Tag Archives: HENG SWEE KEAT

The flexibility of the selection process in SIM University (UniSIM) is constructive, and echoes the admission components of the newer universities (More Than Good Grades Needed For A Place At UniSIM, Jan. 6). It recognises that examination results per se do not necessarily reflect a student’s true quality and potential. While one might not be too enthusiastic about UniSIM’s “five Cs” model, for assessors run the risk of pigeon-holing applicants, the school’s four-step model does go beyond the traditional focus on grades.

O-Level school-leavers will have two more options when they collect their results on Monday, with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) announcing two new courses — Higher Nitec in Human Resource and Administration and Higher Nitec in Space Design Technology — yesterday.

In 1992, St Andrews JC made attending chapel sessions a condition for admission into the school for a group of ‘appeal’ students, prompting the Education Ministry to summon Article 16 (3) of the constitution that states that ‘no person shall be required to receive instruction in or take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion OTHER THAN HIS OWN. In other words, no one can compel you to attend chapel if you’re a non-believer, even if the school has been established to promote the Bible as moral nourishment like pushing milk for strong teeth and bones. One of those students forced to ‘sing hymns’ and hear the chaplain preaching was a SIKH, who also lamented about Muslims being excused from such tedious rites.

The Education Ministry is doing away with grades A1 to E8 for students’ co-curricular programmes. Instead, students will be placed in three bands — Excellent, Good or Fair — at the end of secondary school. The Excellent band will carry two bonus points, which can be used for entry into tertiary institutions.

An Education Ministry review that has just been launched is set to make apprenticeships and learning in real-life settings much more important in polytechnic and ITE education. The review will initially focus on building and construction, nursing, aerospace, manufacturing and early childhood education. The review committee held its first dialogue with polytechnic and ITE students today (Jan 9) to get their views. Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah, who heads the committee, said they will be studying countries like Germany and Switzerland, and their successful models of apprenticeship in education.

The results of the 2013 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE ‘O’ Level) Examination will be released on Jan 13, the Ministry of Education announced today (Jan 8). School candidates may collect their results from their schools at 2.00pm on Jan 13, a Monday. Private candidates will be informed of their results by post, and they can also access their results through the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website at http://www.seab.gov.sg from 2.00pm on Jan 13.

Final year Singapore Polytechnic (SP) student Tiffany Chin no longer needs to jostle for space in the laboratory with the launch yesterday of a new S$1 million facility for the perfumery and cosmetic science diploma programme, the only one of its kind here. “Now, there is more room, equipment and things (we) can do there,” said the 19-year-old at the opening ceremony.

This is part of the new Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) syllabus that was introduced yesterday. Parents will also have an active role to play as key chapters will have “family time” activities, where students are encouraged to share what they have learnt in school with their parents. The CCE, which was launched by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat at Rivervale Primary, will be introduced this year in stages in Pri 1 and 2 and secondary schools, before being extending to Pri 3 to Pri 6 next year.

The Taiwan government started intervening in early childhood learning more than two decades ago. One of its first moves was to set up pre-schools within public primary schools. Other efforts include providing funding for inclusive education and tapping academics to act as mentors for pre-school teachers.

But thanks to the Taiwan government’s Guidance Project initiative, Dajia’s fortunes have been turned around. The pre-school now enjoys full enrolment, and its curriculum and amenities are much improved.