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Source: www.moe.gov.sg |
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FutureSchools@Singapore ¨C
paving the way to transform teaching and learning using ICT |
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¡¡ |
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Forum Letter Reply: |
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We wish to thank the writers who have
provided their views on the FutureSchools@Singapore project. |
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The new primary school highlighted in the
Straits Times report of 29/12 will be one of 15 such schools to be
developed by MOE and IDA by 2015, at the primary and secondary levels. |
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The schools will seek to go beyond current
strategies, and experiment with different ways of using information and
communication technologies (ICT) to enhance learning. |
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The FutureSchools@Singapore schools will
however stay focused on our core goals in education, and aim to develop
students holistically. |
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We quite agree with Mr Edmund Lim ("Develop
all-important software ¨C the mind", 3/1) , who felt that that an
important outcome must be to nurture innovative and insightful thinkers
who are able to harness technology fruitfully to serve and prosper our
society. |
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Ms Maria Loh ("School of future: How will
pupils be selected?", 2/1) felt that there was a ¡°whiff of exclusivity¡±
about the new primary school, and asked how pupils will be selected for
the school, who will pay for the extra initiative and whether it will
exacerbate the income divide. |
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The new primary school will follow existing
school admission procedures for all primary schools. The secondary
schools that are chosen will likewise follow existing procedures, which
are based on merit and also allow for many schools to select students
according to special talents and aptitudes. |
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And as suggested in ST¡¯s Editorial
(¡°Next, digitised schools?¡±, 6/1), parents will be given advance
information on the curriculum and other details of the schools to
help them and their children make the right choices. |
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MOE and IDA, in collaboration with
industry, will invest additional resources in the FutureSchools@Singapore. |
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We would like to assure Ms Loh that
children from low income families will not be disadvantaged from
enrolling in the FutureSchools@Singapore. MOE has in place
financial assistance schemes to help needy students, and will
specifically take into account the needs of students in these
future schools. |
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We will keep access to our schools
open and meritocratic. But to keep improving our education system,
we must be willing to see some schools move ahead of others as
they prototype new ideas, programmes or technologies. |
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Others will decide if they should
follow suit, or adopt their own innovations. If we hold all
schools to doing the same thing as each other so as to avoid any
¡°whiff of exclusivity¡±, we will lose our ability to innovate, move
up in quality and keep our edge. |
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Ms Jacqueline Chia (¡°Don¡¯t do away
with library in schools of the future¡±, 30/12) had asked whether
there will be libraries in these schools. We agree with her that
we cannot replace the pleasure of reading from a book. The new
primary school is looking at a few possible models to ensure that
its students have convenient access to books as well as digital
resources. |
Dr Koh Thiam Seng
Director, Educational Technology |
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Source: www.moe.gov.sg
Media Centre 12 Jan 2007 |
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FrontPage Edition: Sun 21 January 2007
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