SINGAPORE: Education is also about playing — and this is what educators are getting pre—schoolers to do.

From their poise, you wouldn't have guessed that these student trainers have only been teaching for a few months.

Not many people in Singapore can boast that they can hold a conversation in a language other than English or their mother tongue - but some pupils from Yu Neng Primary School can. For an hour and a half every week, a select group of pupils from Pri 3 to Pri 5 spend their time in enrichment classes for conversational Mandarin and Malay. The goal of the programme is to allow pupils to communicate with their friends of other races and bring about a greater understanding of each other's culture. Lessons are designed to be fun, which enable them to converse in the new language at a basic level. But the big difference is that the trainers are not teachers or school staff, but Sec 3 students from nearby Bedok Green Secondary School.

SINGAPORE: It had hoped to be the first special education (Sped) school in Singapore to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum to its higher—functioning students. But the new St Gerard’s International at Mountbatten Road had its suggestion turned down last week.

SINGAPORE: Make the switch to liquid and powdered eggs is what Singapore’s food watchdog is trying to persuade consumers to do.

SINGAPORE: The Agri—Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is pushing out a public education programme to create greater awareness of liquid and powdered eggs as alternatives to shell eggs.

SINGAPORE : Getting Singaporeans to be caring, motivated and rooted to their country is one objective set out by educators at the inaugural Place—based Education Seminar held at Raffles Institution on Wednesday morning.

SINGAPORE: From differentiated training during Physical Education (PE) classes to a modified Standard Obstacle Course — that is what some Junior Colleges have been putting their students through to get them fit for National Service.

SINGAPORE : The pioneering principal of the Singapore Sports School, Mr Moo Soon Chong, died on Tuesday at the age of 63 after battling liver cancer for more than a year.

A film classifier and a youth chat one-on-one on classification. Imagine you are on the edge of your seat in the cinema, lapping up every single moment of a nail-biting scene. The film abruptly jumps cut to another scene. The audience boos. It won't be any surprise if you think: "The film censors again!" But as Mr Dinesh Pasrasurum, Associate, Film Classification (English), MDA, reveals, the film classifiers at the Board of Film Censors (BFC) do not edit the films. Speaking to 15-year-old St Andrew's Secondary School student Caleb Leong, Dinesh clears the air about film classification.

SINGAPORE : It is the first day of the March school holidays, but some primary school students are back in the lab — this time with their parents.

Mission of Experimental Kindergarten

MOE supports the establishment of an Experimental Kindergarten (EK ) at Temasek Polytechnic (TP) to innovate and conduct research in early childhood education (ECE), in particular, in curriculum and teaching strategies. It also aims to share research findings and good practices with the rest of the pre-school sector.

Since 2009, TP has offered diplomas for educators in ECE. The EK will provide an authentic learning environment for the students to practise what they have learnt in their course. ECE students can contribute to the EK by helping teachers to organise activities and programmes for the children to enrich their learning.

The EK will be set up within the campus of TP. This will enable it to collaborate with other departments in TP to enhance research in pre-school teaching and learning. For example, research collaboration can be carried out with:

• Temasek Informatics and IT School to harness information & communication technology (ICT) for teaching and learning;
• Temasek Applied Science School in the area of food and nutrition for young children;
• Temasek Design School in the design of the physical environment or learning materials for the kindergarten; and
• Centre for Character Education for research in character development and programmes for young children.

In addition, as TP is located next to Bedok Reservoir, the EK can capitalise on the proximity for adventure learning and outdoor exploration.

Staffing

The kindergarten will employ qualified and experienced teachers who will use innovative strategies and pedagogy to facilitate children’s learning. There will be researchers and educational psychologists attached to the programme to support research in teaching methods and curriculum development.

Research

The EK shall adhere to ethical standards for research with children and informed consent will be sought from parents or guardians of the children. Research will also be carried out in an unobtrusive manner.

Commencement

Registration for children will begin in the second half of 2010. The first batch of children will begin classes in Jan 2011. Details will be available on Temasek Polytechnic’s website nearer the date. Interested parents may register their interest at the website. Parents may also call Temasek Polytechnic at 6780 6565.

To enhance the quality of education for special needs students, MOE will provide greater support in terms of recognition, resources and curriculum support for special needs students starting from 2010. There are four specific enhancements for students studying in the special education (SPED) schools, and one for students with mild learning disabilities studying in mainstream schools.

New School-based Awards for Special Education (SPED) Students

To recognise and encourage SPED students for their achievements and progress, MOE will provide funding to SPED schools to establish school-based awards from 2010. The awards will be given to students who are Singapore citizens. An annual lump-sum grant, based on the enrolment of its Singapore citizen students, from the Edusave Endowment Fund will be given to each school.

As the profile of SPED students and the type of curriculum offered across schools are very diverse, individual schools will establish their own criteria for the school-based awards. The school-based criteria would help schools to select students who best meet their school and student profile. For example, schools for the hearing impaired could focus on the child’s speech development. Other schools might focus on the students’ development of vocational skills. Schools could also give awards based on their students’ contribution to the school community, in areas such as leadership, exemplary behaviour, achievements in Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) or national events for persons with disabilities. Each school will determine the number and quantum of the awards.

Increase in Edusave Pupils Fund and Grant for SPED Students

To better support SPED students taking mainstream secondary curriculum and vocational education programmes, MOE will increase the Edusave Pupils Fund and Edusave Grant for these students from January 2011. Based on current rates, the quanta will be increased from $200 to $240 for the Edusave Pupils Fund, and from $50 to $90 for the Edusave Grant. SPED students can use their Edusave Pupils Fund to pay for school fees and enrichment programmes organised by schools. SPED schools can use the Edusave Grant to fund enrichment programmes or to purchase additional resources.

Enhancing Literacy in SPED Schools

SPED students need a firm foundation of literacy skills in order to learn, communicate effectively, and live independently. To enhance the teaching of literacy skills in the SPED schools, MOE will be introducing Reading Mastery, a Direct Instruction reading programme, to all SPED schools over the next few years. This is a highly structured reading programme characterised by explicit teaching (vs. learning through discovery). The programme uses a well-planned curriculum in which skills are taught systematically through detailed lesson plans. The teaching approach involves high teacher-student interaction and continuous reinforcement while learning.

The roll-out follows a successful pilot of the programme in seven SPED schools in 2009. Students with intellectual disability showed significant gains in their early reading skills after going through the reading programme. Teachers reported that students were more motivated to read and were more focused in general. Teachers also reported improvements in their teaching skills.

MOE will also work with SPED schools to pilot other Direct Instruction programmes to support the development of oral and writing skills.

Greater Opportunities for Integration between Children from SPED and Mainstream Schools

MOE will support more satellite partnerships between SPED schools and mainstream schools to provide SPED students with opportunities for meaningful interactions with their mainstream peers. This follows two successful prototype satellite partnerships by Pathlight School and Canossian School with mainstream schools. Such arrangements enhance the quality of learning experiences for children from SPED and mainstream schools, as well as facilitate better social integration.

Mainstream schools located near SPED schools will be encouraged to conduct joint social and learning activities through platforms such as the Community Involvement Programme (CIP), National Education Programme and CCAs.

MOE will also provide resources to support the conduct of satellite classes for SPED students in the mainstream schools. These resources include funds for setting up of satellite classrooms, and additional manpower in the form of an Allied Educator (AED).

Pathlight School, which has established satellite partnerships with Chong Boon Secondary and Townsville Primary, will also partner another mainstream school, Bishan Park Secondary, from 2010. The increased interaction will benefit its older students with autism who would eventually be able to transit into mainstream post-secondary institutions.

MOE will continue to study the satellite partnerships and expand good practices to other schools.

Support for Students with Mild Special Needs in Mainstream Schools

Beyond the SPED schools, it is also important to ensure that children with mild special needs in mainstream schools continue to be well supported. To this end, MOE deploys Allied Educators (Learning and Behavioural Support) [AED (LBS)] in mainstream schools and trains a proportion of mainstream school teachers in special needs.

By July 2010, all primary schools and 31 designated secondary schools will receive at least one trained AED (LBS), thereby meeting the 2010 target of 236 AEDs (LBS). MOE targets to recruit more AED (LBS) to meet longer term needs.

MOE is also on track to achieve its target of having around 10 percent of the teaching staff in all primary and secondary schools trained in special needs. MOE targets to train an additional 10 percent of secondary teachers, including JC/CI teachers, by 2012 to support the diverse learning needs of students with special needs and provide them with interventions related to academic learning.

MOE will continue to review and enhance support for students with mild special needs in the mainstream schools.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be enhancing the teaching of languages in schools, in order to build strong communication skills among our young, so as to prepare them well for the future. First, MOE will be enhancing teacher capacity to teach English Language (EL) and English-medium subjects, as well as promoting school-based programmes to improve English Language usage by students. Second, MOE will also be adopting differentiated approaches to the teaching of mother tongue languages (MTLs) to cater to students with different levels of ability and interest in MTLs. There will be stronger emphasis on helping students acquire proficiency in the MTLs, for communication and in daily living.

English Language

English is the lingua franca of international business, science and technology. The ability to write and speak English well therefore remains an essential skill to cultivate in our young.

English Language Institute of Singapore

Teachers are role models for students and key enablers of their language learning. MOE will therefore set up the English Language Institute of Singapore (ELIS) by 2011 to provide in-service training for EL and English-medium teachers. ELIS will not only tap on EL Master Teachers as trainers, but also recruit EL local and overseas experts to conduct training courses. ELIS will build up EL expertise and resources by working with external partners to offer customised training to meet the different needs of our teachers. ELIS will also be a “test-bed” for innovative ideas in EL teaching strategies and deepening teacher capability in EL teaching. In the longer term, ELIS aims to become a Centre of Excellence for the teaching of EL in Asia and beyond.

Whole School Approach

MOE will provide an EL Innovation Fund for each school to promote practices and activities that encourage the use of good English. This “whole school approach” aims to create a culture of good language usage within each school. Schools can supplement formal EL programmes for students with activities such as online games and quizzes, EL festivals, drama performances and public speaking courses to develop the competence and confidence of students in using Standard English. Schools may draw on the Fund to organise customised EL activities and courses for teachers. 40 schools will be provided with the EL Innovation Fund in the first phase of this “whole school approach”.

Language Facilitators in Primary Schools

Following the successful pilot in 20091, 25 more primary schools will be engaging Language Facilitators in 2010. These facilitators complement EL teaching and learning by conducting before- or after-school enrichment lessons in areas such as oral presentation, drama or story-telling. MOE plans to extend Language Facilitators to all primary schools over time.

Mother Tongue Languages

Bilingualism, a cornerstone of our education system, has stood our students in good stead, enabling them to function effectively in a competitive global environment. However, over time, the language environment in Singapore has evolved significantly. More Primary 1 pupils are coming from households where English is the dominant home language. To cater to students with a wider range of language abilities and from different home language backgrounds, MOE will explore more differentiated teaching approaches for MTLs to help students build strong language and communication skills.

The Chinese Language (CL) Review Committee led by the Director-General for Education (DGE) will set out the philosophy underlying the teaching of CL to different groups of learners in Singapore. The Committee will survey best practices in the teaching, learning and assessment of CL in and beyond Singapore to glean relevant learning points, and recommend the appropriate approach to customise CL learning for our CL learners of different abilities. Similar reviews of Malay Language (ML) and Tamil Language (TL), also led by DGE, are being carried out in tandem with the CL review. The Committees are expected to complete their work by year-end.

The goal is to evolve a curriculum framework and develop effective pedagogies that will engage the interest and maximise the learning of MTLs across three broad groups of students—the majority of children who come from EL-speaking homes, those with the ability and interest to do Higher MTL, and those with limited home language exposure and face difficulties in learning the language.

For the majority, the objective is to cultivate an interest in MTL, and to develop effective communication skills and confidence in using the MTL. For students who have the ability, MOE will help them develop fluency in all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and an understanding of the history and culture. For students with limited home exposure and face difficulties in learning the language, MOE will help them to acquire competency in oral communication for daily living.

As recommendations of the Review Committees will take time to be implemented, MOE will be making some intermediate changes over the next few years, to better align MTL teaching to the broad approach that will be adopted. The following outlines the intermediate changes to the learning and teaching of CL. The same principles will apply to ML and TL with due consideration to the specific context of each language.

Differentiated Approaches

Greater attention will be given to develop the listening and speaking skills of students. MOE will equip schools with a diagnostic tool to assess the CL oracy competence of Primary 1 students at the start of the school term. The information would enable teachers to better customise their teaching to meet the different learning needs of students. The diagnostic tool will be developed jointly by MOE and the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language in 2010. It will be piloted in some primary schools in 2011 and implemented in all primary schools from 2012.

Since 2007, all primary schools have been provided with two additional CL teachers to support the implementation of the new CL modular curriculum2. This provision has allowed schools to reduce the size of their Bridging classes. Moving forward, MOE will provide an additional CL teacher to primary schools which have a very large proportion of students from EL-speaking homes. Doing so enables these schools to run additional Bridging classes.

For schools with a large number of students from predominantly EL-speaking homes and who are facing difficulties in CL learning, there would be more extensive use of EL to teach CL. Greater curricular support and in-service training will be provided for teachers to use the bilingual approach3. A CL-EL glossary of selected vocabulary will also be provided by 2011 for students in the Chinese Language and Foundation Chinese courses.

Making MTL Relevant to Daily Living

To help students acquire confidence and proficiency in the use of MTL in daily living, like effective oral communication, reading in everyday contexts (e.g. news, movies, internet information) and functional writing, MOE will leverage on the use of ICT. MOE has developed various ICT resources to support MTL learning, including Xue Le (学乐) and Chinese Language Word Games (语文游戏乐翻天) for CL4, TINTA and Nadi for ML and Sangamam for TL5.

An ICT-based resource package constituting 10-15% of the MTL curriculum across all levels will be provided to all schools starting from 2011. At the primary level, the emphasis will be on using technology to enhance the acquisition of oral-aural skills and character recognition. At the secondary level, the focus will be on the use of search engines to source for information, collaborative learning platforms such as wikispace for discussions and blogs to document student reflections.

MOE will develop and implement a web-based MTL portal to support oracy learning for students from Primary Four to Pre-University levels. With such a portal, teachers can assign oral learning tasks to students who can upload their completed product in the form of audio/video files onto the portal. The portal enables self-, peer- and teacher-assessment. The portal will also be equipped with a computer-assisted speech assessment system for CL to enable students to practise and evaluate their oral performance at their own pace and convenience. The MTL portal will be rolled out to schools in phases from 2012.

In addition, there will be higher oracy weightings and greater use of authentic materials6 in the national examinations from 2012 for O/N/A Levels. The increase in oracy weightings range from 5% to 20% (see Table 1).

Table 1: Increase in oracy weightings from 2012 ‘N’ Level MTL ‘O’ Level MTL ‘O’ Level MTL ‘B’ ‘A’ Level H1 MTL ‘A’ Level MTL ‘B’ Percentage increase in oracy 5% (from 35% to 40%) 5% (from 30% to 35%) 10% (from 40% to 50%) 10% (from 20% to 30%) 20% (from 30% to 50%) Developing a Strong Cadre of SAP School Leaders

For students with the ability and interest to go further in the learning of CL, MOE will support them by enhancing the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school environment. MOE will send potential and current SAP school leaders to leading schools and institutions in the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan for attachments. Such exchanges will help our SAP school leaders to deepen their understanding and appreciation of unique features in other systems and explore how they could be adapted to Singapore’s context.

Expanding Access to MTL ‘B’

MTL ‘B’ at the secondary level will be made more accessible to students who face exceptional difficulties in coping with MTL. MOE will set up 3 more7 CL ‘B’ school centres, so that there will be at least 2 centres in each zone (North, South, East, West). MOE Language Centre and Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre will also offer ML ‘B’ and TL ‘B’ respectively. In addition, MOE will relax the eligibility criterion to allow more students to take MTL ‘B’ at the ‘A’ Levels, from ‘E8 or below’ for their ‘O’ level MTL to ‘D7 or below’.

More examination sittings will be made available to ‘O’ and ‘A’ level MTL ‘B’ students. For ‘O’ level MTL ‘B’, there will be an additional sitting in June from 2012. For ‘A’ level MTL ‘B, there will be two additional sittings from 20128. These will be conducted at end-JC1, mid-JC2 (June) and end-JC2, similar to H1 MTL.

To meet the learning needs of MTL ‘B’ students, MOE will provide training to equip MTL ‘B’ teachers with appropriate teaching strategies to make learning more relevant and meaningful for these students.

MOE will continue to collaborate with relevant centres of expertise such as the National Institute of Education, the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language, the Malay Language Centre of Singapore and the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre to undertake research in the learning and teaching of MTLs.

Footnotes:

1. In 2009, MOE piloted the Language Facilitator Scheme in 5 primary schools—Bendemeer Primary, Canossa Convent Primary, Kheng Cheng School, St. Andrew’s Junior and St. Gabriel’s Primary. ↩
2. The new primary CL modular curriculum structure consists of the Bridging, Core and Enrichment Modules. It has been fully implemented across all levels from 2010. ↩
3. The bilingual approach refers to the selective use of the child’s first language to teach a new language. ↩
4. Xue Le (学乐) (http://xuele.edumall.sg/) and the Chinese Language Word Games (语文游戏乐翻天) (http://game.iflashbook.com/) are online ICT resources for students to learn and consolidate the learning of characters and words. ↩
5. Nadi (http://nadi.edumall.sg/) is an online Malay language and culture magazine. TINTA (http://tinta.edumall.sg/) and Sangamam (http://sangamam.edumall.sg/tamilosai/slot/u113/index.html) are portals hosting podcasts, vodcasts and interactive games to support the learning of ML and TL respectively. ↩
6. These authentic materials refer to the use of real-world situational contexts such as notices, advertisements, news reports, brochures and dialogues. ↩
7. There are currently 53 secondary schools offering school-based CL ‘B’ and 5 school centres offering it to students from nearby schools. The new CL ‘B’ school centres will be at Fuchun Secondary, St Andrew’s Secondary and Assumption English School. ↩
8. Currently, ‘A’ level MTL ‘B’ students can take the examination only at the end of JC2. ↩

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will implement a new framework to enhance the development of 21st century competencies in our students. This will underpin the holistic education that our schools provide to better prepare our students to thrive in a fast-changing and highly-connected world.

As part of this effort, MOE will strengthen the quality of Physical, Art and Music education. These subjects enable students to develop physical robustness, enhance their creative and expressive capacities, as well as shape their personal, cultural and social identity.

New Framework for 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes

To better position our students to take advantage of opportunities in a globalised world, our students need to possess life-ready competencies like creativity, innovation, cross-cultural understanding and resilience. Diagram 1 illustrates the Desired Student Outcomes and the 21st Century Competencies.

Diagram 1: 21st Century Competencies and Desired Student Outcomes Desired Student Outcomes

The desired outcomes for every student are:

• a confident person who has a strong sense of right and wrong, is adaptable and resilient, knows himself, is discerning in judgment, thinks independently and critically, and communicates effectively.
• a self-directed learner who questions, reflects, perseveres and takes responsibility for his own learning.
• an active contributor who is able to work effectively in teams, is innovative, exercises initiative, takes calculated risks and strives for excellence.
• a concerned citizen who is rooted to Singapore, has a strong sense of civic responsibility, is informed about Singapore and the world, and takes an active part in bettering the lives of others around him.

21st Century Competencies

Knowledge and skills must be underpinned by values. Values define a person’s character. They shape the beliefs, attitudes and actions of a person, and therefore form the core of the framework of 21st century competencies.

The middle ring signifies the Social and Emotional Competencies—skills necessary for children to recognise and manage their emotions, develop care and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, as well as to handle challenging situations effectively.

The outer ring of the framework represents the 21st century skills necessary for the globalised world we live in. These are:

• Civic literacy, global awareness and cross-cultural skills
• Critical and inventive thinking
• Information and communication skills

Together, these competencies will enable our young to tap into the rich opportunities in the new digital age, while keeping a strong Singapore heartbeat. Annexes A to C elaborate on the competencies.

Many of these competencies and values are being taught in schools today. What schools will aim for is to strike a better balance between students’ learning of content knowledge and their acquisition of the necessary competencies and values to thrive in the future.

MOE will place greater emphasis on these competencies through the academic curriculum and Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs). Expectations and learning outcomes based on these competencies will be articulated across the entire curriculum in the next curriculum review cycle in 2012-2014. Values and competencies will also be explicitly taught during character and citizenship education lessons.

At the same time, MOE will build teacher capacity to deliver these 21st century competencies through the provision of pedagogical exemplars, training and professional sharing. MOE will also develop tools for holistic feedback and assessment. From 2012, all students will be provided with an individual Holistic Development Profile, which will record each student’s progress in developing these competencies.

Strengthening the Quality of PE, Art and Music (PAM) Education for Holistic Education

Over the years, MOE has invested in providing infrastructure and facilities to facilitate PAM education in our schools, such as Indoor Sports Halls and synthetic turf fields. MOE plans to equip schools with more of such facilities in the future. For example, in line with the recommendations of the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee, primary schools will be provided with two Programme for Active Learning (PAL) rooms, a performing arts studio, a dance studio, a band room and an outdoor running track. The establishment of the Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA) and the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts (STAR) also support the in-service training and professional development of our PAM teachers to strengthen PAM education. Move towards “Single-Subject” Specialisation for Art and Music

To enhance the delivery of the Art and Music curriculum, all new Art and Music teachers will be trained for single-subject specialisation, i.e. only in Art or Music. They will focus on teaching either Art or Music, and handle Art- or Music-related CCAs and programmes. Existing Art and Music teachers will also move towards single-subject specialisation.

Increase in PE Curriculum Time

PE develops students physically and equips them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle. Hence, MOE will increase PE curriculum time for all primary and secondary school students. Please refer to the table below for the details.

Level PE Curriculum Time Primary 1 – Primary 2 1.5 hr → 2 hrs
(in addition to 2 hrs of PAL) Primary 3 – Primary 6 1.5 hr → 2.5 hrs Secondary 1 – Secondary 4 1 hr → 2 hrs

This will be implemented in phases, in step with the building of the Indoor Sports Halls, the implementation of single-session primary schools and the increased recruitment of PE teachers.

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will launch its first eight degree programmes with five overseas university partners from August 2010, one year ahead of schedule. Students enrolled in SIT will receive degrees from these overseas universities that are the equivalent of those awarded in their home countries. There will be about 500 places available in these eight programmes for Academic Year (AY) 2010. SIT will open for admissions on 10 March 2010 and welcomes polytechnic graduates to apply.

The overseas universities and the programmes offered are listed in the table below:

Overseas University Programme offered Technische Universität München (TUM), Germany Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Newcastle University (NU), UK

• Bachelor of Engineering in Marine Technology with Honours in Naval Architecture
• Bachelor of Engineering in Marine Technology with Honours in Marine Engineering
• Bachelor of Engineering in Marine Technology with Honours in Off-shore Engineering

DigiPen Institute of Technology (DigiPen), USA

• Bachelor of Science with specialisation in Real-Time Interactive Simulation/ Game Design
• Bachelor of Arts with specialisation in Production Animation/ Game Design

Culinary Institute of America (CIA), USA Name of degree programme to be confirmed. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), USA Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration

These reputable overseas university partners have been selected for their high academic standing and strong industry reputation, as well as their commitment to providing a good quality education for SIT students. For instance, TUM is ranked amongst the top German universities, particularly in Engineering, and is consistently listed as one of the top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education Supplement. NU is a member of the Russell Group of UK universities and is known for its excellence in the area of marine science and technology. Offering a rigorous programme with strong industry links, DigiPen is a renowned authority in game development education. CIA is recognised and respected as a leader in culinary education, and is consistently ranked the best culinary school in the USA. Recognised as one of the top hospitality schools in the world, UNLV will provide skilled manpower for the growing hospitality industry in Singapore. (Please refer to the Annex (80kb .pdf) for details on these universities.)

These overseas university partners will offer high quality, rigorous programmes that are industry relevant and will prepare SIT students for employment in identified growth sectors. The universities are working closely with SIT and the polytechnics to ensure that the SIT curriculum builds on the strengths of the polytechnics’ diploma curricula. SIT students will benefit from being taught by, and interacting with, faculty members from the partner universities, some of whom will be in Singapore to teach the degree programmes, alongside SIT faculty. SIT will also tap on adjunct faculty, including polytechnic lecturers and industry practitioners, to enrich the learning experience for its students. SIT students will enjoy industrial attachments, internships, as well as overseas exchange programmes at the home campuses of the overseas universities.

The degree programmes will be conducted at SIT facilities located within the campuses of the polytechnics to harness synergies, for example, access to specialised engineering laboratories. Nonetheless, each polytechnic will provide a dedicated space where SIT teaching and activities will take place.

SIT Admissions Exercise

SIT’s admissions exercise is scheduled to open on 10 March 2010 and will close on 8 April 2010. Interested students can apply through the SIT website. Applicants will undergo a holistic assessment that includes academic criteria, extra-curricular interests and the candidates’ personal qualities. Work experience will also be a key consideration. Candidates will also be assessed through interviews. For specific programmes, students may have to submit portfolios or essays.

SIT welcomes polytechnic graduates with work experience to apply, as their maturity and real-world knowledge will bring valuable perspectives into the classroom and add value to the strong industry relevance of SIT’s degree offerings.

Background on SIT

SIT was established in 2009 to provide another pathway for polytechnic graduates to obtain industry-relevant degrees. SIT plans to offer places to 2,000 full-time students at steady-state. The duration of SIT degree programmes would typically be about two years for students with the requisite qualifications.

SIT is currently in discussion with other university partners to offer programmes in other areas of growth. Details on these partnerships will be provided later.

The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level) Examination is conducted jointly by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB).

The results of the 2009 and 2008 GCE A-Level Examinations for school candidates are as follows:

Year No. Sat At least 3 H2 passes, with a pass in General Paper (GP) or Knowledge and Inquiry (KI) No. % 2009 14,212 12,488 87.9 2008 14,463 12,688 87.7

School candidates have been issued with their results slips by their respective schools from 2:30 pm today. Private candidates will receive their results by post. Private candidates may also access their results through the SEAB website from 2:30 pm today.

The International Conference on Teaching and Learning with Technology (iCTLT) 2010, jointly organised by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), will be held from 4 to 5 March 2010 at the Suntec Convention Hall. Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Education, Mr S Iswaran, is the guest-of-honour for the opening ceremony.

The theme for iCTLT 2010 is “Advancing Learning with ICT: Innovate. Collaborate. Transform.” This year’s conference will focus on the development of digital age leadership to drive ICT implementation in schools and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to transform learning. iCTLT 2010 will feature three keynote addresses, ten spotlight sessions and about 100 papers at the concurrent sessions.

A total of 1,800 local and overseas delegates are expected at the conference, including school leaders, educators, academics, researchers and classroom practitioners, and industry leaders. iCTLT 2010 provides a platform for these participants to connect and collaborate on current and future thinking on technology in education, and share good classroom practices that tap on technology to support self-directed and collaborative learning.

Programme Highlights

Renowned speakers such as David Warlick, Jenny Lewis and Kevin Walsh, as well as a diverse group of academics, school leaders, teachers and industry partners will share their insights and knowledge on the use of technology in education. Presentations include online learning with Web 2.0 technology, pedagogies in an ICT-rich environment, critical success factors for school-wide transformation and models of innovative curriculum. Schools will also share their experiences on how they are using technologies in teaching and learning at both the main conference and exhibition.

Prior to the main conference, participants will have the opportunity to embark on learning trails to Sungei Buloh, Hort Park and Chinatown. To showcase how ICT is used in our schools, foreign delegates have also been invited to visit some FutureSchools@Singapore. On top of these, eight interactive workshops will be held to provide delegates with hands-on learning experiences to bring technology into the classroom more effectively.

Running concurrently with the conference is an exhibition which aims to showcase the technologies from industry partners, as well as poster presentations by schools which will highlight their efforts in harnessing ICT and the impact of technology on the way students learn.

iCTLT 2010 is supported by Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, Media Development Authority of Singapore, National Institute of Education, Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau and Academy of Principals.

For more information on iCTLT, please visit the iCTLT website.