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At the 16th Principals’
Forum 2006, Principals were inspired to seize the moment to
deliver the best education outcomes for students.
The
Principals’ Forum, organised annually
by Schools Division, started in 1997 under
the Thinking
Schools, Learning Nation (TSLN)
banner. The Forum aims to provide a
platform for Principals to discuss direction
in education and major policies that are
linked to key developments in Singapore. |
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Held on 26 May and themed “Seizing the Moments: Leveraging
on Autonomy, Embracing Diversity”, the forum was a lively
and engaging one with speakers sharing their rich experiences
in leading and forging new ground in their organisations.
Thought-provoking Words
In her introductory address, Miss Seah Jiak Choo, Director-General
of Education, shared that school leaders now enjoyed a greater
degree of autonomy, and urged them to keep learning so that
they could deliver the best educational outcomes for their pupils.
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Mr
Koh Boon Hwee, the key-note speaker, taking
questions from the floor. |
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The
thought-provoking exchange among the speakers
gave the principals plenty to discuss. |
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Keynote speaker Mr Koh Boon Hwee, who is the Chairman of DBS
Bank, was a master at story-telling. He weaved many key leadership
principles into his school-day anecdotes and corporate experiences.
He shared how Hewlett Packard drew lessons from a Japanese toy
maker to become the pioneers in producing low-cost printers
that are ubiquitous in homes and offices today. According to
Ms Grace Tan, Principal of Deyi Secondary School, the story
reminded her of the need for constant reassessment of the local
context in order to achieve breakthroughs.
Ms Elsie Tan, Principal of St. Margaret’s Primary School,
felt that Mr Koh’s maxim of “leveraging on the strengths
of his people and building their capacity to enhance their contributions”
was a useful reminder to maximise staff strengths rather than
dwell on their weaknesses. In particular, Mr Koh’s call
for leaders “to lead, not manage”, and to “value
the mavericks” resonated very strongly with the school
leaders.
Reflections and Affirmation
At the In-Conversation segment, participants had the chance
to interact with eminent leaders from the fields of research,
social work and education. Topics discussed were wide-ranging,
with rich exchanges on managing staff diversity and people-oriented
leadership.
Participants left the forum armed with diverse ideas and insights
from the many stories shared. Nonetheless, the common thread
was the reaffirmation of the role of leadership in education.
As aptly put by Mr Koh, leaders should not lose sight of what
education is truly about.
| Learning
Journeys @ ITE College East
Led by student leaders of ITE College East, participants
were given a glimpse of the transformation of
and state-of-the-art learning facilities at ITE
College East. The session was an eye-opening one
and Principals came away thoroughly impressed
with the students’ knowledge, confidence
and passion for their chosen vocational areas.
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Participants
on a Learning Journey led by
student-leaders from ITE College
East. |
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Participants
getting an insider view of how
beauticians are trained at ITE
College East during their Learning
Journey. |
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They were equally
inspired by the authentic learning opportunities
and experiences from ITE industry partnerships
with Microsoft, Bio-Rad and 77th Street, to name
a few. Mr Chua Chor Huat, Principal of Ngee Ann
Secondary School shared that it was “remarkable
that students in ITE are continuously challenged
to achieve high standards through quality courses
and authentic experiences provided by the ITE-Industry
partnerships”.
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