Ministry of Education Briefing
Content
Ministry of Education Briefing Monday 7th April 2008
Michael de Silva, Depute Director, Leadership Development Joseph Lim Gordon Goh Keng Teng The Ministry of Education is the national Institute of Education and sole provider of teacher training in Singapore. Education Development in Singapore Since the late 1950s and after Independence from Britain the country has invested heavily in education for national development. The main driving forces that formed Singapore’s education system were a need for survival, followed by a desire for efficiency and abilitybased aspirations. Survival Driven 1959-1978 Mass education for all, amalgamated all different types of schools and cultures including Chinese, Malaysians, Asians, Indians and emphasing vocational and Technical education and using English as their first language. Efficiency Driven 1979-1996 Very much ability-based, streaming introduced, providing appropriate curriculum for less academic pupils and different types of schools were introduced. The ministry of education controls the development and administration of public schools, which require government funding. Independent schools are financially independent and autonomous schools decide on their own policies but initiatives from the ministry of education still apply to these schools. Overview of Education In 1997 it was decided to move to an ability-based system to help provide for the knowledge economy. Quite a considerable amount of GDP (7.5 billion a year) has been invested in education allowing for more flexibility and diversity for pupils to develop their education in the best possible way and become useful citizens. At present the MoE is trying to reduce class sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils in each Primary class and 35 pupils in each secondary class. Education Structure Over recent years there has developed more regulation of pre-school education. Standards of teaching have been monitored not the curriculum because parents pay a lot of money on pre-school education.
Pupils do not start primary school until the age of seven. There is no national pre-school education – this is run by private enterprise. Primary education includes 6 years of foundation in reading, writing and arithmetic and a customised curriculum in P5 and P6. Secondary Schools are selective. A primary school leaving exam is completed by each pupil (PSLE) which helps to place pupils in the following courses in secondary education: Express course -for pupils who are able to complete their “O”levels in 4 years, Normal course (Academic) –for pupils likely to complete their o`levels in 5 years and Normal course (Technical) - for pupils who require a different curriculum to prepare them for a technical education. Technical Institutions provide pupils with vocational qualifications which allow them to work in the industry. Polytechnic pupils still have the option of going to university because it allows them to combine academic and vocational ability in order to gain the best possible qualifications. Progression to post-secondary education Institutions About 90% of pupils gain admission to publicly-funded post-secondary education institutions e.g. Junior college-30%, Polytechnic-40% and Technical institutions-20% A further estimated 5% attend private education organisations and 25% gain admission to university. More pathways and choices “O” levels are not challenging enough for top students so they have been freed from this exam and at certain schools they progress directly to “A” levels or International Baccalaureate. In more specialised Independent schools (SIS) much of the curriculum is geared towards talents, e.g. sports, maths, science and arts. Students must be in the youth team or audition for school or attend a camp where behaviour and talents are observed. Autonomous schools can accept students who do not meet academic requirements but have shown success in another area. In primary and secondary schools greater flexibility and choice in the curriculum has been issued e.g. Students can follow a Higher course in Maths and a basic one in language if they are more mathematical. Providing schools with strong niche programmes additional resources to further develop their niche areas and new “O” level subjects e.g.Drama and Economics have been introduced as well as elective modules e.g Game design. Students take 7-9 “O” levels including English and Maths, higher ability students take 10 “O” levels usually including a third language. Recently initiatives have been introduced to ensure that SEN students are integrated although they are still to a certain extent educated in special schools.
The MoE pushes as many pupils as possible to have an overseas experience of 1-2 weeks. These are community involvement projects. Singapore is twinned with Sri Lanka and Thailand. A budget has been identified and schools can identify and organise a programme and apply to the ministry for funding. Supporting Teachers The MoE attracts the best people into teaching through the GROW package. Post graduate scholarships are offered to teachers. The ministry wants senior teachers to be educated to Masters degree level. 1-2 hours per week is devoted to teacher development. (100 hours per session is dedicated to staff training) Class contact time is now approx 16 – 20 hours per week. This was more but curricular time has been freed up to allow for training of teachers who meet in department or in a more formalized meeting. The head of Department directs the type of courses you take during your 100 hours of development. A recent introduction has been the post of School Staff Developer, a senior member of staff, who looks strategically at staff development in the school. The Training Development Division (of MoE) is responsible for training staff up to Head of Department level (4 months at university ie out of school) Schools’ Division is responsible for training of Vice-Principals and Principals. Leaders’ Educ. Programme is a 6 month course. Teachers with potential are tracked and they ensure that development is there for them. Schools are increasingly complex and schools are moving towards having 2 VicePrincipals who are not teachers (usually retired army officers) and a school counsellor who with deal with emotional aspects. Co-curricular activities School lasts from 7.30a.m. until 2p.m. approx. After school pupils have co-curricular activities – not compulsory in Primary school but compulsory in Secondary school. 2-3 sessions per week. Can be sports, aesthetics (music, art) national cadet corps (scouts and other uniformed organisations). Pupils choose which activity they would like to do. Teachers take charge of one of these activities and try to build morale of team and develop leadership amongst pupils. Emphasis is on social aspect, behaviour and teacher reports to parents via report card. Schools have funds downloaded to them to employ coaches and admin officers assist with funding of these activities. Teachers are asked to choose which activity they would like to lead but may be placed in an activity if necessary. Exam system. 10% of pupils are fast-tracked and do not sit “O” levels but move straight to “A” Levels. They are monitored carefully and can go back into mainstream if they are not coping. Schools have moved in the last 10 years from mid-term exams and now have final term exams only. As part of the promotion exercise the school (Principal?) sits with the Head of Department to discuss whether individual pupils will be promoted to the next year or
not. Some pupils repeat a year, others move to a less challenging stream. Schools are given general guidelines but the final decision rests with them. On being questioned about pressure on Primary pupils Joseph replied that there is no pressure to hot-house primary school pupils and he was of the opinion that they don’t feel the pressure of exams too early. Although pupils get a mean subject grade (for English, Maths, Mother tongue and Science) they gain awards in a lot of areas, not just in academic subjects. The message to schools is that excellence is more than just passing exams. Educational Leadership Michael de Silva Principals are the key for the Ministry. Each school can be above average in one area and the MoE will provide the necessary resources as they are partners in the process. In this compact system the MoE expects Principals to promote values, be innovative and purposeful. Schools are being given more autonomy but there is a need to support the future of the country and promote social cohesion so the Education Leadership Development Centre directs and supports Principals. The philosophy for Educational Leadership in Singapore is based on 4 principles (see handout). The Academy of Principals is a community of peers who support each other. The MoE works with them to run programmes for new principals. The 3-L Framework 3 tracks – Teaching - 3 grades of teacher lead to PhD level qualification. Specialist staff who develop the syllabus in their specialist area. Leadership – teacher, middle manager (Head of Department), Vice Principal, Principal. Training and development are only one part of leadership. A lot of support is provided to potential leaders. Lead - Informal appointments are made so that teachers can be stretched and show potential. Performance is then assessed. Potential leaders must demonstrate a) intellectual capacity – see things at a high level i.e have a wider perspective and be a system thinker, b) ability to motivate and influence subordinates and peers c) personal drive and initiative. Principal must be innovative and create not just do a good job. Appraisal System In the middle and at the end of year there are reviews (appraisal interview) which identify potential and set people off on greater development opportunities. Current Estimated Potential is important as this can be reviewed at a later stage since people will improve. Head of Department gathers evidence of staff performance to demonstrate potential. Appraisal panel consists of Principal, HoD and perhaps someone who serves on a committee with the candidate. People are told how they are being assessed but are not told of the outcome (i.e. if they are deemed to have leadership potential) However supervisor would identify some issues.
Learn (Training and Development) – all leadership training programmes have an overseas component. Middle managers on the Management and Leadership in Schools programme spend 4 months out of school (paid), Vice-principals with potential on the Leaders in Education Programme spend 6 months out of school (paid). All Principals in future will have served some time in the MoE to assist in understanding of policy. School Superintendent and Principal interview for posts from teacher to HoD but not competitive interviews. Could have more people with potential than posts. All appointments are made by MoE. Leverage No system of inspectors any longer. Appraisal of school done through School Excellence Model. (Score out of 1000) SEM - Self assessment tool to identify areas for improvement. Action plan drawn up. External validation takes place once every 5 years to validate self assessment reports. Social as well as academic results monitored. Comment in report on how leaders show vision. Evidence is requested by validation team, questions asked on action plan, visit to school. Reports are internal however and are not published. Teachers graded A- D. All teachers are grades even Principals. If grade E awarded (i.e. below expectation), given 6 months to improve performance until next performance review. If no improvement, may be asked to leave service or given another 6 months to improve. If Principals failing, probably given post in MoE. Doesn’t happen much however as weeding out takes place during pre-selection process (before teacher training). Then 9 months training – lecturers do not assess, this is done in schools only. Probationary period lasts 1 year. Teachers pay back the cost of their training. Leaders move around schools. (HoD in one school, VP in another, P in a third school) Teachers are paid very competitive salaries cf engineers – attractive career – lump sums given at various stages. Approx 3% leave teaching.
Michael de Silva, Depute Director, Leadership Development Joseph Lim Gordon Goh Keng Teng The Ministry of Education is the national Institute of Education and sole provider of teacher training in Singapore. Education Development in Singapore Since the late 1950s and after Independence from Britain the country has invested heavily in education for national development. The main driving forces that formed Singapore’s education system were a need for survival, followed by a desire for efficiency and abilitybased aspirations. Survival Driven 1959-1978 Mass education for all, amalgamated all different types of schools and cultures including Chinese, Malaysians, Asians, Indians and emphasing vocational and Technical education and using English as their first language. Efficiency Driven 1979-1996 Very much ability-based, streaming introduced, providing appropriate curriculum for less academic pupils and different types of schools were introduced. The ministry of education controls the development and administration of public schools, which require government funding. Independent schools are financially independent and autonomous schools decide on their own policies but initiatives from the ministry of education still apply to these schools. Overview of Education In 1997 it was decided to move to an ability-based system to help provide for the knowledge economy. Quite a considerable amount of GDP (7.5 billion a year) has been invested in education allowing for more flexibility and diversity for pupils to develop their education in the best possible way and become useful citizens. At present the MoE is trying to reduce class sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils in each Primary class and 35 pupils in each secondary class. Education Structure Over recent years there has developed more regulation of pre-school education. Standards of teaching have been monitored not the curriculum because parents pay a lot of money on pre-school education.
Pupils do not start primary school until the age of seven. There is no national pre-school education – this is run by private enterprise. Primary education includes 6 years of foundation in reading, writing and arithmetic and a customised curriculum in P5 and P6. Secondary Schools are selective. A primary school leaving exam is completed by each pupil (PSLE) which helps to place pupils in the following courses in secondary education: Express course -for pupils who are able to complete their “O”levels in 4 years, Normal course (Academic) –for pupils likely to complete their o`levels in 5 years and Normal course (Technical) - for pupils who require a different curriculum to prepare them for a technical education. Technical Institutions provide pupils with vocational qualifications which allow them to work in the industry. Polytechnic pupils still have the option of going to university because it allows them to combine academic and vocational ability in order to gain the best possible qualifications. Progression to post-secondary education Institutions About 90% of pupils gain admission to publicly-funded post-secondary education institutions e.g. Junior college-30%, Polytechnic-40% and Technical institutions-20% A further estimated 5% attend private education organisations and 25% gain admission to university. More pathways and choices “O” levels are not challenging enough for top students so they have been freed from this exam and at certain schools they progress directly to “A” levels or International Baccalaureate. In more specialised Independent schools (SIS) much of the curriculum is geared towards talents, e.g. sports, maths, science and arts. Students must be in the youth team or audition for school or attend a camp where behaviour and talents are observed. Autonomous schools can accept students who do not meet academic requirements but have shown success in another area. In primary and secondary schools greater flexibility and choice in the curriculum has been issued e.g. Students can follow a Higher course in Maths and a basic one in language if they are more mathematical. Providing schools with strong niche programmes additional resources to further develop their niche areas and new “O” level subjects e.g.Drama and Economics have been introduced as well as elective modules e.g Game design. Students take 7-9 “O” levels including English and Maths, higher ability students take 10 “O” levels usually including a third language. Recently initiatives have been introduced to ensure that SEN students are integrated although they are still to a certain extent educated in special schools.
The MoE pushes as many pupils as possible to have an overseas experience of 1-2 weeks. These are community involvement projects. Singapore is twinned with Sri Lanka and Thailand. A budget has been identified and schools can identify and organise a programme and apply to the ministry for funding. Supporting Teachers The MoE attracts the best people into teaching through the GROW package. Post graduate scholarships are offered to teachers. The ministry wants senior teachers to be educated to Masters degree level. 1-2 hours per week is devoted to teacher development. (100 hours per session is dedicated to staff training) Class contact time is now approx 16 – 20 hours per week. This was more but curricular time has been freed up to allow for training of teachers who meet in department or in a more formalized meeting. The head of Department directs the type of courses you take during your 100 hours of development. A recent introduction has been the post of School Staff Developer, a senior member of staff, who looks strategically at staff development in the school. The Training Development Division (of MoE) is responsible for training staff up to Head of Department level (4 months at university ie out of school) Schools’ Division is responsible for training of Vice-Principals and Principals. Leaders’ Educ. Programme is a 6 month course. Teachers with potential are tracked and they ensure that development is there for them. Schools are increasingly complex and schools are moving towards having 2 VicePrincipals who are not teachers (usually retired army officers) and a school counsellor who with deal with emotional aspects. Co-curricular activities School lasts from 7.30a.m. until 2p.m. approx. After school pupils have co-curricular activities – not compulsory in Primary school but compulsory in Secondary school. 2-3 sessions per week. Can be sports, aesthetics (music, art) national cadet corps (scouts and other uniformed organisations). Pupils choose which activity they would like to do. Teachers take charge of one of these activities and try to build morale of team and develop leadership amongst pupils. Emphasis is on social aspect, behaviour and teacher reports to parents via report card. Schools have funds downloaded to them to employ coaches and admin officers assist with funding of these activities. Teachers are asked to choose which activity they would like to lead but may be placed in an activity if necessary. Exam system. 10% of pupils are fast-tracked and do not sit “O” levels but move straight to “A” Levels. They are monitored carefully and can go back into mainstream if they are not coping. Schools have moved in the last 10 years from mid-term exams and now have final term exams only. As part of the promotion exercise the school (Principal?) sits with the Head of Department to discuss whether individual pupils will be promoted to the next year or
not. Some pupils repeat a year, others move to a less challenging stream. Schools are given general guidelines but the final decision rests with them. On being questioned about pressure on Primary pupils Joseph replied that there is no pressure to hot-house primary school pupils and he was of the opinion that they don’t feel the pressure of exams too early. Although pupils get a mean subject grade (for English, Maths, Mother tongue and Science) they gain awards in a lot of areas, not just in academic subjects. The message to schools is that excellence is more than just passing exams. Educational Leadership Michael de Silva Principals are the key for the Ministry. Each school can be above average in one area and the MoE will provide the necessary resources as they are partners in the process. In this compact system the MoE expects Principals to promote values, be innovative and purposeful. Schools are being given more autonomy but there is a need to support the future of the country and promote social cohesion so the Education Leadership Development Centre directs and supports Principals. The philosophy for Educational Leadership in Singapore is based on 4 principles (see handout). The Academy of Principals is a community of peers who support each other. The MoE works with them to run programmes for new principals. The 3-L Framework 3 tracks – Teaching - 3 grades of teacher lead to PhD level qualification. Specialist staff who develop the syllabus in their specialist area. Leadership – teacher, middle manager (Head of Department), Vice Principal, Principal. Training and development are only one part of leadership. A lot of support is provided to potential leaders. Lead - Informal appointments are made so that teachers can be stretched and show potential. Performance is then assessed. Potential leaders must demonstrate a) intellectual capacity – see things at a high level i.e have a wider perspective and be a system thinker, b) ability to motivate and influence subordinates and peers c) personal drive and initiative. Principal must be innovative and create not just do a good job. Appraisal System In the middle and at the end of year there are reviews (appraisal interview) which identify potential and set people off on greater development opportunities. Current Estimated Potential is important as this can be reviewed at a later stage since people will improve. Head of Department gathers evidence of staff performance to demonstrate potential. Appraisal panel consists of Principal, HoD and perhaps someone who serves on a committee with the candidate. People are told how they are being assessed but are not told of the outcome (i.e. if they are deemed to have leadership potential) However supervisor would identify some issues.
Learn (Training and Development) – all leadership training programmes have an overseas component. Middle managers on the Management and Leadership in Schools programme spend 4 months out of school (paid), Vice-principals with potential on the Leaders in Education Programme spend 6 months out of school (paid). All Principals in future will have served some time in the MoE to assist in understanding of policy. School Superintendent and Principal interview for posts from teacher to HoD but not competitive interviews. Could have more people with potential than posts. All appointments are made by MoE. Leverage No system of inspectors any longer. Appraisal of school done through School Excellence Model. (Score out of 1000) SEM - Self assessment tool to identify areas for improvement. Action plan drawn up. External validation takes place once every 5 years to validate self assessment reports. Social as well as academic results monitored. Comment in report on how leaders show vision. Evidence is requested by validation team, questions asked on action plan, visit to school. Reports are internal however and are not published. Teachers graded A- D. All teachers are grades even Principals. If grade E awarded (i.e. below expectation), given 6 months to improve performance until next performance review. If no improvement, may be asked to leave service or given another 6 months to improve. If Principals failing, probably given post in MoE. Doesn’t happen much however as weeding out takes place during pre-selection process (before teacher training). Then 9 months training – lecturers do not assess, this is done in schools only. Probationary period lasts 1 year. Teachers pay back the cost of their training. Leaders move around schools. (HoD in one school, VP in another, P in a third school) Teachers are paid very competitive salaries cf engineers – attractive career – lump sums given at various stages. Approx 3% leave teaching.
