Parents, not enrichment centres, are key to result
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An update from MOE's site:
The PERI committee noted that professional development must be an ongoing process for all teachers so that they maintain currency in content, teaching methods and assessment practices. MOE will set up the Singapore Teachers Centre. It will be the professional home for teachers, to focus on professional standards and also serve as a one-stop centre for research and resources. To strengthen the quality of PE, Art and Music Education, MOE has also announced the setting up of the Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA) and the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts (STAR) to support the professional development of our teachers in these subjects. To enhance teacher capacity to teach English language and English-medium subjects, MOE will set up the English Language Institute of Singapore by 2011 to provide in-service training and function as a “test-bed” for innovative teaching methods. For Mother Tongue Language teachers, the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL), Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre (UPTLC) and the new Malay Language Centre of Singapore to cater to their professional development needs.
So the constant upgrading is taken care of....now is the split of workload and career progression to be clearer so that teachers do not feel overloaded. -
PE, ART and Music specialisation is happening:
To enhance the delivery of the Arts and Music curriculum, all new Art and Music teachers will be trained for single-subject specialisation. These teachers will specialise in teaching either Art or Music, and related CCAs and programmes. In view of single subject specialisation, more PE, Art and Music teachers will need to be recruited. Existing teachers will also move towards specialising in either Art or Music. PE teachers are currently trained to teach a second subject, but are deployed to teach mainly PE. This provides them with the ability to be cross-deployed in subjects beyond PE, which also provides them with the flexbility to switch to other subjects later in their teaching careers. Teachers who prefer to teach only PE and sports-related work can already do so, if this suits the needs of their schools. MOE will step up the recruitment of PE teachers in tandem with the building of infrastructure in our schools, to allow for more PE curriculum time. -
hee, thanks ksi for update. but what stuck on me is the number of acronymns they use. Peri, Pesta, star, sccl, uptlc. Gosh…who can remember what they stand for?
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Another update that is happening already as we discuss:
To maintain the calibre of the teaching service, MOE will also put in place all-graduate teacher recruitment by 2015. -
Nothing about easier access to a very basic tool of teaching - adequate educational resources to teach with (without having to personally write them)?
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hquek:
hee, thanks ksi for update. but what stuck on me is the number of acronymns they use. Peri, Pesta, star, sccl, uptlc. Gosh....who can remember what they stand for?
haha you are right!! I just found out PERI stands for PRImary Education and they insert the E for education in between...instead of PRIE. :rotflmao: -
ksi:
2015 still a long way though.Another update that is happening already as we discuss:
To maintain the calibre of the teaching service, MOE will also put in place all-graduate teacher recruitment by 2015. -
This was a plan put up in 2009 on resources by PERI and some in execution now:
(II) Providing More Resources for a Quality Primary Education
11To achieve the outcomes of a more balanced education, primary schools have to be given more resources to implement the proposed recommendations.
Investing in a Quality Teaching Force
12Provide Additional Manpower. Schools must be adequately staffed to deliver a quality education. As such, the Committee welcomes the fact that MOE plans to bring forward its hiring plans for teachers and Allied Educators (Teaching & Learning). In particular, the Committee recommends that MOE invest in recruiting and training more PE, Music and Art teachers to raise the quality of instruction in non-academic areas.
13In line with the increased focus on raising the oral communication skills of primary pupils, the Committee proposes that MOE develop a scheme for schools to engage individuals with strong oral communication skills as language or speech and drama instructors, even if they are not trained teachers. This can be piloted in a few schools.
14Recruit Passionate, Quality Educators. Taking primary education to a new level will require passionate teachers who possess a strong mastery of both content and pedagogy. The Committee agrees with the view expressed by many members of the public that MOE should continue to select first for the interest and aptitude to teach through the use of interviews or teaching internships, before considering other criteria. Those found unsuitable should not be recruited as teachers, no matter how academically brilliant they might be.
15As MOE currently recruits teachers from the top 30% of each national cohort, the Committee recognises that MOE will need to focus its efforts to recruit new teachers from the university graduate pool or those who qualify for an undergraduate education by 2015. The Committee notes that eligible A-level or Diploma holders can continue to join the teaching service, through NIE’s BA/BSc degree programme. NIE will offer more places in its degree programme to accommodate suitable candidates. For A-level or diploma holders who decide not to pursue a degree but have a passion for teaching, they can join the Allied Educators (Teaching & Learning) Scheme, working closely with the teachers to hone their skills in teaching. Those who perform well as Allied Educators may upgrade their qualifications and join the teaching service as full-fledged teachers.
16Ensure Continuous Professional Development of Teachers. To ensure that teachers have a good grasp of curriculum content as well as a sound mastery of the variety of teaching methods and assessment modes needed, the Committee further recommends that MOE place priority on strengthening both pre- and in-service training for all teachers. This will ensure the continuous improvement of teaching practices in the classroom, which is the key to realising the desired outcomes of education. -
ksi:
So... we have all these new PEOPLE resources who have to teach from lousy textbooks or MAKE their own materials. Someone forgot that it's not enough to hire good carpenters and train them well. You need to give them good tools too.This was a plan put up in 2009 on resources by PERI and some in execution now:
(II) Providing More Resources for a Quality Primary Education
11To achieve the outcomes of a more balanced education, primary schools have to be given more resources to implement the proposed recommendations.
Investing in a Quality Teaching Force
12Provide Additional Manpower. Schools must be adequately staffed to deliver a quality education. As such, the Committee welcomes the fact that MOE plans to bring forward its hiring plans for teachers and Allied Educators (Teaching & Learning). In particular, the Committee recommends that MOE invest in recruiting and training more PE, Music and Art teachers to raise the quality of instruction in non-academic areas.
13In line with the increased focus on raising the oral communication skills of primary pupils, the Committee proposes that MOE develop a scheme for schools to engage individuals with strong oral communication skills as language or speech and drama instructors, even if they are not trained teachers. This can be piloted in a few schools.
14Recruit Passionate, Quality Educators. Taking primary education to a new level will require passionate teachers who possess a strong mastery of both content and pedagogy. The Committee agrees with the view expressed by many members of the public that MOE should continue to select first for the interest and aptitude to teach through the use of interviews or teaching internships, before considering other criteria. Those found unsuitable should not be recruited as teachers, no matter how academically brilliant they might be.
15As MOE currently recruits teachers from the top 30% of each national cohort, the Committee recognises that MOE will need to focus its efforts to recruit new teachers from the university graduate pool or those who qualify for an undergraduate education by 2015. The Committee notes that eligible A-level or Diploma holders can continue to join the teaching service, through NIE’s BA/BSc degree programme. NIE will offer more places in its degree programme to accommodate suitable candidates. For A-level or diploma holders who decide not to pursue a degree but have a passion for teaching, they can join the Allied Educators (Teaching & Learning) Scheme, working closely with the teachers to hone their skills in teaching. Those who perform well as Allied Educators may upgrade their qualifications and join the teaching service as full-fledged teachers.
16Ensure Continuous Professional Development of Teachers. To ensure that teachers have a good grasp of curriculum content as well as a sound mastery of the variety of teaching methods and assessment modes needed, the Committee further recommends that MOE place priority on strengthening both pre- and in-service training for all teachers. This will ensure the continuous improvement of teaching practices in the classroom, which is the key to realising the desired outcomes of education. -
At the end of the day, MOE can say anything on their website. What matters is still the actual school experience. Don’t you remember that civil servants are wont to call flooding, Ponding, just so that they don’t look too bad?
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