Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)

Chairman, education is the best social leveler. Hence, it is important to give emphasis on what we can do to help children from low-income families in terms of education. A key approach to this is by offering financial assistance to ensure no child will be denied of a good education due to the family’s financial situation. Hence, I am heartened at the announcements to enhance MOE Financial Assistance Scheme and bursaries for higher education.

I believe we can do more for ITE students because they are at a phase of acquiring important vocational skills. Could MOE share what further efforts are being taken to enhance financial support for our students, specifically on the bursaries for ITE students?

Sir, currently, Singaporean students in the six full-time madrasahs are not eligible for MOE's Edusave Awards as well as its Financial Assistance Scheme.

At this juncture, I would like to declare that I have a child who is studying in a full-time madrasah.

In 2015, I asked MOE through a Parliamentary Question to consider extending Edusave Awards to madrasah students. The Minister responded that, "Edusave Awards recognise secular academic and non-academic achievements in the context of MOE-funded schools. It would not be appropriate to extend awards to private schools, including those in the six full-time madrasahs that offer a total curriculum that comprises both compulsory religious and secular subjects."

During 2012's COS debate, I and another Member requested to have Edusave account and contributions to be extended to Singaporean students who are studying in non-public schools. MOE declined this request and explained that the Ministry's policy is to encourage all Singaporean children, as far as possible, to enroll in national schools with the objective to forge social cohesion and common national identity.

Nonetheless, Prime Minister in his 2013 National Day Rally speech announced that Edusave accounts and contributions would be given to all students of school-going age, which includes full-time madrasah students. The Prime Minister mentioned, "This is a signal that we value every child and we help with a sense of solidarity among the next generation."

Sir, on the very basis of valuing every child and a sense of solidarity as mentioned the Prime Minister, MOE should consider to extend Edusave Awards and its Financial Assistance Scheme to Singaporean full-time madrasah students.

On MOE's considerations of not awarding Edusave Awards to madrasah students due to madrasah offering a total curriculum that comprises both compulsory religious and secular subjects, this can be addressed by only granting the Edusave Award for secular subjects.

Sir, Singaporean Primary school students from lower income families have their tuition fees heavily subsidised. In addition, they also receive free textbooks and uniforms as well as some pocket money.

However, these benefits do not apply to students with foreign passports, even if one of their parents or legal guardians is a Singaporean Citizen or PR.

Will the Ministry consider extending the same subsidies and benefits to such students under our UN Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) obligations?

Chairman, we have been encouraging Singaporean students to upgrade and the Government has also increased the capacity of the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). But tuition fees at the IHLs have been on the rise since 2010.

At Universities, the fee hikes for local undergraduates for previous years have ranged from 0.6% to 8%.

CNBC estimated that Singapore University costs have risen 38% since 2007. Most recently, in August 2018, all six local Universities have raised tuition fees. Students in the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) and Polytechnics were also similarly subjected to higher fees in 2019.

It is important that students from under-privileged families can enrol in IHLs to use education as a lever to uplift themselves. With an increasing cost of living, we hope MOE can increase the financial assistance to students in IHLs. I will also like to urge MOE to consider disbursing more targeted bursaries which award different quantum depending on the student's family income level and socio-economic background.

Mr Chairman, over the years, the Ministry has done well to ensure that our ITE adequately prepares students for career in a knowledge-based economy. There are bursary to support students in need and scholarship to affirm the good work of students. Through this and other measures we have raised the standard of ITE graduates. Many of whom contribute meaningfully to our country and economy.

I welcome the enhancements to the Government bursaries for ITE students as announced in the Budget Statement and would like to ask if MOE can share more details on the enhanced support, including the expected number of students who will benefit from this enhancement and how they can apply for it.

Secondly, it was announced during the Budget Statement that there will be more overseas internship programmes and youth development initiatives with a new target for 70% of local graduates from Institutes of Higher Learnings to have overseas exposure. Such programmes will be extremely beneficial for students in today's globalised interconnected world.

The question I would like to raise is whether these programmes and initiatives will also cover ITE students. We need to ensure that ITE students also have access and can benefit from these opportunities. It will serve as a form of encouragement, an eye-opener to develop further interest in their course.

Chairman, as part of holistic education, our students are exposed to arts programme, music and aesthetics lessons. While there is a good range of arts programmes in schools today, they are largely ad hoc and may not be part of a longer term vision for how the arts can play a more integral role.

From the existing music syllabus, there is currently no mention and teaching of Singaporean compositions, local composers, musicians and artistes in the music curriculum. For example, there are 126 Cultural Medallion recipients, but how many of our younger generation are aware of their achievements and are inspired by their works?

Furthermore, can MOE consider to include and introduce our ethnic traditional instruments during music lessons? If we do it strategically and interestingly, this could lead to the interest to participate in the school band and orchestra. And, provide a pipeline to build a vibrant performing arts ecosystem in the school. Music and arts curriculum should not only be held within the classrooms. Teachers and students should step-out to indulge in the atmospheres of the arts at the different locations.

Therefore, I propose for MOE to consider. One, allow our students to pay visit to national arts companies, watch theatre shows, musical performances and even concerts. Arts groups and companies can host these students on one-hour learning journeys. Two, involve artist and musicians in curriculum planning; allow them to have dialogue sessions and conversations with the community and arts sector, to build a robust curriculum.

Arts exposure at any early age continues to be important, supports the holistic development of the child, seeds the development of future audiences while increasing the social commons. At the same time, an education in and through the arts helps students appreciate other cultures and develop Singapore pride. In Mandarin, Chairman.

(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Arts can stimulate curiosity and encourage creativity amongst students. Besides the teaching of knowledge, schools are also involved in the character education and holistic development of students. Therefore, making arts classes part of the curriculum for every student is a component of holistic education. When youths display talent and aptitude for the arts, we can provide more professional training platforms for them, with the hope that they will become world-class artists in the future.

In order to develop local artistic talents, we should promote local arts through education. I hope MOE will consider including more local arts resources in the planning of music and art curriculum in schools. I also hope MOE will consider inviting past recipients of the Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award to share their creative journeys and experience. These inspirational teaching materials and personality profiles could become the cradle from which the next generation of artists can be nurtured.

In addition, there are many artistic historical buildings in Singapore. As the teaching of music and the arts should not be confined to the classroom, schools can consider organising field trips for students to visit these historical buildings, to stimulate their interest and enhance their cultural knowledge. Arts groups can also conduct dialogues and workshops for students to interact close-up with artists.

I would also like to suggest that MOE engage local artists and Cultural Medallion recipients during the process of curriculum planning, in order to design an arts curriculum with a stronger local flavour. This will help promote local arts and culture. We must make arts and culture accessible, and ensure that the essence of Singapore’s arts and culture is passed down from generation to generation, creating a sustainable ecosystem for the arts.

(In English): My second cut on Arts University. The Arts University will serve the purpose to fill up jobs in the market contributing to the employability of these graduates. By transforming and upgrading our art academies, this will draw local and overseas talents into enrolling into these institutions. Graduates from the Arts University can contribute not only to the arts and creative industry, but they are able to bring Singapore into a more competitive design and creative market in the global economy.

From a survey, "Passion" was the most critical factor that drew workers to the arts sector; it is also the main reason why these workers remained in the sector. Arts workers also saw themselves as contributing positively to the arts and the wider society through their work.

For example, the Government can consider developing a research centre with the future University, to grow our creative industry in performing arts and visual art. We have to nurture our local talents. These efforts will help create vibrancy in the arts scene, heighten motivation among the expected.

In conclusion, Singapore should be mature enough now as a country to give its own degrees in the Arts. Why should we depend on Universities in other countries to say how good our teaching is? Two, If we can have Singapore degrees in other subjects, why not the Arts? Three, the quality of the teaching and curriculum at NAFA, Lasalle and Intercultural Theatre Institute are recognised by overseas Universities. MOE should allow a system to let Singapore academics and industry practitioners recognise the quality and approve the award of degrees.

As an aspiring Arts Nation, I believe that we should have our own Arts University.