News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: January 27, 2012 Retirees from Singapores top firms to teach

business course in secondary schools SINGAPORE January 27. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced plans to introduce a new business management course in selected secondary schools. Taught exclusively by retired businesspeople, the course seeks to increase secondary students interest in business and is expected to result in a larger, more competitive pool of business students in Singapore. The course, called Business Rules, will be offered in once-a-week lessons that will cover basic and practical aspects of business. Eight retired local businesspeople from a range of industries and business disciplines have been recruited to teach these classes. We are privileged to be able to have retired businesspeople from some of our countrys best companies teaching this course. Some of them have held top-level positions in firms such as Hyflux Ltd, Keppel Corporation and Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts before their retirement and we are confident that their expertise and knowledge will inspire the students in this programme, said Mr Heng Swee Keat, Singapores Education Minister. According to last years report from the Ministry of Education, Singapore is one of Asias most popular destinations for business studies, coming in second only to Hong Kong.1 In 2011, a total of 50,000 international students have entered Singapore universities to study business in 2011. Besides attracting overseas students, we would also like to attract more Singapore students into our universities business programmes. By introducing them to business concepts at an early stage in their life, we hope that it will pique greater interest in the discipline and assist them in making an informed career decision, added Mr Heng. With this new programme, it is estimated that Singapore will see a 5.8 per cent increase in local business students, adding to the countrys competitiveness in the global marketplace.

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Education in Asia, Ministry of Education, 2011

Singapores top retired

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Education is key to our countrys wealth. Increasing the diversity of subjects taught at the secondary level through Business Rules is a good step towards broadening the horizons of our countrys young, said Mr Ong Kam Beng, ex-Chief Executive Officer of Keppel Corporation and one of the teachers recruited to teach the course. The six secondary schools Hwa Chong Institution, Anglo-Chinese School (Barker), Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Singapore Chinese Girls School, Swiss Cottage Secondary School and Gan Eng Seng Secondary School have begun making preparations for the pilot programme which will commence in May 2012. About the Ministry of Education The Ministry Of Education directs the formulation and implementation of education policies. It has control of the development and administration of the Government and Government-aided primary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges, and a centralised institute. It also registers private schools. For more information, please visit www.moe.gov.sg

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From:

Ministry of Education, Singapore 1 North Buona Vista Drive Singapore 138675 www.moe.gov.sg

Contact: Melissa Law Shueh Li Communications Director +(65) 63748492 Melissa@moe.gov.sg