
ability of students reading below their
reading age. Maths Kits covering more
topics were also rolled out for Primary
1 to 4 students to make Maths lessons
more interesting and hands-on. More
than 5,600 students beneted from
SINDAs tuition programmes in 2009.
The Maths Challenge
In 1999, at the national level, 93.5%
of Indian students passed the PSLE
examinations while 65.5% obtained
at least 5 GCE O level passes. In 2008,
this improved to 95.5% and 73.0%
respectively. In 2008, 89.2% of Indian
students qualied for post-secondary
education compared to less than 40%
in 1991, when SINDA was established.
These results show that we are a step
closer to attaining SINDAs goal to have
A Graduate in Every Family.
While the improvement made by the
students is heartening, SINDA has
observed that the performance of
Indian students in Maths at landmark
examinations has stagnated over the
last decade. In 1999, the pass rate
of Indian students at PSLE and GCE
O level for Maths was 72.8% and
73.9% respectively. In 2008, we saw
only marginal improvement with
percentages at 72.9% and 77.6%.
Addressing the Maths challenge is a
key 2010 objective for SINDA. To tackle
this challenge, SINDA will work closely
with Tamil teachers and parents to
improve Indian students performance
in Maths at the landmark examinations.
SINDA believes that Tamil teachers,
who have regular contact with Indian
students, will be able to play a critical
role in identifying issues faced by
students with regards to Maths and
help them resolve these.
To launch this collaborative eort,
SINDA held a dialogue session with
Tamil teachers from schools all over
the island in September 2009 to
solicit their views on the educational
performance of Indian students.
SINDA also launched several new
Maths initiatives to help students.
These include the conduct of holiday
Maths classes during the June school
holidays for 268 Primary 6 STEP and
Project Teach students, the start of
intensive Maths classes at CCs and
selected schools to build confidence
in the subject and the conduct of
Presidents Message
SINDA Annual Report 2009
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE CONTINUED
a preschool workshop for parents
called P1-Starters that provided tips
on how to make Maths interesting
for their children.
Family Support
At the SINDA Family Service Centre, the
eligibility criteria for nancial assistance
was revised in 2009 to include families
with a per capita income of $450 and
below. Previously, the gross income for
eligibility for nancial assistance was
capped at $1,500 or $350 per capita
income. This way, more families could
be assisted.
To ease the nancial worries of students
from low income families and give
them the opportunity to focus on their
education, 2,080 bursaries (1,221 Straits
Times School Pocket Money Fund and
859 SINDA bursaries) worth more than
$1 million were disbursed in 2009. This
is an increase of almost 25% compared
to the 1,666 bursaries disbursed in
2008. SINDA also held its annual Back
to School Festival in December 2009
and disbursed 850 Back to School Kits
to students with the aim of preparing
them for the academic year in 2010.
More than 1,000 students and parents
attended the festival that included
workshops for parents on education,
parenting and nutrition.
Another key feature of the festival
was the Indian Community Bursary
Awards Ceremony which saw SINDA,
together with the Singapore Indian
Education Trust (SIET) and the
Tamils Representative Council (TRC)
disbursing 80 bursaries. To keep
up with the changing needs of the
community, SINDA will disburse
some 2,000 bursaries (Straits Times
School Pocket Money Fund and
SINDA bursaries) worth about $1.5
million in 2010. It has also revised its
bursary quantum for 2010 to match
the quantum provided by the Straits
Times School Pocket Money Fund and
increased the quantum for students
from junior colleges.
Through partnership with Narpani
Pearavai (Peoples Association Indian
Activity Executive Committees
Council), about 2,000 SINDA
beneciaries participated in two
Family Day events held at Downtown
East in April and Jurong Bird Park in
November. These events served as
good platforms for families to bond
and have fun together.
SINDA also introduced a new
programme, Project Athena, for single
mothers to empower them to better
manage their lives and help them build
stronger bonds with their children.
Employment and Skills Upgrading
In 2009, SINDAs Career Development
and Resource Centre (CDRC) saw 1,984
job seekers coming forward for training
and employment assistance. In all, 1,375
referrals were made for employment
placement, of which 236 translated
to successful job placements. 1,044
referrals were made to other agencies
for training assistance.
In July 2009, SINDA also collaborated
with the other Self-Help Groups
(SHGs) and the Association of Muslim
Professionals (AMP) to jointly organise
a job fair. About 950 people turned up
at the job fair which oered more than
700 job placement opportunities.
Other employment outreach events
included two SINDA-IAEC (Narpani)
Training and Career Roadshows that
were held at Marsiling Community
Centre and Onepeople.sg at Toa Payoh.
A total of more than 1,000 job seekers
benefited from the roadshows.
Strengthening Partnerships and
Community Engagement
It was through strategic partnerships
with like-minded organisations, donors
and volunteers that SINDA was able to
raise more funds and help more people
in 2009.
In February 2009, SINDA and Narpani
Pearavai signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) to establish
a strategic partnership and reach
out to the Indian community.
Narpani has a wide and established
grassroots network that can reach
out to Singapore Indians while SINDA
has the services, resources and
programmes that will benet the Indian
community. Through this MOU, the two
organisations synergised and leveraged
on each others strengths to benet
the Indian community. The two career
roadshows mentioned earlier, were the
result of this MOU signing.
Over the past year, SINDA made use of
targeted outreach methods to reach
our audience. SINDA held several
dialogue and networking sessions with
Indian, religious and sub-ethnic groups
to create awareness about SINDAs
programmes and services and explore
ways to work together to reach out to
the community.
Talks and roadshows at schools,
religious organisations and grassroots
organisations were also held. During
these talks, emphasis was placed on
05 Presidents Message
the importance of a good foundation
in education and the need for parents
to play an active role in their childrens
education. For families who required
assistance, SINDA ocers followed
up by helping them in various areas
including distribution of bursaries, skills
upgrading and legal counselling.
SINDA also continued to reach out
to the masses through our television
and radio programmes, newsletter
and website. SINDA connections, our
newsletter was mailed out to more
than 70,000 households which had
members contributing to the SINDA
Fund. The SINDA website has also been
enhanced and redesigned and boasts
several new features. We continued
to use new media platforms such as
YouTube and Facebook to enhance our
outreach eorts.
Project Give
In 2009, as part of Project Give, the
annual fund-raising event to raise
funds for bursaries and festive gift
packs for low income families, 1,200
festive gift packs were distributed.
This is a 20% increase from the 1,000
hampers that were distributed in 2008.
Volunteers helped distribute these gift
packs during Hari Raya Puasa,
Deepavali and Christmas.
Project Give 2009 saw several rsts. In
addition to the traditional modes of
fund-raising, new methods were also
introduced. Besides donating through
donation boxes and the SINDA
website, contributions could also be
made through 630 AXS machines
located islandwide and a 1800-number.
Also, for the rst time, SINDA and
Vasantham jointly organised the
successful Project Give Charity Show
2009 -Kai Kodupom. The show was a
new initiative by SINDA to reach out to
more from the community and
encourage them to donate towards
needy Indian students.
As a result of all these initiatives, more
than $600,000 was collected for Project
Give 2009. This is more than double the
amount collected in 2008.
Leveraging On National Resources
I am happy to report that SINDAs
management has consciously focussed
on leveraging on national resources
during the recession, to build up
SINDAs operational capability so that it
is better placed to develop and deliver
quality programmes and services.
SINDA has taken advantage of various
funding initiatives oered by the
National Council of Social Service, the
Singapore Workforce Development
Agency and government to achieve
cost savings and cost avoidance of
almost $500,000.
Conclusion
2009 has been a successful year for
SINDA. The Annual General Meeting
(AGM) held in March saw the renewal
of the SINDA Executive Committee.
I would like to thank our Board of
Trustees and Executive Committee
members for their service to the
community and to SINDA.
I would also like to thank our
volunteers who continue to allow us to
punch above our weight through their
tremendous support and commitment
in executing our volunteer
driven programmes. A Volunteer
Development Council was set up in
May this year to serve as a council
for volunteers run by volunteers.
I believe this is an important step
towards fostering a greater sense of
belonging and ownership amongst our
volunteers with respect to SINDA and
our programmes.
2010 has begun on a brighter note
than last year. I am condent that all
of us have learnt valuable lessons
from the nancial crisis and have
emerged stronger from it. There is
room for optimism that together
as a community, we can improve
and grow stronger and be able to
better contribute to the progress of
Singapore together with the other
races. I look forward to a challenging,
exciting and fullling year ahead for
SINDA and our community.
Dr Balaji Sadasivan
President, SINDA
SINDA Annual Report 2009
INCOMING CEOS MESSAGE
The year 2009 was a nancially dicult one for the world
and Singapore was not spared in the downturn. Many lost
jobs and many others had to take home less pay. But, this
is where SINDA came alive to extend its services where
it mattered most. We were ready to help those aected
in many ways. In a structured manner, we enhanced and
rolled out educational, nancial, career and social assistance
programmes and schemes. Above all, we played a key
role in being the agency that helped the aected Indian
community to understand and use the national schemes
that were available to weather the economic storm.
I took over as CEO in December 2009 from Mr S Manogaran.
He had refocussed on key areas for which SINDA was set-up,
namely, education and family support. In addition, he also
spent his time in enhancing collaboration with agencies that
work with SINDA such as the Ministry of Education (MOE),
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
(MCYS), National Council of Social Service (NCSS), Narpani
Pearavai, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (SICCI) and Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET).
The STEP programme was infused with curriculum materials,
teaching tools and standardised tests that teachers can
use to gauge the abilities of students. For the students,
target-setting books, learning tools and STEP t-shirts were
introduced. These have improved the performance of the
students at the STEP Centres.
I intend to further enhance the education programmes
that SINDA runs to tackle the persistent underperformance
in Maths and Science at landmark examinations. I will also
be building bridges with other organisation as I sincerely
believe that SINDA cannot solve this problem alone.
Apart from organisations, I am seeking the assistance of
individuals such as parents, teachers, family members,
relatives and all who come in contact with students to
emphasise the importance of performing well in school.
The aim is to reinforce that a good education is the best
investment, with the best returns. No other investment will
be able to match that.
I am looking forward to a good 2010 and hoping that we
will be saying goodbye to the year having achieved what
we had set out to do with our Indian students performing
better, families more enlightened and Indian organisations
working closer together in creating a more successful
Indian community.
Mr T Raja Segar
CEO, SINDA
07 Incoming and Outgoing CEOs Messages
OUTGOING CEOS MESSAGE
It has been a distinct honour and privilege to serve the
community through SINDA. As a result of my almost
3-year stint in SINDA, I have a better understanding and
appreciation of the needs and challenges faced by the less
fortunate in Singapore.
I am glad that, by remaining true to our mission of uplifting
the community through education, SINDA has succeeded in
helping thousands more students and their families secure
their future through aordable but eective education
programmes. Through constant evaluation and review of
our programmes and operations, existing programmes have
either been enhanced or removed while new initiatives were
introduced to meet the needs of our young learners, youths
and families. I strongly believe that investing in education
is a sound approach as education is a great social leveler. It
is heartening that many families have responded to SINDAs
call for action and have taken advantage of all the schemes
available from education bursaries, tuition programmes,
skills upgrading and youth mentorships.
It was clear to me, from the beginning, that the communitys
challenges cannot be shouldered by SINDA alone. Over the
past 3 years, with the support of the Board of Trustees and the
Executive Committee, SINDA has strengthened its relationship
with government and media agencies, community and
grassroots leaders, volunteers, our benefactors and
beneciaries. All these eorts have helped SINDA reposition
itself as a catalyst for change in the community.
I came to SINDA with no baggage except to do whats best
and necessary for the community and the organisation.
I leave behind a very inspired and strong team of leaders
and ocers, led by Mr T Raja Segar who has enormous
knowledge and experience. I am condent, with the
guidance of the Board of Trustees and the Executive
Committee, SINDA will continue to reinvent itself to remain
relevant to the community and the country.
Mr S Manogaran
Ex-CEO, SINDA
SINDA Annual Report 2009
PATRON
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Professor S Jayakumar
Mr S Dhanabalan
Mr S Chandra Das
Mr J Y Pillay
Mr Sat Pal Khattar
CHAIRMAN & LIFE TRUSTEE
LIFE TRUSTEES
TERM TRUSTEES
Mr K Shanmugam
Dr N Varaprasad
Mr R Sinnakaruppan
Mr Bobby Chin Yoke Choong
Mr M Rajaram
Mr Deepak Sharma
Mr Haider M Sithawalla
Mr Ravi Menon
Mr Inderjit Singh
Mr V Shankar
ADVISORS
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan
Mr S Iswaran
Ms Indranee T Rajah
Mr Hri Kumar Nair
09 Board of Trustees and Executive Committee
MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Dr Balaji Sadasivan
Mr Shabbir Hassanbhai
Mr Viswa Sadasivan
Mr R Subramaniam Iyer
President
Secretary
Vice-President
Treasurer
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Mr R Rajaram
Mr V P Jothi
Mr Predeep K Menon
Mr P Thirunal Karasu
Mr Aaron Maniam
Mr Naseer Ghani
Mr Puvan Ariaratnam
RESOURCE PANEL MEMBERS
Dr Sivasankaran Subramaniam
Mr Mohamed Abdul Jaleel
Ms Sabanitha Shanmugasundram
Mr P B Desai
Mr Sajen G Aswani
Mr K V Rao
Ms M Nirmala
Mr Sarjit Singh
Dr Sudha Nair
Dr Joshua V M Kuma
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
20
SINDA Annual Report 2009
2009 AT A GLANCE
Working with the community
to achieve our mission
FEB MAR
02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
SINDA-ITE Roadshow
The inaugural SINDA-ITE Roadshow, held on 13 February
2009 for rst-year ITE students, aimed to encourage students
to complete and excel in their ITE courses.
The event which was hosted by Mr Vadivazhagan PVSS,
a popular Vasantham host, was well received by the ITE
students. About 300 students attended and provided
positive feedback on the event. Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior
Minister of State for Foreign Aairs graced the event as the
Guest-of-Honour.
SINDA-Narpani Engagement Forum 2009
SINDA and Narpani Pearavai (Peoples Association
Indian Activity Executive Committees Council), signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a
strategic partnership and reach out to the Indian community.
Change in Leadership
Dr Balaji Sadasivan took over from Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs as the President
of SINDAs Executive Committee. Accompanying them are Mr Viswa Sadasivan (far right), Vice-President, SINDA and Mr Shabbir
Hassanbhai (far left), Secretary, SINDA.
28
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27
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13
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09
11
APR APR MAY
22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18
Launch of Vettriyin Natham
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance and Chairman, SINDA, launched Vettriyin Natham,
the Tamil version of Symphony of Triumphs (SOT). SOT, an English publication launched in 2007, is a
compilation of stories of 20 SINDA beneficiaries.
Vettriyin Natham, the result of a collaborative eort between SINDA and the Tamil Language Learning and
Promotion Committee, Ministry of Education, will serve as a resource material for the teaching of Tamil in
schools and as a motivational tool for Indian students.
Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS)
SINDAs second DSS featured Mr S Dhanabalan, Chairman
of Temasek Holdings and Life Trustee of SINDA, who spoke
on Its a World of Possibilities Lessons Learnt, Values
Lived. More than 300 students and young professionals
attended the DSS.
SINDA-IAEC (Narpani) Training and Career Roadshow
SINDA and Northwest District PAIAECs, with the support of
the Narpani Pearavai jointly organised a Training and Career
Roadshow at Marsiling CC. The roadshow was attended by
more than 600 jobseekers.
05
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02
nd
16
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2009 at a Glance
20
SINDA Annual Report 2009
JUN JULY
02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
SINDA Open House
A SINDA Open House was held at Shuqun Primary School
to create awareness about SINDAs programmes and
services and national assistance schemes. During the
event, Guest-of-Honour Dr Amy Khor, Mayor, Southwest
District and Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of
Environment and Water Resources, launched SINDA &
Beyond A Handbook of Assistance Schemes, a SINDA
information card and a fridge magnet.
Volunteers Appreciation Tea (VAT) and Launch of Volunteer Development Council (VDC)
SINDAs VDC, a council for volunteers run by volunteers, was officially launched at the VAT held to recognise ad hoc
volunteers. In line with the launch, a newly designed Volunteer Kit comprising a file with the revamped Volunteer Logo
and a Volunteer Handbook was unveiled.
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Self-Help Groups (SHGs) Joint Tuition Awards (JTA)
The four SHGs jointly organised the sixth annual SHG JTA
ceremony to recognise students enrolled in the SHG tuition
programmes for making significant improvements at the
PSLE, GCE N and O Level examinations. A total of 118 Indian
students received awards at the ceremony.
11
th
2009 AT A GLANCE CONTINUED
09
13
APR AUG
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
SEPT
SHGs Joint Job Fair
The four SHGs together with the
Association of Muslim Professionals
(AMP) jointly organised a job fair to
pool resources and help unemployed
Singaporeans who approached them to
nd jobs during the economic downturn.
About 950 people turned up at the job
fair which oered more than 700 job
placement opportunities.
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Joint SHGs National Day Celebrations 2009
For the first time, the four SHGs sta, volunteers and beneciaries came together to
celebrate the nations birthday at the Eurasian House. Highlights of the celebrations
included the recitation of the Singapore pledge in the four ocial languages and the
unveiling of the commemorative artworks of the four SHGs entitled Celebrating Cohesive
Diversity. The artwork of each SHG drew inspiration from the uniqueness of the respective
ethnic community.
02 04 06
2009 at a Glance
20
SINDA Annual Report 2009
SEPT OCT
02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
President Nathans Visit
to SINDA
His Excellency President
S R Nathan visited SINDA to
launch new initiatives for Project
Read, a volunteer driven reading
programme for children aged
four to eight. During the visit, he
watched performances by Project
Read beneciaries and penned
his thoughts about SINDAs
volunteer programmes on the
Wall of Reections.
14
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SINDA Excellence Awards (SEA)
SINDA held the annual SEA ceremony
to recognise students for excellence in
academic as well as non-academic areas of
sports and the arts. Award recipients from
the academic category ranged from PSLE
to degree holders while those from the
non-academic category included students
from the Singapore Sports School, LASALLE
College of the Arts and students who had
obtained the Singapore Schools Sports
Council (SSSC) National Colours Awards
or represented Singapore in a national
sporting event while studying in a local
tertiary institution. 385 students received
awards at the ceremony.
03
rd
2009 AT A GLANCE CONTINUED
09
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NOV APR DEC
22 24 26 28 30 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
P1-STARTERS
SINDA and Cheng San CC Indian
Activity Executive Committee (IAEC)
jointly organised P1-Starters, an
informative preschool workshop
to provide parents with tips on
helping their children transit from
Kindergarten 2 to Primary 1. The 1.5
hour workshop was conducted by
LogicMills, a Ministry of Education
registered school. More than 60
parents and 30 children beneted
from the programme.
Project Give Charity Show 2009 Kai Kodupom
SINDA and Vasantham joined hands to organise the Project Give Live charity show
Kai Koduppom in November 2009. The show is a new initiative by SINDA to reach
out to more from the community and encourage them to donate towards helping
needy Indian students.
02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16
21
th
29
th
Indian Community Bursary Awards
Ceremony (ICBAC) and Back to
School Festival (BTSF)
SINDA held its annual ICBAC and BTSF on
5 December 2009. Professor S Jayakumar,
Senior Minister and Co-ordinating
Minister for National Security and Life
Trustee, SINDA, graced the event as the
Guest-of-Honour. During the ICBAC,
held in collaboration with the Singapore
Indian Education Trust (SIET) and Tamils
Representative Council (TRC), 80 bursaries
were given out.
As part of the BTSF, 850 Back to School
Kits were distributed to needy students
to prepare them for the school year
ahead. During the festival, workshops
on education, parenting and health and
nutrition were also held for parents and
students. More than 1,000 parents and
students attended the event.
05
th
2009 at a Glance
SINDA Annual Report 2009
From the STEP classes I attended
in primary school to the bursary I
received in junior college, SINDA
has been there for me through my
academic years. I am thankful to
SINDA for encouraging me to realise
my full potential and would now like
to play my part for the community
by volunteering.
Mohd Aln, ex-STEP student and SINDA
beneciary, now a volunteer
Maximising Educational
Opportunities For All
content 17
My STEP tutors from Chua Chu Kang
STEP centre were very committed. They
helped us identify our weak areas and
improve. I am very thankful to them for
where I am today.
Angel Vaishilee, ex-STEP student
SINDA Annual Report 2009
MAXIMISING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
Improving academic performance
Tuition Schemes
SINDAs mandate is education. In line with this, SINDA oers
a wide range of tuition programmes at aordable rates. Over
the years, these programmes have proven to be eective in
helping students achieve substantial results.
Tuition enrollment in SINDAs academic and enrichment
programmes has more than doubled over the past
decade. In 2009, a total of 5,618 students beneted from
the programmes. Of these, about 29% or 1,645 students
received full or partial subsidies.
SINDA Tutorials for Enhanced Performance (STEP)
STEP is a holistic tuition programme designed to help
primary and secondary school students perform better
in English, Maths and Science. Several students have
attributed their academic improvements to STEP since the
programmes launch in 1992.
Highly subsidised fees and the location of 22 STEP
Centres (in 2009) islandwide made STEP an accessible and
aordable choice for many Indian families.
In 2009, a total of 3,139 students beneted from STEP.
Of these students, 1,226 received partial or full subsidies.
Muhammad Irfan, STEP student
In 2009, a total of 5,618 students benefited
from SINDAs tuition programmes. Of these,
about 29% or 1,645 students received full or
partial subsidies.
19 Maximising Educational Opportunities for All
The STEP tutors were so kind and approachable. I was
really happy when I made a big improvement in my
Maths test - from 59.5 to 71 marks!
Muhammad Irfan, STEP student
Key features of STEP include:
- Six hours of tuition per week from January to October
- Small class slzes of between l2 and l5 students,
which allows tutors to provide individualised attention
to students
- MOL-tralned or hlghly qualled teachers
- Pegular class tests and centre-level examlnatlons
- Provlslon of currlculum materlals or assessment books
Household Income - STEP Students
644
20.5% 24.6% 19.9% 15.2% 19.8%
773 625 477 620
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500
Above $2500
Number
of Households
3,139
Muhammad Abul Barakaath, 2009 Self-Help Groups Joint Tuition
Award recipient for PSLE category
SINDA Annual Report 2009 SINDA Annual Report 2009
From left to right
Mohd Faizal and Mohd Imran, ex-Project Teach students
IMPACT OF STEP
ACADEMIC PROFILE OF YEAR 2008 STUDENTS BEFORE JOINING STEP ACADEMIC PROFILE OF YEAR 2008 STUDENTS AFTER JOINING STEP
English
41.1% scored a B grade or better
19.6% failed
Maths
19.7% scored a B grade or better
61.1% failed
Science
30.8% scored a B grade or better
48.1% failed
Maths
20.0% scored a B grade or better
68.6% failed
Science
7.1% scored a B grade or better
78.6% failed
English
62.6% scored a B grade or better
3.7% failed
Maths
35.8% scored a B grade or better
38.9% failed
Science
36.5% scored a B grade or better
20.4% failed
Maths
48.6% scored a B grade or better
28.6% failed
Science
35.7% scored a B grade or better
57.1% failed
P
S
L
E
G
C
E

L
E
V
E
L
2009 STEP CENTRES
Bowen Secondary School
Bukit View Primary School
Chua Chu Kang Secondary School
Clementi Primary School
East View Secondary School
Farrer Park Primary School
First Toa Payoh Primary School
Henderson Secondary School
Jing Shan Primary School
Jurong West Secondary School
Marsiling Primary School
Mayflower Secondary School
North View Secondary School
Pasir Ris Primary School
Ping Yi Secondary School
Pioneer Secondary School
Sembawang Secondary School
Seng Kang Secondary School
Shuqun Primary School
Unity Secondary School
Yishun Primary School
Woodlands Ring Primary School
21
Project Teach
Project Teach, a school-based programme that was started
in 2001, targets primary school students who score
below average grades in English, Maths and Science. The
programme is conducted either before or after school hours
by specially trained paid facilitators.
With a tutor-to-pupil ratio of 1:7, facilitators are able to
provide students with individualised attention.
The programme places special emphasis on motivating
students to perform better. Parents are also actively
engaged through workshops to equip them with essential
skills to help their child succeed.
Household Income - Project Teach Students
180
17.2% 24.8% 25.7% 10.7% 21.6%
260 270 112 226
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500
Above $2500
Project Teach was conducted in 49 schools in 2009.
1,048 students benefited from the programme. Of these,
34% or 357 students were given full or partial subsidies.
Number
of Cases
1,048
Maximising Educational Opportunities for All
Mohammed Faizal, ex-Project Teach student
My Maths grades have improved. My Bs in Primary 4
are now As. Thanks Ms Chandra!
SINDA Annual Report 2009
New Initiatives for STEP and Project Teach
Programme RISE
Programme RISE (Reading In Sync with Experience) was
introduced in April 2009 to address the poor command of
English language amongst several lower primary students
attending STEP and Project Teach classes.
In 2009, a total of 364 students beneted from Programme RISE.
Maths Classes During the Holidays
Intensive Maths classes for Primary 6 STEP and Project Teach
students were introduced in June 2009. These classes served
to instil condence in the students and provide them with
extra coaching to prepare them for their PSLE examinations.
268 students beneted from these classes that were
conducted in STEP centres and Project Teach schools.
Maths Kit
Maths Kits were rst introduced in 2008. In 2009, kits for
the following levels were rolled out to motivate and help
students grasp key Maths concepts.
- Prlmary l & 2 - Practlons, Length, Money and Capaclty
- Prlmary 3 - Money
- Prlmary 4 - Data Analysls
In 2009, about 2,100 students made use of the kits.
Intensive Maths Programme
In 2009, SINDA embarked on a pilot project to oer
intensive Maths tuition for students preparing for landmark
examinations. Radin Mas CC Indian Activity Executive
Committee (IAEC) and Yishun Secondary School partnered
SINDA to oer the programme to PSLE and O level students
respectively. A total of 23 students beneted from this pilot
programme in 2009.
SINDA Annual Report 2009
2009 PROJECT TEACH SCHOOLS
Anderson Primary
Ang Mo Kio Primary
Bendemeer Primary
Blangah Rise Primary
Boon Lay Garden Primary
Bukit Panjang Primary
Canossa Convent Primary
CHIJ (Katong) Primary
CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel
CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity
Chongfu Primary
Chua Chu Kang Primary
Compassvale Primary
Concord Primary
Edgeeld Primary
Evergreen Primary
Farrer Park Primary
First Toa Payoh Primary
Greenridge Primary
Greenwood Primary
Haig Girls School
Huamin Primary
Jiemin Primary
Lakeside Primary
Lianhua Primary
Marsiling Primary
Marymount Convent
Meridian Primary
Montfort Junior
New Town Primary
Ngee Ann Primary
North View Primary
Opera Estate Primary
Pasir Ris Primary
Pei Tong Primary
Pioneer Primary
Sembawang Primary
Shuqun Primary
Si Ling Primary
Stamford Primary
Tanjong Katong Primary
Teck Ghee Primary
West Grove Primary
White Sands Primary
Woodlands Ring Primary
Xingnan Primary
Xishan Primary
Yew Tee Primary
Yishun Primary
23
A total of 65 students enrolled in
the tuition programme. Students
who were not able to aord the fees
were given subsidies based on their
household income.
Holiday Programmes
During the June and November
school holidays, SINDA organised
both academic and non-academic
programmes for Indian students.
345 students beneted from these
holiday programmes in 2009. Of these,
18% or 62 students were given full
or partial subsidies.
For the academic programmes
conducted in June, emphasis was
placed on developing examination
skills necessary for landmark
examinations such as PSLE and GCE O
level. Trained teachers were engaged
to impart knowledge on key
approaches and to hone students skills
in Maths and Science. A total of 174
students beneted from the June
holiday programmes.
A total of 171 students beneted from
the November holiday programmes
which placed emphasis on
experiential learning.
Scholarships
SINDA, in partnership with reputable
organisations and institutions, oers
a range of scholarships to encourage
individuals to pursue higher studies
and acquire skills. In 2009, SINDA
partnered three organisations to
jointly award seven scholarships for
certicate, diploma, advanced diploma
and undergraduate studies.
The institutions are:
Singapore International Airlines (SIA)
Management Development Institute
of Singapore (MDIS)
Singapore Institute of Materials
Management (SIMM)
In 2009, SINDA, together with Mr Ng
Siak Heng, introduced the Ng Lao Chik-
SINDA Secondary Study (NLC SSS)
Awards. Mr Ng donated $5,000 towards
this new study awards scheme.
The study awards were introduced for
deserving Indian students studying in
mainstream secondary schools, who
are doing well in education as well as
in a sport or art. Seven students were
awarded the NLC SSS awards.
In 2009, SINDA together with the
Singapore Indian Chamber of
Commerce & Industry (SICCI) partnered
Nanyang Technological University
(NTU) to award scholarships to
Engineering and Business students for
their Global Immersion Programme
(GIP). The scholarship was awarded
to one Indian student for a 25-week
internship and study programme in
Pune, India.
Collaborative Tuition
Programme (CTP)
To make tuition centres more accessible
to students, the four national Self-Help
Groups the Chinese Development
Assistance Council, Eurasian
Association, SINDA and Yayasan
Mendaki run CTP centres islandwide.
These centres, numbering 65, cater to
students of all ethnic groups. In 2009,
about 259 Indian students benefited
from this joint eort.
STU-STAR Programme
The Singapore Teachers Union (STU)
conducts the Special Tutorial and
Revision (STAR) programme for
students from Primary 4 to Primary 6.
The 17 centres located islandwide oer
English, Maths and Science classes.
SINDA provides subsidies of up to 50%
of the total tuition fees for students
enrolled in this programme. In 2009,
a total of 107 students beneted from
this programme.
NUSTLS A Level Tuition Programme
The A Level Tuition Programme,
Saadhana, is a non-prot project run
by the National University of Singapore
Tamil Language Society (NUSTLS). The
programme aims to provide quality
tuition for all core GCE A level subjects
at aordable rates.
SINDA, Singapore Indian Education
Trust (SIET) and Narpani Pearavai
(Peoples Association Indian Activity
Executive Committees Council)
support this project annually. In 2009,
the tuition sessions were conducted
from May to October at Yio Chu Kang
Secondary School.
Maximising Educational Opportunities for All
SINDA Annual Report 2009
Nurturing More
Enlightened Families
As the head of a single-income family, my salary as a taxi
driver is sometimes not enough to provide my children with
all their education-related needs. SINDA stepped in to help
by providing bursaries for my two children. This has helped
my children focus on their studies without worrying about
nances. And as a result, their grades have improved. As a
parent, I am happy with their newfound condence. I am
also glad that SINDA matched my family with the Home
Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme by MCYS. I am
grateful to SINDA for making a dierence in my familys life.
Mr A J Aziz, SINDA beneficiary
Mr and Mrs A J Aziz and family
content 25
SINDA Annual Report 2009
SINDA Family Service Centre (FSC)
The SINDA FSC has a team of professionals to provide
social work and counselling services to those experiencing
personal, work, marital and family related diculties. The
ocers assess problems, conduct home visits, and provide
help where needed.
Families and individuals are also welcome to contact
the SINDA FSC if they require information or assistance
regarding national schemes. Referrals to appropriate
agencies are made when and where necessary.
The SINDA FSC handled a total of 976 cases in 2009.
Of these cases, 66% involved female clients, and 34%
involved male clients.
NURTURING MORE ENLIGHTENED FAMILIES
Helping families achieve personal
and financial well-being
Household Income - SINDA FSC Clients
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
700
71.7% 14.2% 8.1%
2.1%
3.9%
139 79
20
38
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
$2,501 and above*
Number
of Cases
976
EDUCATION LEVEL NO. OF CASES %
No formal education 183 18.8
Primary 273 28.0
Secondary 411 42.1
Post-Secondary 100 10.2
University 9 0.9
Total 976 100
PROBLEMS PRESENTED NO. OF CASES %
Financial 822 84.2
Shelter 50 5.1
Family 36 3.7
Youth 31 3.2
Employment 29 3.0
Interpersonal 3 0.3
Marital 3 0.3
Elderly 1 0.1
Mental 1 0.1
Total 976 100
More than 85% of the SINDA FSC
clients had a total household
income of $1,500 and below. Only
about 11% of them had post-
secondary education.
27 Nurturing More Enlightened Families
SINDA Bursary and
Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (SPMF)
SINDA provides bursaries and SPMF to students from low
income families who are enrolled in government schools/
educational institutions and independent schools, for levels
ranging from primary to pre-university. These bursaries
complement the other nancial assistance schemes that are
already available to low income families, such as the
Ministry of Education Financial Assistance Scheme and
school bursaries.
Recipients of the SINDA bursary and SPMF benet from
free tuition at our STEP classes. Case ocers also assess if
the family of the bursary recipients require other assistance
such as Neu PC, nancial assistance and job placement or
job upgrading.
In 2009, SINDA disbursed 1,221 SPMF worth $687,395 and
859 SINDA bursaries worth $323,330.
SINDA FSC Case Worker Marie Vickirama (centre) conducting a counselling session
In 2009, SINDA disbursed 1,221
SPMF and 859 SINDA bursaries.
Number
of Cases
859
Household Income - SINDA Bursary Recipients
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
$2,501 and above*
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
355
41.3% 30.2% 19.9%
5.8%
259
50
24
2.8%
Household Income - SPMF Recipients
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
$2,501 and above*
Number
of Cases
1,221
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
447
36.6% 34.5% 21.0%
6.9%
422 256 84 12
1.0%
171
SINDA Annual Report 2009
Before and After School Care (BASC) Subsidy
SINDA provides nancial assistance to parents who enrol
their children in BASC centres. The BASC subsidy, provided
to low income families with children aged seven to 14, is in
addition to the subsidies provided by MCYS, Community
Development Councils and student care centres. The
children have to be enrolled in a non-prot student care
centre to be eligible.
In 2009, 117 children beneted from the BASC subsidy
amounting to more than $50,000.
Household Income - Preschool Bursary Recipients
142
44.9% 29.4% 18.4% 3.2%
4.1%
93 58 10 13
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
$2,501 and above*
Number
of Cases
316
Preschool Bursary
SINDA disburses preschool bursaries to help Indian children
from low income families strengthen their foundation in
basic learning skills before entering Primary 1.
This bursary is in addition to the subsidies provided by the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
(MCYS) and Centre Based Financial Assistance Scheme
(CFAC) for children who are enrolled in childcare centres.
Low income families with children aged 18 months to six
years enrolled in a non-profit childcare centre are
eligible for the preschool bursary. To qualify, the
mothers have to be willing to seek employment to
supplement the family income.
In 2009, SINDA disbursed 316 preschool bursaries worth
more than $110,000.
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
29 Nurturing More Enlightened Families
Household Income - BASC Recipients
58
49.6% 33.3% 14.5%
39 17 3
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
Number
of Cases
117
Neu PC Programme
SINDA has collaborated with the Infocomm Development
Authority of Singapore (IDA) since 1998 to help Indian
students and their families own personal computers that
come bundled with an aordable Internet connection
plan. SINDAs aim is to provide a computer for every low
income Indian family.
The families who benet through this programme are
encouraged to attend basic IT training to ensure that the
whole family becomes IT literate.
A boy at the SINDA Neu PC booth during the SINDA Open House held on 23 May 2009
In 2009, 150 families beneted from the programme. Since
the start of the programme, 3,950 new PCs have been
placed in homes.
Legal Clinic
Volunteer lawyers oer free legal advice to low income
Indian families at the Legal Clinic. During these sessions
held once every month at SINDA, the lawyers explain legal
procedures and terms.
In 2009, 24 families attended the Legal Clinic.
Household Income - Neu PC Programme Beneficiaries
80
53.3% 25.3% 12.7% 8.7%
38 19 13
$1,000 and below
$1,001 $1,500
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
Number
of Cases
150
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size * Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
2.6%
SINDA Annual Report 2009
FAMILY & YOUTH PROGRAMMES
Project Victory (PV) and Senior Victory (SV)
PV and SV are school-based motivational programmes for
Indian students from Primary 4 to Primary 6 and secondary
levels and ITE respectively. The values-based programmes
provide these students with the guidance to bring out
leadership qualities and encourage the practice of positive
life skills. Through planned and structured activities,
experienced and trained facilitators guide these students
and help them redirect their focus toward education.

Equipping families and youths with skills
2009 PROJECT VICTORY CENTRES 2009 SENIOR VICTORY CENTRES
CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel
Jiemin Primary School
Jing Shan Primary School
Jurong Primary School
Xingnan Primary School
Zhonghua Primary School
Bukit View STEP centre
Woodlands Ring STEP Centre
Deyi Secondary School
East View Secondary School
Ping Yi Secondary School
Riverside Secondary School
Yishun Secondary School
Yuan Ching Secondary School
Yuhua Secondary School
PV and SV aim to increase self-esteem, enhance values
and address issues such as anger management and
conict resolution.
The programmes are conducted in two hour sessions every
week for a period of six months. For SV, schools can choose
to do a three month programme consisting of 12 sessions.
During this time, the facilitators continually update parents
with reports on their childrens progress and address any
concerns that the parents may have.
In 2009, 370 students beneted from the PV and SV
programme.
From left to right
Senior Victory students, B Nathish Vel and Nelson s/o Daniel
with facilitator, Ms Lolita Pillai
31
%
Information Technology (IT) Lifestyle
The IT Lifestyle programme aims to encourage children to
gain basic IT literacy and put it to good use in their day-to-
day activities.
IT Lifestyle mainly targets children who have acquired a
personal computer through the Neu PC programme. As
part of the programme, volunteers visit the homes of these
children for eight sessions, once a week for an hour to teach
them basic PC skills such as how to use the Internet, operate
Microsoft Oce software and set up e-mail accounts.
In 2009, 39 children beneted from the programme.
Household Income - YEP Students
135
82.8%
11.1%
18 10
$1,500 and below
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
Nurturing More Enlightened Families
Household Income - PV and SV Students
Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP)
YEP, a youth mentorship programme, reaches out to Indian
youths to boost their condence and self-esteem.
Youths are paired with volunteer mentors individually or as
a group for a period of six months. During this time, mentors
provide a listening ear to the youths and advise them
on a multitude of issues that they may be facing such as
managing peer pressure and relationships.
Volunteer mentors are screened and trained by SINDA.
In 2009, 163 students beneted from the YEP.
69
18.7% 48.9% 29.7%
2.7%
181 110 10
$1,500 and below
$1,501 $2,000
$2,001 $2,500*
$2,501 and above*
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
Number
of Students
370
Number
of Students
163
Household Income - IT Lifestyle Programme Participants
35
89.7% 10.3%
4
$1,500 and below
$1,501 $2,000
Number
of Students
39
Clockwise from top left
YEP students D Vishnoo, Ruben, D Sankaran and Rathi
6.1%
SINDA Annual Report 2009
IT Workshops
In 2009, SINDA started IT workshops to enhance the IT skills
of adults and senior citizens in the Indian community.
Classes are conducted by volunteers at CCs to teach basic PC
skills such as how to use the Internet, operate Microsoft Oce
software and set up e-mail accounts.
Such training enables the adults to assist their children
and grandchildren with school work that requires the use
of a computer.
In 2009, 100 Indian adults beneted from the 10 workshops
that were held.
Women Empowerment Programme (WEP)
The WEP helps women gain self condence and
independence so that they are able to lead their families
more eectively. Topics covered include self-development,
coping with multiple roles, time management, parenting
skills and goal setting.
In 2009, the programme was conducted as two hour
sessions every week for a period of six months in the
evening, at eight centres.
A total of 120 women participated in the programme
in 2009.
Household Income - WEP Participants
63
52.5% 26.7% 20.8%
32 25
$1,500 and below
$1,501 - $2,000
$2,001 - $2,500*
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
Number
of Participants
120
From left to right
Mohammad and Shireen, SINDA beneciaries
Bukit View STEP Centre
Jurong West STEP Centre
Woodlands Ring STEP Centre
Aljunied CC
Fuchun CC
Jurong Green CC
Nee Soon South CC
Radin Mas CC
2009 WEP CENTRES
Primary 43 35.8
Secondary 63 52.5
Post Secondary 14 11.7
Total 120 100
EDUCATION LEVEL NO. OF PARTICIPANTS %
33 Nurturing More Enlightened Families
Project Athena
Introduced in 2009, Project Athena focusses on single
mothers and their children. The project aims to empower
these mothers to be confident individuals. Besides
helping the mothers learn skills that increase their
employability, the project provides a support network to
the participants.
Through the programme, SINDA aims to help them build
stronger bonds with their children who can then grow
up to be confident and vibrant youths.
In 2009, 109 mothers and 216 children benefited from
the programme.
From left to right
Project Athena participant Ms Vijaya G Manianveloo
with daughter Kokilavani
Aljunied CC
Fuchun CC
Jurong Green CC
Nee Soon South CC
Radin Mas CC
2009 PROJECT ATHENA CENTRES
Divorced 50 45.9
Separated 23 21.1
Widowed 24 22.0
Spouse Imprisoned 7 6.4
Unwed 5 4.6
Total 109 100
MARITAL STATUS NO. OF PARTICIPANTS %
19 and below 1 0.9
20-29 14 12.9
30-39 54 49.5
40-49 30 27.5
50-59 10 9.2
Total 109 100
AGE GROUP NO. OF PARTICIPANTS %
The Project Athena programme has helped me gain
confidence. Now, I believe that I can provide better
opportunities for my children.
Project Athena participant Ms Vijaya G Manianveloo
SINDA Annual Report 2009
New Project Read initiatives
New Initiatives for Project Read
In 2009, several new initiatives were launched to enhance
Project Read. These initiatives were ocially launched by
President S R Nathan during his visit to SINDA on
14 September 2009.
- Pro[ect Pead Logo
A new Project Read logo was designed to create
a distinct identity for the programme.
- Klds 8ook Pack
Each Project Read beneciary will be provided with
a Kids Book Pack which consists of materials that will
stimulate the childs interest for reading, encourage
writing and making of scrap books.
At the end of each reading session, volunteers will
encourage the children to draw and/or write about the
story. At the end of the six months, the child would be
awarded with his/her very own book of stories.
Project Read
Project Read, a volunteer-driven programme, aims to
give Indian children between the ages of four and eight
a head start in school by equipping them with basic
reading skills and instilling the reading habit in them.
Each volunteer is matched with a child and the former
will visit the childs home for an hour each week for up
to six months.
Most of the children on Project Read are preschoolers
facing reading diiculties. They come mainly from low
income families.
In 2009, 211 children beneted from Project Read.
Household Income - Project Read Beneciaries
139
65.9% 29.9%
63 3 6
$1,500 and below
$1,501 - $2,000
$2,001 - $2,500*
$2,501 and above*
* Admitted under special circumstances including large family size
Number
of Children
211
Project Read volunteer Ms Susmitha Changroth (right)
reading to Tharani (left), a Project Read beneciary
1.4%
2.8%
35
Befrienders Programme
The Befrienders programme aims to reach out to families
facing challenges and help them realise their potential
to carry on with their lives in a positive manner. The
programme also aims to assist them in setting realistic goals
and attaining them.
Volunteer Befrienders will be matched to a family for a period
of six months to oer support, comfort, encouragement
and friendship.
In 2009, a total of 26 volunteers were trained as
Befrienders. These volunteers will be matched with families
in 2010.
Home-Based Tuition
SINDA currently has the STEP and Project Teach programmes to
help students perform better academically. However, there are
students who are not able to attend these classes for various
reasons. These students can be considered on a case-by-case
basis and placed in the Home-Based Tuition Programme.
However, unlike STEP and Project Teach which are conducted
by trained paid tutors, Home-Based Tuition is conducted by
volunteer tutors. These volunteer tutors visit the homes of the
families once a week for one hour and tutor the students for
a minimum of six months.
A total of 27 students beneted from this programme in 2009.
Nurturing More Enlightened Families
- Tralnlng for volunteers
Professional and personal development courses and
workshops are conducted to equip volunteers with
the necessary skills to eectively carry out the
reading programme.
- volunteer Gulde
A guide book detailing guidelines for eective
volunteering, tips on activities for children and
recommended book lists has been provided to all
Project Read volunteers.
- Publlclty Materlals
A new brochure and bookmark have been designed
for Project Read to create increased awareness about
the programme within the Indian community. Through
eective distribution of these materials, SINDA aims to
reach out to more children.
Group-Based Reading Programme
In 2009, a group-based reading programme was introduced
to reach out to more children in the Indian community
and equip them with basic reading skills and inculcate the
reading habit in them at an early age.
As part of this programme, a group of 42 students
from the Queenstown campus of Global Indian
International School volunteered to read to students
at the Saraswathy Kindergarten.
Global Indian International School student volunteer
helping a child from Saraswathy Kindergarten create
a scrap book
SINDA Annual Report 2009

Bringing job seekers one step closer to better
training and gainful employment
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE
CENTRE CDRC
SINDAs CDRC serves as a one-stop information and referral
service centre for skills upgrading and career advancement
for low skilled adult Indian workers.
Oicially opened in 2008, CDRC underscores the importance
SINDA places on skills upgrading and continuous learning.
CDRC is a tripartite collaboration between SINDA, the
Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and
Narpani Pearavai (Peoples Association Indian Activity
Executive Committees Council).
From January to December 2009, 1,984 enquiries were
made at the CDRC. In all, 1,375 referrals were made for
employment placement, of which 236 translated to
successful job placements. 1,044 referrals were made to
other agencies for training.
The following programmes and services are available at CDRC:
- Tralnlng Peferral
- 1ob Peferral
- 1ob Preparatlon Lxerclse wlth Lmployers
- workshops on Pesume wrltlng, |ntervlew Skllls and
Personal Grooming
- Career and Tralnlng Poadshows
- 1ob Palrs
Mr Vijendran (left), Assistant Manager at SINDAs Career Development
and Resource Centre (CDRC) attending to a client
37 Career Development and Resource Centre (CDRC)
Profile of CDRC Clients who were Placed in Jobs
Schemes Available at CDRC:
- Certled Servlce Professlonal (CSP)
- Contlnulng Lducatlon Tralnlng (CLT)
- Lmployablllty Skllls System (LSS)
- Place & Traln Scheme (P&T)
- Skllls Programme for Upgradlng & Peslllence (SPUR)
- Step Out for Change Programme (SOCP)
- Surrogate Lmployer Scheme (SLP)
- workforce Skllls Quallcatlon (wSQ)
CDRC Partners
- CareerLlnk Plus (CLP)
- Comfort Delgro
- Communlty Development Counclls (CDC)
- Health Management |nstltute (HM|)
- Llttle |ndla Shopkeepers and Herltage
Association (LISHA)
- Narpanl Pearaval
- Natlonal Lnvlronment Agency (NLA)
- Natlonal Trades Unlon Congress - Unlt for Contract &
Casual Workers (UCCW)
- NTUC - Lmployment & Lmployablllty |nstltute (L2l)
- Securlty |ndustry |nstltute (S||)
- Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- Slngapore Human Pesources |nstltute (SHP|)
- Slngapore |ndlan Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (SICCI)
- Slngapore Natlonal Lmployers' Pederatlon (SNLP)
- workforce Development Agency (wDA)
CareerLink Plus (CLP)
Careerlink Plus, funded by the WDA and run by the SHGs,
is a job matching and placement service to help the long
term unemployed.
This programme has been part of the holistic client-centric
assistance that is provided by SINDA, Yayasan Mendaki, Chinese
Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Eurasian Association
(EA) and Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP).
21 - 30 82 34.7
31 - 40 49 20.8
41 - 50 66 28.0
51 - 60 33 14.0
61 and above 6 2.5
TOTAL 236 100
AGE GROUP NO. OF PLACEMENTS %
Primary 37 15.7
Secondary 79 33.5
N/O level 89 37.7
A level 7 3.0
Diploma 14 5.9
Degree 10 4.2
TOTAL 236 100
EDUCATION LEVEL NO. OF PLACEMENTS %
In 2009, a total of 1,984 enquiries
were made at CDRC. In all,
1,375 referrals were made for
employment placement while
1,044 referrals were made to other
agencies for training.
SINDA Annual Report 2009
Strengthening Partnerships,
Community Engagement
and Outreach
Being a part of the SINDA
Volunteer Development Council
(VDC) has been an exhilarating
experience. I am honoured to be
a part of a team that is so dynamic
and dedicated!
Lolita Pillai, Member, VDC
content 39
The VDC, set up in May 2009, is
passionate about helping the
needy in our community. Were
constantly looking for volunteers
to come forward as role models
to motivate and inspire the less
fortunate. Working together
on SINDAs programmes and
activities has always been a very
rewarding experience because we
have a common goal to make a
dierence in someones life.
Mr Mohammed Harris, Chairman, VDC
SINDA Annual Report 2009
VOLUNTEER RELATIONS
SINDAs Volunteer Relations Department (VRD) develops
innovative resources and provides meaningful volunteer
opportunities that benet our beneciaries and the community.
Volunteers make a positive dierence in many lives by
nurturing a love for reading among children, mentoring youth,
imparting IT skills and tutoring under-performing students.
The VRD has a comprehensive volunteer management
system in place to recruit, orientate, train, supervise and
recognise volunteers.
About 45% of SINDAs programmes are volunteer-driven. In
2009, around 1,000 volunteers contributed their time and
eort to SINDA.
In 2009, a Volunteer Development Council (VDC) was also
set up consisting of active SINDA volunteers to foster greater
volunteer participation in our programmes and activities
and develop leadership, social interaction and people-
management skills among volunteers.

Working with individuals who are willing
to lend a helping hand
Volunteer Ms Sonali Mazumdar having a chat with a SINDA sta
41 Volunteer Relations
The Indian community is indebted to all the volunteers who
have been supporting SINDAs programmes. Your dedication
and commitment in helping the children whom SINDA is
seeking to help is commendable.
Since the inception of Project Read in 1998, 4,000 children
have participated and benefited from this programme all
with the help of 3,300 volunteers. Even more noteworthy is
that the volunteers include not just individuals and groups
from the Indian community, but also other ethnic groups
Chinese, Malays and Eurasians.
His Excellency President S R Nathan
(during his visit to SINDA on 14 September 2009)
Ad hoc projects 55.5
Reading programmes 21.4
Mentorship programmes 14.0
IT programmes 3.8
Tuition programmes 2.7
Legal Clinic and other services 2.6
TOTAL 100
VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION %
20 & below 16.5
21 30 27.5
31 40 20.7
41 50 12.9
Above 51 22.4
TOTAL 100
VOLUNTEERS BY AGE IN REGULAR LONGTERM PROGRAMMES %
Profile of SINDA Volunteers
SINDA Annual Report 2009

Raising awareness in the community
OUTREACH EFFORTS
Kanavugal Kathavugal
SINDAs television programme, Kanavugal Kathavugal,
was televised on Vasantham from 4 August to 20 October
2009. It featured the stories of 12 youths who excelled
academically and/or non-academically. The stories
underlined the importance of values such as determination,
discipline and the role parents play in their childs education.
Thil Thil Manathil
Thil Thil Manathil, SINDAs weekly one hour radio programme
that discussed important social issues, was aired for 32 weeks
in 2009.
The programme featured SINDAs trained counsellors and
other professional social workers speaking on a wide range
of topics, including education, parenting and employment.

Vettriyin Natham
Symphony of Triumphs, a compilation of stories
of 20 SINDA beneficiaries was translated to Tamil
(Vettriyin Natham) and launched in April 2009.
This project was a collaborative eort between SINDA and
the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee
(TLLPC), Ministry of Education. Vettriyin Natham will
serve as a resource material for Tamil language in schools
and as a motivational tool for Indian students.
SINDA Handbook, Information Card and Fridge Magnet
During the SINDA Open House in May 2009, SINDA and
beyond Handbook of Assistance Schemes was launched
together with an information card and fridge magnet.
The handbook, which contains information on SINDAs
programmes and services as well as national assistance
schemes, will serve as a resource guide. 6,000 copies of
the handbook have been distributed to social service
practitioners, educationists and SINDAs partners.
43 Outreach Eorts
The information card provides concise information
on SINDAs programmes and services while the fridge
magnet displays SINDAs hotline and web address.
Copies of the information card and fridge magnet
were distributed during SINDA events in 2009.
SINDA connections
In 2009, our newsletter, SINDA connections, was sent
to 72,000 households of SINDA Fund contributors
(CPF contributors).
The newsletters were also distributed to principals and SINDA
Liaison Ocers (SLOs) of various educational institutions,
Indian organisations, community and grassroots leaders,
the Community Development Councils (CDCs), National
Library Board (NLB) branches and religious organisations.
Advertisement support from our benefactors was included for
the rst time in the Project Give special edition which helped
to defray the cost of designing and printing the newsletter.
Media Coverage
SINDAs strong partnership with the media was reected
in the wide media coverage that SINDA received in 2009.
More than 230 mentions in the media brought SINDAs
programmes and services to the attention of the public.
SINDA collaterals
In 2009, our newsletter, SINDA
connections, was sent to 72,000
households of SINDA Fund
contributors (CPF contributors).
SINDA Annual Report 2009
A total of 170 Tamil teachers and 30
religious leaders attended dialogue
sessions that were held on 12
September while 25 members of
various sub-ethnic groups attended a
dialogue session held on 5 August.
Public Education Programmes
In 2009, a total of 44 public education
programmes were organised by Narpani
Pearavai (Peoples Association Indian
Activity Executive Committees Council),
schools and Indian organisations in
collaboration with SINDA.
More than 1,700 parents and students
beneted from SINDAs public education
programmes in 2009.
Other Outreach Efforts
SINDA has collaborated with several
religious organisations and other
partners to create awareness about
SINDAs programmes and services.
This included the setting up of SINDA
booths providing information on
SINDAs programmes and services
at partner organisations events.
Mr S Manogaran, ex-CEO of SINDA,
presented on SINDAs programmes and
services at events such as the Narpani
seminar, Facing the Challenges Ahead,
held at Raes City Convention Centre
on 24 May and a congregation at
Jesus Lives Church on 9 September.
Networking Sessions
In 2009, SINDA held networking
sessions with dierent groups to create
awareness of SINDAs programmes and
services. These sessions also served as
avenues to build partnerships while
identifying issues and problems faced
by the Indian community.
Dialogue Sessions with Dr Balaji
Three dialogue sessions were
held with Dr Balaji Sadasivan,
President, SINDA and leaders of
Indian sub-ethnic groups, religious
organisations and Tamil teachers
in the third quarter of the year.
These dialogue sessions served as
platforms to engage the mentioned
groups, nd out about their concerns
and discuss how SINDA can work with
them to uplift the Indian community.
More than 1,700 parents and students
benefited from SINDAs public education
programmes in 2009.
that SINDA will disburse in 2010.
These bursaries would amount to a
total of about $1,500,000, an increase
of $375,000 compared to 2009.
As part of the BTSF, 850 Back to
School Kits were distributed to needy
students to prepare them for the
school year ahead. This is a 70%
increase compared to 2008. Each Back
to School Kit, worth $100, contained a
school bag, BATA vouchers for school
shoes and socks, POPULAR vouchers
for stationery and books, an EC
House voucher for hair cut services,
a thumb drive and a BTSF t-shirt. The
students who received the Back to
School Kits came from families with
per capita income of $250 and below.
During the festival, workshops
on education, parenting and
nutrition were also held. Several
games and activities such as rock-
climbing, penalty strike, bungee
basketball and face painting were
organised to make the day fun and
memorable for the students.
More than 1,000 parents and students
attended the event.
Vasantham and Oli personalities.
The show also featured SINDAs
bursary recipients and families
to convey the message that the
entire community needs to work
in unison to bring about a brighter
future for those who need help.
The innovative fund-raising
techniques, the assistance of our
partners and volunteers along with
the generosity of the public helped
SINDA raise more than $600,000 for
Project Give 2009. This is more than
double the amount raised in 2008.
Indian Community Bursary Awards
Ceremony (ICBAC) and Back to
School Festival (BTSF)
SINDA held its annual ICBAC and BTSF
on 5 December. Professor S Jayakumar,
Senior Minister and Co-ordinating
Minister for National Security and
Life Trustee, SINDA, graced the
event as the Guest-of-Honour.
During the ICBAC, held in collaboration
with the Singapore Indian Education
Trust (SIET) and Tamils Representative
Council (TRC), 80 bursaries were
given out. The ceremony kick started
the distribution of 2,000 bursaries
(including those from the Straits
Times School Pocket Money Fund)
Project Give
Project Give, the annual fund-raising
event to raise funds for bursaries
and festive gift packs for low income
families saw 1,200 festive gift packs
being distributed by volunteers
during Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali
and Christmas. This is a 20%
increase from the 1,000 hampers
that were distributed in 2008.
The festive gift packs, worth about
$100 each, contained party packs,
sweetmeats, home dcor items
and vouchers. The vouchers, a new
addition this year, was aimed at giving
recipient families the opportunity
to do some festive shopping.
This year, in addition to the
traditional modes of fund-raising,
new methods were also introduced.
Besides donating through donation
boxes and the SINDA website,
contributions could also be made
through 630 AXS machines located
islandwide and a 1800-number.
Project Give Live Charity Show
SINDA and Vasantham jointly
organised the Project Give Charity
Show 2009 - Kai Kodupom for the
rst time on 29 November. The
charity show featured several popular
Outreach Eorts 45
SINDA Annual Report 2009
DONORS
47 Donors
SINDA would like to thank all CPF contributors to the SINDA Fund and
donors for your continued support and generosity.
NAME AMOUNT $
First Capital Insurance Limited
Mini Environment Service Pte Ltd
Isaac Manasseh Meyer Trust Fund
Chew How Teck Foundation
Mdm Gan Geok Moi
Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The National Forwarder (Singapore) Pte Ltd
Little Indian Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA)
Spice Global Pte Ltd
Lee Foundation
Kaki Bukit Developments Pte Ltd
KT Mesdorm Pte Ltd
MES & JPD Housing Pte Ltd
Peoples Association Narpani Pearavai
Manbeni Corporate Consultancy Pte Ltd
The Trustee of Grace Shua and Jacob Ballas Charitable Trust
Mr Deepak Gupta
Singapore Buddhist Lodge Education Foundation
Halal Foods International
Hindu Endowments Board
Jothi Holdings Private Limited
KNP Trading Pte Ltd
KPI Cinemas Pte Ltd
PM Lee Hsien Long
Standard Chartered Bank
Singapore Press Holdings
Sri Arasekasari Sivan Temple
Straits Law Practice LLC
Mr Christopher Anand s/o Daniel
Mr K S Karthigasan
250,000.00
125,000.00
100,040.00
100,000.00
100,000.00
100,000.00
98,777.68
70,000.00
50,000.00
26,850.00
25,000.00
25,000.00
25,000.00
25,000.00
20,000.00
15,000.00
12,000.00
10,450.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
DONORS
Donors who have contributed $10,000 or more to
SINDA in 2009
SINDA Annual Report 2009
EDUCATIONAL
INDICATORS 2008
Source: Ministry of Education
49
PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO PASSED PSLE
PERCENTAGE OF PSLE STUDENTS WHO SCORED A
*
C IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Overall Indian
Percentages exclude EM3 students.
The first batch of students under the adjustment of the promotion criteria from P5 to P6 sat for PSLE in 2001.
99.2 99.4
98.2
98.7
97.5
98.0
98.5 98.3
98.6
98.2 98.4
98.9
97.6
97.9
97.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 97.9
97.5
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Percentages are based on all students, including those in the EM3 stream.
The first batch of students under the adjustment of the promotion criteria from P5 to P6 sat for PSLE in 2001.
93.5
91.6
93.7
93.2
95.0
95.5
96.1 95.9
96.2
95.5
96.2
95.8
96.7
96.3
97.2
97.4
97.8 97.7 97.7
97.1
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Educational Indicators
SINDA Annual Report 2009
EDUCATIONAL INDICATORS 2008
Overall Indian
Percentages exclude EM3 students.
The first batch of students under the adjustment of the promotion criteria from P5 to P6 sat for PSLE in 2001.
PERCENTAGE OF PSLE STUDENTS WHO SCORED A
*
C IN MATHEMATICS
72.8
72.3
69.0
69.6
72.4
73.7
73.2
74.7
74.0
72.9
85.7
86.5
82.8 83.0
83.3 83.2
83.9 84.1
83.2 83.1
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
PERCENTAGE OF PSLE STUDENTS WHO SCORED A
*
C IN MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGE
Percentages exclude EM3 students.
The first batch of students under the adjustment of the promotion criteria from P5 to P6 sat for PSLE in 2001.
96.8 96.4
95.5
97.0 97.0
96.6 96.4 96.8
97.1 96.7
98.8
98.7
97.8
98.3 98.1
97.9
98.0 98.0 98.0 98.1
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
51
Overall Indian
PERCENTAGE OF GCE O LEVEL STUDENTS WITH AT LEAST 3 O LEVEL PASSES
PERCENTAGE OF PSLE STUDENTS WHO SCORED A
*
C IN SCIENCE
Percentages exclude EM3 students.
The first batch of students under the adjustment of the promotion criteria from P5 to P6 sat for PSLE in 2001.
Figures from 2005 onwards exclude IP students.
94.8
92.1 92.3
93.5
94.2 94.7 95.0
95.4
95.2 94.7
88.0
87.2
89.1
90.1
91.8 91.3
92.6
92.9
91.3 91.3
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
90.9
92.7
93.3
90.5
91.4 91.3 90.9 90.7
90.5 90.3
87.6
87.7
84.1
85.4
86.2
85.5 85.5 84.8
84.4
85.8
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Educational Indicators
SINDA Annual Report 2009
PERCENTAGE OF GCE O LEVEL STUDENTS WITH AT LEAST 5 O LEVEL PASSES
Overall Indian
PERCENTAGE OF GCE O LEVEL STUDENTS WHO PASSED MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGE
Figures from 2005 onwards exclude IP students.
97.5
94.4 94.6
96.2
96.5
97.4
95.5
96.0
98.1
97.6
89.0
89.2
93.5
96.7
97.1
96.0
96.1
96.5
96.8
96.3
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Figures from 2005 onwards exclude IP students.
65.5
66.2
70.3
71.3
73.5
73.7
72.9
75.0
72.6 73.0
76.3
77.8
80.0 80.0
81.6
82.7
81.1
82.0
80.8
81.3
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
EDUCATIONAL INDICATORS 2008
53
Overall Indian
PERCENTAGE OF GCE O LEVEL STUDENTS WHO PASSED MATHEMATICS
PERCENTAGE OF GCE O LEVEL STUDENTS WHO PASSED ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Figures from 2005 onwards exclude IP students.
73.8
76.3
79.8
81.4
84.1
85.0 86.0
86.5
86.1
82.0
83.7
87.1
86.1
88.5
89.9
92.2
92.4
90.3 90.2
86.8
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Figures from 2005 onwards exclude IP students.
73.9
73.3
73.5
75.6
76.1
77.3
76.8
79.0
75.9
77.6
86.3
87.1 86.6
87.5 87.7
89.0
88.3 88.4
87.0
87.8
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Educational Indicators
SINDA Annual Report 2009
Overall Indian
PERCENTAGE OF GCE A LEVEL STUDENTS WHO PASSED GENERAL PAPER OR KNOWLEDGE AND INQUIRY
PERCENTAGE OF GCE A LEVEL STUDENTS WITH AT LEAST 3 A/H2 PASSES AND PASS IN GENERAL PAPER OR KNOWLEDGE AND INQUIRY
Figures for 2007 and 2008 include students taking either the new or old syllabus.
91.9
88.2
87.1
89.3
90.8
91.9
94.2
93.2
92.2
91.4 91.5
92.1
93.0
94.0
95.5
96.5
94.0 94.3
91.4 92.7
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Figures for 2007 and 2008 include students taking either the new or old syllabus.
87.6
82.3
81.6
84.8
85.2
87.2
88.6
87.2 87.0 87.1
78.1
80.6
85.8
81.1
87.3
86.6
84.2
81.6
82.2
82.8
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
80
70
60
90
100
EDUCATIONAL INDICATORS 2008
55
Overall Indian
PERCENTAGE OF GCE A LEVEL STUDENTS WHO PASSED MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGE AT AO/H1 LEVEL
PERCENTAGE OF P1 COHORT ADMITTED TO POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
Post-Secondary Institutions - Junior colleges, Centralised Institute, polytechnics, ITE, LASALLE College of the Arts,
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and other private educational organisations oering courses at post-secondary level.
Figures for 20042008 are preliminary.
Figures from 2000 include participation in LASALLE College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and other private
educational organisations, and also take into account students who left the country.
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
64.6
78.2
74.9
83.8
77.7
86.2
80.1
87.6
82.0
88.0
86.0
89.9
85.6
91.0
86.7
90.8
87.6
91.8
89.2
92.6
100
Figures for 2007 and 2008 include students taking either the new or old syllabus.
95.3
96.5
96.2 96.2
96.7
97.6
96.6
94.7
94.6
95.9
92.6 92.6
93.6
96.2
96.7
93.1
89.0
91.7
92.2
92.5
80
70
60
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
100
Educational Indicators
SINDA Annual Report 2009
SINDA would like to thank all our
partners, donors and volunteers for
their valuable contributions in 2009.
SINDA Annual Report 2009
Singapore Indian Development Association
No. 1 Beatty Road, Singapore 209943
Tel: 1800 295 4554
Fax: 6392 4300
www.sinda.org.sg