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 NEWS
Archive
2000
Schools to get extra administrative officer in 2001
From
2001, each
of the 372 government and government-aided primary and secondary
schools will be provided with an extra administrative officer to
beef up their administrative support. Schools which think they do
not need extra staff, however, will get the cash equivalent of the
cost of hiring such an officer, said Education Minister TEO Chee
Hian on 29 Dec 2000. (Straits Times 30 Dec 2000)
Girl
jumps to her death over PSLE results
A
12-year-old girl who was due to start secondary school in January 2001
jumped to her death from her bedroom window after receiving her secondary
school posting. Simran KAUR fell 12 floors from her home in Woodlands on
21 Dec 2000 just after her father found out she had doctored her Primary
School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, changing the aggregate score
from the original 152 to 252. (Straits Times 30 Dec 2000)
Secondary 5 student goes to jail for robbery & outraging of modesty
A district court on 26
Dec 2000 sentenced a secondary five student to eight years in
jail and 24 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to six
charges of attempted robbery, robbery and outraging of modesty.
Gary BEH Swee Peng, 17, molested two of the four women he robbed
in his own neighbourhood in Hougang. He had been convicted last
year of belonging to an unlawful assembly, but had been put on
probation for 18 months. (Straits Times 27 Dec 2000)
Surge in number of honorary-doctorate degree holders
A surge in the
number of holders of honorary-doctorate degrees in Singapore in
the last two years is raising eyebrows in intellectual circles
here. Most of the recipients are celebrity entrepreneurs. Those
concerned about the trend are questioning the credibility of the
degrees, given that many are being awarded by institutions not
accredited in the United States. In many cases, the recipients
gave a financial contribution to the universities' endowment
funds. (Straits Times 25 Dec 2000)
Singapore in world trial for myopia drug
Singapore will be the
major clinical trial centre for the drug pirenzepine which is believed to
slow down or stop the excessive growth of the eyeball, the cause of
myopia. It should take two years for researchers at the Singapore Eye
Research Institute and hospitals here to get an idea of whether the drug
slows down, stops or even prevents myopia. Singapore has one of the
highest rates of myopia in the world. Three out of 10 primary school
pupils here are short-sighted, and more than 8 in 10 (83%) of 18-year-olds
are myopic. (Straits Times 23 Dec 2000)
Latest population census shows today's worker has higher qualifications
Latest
figures released by the Department of Statistics for its 2000 population
census reveal that today's worker has higher qualifications, and is more
likely to be working in a high-tech or service industry and hold a
professional or technical position. Fewer are taking up jobs as
cleaners, labourers and production operators, while the proportion of
professionals has almost doubled from 5.3% in 1990 to 10.1% in 2000. Ten
years ago, almost a fifth of Singaporean workers had no education, while
60% held primary and secondary school certificates. A decade of
intensive education has reduced these figures - now only one-tenth have
no education. 50% hold primary and secondary school certificates and 42%
hold post- secondary qualifications, more than double that in
1990. (Straits Times 20 Dec 2000)
N-level results released
This
year's top scorer in the N-Levels is LIM Pei Ni of St Joseph's Convent.
The secondary 4 Normal (Academic) student scored seven distinctions or
Grade A1s. A total of 15,723 secondary four Normal-stream students
sat for the N-level examination in Sep 2000; 10,071 from the Normal
(Academic) course, and 5,652 from the Normal (Technical) course. Some
8,014 or 79.6% of Normal (Academic) students will be promoted to Secondary
5 Normal next year. All Normal (Technical) students can apply to the
Institute of Technical Education (ITE). (Straits Times 20 Dec 2000)
New
training system for pre-school teachers from 2001
Changes are
in stall for teachers and supervisors working in childcare centres and
kindergartens from next year. All pre-school supervisors must be
trained to diploma level in four to five years' time. New teachers and
supervisors will have to clock in more hours now to get a certificate or
a diploma. This is because course content will be expanded to include
more topics. The Education Ministry (MOE) and the Ministry of Community
Development & Sports (MCDS) will also be setting up a Pre-school
Qualifications Accreditation Committee (PQAC) which will certify and
approve qualifications obtained by pre-school teachers. The new training
system will be implemented at the 10 pre-school teacher training centres
next year. (Straits Times 19 Dec 2000)
Kwan
Im Thong Temple gives NUS S$1.5 million for new professorship
The Kwan Im
Thong Temple in Waterloo Street yesterday gave the National University
of Singapore (NUS) S$1.5 million to set up a professorship in computing.
The money goes to found the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professorship
in Computing at the NUS school of computing. (Straits Times 16 Dec 2000)
Former St Andrew's Secondary students in court for stealing
Four former
St Andrew's Secondary students who were accused of burglary admitted
yesterday to stealing about S$11,500 worth of audio equipment. David
Sashi John, 17; Shawn Sridyinesh Dass, 17; Buvendraraj Douglas Danapal
Naidu, 17; and Muhammad Shamsur Anuar, 16, admitted stealing 14 items,
including amplifiers and microphones from the school on 6 Aug 1999.
District Judge TAY Puay Boon postponed sentencing to 16 Jan 2001,
pending pre-sentence reports. (Straits Times 13 Dec 2000)
NTU staff and students can now log on wirelessly on campus
Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) staff and students can now use their
laptops and personal digital assistants to log on to the NTU Intranet
and on to the Internet from anywhere on the 200-ha campus. The latest
wireless network installed lets users connect at 11 Mbps - about 200
times faster than the 56 Kbps wire-based dial-up modems used in desktop
PCs, and 20 times faster than broadband services. (Straits Times 13 Dec
2000)
Fourth university for Singapore?
Singapore
may have a fourth university - if a high-level committee set up by the
government decides that it is the best route for polytechnic graduates
wanting to upgrade. Deputy Prime Minister Tony TAN said on 5 Dec 2000 a
committee chaired by Senior Minister of State for Education Peter CHEN
will be set up soon to study how to give polytechnic students more
opportunities to further themselves. (Straits Times 6 Dec 2000)
2nd
primary school teacher questioned by police for alleged molest
A
second primary school teacher has been questioned by the police for
allegedly molesting a female student. The teacher, who is married and in
his 30s, is a head of department in school. He has been suspended from his
work while investigations are being carried out. (Straits Times 5 Dec
2000)
All
schools to teach life sciences next year
From
2001, all schools will teach students about living organisms and life
processes from primary one right up to pre-university. All schools -
primary, secondary and junior colleges - will have life sciences
laboratory equipment. This will cost S$6 million. Minister for Education
TEO Chee Hean announced the details on 2 Dec 2000. Beyond the schools, the
Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities will also
revamp their curricula and introduce new courses to train students for the
life sciences industry. (Straits Times 3 Dec 2000)
Primary school teacher questioned by police for alleged molest
A
primary school teacher is being questioned by the police for an alleged
molest involving four girls at the school. Although he has not been
arrested, the teacher - who is in his early 30s - has been suspended until
the investigation has been completed. A police spokesman told The Sunday
Times that four reports had been made and the investigation was
continuing. (Straits Times 3 Dec 2000)
New
training schemes in electronics, life sciences & chemical industries
More than
8000 technologists and technicians will be needed in the electronics,
life sciences and chemical industries over the next three years,
according to the Economic Development Board. And to attract potential
entrants into these industries, the institutes of higher learning have
launched two new training schemes: The Wafer Fab Orientation Course and
the Industry Training Award. The schemes will start in January 2001 as
pilot programmes. They will target NSmen finishing full-time national
service, engineering diploma holders and Institute of technical
Education graduates. (Straits Times 4 Dec 2000)
NUS students can access online services using mobile
phones soon
Students and
staff of the National University of Singapore can soon use their mobile
phones to log onto their campus' computer system to check examination
results, renew library books and receive e-mail. Called m-NUS, the new
service will start on 15 Dec 2000, giving the entire 34,000 student and
staff population with mobile phones the freedom to access the varsity's
online services anytime, anywhere. To subscribe, log on to m-nus.nus.edu.sg.
PSLE results released
This
year's Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results were released on
29 Nov 2000. The top student is CHUAH Yu Yin from St Hilda's Primary
School. She had four A*s and scored an aggregate of 289. Top Malay girl is
Nur Diana Zakaria, also from St Hilda's, with an aggregate of 287. Top
Indian pupil is Sandhya G Krishnan, from Raffles Girls' Primary School.
Top Eurasian pupil is Heyzer Louise, also from Raffles. A total of
54,734 pupils sat the the PSLE. Of these 95.8% or 52,450 students
qualified for secondary school, slightly down from last year's 96.2%.
59.8% of those who qualified are eligible for the Special or Express
course, and 35.9% for the Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) course.
4.2% or 2284 Primary Six students cannot go to secondary school yet. Of
this, 2002 will repeat Primary Six and the remaining 282, who are
over-aged, will go on to vocational training courses.
NTU to set up S$465 million College of Life Sciences
Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) will set up a S$465 million College of Life
Sciences in about 2½ years' time, said NTU president CHAM Tao Soon on 29
Nov 2000. The college will house the School of Biological Sciences and
Biosciences Research Centre initially. If its proposal to set up a
graduate medical school gets the go-ahead, it will form the third leg of
the college. NTU will soon begin recruitment for the 40 - 50 faculty
members it will need. They are likely to come from outside Singapore.
(Straits Times 30 Nov 2000)
New school for educationally-subnormal (ESN) children
A new school
for educationally-subnormal (ESN) and autistic children will open here
in January 2001. This was announced by Senior Minister of State for
Education, Dr Aline WONG on 28 Nov 2000. It will be the sixth school here for
educationally- subnormal children. Called Metta School, after the name
of the voluntary welfare organisation which will manage it, the funding
for the building will come from the Education Ministry. (Straits Times
29 Nov 2000)
Halls at NUS to be relocated
Students
living at Sheares, Kent Ridge and Raffles halls at the National
University of Singapore will have to move to new premises at the
periphery of the campus so that the central zone can be utilised for
educational facilities and office space. First to go in 2001 will be
part of Sheares Hall. Its relocation will be done in phases over about
five years, said Professor LEE Soo Ying, director of the NUS Office of
Institutional Resources and Special Duties. Kent Ridge and Raffles
halls' students would be moved later.
Survey finds students seem to lead busy lives
A survey of 1742
students from 16 primary schools during the last week of August and mid-
September 2000 found that children seem to lead busy lives. Almost four
out of five spend up to three hours studying after school. Seven in ten
receive tuition. One in three attends classes, such as ballet, music,
speech and drama, outside of school hours. Eight in ten take part in
co-curricular activities in school. Children are so stressed by school,
they are more fearful of failing examinations than of their parents dying.
The survey was conducted on primary four to primary six students by
Singapore Press Holdings Marketing, Planning and Development(Research).
Fewer teachers resigning
Fewer teachers are
leaving the teaching profession. The number of resignations has dropped
from 576 five years ago to 465 in 1999. For the first half of this year,
there were 451 resignations, said Education Minister TEO Chee Hean on 13
Nov 2000 in Parliament. He said that the resignation rate had been stable
at a rate of 2 to 3 per cent over the last five years.
SMU to begin American-styled accountancy degree
In 2001, Singapore
Management University (SMU) will offer an American-style, broad-based
accountancy degree programme with professional recognition. The course
will begin in August 2001. Admission criteria will follow those in American
universities.
Nanyang Polytechnic to start School of Life Sciences next year
The Nanyang Polytechnic
School of Life Sciences starts next year. It will offer a three-year
course focusing on molecular biotechnology and, in particular, human
health care. For more information, call Ms Delphine LOW on Tel. (65) 550
0253.
SAT for university admission from 2003
The Education
Ministry said on 23 Oct 2000 that it will use the American Scholastic
Assessment Test (SAT) for university admission from the year 2003. But
it will also look into developing its own test in a few years' time. See
also Community
Issues.
New CHERISH health awards for schools launched
Schools which make
efforts to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of their
teachers and students can now vie for a new award. The Cherish
(Championing Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health) awards will
recognise primary and secondary schools that incorporate health-promotion
activities into their curriculum and environment, as well as the
community. It was launched on 23 Oct 2000 by Education Minister TEO Chee
Hean.
Students to be tested for Hepatitis B
Students in secondary
schools and tertiary institutions will be tested for Hepatitis B and be
included in the Health Ministry's immunisation programme from next year.
The four-year programme is designed to boost immunisation levels against
the virus, which can cause cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.
Currently, about half of all adults here have no immunity against the
virus. Students will get a free blood screening at their schools, and
those who need will pay S$25 for a full three-dose course. (Straits Times
22 Oct 2000)
New programme on sex and sexuality to be taught to students
Youngsters from 11 - 18 will
be taught about sex and sexuality in school under a new government
programme starting next year. Younger children will learn about puberty
and the changes that happen to their bodies. Teenagers in secondary
schools will get the facts on kissing in public, having sex, getting
pregnant, pornography, homosexuality and the dangers of sexually-
transmitted diseases. Sexual harrassment is among the issues older teens
will discuss. This was announced by Dr Aline WONG, Senior Minister of
State, Education, on 16 Oct 2000.
LIM Kim San Professorship in Business Policy launched
The LIM Kim San Professorship
in Business Policy was launched by the National University of Singapore (NUS)
on 16 Oct 2000 to acknowledge the significant contributions made by Mr LIM
Kim San to Singapore over the past four decades. While in government
between 1963 and 1981, he served as Minister for National Development,
Finance, Defence, Education, Communications and the Environment.
New member of Board of Governors, ITE Singapore
Mr Hiroshi Kasugai has
been appointed as a member of the Board of Governors of the Institute of
Technical Education, Singapore by the Minister for Education from 1 Oct
2000 to 31 Mar 2001 vice Mr Norio Nakamura. (Not. No. 2788 dated 9 Oct
2000)
New member of council of Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Mr Neal Kurzejeski has
been appointed as a member of the Council of Ngee Ann Polytechnic by the
Minister for Education from 1 Oct 2000 to 31 Mar 2003 vice Mr Tan Kay
Yong. (Not. No. 2789 dated 9 Oct 2000)
Parliament passes Compulsory Education Bill
Parliament passed
the Compulsory Education Bill on 9 Oct 2000, making education compulsory in national
primary schools for six years. All children born from 1 Jan 1996 must be
registered in Primary 1 from 2003. If their parents fail to register
them, the Ministry of Education and counsellors swing into action. If
counseling and mediation fail, parents can be fined up to S$5000 by the
courts or jailed. Children with disabilities who need special education
are exempted. Also exempted are those attending the six madrasahs or
Islamic schools and the privately-run San Yu Adventist School.
NUS's business school picked as top MBA institute in Asia & Australia
National University of
Singapore's business school has been picked as the top MBA institute in
Asia and Australia for the second year running. The survey and ranking
is carried out by Asia Inc, a regional business magazine, of university
business schools in Asia and Australia. (Straits Times 9 Oct 2000)
New Nanyang Polytechnic campus officially opened
The new Nanyang
Polytechnic campus in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 was officially opened by Prime
Minister GOH Chok Tong on 6 Oct 2000. It was built at a cost of more than
S$500 million.
New A-level Syllabuses for 2001
The A-level examinations
will change in 2002. Under the new arrangement, the Education
Ministry will develop the examination syllabuses and award the grades,
but the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) in
Britain will continue to set the questions and mark the answer scripts.
The new syllabuses will be taught from 2001 and junior college
students will sit for the new A-levels at the end of 2002.
All childcare centres and kindergartens to close for a week
All childcare
centres and kindergartens will have to close for at least a week from 2
Oct 2000, following the deaths of two more children on 30 Sep 2000,
possibly from hand, foot and mouth disease. A 14-month-old girl and her 2½-year-old
brother died. This brings to four the number of deaths reported in
September 2000 of children who all showed the same symptoms: fever,
vomiting and rashes. The closure will affect about 140,000 children in 557
childcare centres and 440 kindergartens. From 2 Oct 2000, all doctors are
required to report any case with symptoms resembling those of hand, foot
and mouth disease to the Environment Ministry.
Project work to be made compulsory end of next year
Project work will become a
must for all school students by the end of next year and will eventually
count towards a student's year-end grade. It will also be
inter-disciplinary in nature, cutting across subjects. By the end of
next year, all primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges
will have implemented the programme, said the Education Ministry in
response to queries from The Straits Times. From 2004, project work will
form part of the university admission criteria for junior college and
centralised institute students. (Straits Times 26 Sep 2000)
Ministry to take two to three years to decide on single-session
Education Minister TEO Chee
Hean said on 23 Sep 2000 that it would take the Education Ministry two to
three years to decide on PM GOH's suggestion that all primary schools go
single-session. It will have to balance benefits - such as better access
to facilities and more attention devoted to pupils - with practical
considerations, such as the need for more teachers, land and schools, he
said.
7000 teachers employed over the last three years
More than 7000 teachers have
been employed over the last three years and more than 3500 teachers are
due to retire in the next five years, said Education Minister TEO Chee
Hian on 22 Sep 2000. Just four years ago, half the teachers were over 43
years old. But, in five years, their median age will be below 33. Next
month, another 539 teachers will be promoted, bringing the total number
promoted this year to more than 5300 or close to a quarter of the
teaching service.
PSLE Pupils to retake English Language listening comprehension
All Primary Six pupils can
retake the English Language listening comprehension examination again
next month, after a glitch left many unable to hear the tapes used in
schools last weekend. For all pupils who take the test again, the
Ministry of Education will use the better of the two results for the
Primary School Leaving Examination. If a pupil does not want to do the
test again, the result from last weekend's exam will be used. The second
test will be held on 14 October 2000. (Straits Times 21 Sep 2000)
NUS to start gifted-education programme next July
The National University
of Singapore (NUS) will start its own gifted-education programme next July
with 300 hand-picked undergraduates. These students will be able to take
on a wide range of subjects, and decide on their degree course at the end
of the first year. They will also be offered a one-year immersion stint in
a leading overseas university. To get into this elite programme, they have
to demonstrate, in personal essays and interviews, that they have that
"extra something". NUS's Vice Chancellor, Professor Shih Choon
Fong revealed this on 19 Sep 2000.
NUS undergraduate jailed for trespassing women's toilet in NUS
A National University of
Singapore undergraduate (NUS) who went into a women's toilet and used a
digital video camera to film a student urinating was jailed for three
weeks on 15 Sep 2000. KOH Chit Joo, 24, who has since graduated with a degree
in civil engineering, pleaded guilty to trespassing a women's toilet and
insulting the modesty of the 21-year-old woman by intruding into her
privacy. The incident happened in a sixth-storey toilet at the NUS
Engineering faculty on 5 Nov 1999.
University of Chicago opens Graduate School of Business here
The University of Chicago's
Graduate School of Business opened its Asian campus at the 115-year-old
House of TAN Yeok Nee in Clemenceau Avenue on 14 Sep 2000. This is the
business school's third campus, after its first two in Chicago and
Barcelona in Spain.
NUS launches new engineering technopreneurship programme
A new engineering
technopreneurship incubation programme at the National University of
Singapore (NUS) provides tuition, workshops and seminars to prepare
students for a career in technology-based entrepreneurship. Launched by
the Faculty of Engineering on Saturday 9 Sep 2000, the programme targets
second-year engineering students.
The British Council gives out bursaries
The British Council gave out
28 bursaries on Friday 8 Sep 2000, with 10 of them going to polytechnic students.
The gifts - to Singaporean students who will be pursuing their studies
in Britain - are partly to celebrate the new millennium, said Mr David
Tupper, the council's assistant director for education. Besides the
polytechnic graduates, the awards - worth GBP1,000 (S$2,500) each - were
also presented to 15 students with A levels, two graduates of the
National Institute of Education and one from the LaSalle Arts College.
SMU to offer more courses
The Singapore Management
University (SMU) will expand beyond its business degree programme and
offer an accountancy course to some 100 students from August next year.
Over the next few years, it will add more courses with a management
focus, including information and communications in 2002. Economics and
social sciences will be included later. When SMU reaches it full
enrolment of 5000 to 6000, the government would have met its target of
providing university education to 25% of every student cohort, revealed
DPM Tony Tan on 8 Sep 2000.
New NUS's Institute of the Arts (ITA)
Students will be able to
pursue a music degree at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) new
Institute of the Arts (ITA) from 2002. The initial intake will be about 30
students. The NUS music conservatory will have the status of a faculty.
Undergraduates who complete the four-year programme will be awarded
degrees. The number of students can grow to about 40 - 50, to give a total
enrolment of 150 - 200 students. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Defence Dr Tony TAN announced this on 5 Sep 2000 at the official opening
of the NUS's University Cultural Centre.
Education statistics released
Education statistics,
released on 30 Aug 2000, showed that students from different ethnic groups
made good progress in important national examinations and subjects, such
as English, mathematics, science and the mother tongue. At the PSLE and O
levels, Chinese students streaked ahead of the national average pass
rates. It was only at the A levels that Indian students had the highest
pass rates of 88.6%, a whisker above the national average of 86.5%.
Chinese students came a close second with 86.6%, with Malays at 80.3%.
Private student fined for hacking into NUS server
An Indonesian teenager
who hacked into a National University of Singapore research institute's
server from abroad, and modified it, was slapped with a fine of S$15,500
in the Juvenile Court on 30 Aug 2000. The 15-year-old private student was
found unsuitable for probation as he would not be allowed to remain in
Singapore.
Penalties under the proposed Compulsory Education Bill
Parents who do not send
their children to primary school can be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up
to one year, or both, under the proposed Compulsory Education Bill
presented at the Parliament sitting on 25 Aug 2000. If the proposed Act
is passed, parents must send their children - born after 1 Jan 1996 -
for at least six years of primary education in national schools. Parents
who do not comply will have to answer to a compulsory education board.
National University of Singapore Commencement Ceremonies
National University of
Singapore's commencement ceremonies for its graduating Class of 2000
will be held on campus at the new S$65 million University Cultural
Centre from 19 - 27 Sep 2000.
Compulsory education to be introduced in three years' time
Compulsory education will be
introduced in three years' time. The Compulsory Education Act will
include counselling, fines or jail for parents who repeatedly fail to
send their children to mainstream schools or national schools. There are
exemptions - for children with disabilities, those attending the Islamic
schools or privately-run San Yu Adventist School, or those on a
home-school programme. Dr Aline Wong, Senior Minister of State for
Education, said the Committee on Compulsory Education had discussed
extending compulsory education to include secondary education but
decided against it because it would be difficult to force unmotivated
students to remain in school. The committee's 51-page report has been
submitted to Parliament.
New President's Scholars
This year's President's
Scholars are Aaron Beng, 19, formerly from Hwa Chong Junior College;
Denise Wong, 19, formerly from Hwa Chong Junior College; and He Ruimin,
18, formerly from Raffles Junior College. They will receive their awards
from President S.R. Nathan on Friday 4 Aug 2000.
Singapore Management University holds inaugural convocation
The Singapore
Management
University (SMU) marked its beginning with an inaugural opening
convocation at Bras Basah Park on 29 Jul 2000. It is the first university in
the city, first government-funded but privately-managed university, and
first university to be devoted to business. SMU's campus is set in the
historic Bras Basah area, a place which housed some of the oldest
schools in Singapore, such as Raffles Girls' School, St Joseph's
Institution and Raffles Institution.
Government scholarships here to stay
Government scholarships are
here to stay. The fundamental reasons for which they were set up in the
1960s and 1970s are still valid today, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong said on 22 Jul 2000 when he presented the Public Service Commission (PSC)
scholarships at the Mandarin Hotel. He dismissed suggestions that loans
or grants be given instead, or that scholarships be given on the basis
of need. The award, he said, should reflect the meritocratic values
underpinning Singapore. The awards are a great "equaliser", he
said, rewarding students for their hard work and ability, no matter what
their family background. Because they will be studying at taxpayers'
expense, they therefore have a moral obligation to serve out their
bonds. So, it is wrong for students to plan to break their bonds even
before starting on their studies, as 11 students had said they would.
Victoria School to offer Gifted Education Programme
Victoria School has been
chosen as the seventh school in Singapore to offer the Gifted Education
Programme (GEP). Dr Aline Wong, Senior Minister of State for Education
announced this at the school's 124th anniversary on 22 Jul 2000.
Two more schools to go autonomous next year
Two more secondary
schools will go autonomous next year. They are Dunman Secondary in
Tampines and Xinmin Secondary in Hougang. Education Minister Teo Chee Hean
announced this when he visited Xinmin Secondary on 21 Jul 2000. Autonomous
schools not only get more say in the way they are run but also receive
more annual funds - a grant of S$300 a student a year. There are now 18
autonomous schools here under the scheme, which began in 1994 with six
schools.
Phase 2B applications of Primary 1 registration
Five popular schools -
Catholic High, De La Salle, Methodist Girls' Primary, Pei Chun Public and
Tao Nan - will ballot applications in Phase 2B of Primary 1 registration.
Registration for Phase 2B began on 20 Jul 2000 and ended on 21 Jul 2000.
On Scholarship holders breaking bonds
The Public Service
Commission (PSC), Public Service Division and 20 statutory boards, in a
joint statement to The Straits Times on 20 Jul 2000, urged the 11 scholarship
holders who intend to break their bonds to come out in the open and
identify themselves. The statement said that by choosing to remain
anonymous, "these 11 persons have cast an unjust cloud over the
integrity of many other scholars".
Rhodes Scholarship For Singapore 2001
Applications for The Rhodes
Scholarship are now open.
Wrong for students to accept scholarship if they wanted to break bond
Statutory boards and
government-linked companies should re-look their scholarship schemes and
find a solution to the recent controversy over scholarship
bond-breakers, Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan said on 19 Jul 2000 in a
student symposium organised by the Singapore International Foundation. A
student asked Dr Tan if he thought the system of awarding scholarships
with bonds should be reviewed. Noting that he had expected the question,
Dr Tan said it was wrong for students to accept a scholarship if they
intended to break their bonds. It was Dr Tan who last year suggested
replacing government scholarships with tuition loans. The matter was
laid to rest when Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong later told Parliament
that he did not favour this idea and said government scholarships were
here to stay.
Ministry of Education to review teachers' pay and career structure
The Ministry of
Education (MOE) is engaging a consultant to review teachers' pay and
career structure. The review is expected to be completed in six to nine
months' time. These moves are being made to attract young talent to
replace the 3500 teachers expected to retire in the next five years.
Education Minister Teo Chee Hean announced this at the 2nd Teaching
Scholarships Presentation Ceremony on 15 Jul 2000.
PSC's response to Scholarship holders breaking bonds
Scholarship holders
planning to break their bonds should do the right thing and give up their
scholarships now, before going to university "under false
pretenses". The Public Service Commission, Public Service Division
and 20 statutory boards sent a joint statement to The Straits Times on 11
Jul 2000 in response to a report in The Sunday Times headlined "We'll
break bonds, say 11 scholarship holders".
Six CHIJ (Toa Payoh) pupils arrested
Six teenage girls, all
students at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (Toa Payoh), who are
suspected to have taken drugs in school, were arrested on 7 Jul 2000. A
fellow student saw the girls huddled together in a school toilet that morning before assembly, and one of them was holding a tablet.
The student told a teacher who rounded them up with the help of other
teachers. The vice-principal later called the police. A police spokesman
confirmed on 11 Jul 2000 that the girls, all 15 - 16 years old, have been
sent for urine tests.
NUS & NTU to pay according to performance and market factors
Singapore's two main
universities will shed their civil-service salary structures and pay
according to performance and market factors. Only performance will
decide promotions and increments, and "star" professors will
be well-rewarded. The basic pay of assistant professors will go up by
20%.
First Phase of Primary One Registration
Siblings of current pupils will take up more than half of the places at
some popular schools this year under the first phase of Primary One
registration which started on 4 Jul 2000 and ended a day later.
Stanford University to set up centre in NTU
Stanford University plans to
set up a centre in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to train the
next generation of Asia's environmental engineering leaders here, said
Professor James O. Leckie, head of Stanford's environmental engineering
laboratory.
ITE to have new curriculum
The Institute of Technical
Education (ITE) will have a new curriculum from July 2000. The new
curriculum would prepare the students for their first job while giving
them a broad foundation to re-skill themselves later, said Education
Minister Teo Chee Hean.
Committee on Compulsory Education to complete its work soon
Dr Aline Wong's committee on
compulsory education is expected to complete its work in July 2000 and
will release its report soon after. It will give details on whether
compulsory education should be introduced, and if so, the form, duration
and necessary enforcement measures.
Six Singaporeans awarded Fulbright scholarship this year (2000)
A record six Singaporeans
have been awarded the prestigious Fulbright scholarship this year. This
year's scholars are Mr Derek Ho, Mr Yip Wei Kiat, Ms Eugenia Tan, Mr
Paul Chua, Mr Koh Choon Heng and Mr Eric Yap. Singapore has produced 200
Fulbright scholars so far, averaging about two or three a year.
NTU's popular master's course on Information Studies go full-time
Nanyang Technological
University plans to run a popular master's course on Information Studies
as a full-time course from July 2000. This year, 420 have applied for
90 places. NTU plans to increase the total number of places by 20% every
year.
Four new hostels for Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
By August 2000, Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) will have four new residential halls to
add to their existing 11 hostels (now housing 6500 students). The new
halls will cater to 2400 students. Together, the 15 halls will
accommodate 60% of the 15000-strong student population.
Lecturers at NUS & NTU now free to pocket fees from consultancy
Lecturers at the Nanyang
Technolgical University (NTU) and National University of Singapore (NUS)
are now free to pocket all the consultancy fees they earn, including
gains from any stock options or shares given to them as pay for work
done. The universities now have a pay scale of about S$3750 - S$7750 a
month for assistant professors, about S$6500 - S$9550 for associate
professors and about S$9550 - S$13500 for professors. The salary scales
are being reviewed by a government committee looking into university
administration. (2 Jun 2000)
Feeder Bus Fares Go Up
From
1 June 2000, commuters on
Singapore Bus Services (SBS) feeder buses have to pay up to 10
cents more. SBS said in a statement on 31 May 2000 that adult fares would
rise by 10 cents and those for children and students by five cents.
City Language School's new address
The
school's new address is 10 Anson Road #31-05/06/07 International Plaza
Singapore 079903.
National University of Singapore honours Professor Lim Pin
The National University of
Singapore (NUS) is naming its longest serving vice-chancellor, Professor
Lim Pin, to be its first University Professor. Professor Lim Pin, 64,
will step down as vice-chancellor on 31 May 2000. He has held this post
since 1981. He will be succeeded by Professor Shih Choon Fong, 54.
Six NUS Law Faculty lecturers quit (18 May 2000)
Six experienced lecturers
have resigned from the National University of Singapore law faculty.
Four have served the NUS for over ten years, while the other two for two
years. The six are Professor Andrew Phang, Associate Professor David
Chong, Associate Professor Kevin Tan, Mr Lee Kiat Seng, and assistant
professors Aedit Abdullah and Tey Tsun Hang.
Singapore Management University attracts architects worldwide
World-renowned architects
are now vying for a chance to build the new Singapore Management
University (SMU). A total of 421 architects, including Japanese
architect Kenzo Tange, are bidding for a share of the project.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic to go wireless in three years' time
Ngee Ann Polytechnic aims to
become a wireless campus in three years' time (2003) when all staff and
students will be able to surf the Net or log on to its computer network
anywhere on campus.
Nan Chiau High School moves to Sengkang by Jan 2001
The
Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan has said that it will move Nan Chiau High
School, which it manages, from Kim Yam Road to Sengkang by Jan 2001. Nan
Chiau's primary and secondary schools will be neighbours in Sengkang.
It is
the first school to make use of the new School Management Model scheme in
which a school that relocates will be given State land for the site, but
will not own the site. The MOE has said that the new scheme will free the
school management committees to focus on overseeing the management of the
school instead of bothering with land-ownership issues.
14 Primary 4 students ordered by teacher to slap one another
Fourteen Primary 4
students at JieMin Primary School were slapped for not bringing their
science worksheets to class. Their teacher had told them to slap one
another. The incident happened on 31 Apr 2000.
Replacement fee for concession travel cards goes up
From 3 Apr 2000,
replacement fees for all primary and secondary student identification
passes (SIPs) will go up, said TransitLink. The current fee range of S$2
to S$10 will be increased to S$10 and S$30 respectively. TransitLink said
this was to discourage the repeat loss of SIPs and decrease the
possibility of fraudulent use of the card.
49 new childcare centres to be set up by end of 2000
Some 49 new childcare centres are expected to be set up by the end of
2000, increasing the number of childcare places by about 3300, said Senior
Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development) Yu-Foo Yee Soon in
Parliament recently. She also disclosed that in 1980, there were only 25
childcare centres here. Today, the number has increased more than
twenty-fold to 535, providing some 45 000 childcare places.
National University of Singapore buys half of Hitachi Tower
The National University of Singapore has acquired a 50% stake in
Hitachi Tower, one of the most prestigious buildings in Raffles Place.
Will the other tertiary institutions do the same?
Nanyang Technological University's director of public relations, Ms Irene
Ho said, "NTU has not made any purchases of commercial properties by
using the university's funds and we have no plans to do so."
Singapore Management University
Singapore's first private
university, the Singapore Management University (SMU), has received a
one-time contribution of S$50 million for its endowment fund from the
government yesterday, said DPM Tony Tan on 15 Mar 2000. The government will
also give S$3 for every dollar the SMU raises for its endowment fund.
Social Studies for all upper secondary students from next
year
From next year
(2001), all upper secondary students will have to study Social Studies.
Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Aline Wong said this would
provide an additional avenue for the teaching of National Education
through the formal school curriculum. Dr Wong announced this when she
opened the Primary Social Studies Symposium 2000 on Monday. Social Studies
is a subject aimed at inculcating in the young, desired values and
instincts for nation-building.
School-fee change for foreigners
From next year (2001), those who have acquired citizenship or permanent
residency here, but have not done so for their children, will no longer
enjoy concessionary rates when enrolling them in school.
Foreign students already in school will not be affected. The move links
the fees paid by the students in government and government-aided schools
to their own citizenship and residency status, instead of that of their
parents. Without concessions, a foreign secondary-school student, say,
will pay S$130 a month instead of S$5.
The new policy also applies to dependents of work-pass holders. Such
students entering government or government-aided schools, junior colleges
and centralised institutions for the first time will pay concessionary
fees for the first two years. From the third year, the following will
apply:
Primary school S$80
monthly
Secondary school S$130 monthly
Junior college S$240 monthly
CCA participation points in school
Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) is now known as Co-Curricular Activities
(CCA). Students involved in sports, the arts and community work not
organised by their schools will be given points that can be used for
admission to junior college and the polytechnic.
Students in secondary school can earn a maximum of three points, those in
junior college four points, and centralised-institute students six points.
The points will be added to those they earn from participation in
school-based extra-curricular activities. Students who accumulate 9 points
will have their aggregate score for junior-college and polytechnic
admission reduced by two.
Education Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the new points system at the
general meeting of the Singapore Sports Council on 22 Jan 2000.
First Chinese B exam to be brought forward
The Chinese B examination, intended for those who are weak in the
language, will be brought forward to next year (2001), a year ahead of
schedule.
The exam will be offered to O & A level students. Secondary three
(2001) and JC1(2001) students can take the subject from next year (2001)
and sit for the exam in 2002.
New University to take in students
Singapore Management
University, which will take in its first 300 students in July 2000, opens
applications for its Bachelor of Business Management degree today. You
can apply online at www.smu.edu.sg .
The Singapore education system has many strengths
"Streaming by
ability was introduced in 1980...... Streaming has allowed students to
learn at a pace they can manage........ Before streaming was introduced,
only 58% of a primary one cohort sat for the 'O' levels. This rose to 81%
for the 1998 'O' levels. 11% of primary school pupils dropped out in 1980
whereas the dropout rate in 1997 was only 0.4%."
Excerpt of a letter to the Forum, The Straits Times 26 Nov 1999,
written by Dr John Lim, Director, Higher Education & Public Affairs,
Ministry of Education.
Under study: Compulsory
schooling up to Primary 6.
The Education Ministry will consider compulsory
education up to Primary 6 as part of its study. PM Goh had earlier said he
was shocked to learn that as many as 1500 children, or 3% of a cohort,
were not registered for Primary 1 in national schools.
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