The Committee was set up in February 2004 to articulate the
objectives and target groups of the various Chinese Language
(CL) syllabuses, and to review the structure, curriculum content,
pedagogy and assessment methods used in CL teaching and learning
today.
[ back to article
]
The Integrated Programme was one of the key recommendations
of the Junior College/Upper Secondary Education Review Committee,
appointed in April 2002 to develop a revised JC curriculum and
framework, and to set out a vision for the JC/Upper Secondary
education system.
The Integrated Programme would cater to students who are clearly
university-bound and could do well in a less structured environment.
It would free up time used to prepare students for the 'O' level
examinations to engage in broader learning experiences. The
Committee therefore recommended that some schools which are
ready should offer an Integrated Programme that provides a seamless
upper secondary and JC education where secondary students can
proceed to JC without the need to take the 'O' level examinations.
As of 2005, the Raffles family and Hwa Chong family of schools
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Dunman High School, National
Junior College, Victoria Junior College and Temasek Junior College
will be offering the IP.
[ back to article ]
Specialised Independent Schools are part of the recommendations
made by the Junior College/Upper Secondary Education Review
Committee (see ‘Integrated Programme’). They
cater to students with talents in specific fields, e.g. the
arts, sports, mathematics and science.
Such schools can better develop the special abilities of highly
talented children than mainstream schools by offering a customised
curriculum. These schools will add to the vibrancy of the national
school system. Currently, Specialised Independent Schools include
Singapore Sports School, NUS High School of Math and Science
which starts in 2005, and Specialised School for the Arts, slated
to start in 2007.
[ back to article ]
On 13 August 2003, MOE invited proposals to set up privately-funded
schools. The setting up of 2-3 privately-funded schools at the
secondary or junior college (JC) level introduces greater diversity
in the education landscape and offers greater choice for our
students.
Privately-funded schools will be required to provide a Singaporean
environment as well as adhere to MOE’s bilingual policy and
incorporate National Education (NE) into their curriculum. It
is envisaged that Singaporeans/Permanent Residents will comprise
at least 50% of privately-funded school enrolment. On 12 April
04, MOE approved two privately-funded schools, namely Anglo-Chinese
School (International) and Hwa Chong International.
[ back to article ]
At the 2003 Workplan Seminar, then Acting Education Minister
Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced that MOE would be giving teachers
more avenues to gain experiences outside school.
The Teacher Work Attachment pilot started in Nov – Dec 2003,
with 28 organisations offering attachment opportunities for
72 teachers. During the school holidays in 2004, a total of
223 teachers were involved with over 50 organisations on the
TWA.
[ back to article
]
At the Committee of Supply Debate in March last year, Minister
for Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratam announced that MOE would
re-examine the relationship between Government and the universities
to see how we can provide the universities with greater institutional
autonomy in future.
Subsequently, in April last year, following a study visit with
DPM Tan to the US to learn more about US universities’ governance
structures and the levels of autonomy that they enjoyed, Minister
Tharman announced the setting up of a Steering Committee to
undertake a review of university autonomy, governance and funding.
The Steering Committee was tasked to recommend an appropriate
model of autonomy for the three local universities, NUS, NTU
and SMU, which would allow them to respond more nimbly to the
opportunities and challenges they face in an increasingly competitive
global university landscape.
[ back to article ] |
