Education

2,734 debates and bills about education

10 Sep 2012

Collaborations between Singapore and Overseas Universities

Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene asked for the total partnership fees paid by Singapore universities to overseas institutions for collaborations with Wharton, MIT/Zhejiang, and Yale.
Minister Heng Swee Keat explained that collaboration fees vary by partnership model and phase, covering activities like curriculum development and research, and decrease after the start-up period.
The Minister stated that MOE cannot disclose specific fees due to confidentiality agreements but ensures funding is scrutinized to provide quality education and future readiness for Singaporeans.

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10 Sep 2012

Degree Programmes offered by Universities

The Ministry of Education, together with the Singapore Institute of Technology and SIM University, will educate students, parents, employers, and schools about the unique strengths and value of the applied degree programmes offered by SIT and UniSIM, distinguishing them from research-intensive courses at autonomous universities.
MOE will enhance and update its Education and Career Guidance programme in schools, including polytechnics, to reflect new university pathways and support students in selecting degree programmes aligned with their abilities and interests.
Advisory services and resources in secondary schools, junior colleges, and polytechnics will be updated to provide current information and guidance on the diverse university education options.

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10 Sep 2012

More Primary Schools in Mature Estates

Lim Biow Chuan asked if the Ministry of Education will build more primary schools in mature estates like Mountbatten ahead of demand.
Heng Swee Keat explained that MOE regularly reviews supply and demand to ensure sufficient school places, but cannot build a school in every estate due to the need for a sufficient student catchment.
He noted that two primary schools already exist in Mountbatten, with others nearby, and that projected housing and population plans confirm no need for new schools in the area.
MOE therefore has no plans to construct additional primary schools in Mountbatten, as current and future demand is adequately met.

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10 Sep 2012

Monitoring of Tuition Centres and Agencies

Yee Jenn Jong proposed active monitoring of tuition centres and agencies to verify tutor credentials and suggested an independent body to maintain a verified tutor database.
Heng Swee Keat stated that schools provide adequate support and that tuition is unnecessary for many students, with parents expected to exercise discretion and check tutor credentials.
Tuition centres are regulated under the Education Act, requiring tutor registration with MOE, while tuition agencies are unregulated as they only match tutors with students.
The Minister expressed skepticism about an industry body maintaining a tutor database, believing it may not sufficiently inform parents.

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10 Sep 2012

Availability of Autonomous Universities' Resources to Encourage Open Learning

Ellen Lee asked if the Ministry would encourage Autonomous Universities to offer free online education resources to align with global open learning initiatives and how it would support this financially.
Heng Swee Keat responded that while MOE recognizes global trends, online initiatives are still evolving and cannot replace the value of face-to-face university interactions.
He noted that universities like NUS and NTU are already offering free materials via platforms like iTunes U and will continue exploring online learning in their strategic plans.
The Ministry supports harnessing technology to enrich learning but emphasizes that online resources should complement, not replace, traditional education experiences.
No specific funding details were provided, but the response highlighted ongoing efforts and future explorations by universities in this area.

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10 Sep 2012

Review on Format of Singapore Youth Festival

Janice Koh asked the Ministry of Education to review the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) format to reduce competitive pressure and consider holistic, year-round measures of artistic achievement.
Heng Swee Keat highlighted SYF's evolution since 1966, including past competitive formats and the 2005 revision to a non-competitive July festival with benchmarking.
The Ministry is currently reviewing SYF to increase educational value, retain benchmarking, and moderate excessive competition.
Beyond SYF, MOE uses a holistic approach with the National Arts Council's National Arts Education Awards to foster arts culture and sustained student participation.
The review aims to balance competition with broader arts engagement, focusing on processes and student impact rather than just results.

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10 Sep 2012

Independent Research Firm to Collate Findings for Annual Graduate Employment Survey

Ellen Lee asked if the Ministry of Education would appoint an independent vendor to conduct the annual Graduate Employment Survey and require disclosure of response rates and sample sizes per institution instead of overall figures.
Heng Swee Keat responded that Autonomous Universities and Polytechnics already use rigorous methodologies with reputable independent survey companies, with a single company commissioned for AUs since 2012.
He stated that MOE mandates a minimum 70% response rate for each institution to ensure robust findings, aligning with industry norms for both polytechnics and universities.

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10 Sep 2012

Mapping ITE and Polytechnic Curricula to Industry Demands

The Ministry of Education collaborates annually with manpower agencies and post-secondary institutions to align course offerings with the economy’s future needs.
Polytechnics and ITE ensure their curricula meet industry demands through advisory committees with industry leaders, resulting in high employment rates for graduates.
Over 87% of ITE graduates are employed within six months, with many working in local companies, though specific data on SME employment is unavailable.
Despite strong local graduate readiness, a current shortage of workers is addressed through controlled foreign worker intake.

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10 Sep 2012

Qualifying Criteria for Non-profit Anchor Pre-school Operators

The criteria for non-profit anchor pre-school operators include being a not-for-profit body with no religious affiliation and a minimum paid-up capital of $5 million; only PCF and NTUC met these when the scheme started in 2009.
The two anchor operators have expanded to 196 centres with fees below market median and higher teacher qualifications, while also helping uplift industry standards through initiatives like the SPARK accreditation.
The government is reviewing the scheme to enhance quality at existing centres and extend support to more operators beyond PCF and NTUC.
While five operators initially applied, only PCF and NTUC qualified; no details were provided on how many non-selected applicants were voluntary welfare organisations or private operators.

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10 Sep 2012

Student to Faculty Ratio at Autonomous Universities

Ellen Lee asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) about guidelines for minimum student-to-faculty ratios in tutorials, seminars, and laboratory sessions at Autonomous Universities, and whether MOE conducts regular or random on-site checks on teaching quality, including their frequency and independence.
Heng Swee Keat explained that student-to-faculty ratios at Autonomous Universities vary by discipline and pedagogical approach, with no minimum imposed by MOE, as universities manage their own teaching quality through student feedback and continuous improvement.
MOE holds universities accountable via a performance framework that includes independent external reviews every five years to assess teaching and learning quality, ensuring credibility and comprehensiveness.

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10 Sep 2012

Qualifying Tests for Foreign-trained Medical Professionals

The Singapore Medical Council holds the Qualifying Examination (QE) once a year for Singapore citizens with degrees from non-recognized medical schools, with about 10 candidates annually and a 17% pass rate.
The QE is labor-intensive and tied to NUS's final-year medical exams, limiting capacity and causing potential wait times of up to two years for candidates seeking to practice.
Officials recommend alternative pathways like post-graduate exams (e.g., MRCP UK) for conditional registration, but these require prior training, leaving some graduates in a difficult position.

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10 Sep 2012

Further Refinement of Primary 1 Registration Exercise

Lim Biow Chuan proposed that at least half the places in each school be reserved for Phases 2B and 2C, while Liang Eng Hwa suggested giving higher priority to children living within one kilometer to reduce travel distances.
Lawrence Wong responded that the Ministry regularly reviews the registration framework but emphasized that the longer-term solution is ensuring all schools are well-resourced and of high quality, rather than solely tweaking allocation rules.
Both MPs highlighted concerns about children traveling long distances to school, with examples of alumni from distant areas securing priority, and Wong acknowledged the complexity of balancing proximity, fairness, and property market impacts.

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