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By Ms Faridah Baharawi, English Teacher, Cedar Girls' Secondary
School |
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I have always thought that the Corporate Communications
Division (CCD) only handled public and media queries and ‘dealt’
with complaints. I was proven wrong!
My misconception turned into awe when I saw the different duties
CCD officers had to juggle. After being informed that CCD is
part of the policy wing of the Ministry, I realised that the
division is not merely at the receiving end of activities or
news. Instead, it is very much like the nerve-centre of the
whole organisation. I realised, for instance, that information
had to be verified before publication and that negative publicity
had to be couched in a balanced manner.
I was very impressed by the types of activities covered by the
officers, which among others included public communications,
press secretary work, media relations and internal communications.
The highlight for me was when a group of visiting foreign delegates
to the Ministry wanted a teacher’s input of the education system
in Singapore. I was proud to share my personal insights.
Although my TWA was
a short three-week stint, I was able to get a comprehensive
overview of the Division’s work areas, and understand more about
what it takes to be a CCD Officer.
| What I Learnt at CCD: |
| 1 |
Accuracy of information is crucial,
especially when the information needs to be relayed to
the different stakeholders, as it can influence the public’s
perception of the Ministry. |
| 2 |
A deeper awareness and
understanding of education issues and policies. |
| 3 |
The importance of communicating
changes in the education system to both teachers and the
public in an ‘easy-to-digest’ manner. |
| 4 |
It is definitely not a
desk-bound job and one must be able to work under pressure
arising from tight deadlines. |
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