21 January 2020

According to the Ministry of Education, in the past few years, slightly more than half of the secondary school-leaving-age cohort enrolled in polytechnics.

Of the secondary school leaving cohort, about 29 per cent enrolled in JCs and Millennia Institute, which offers a three-year programme leading to the A levels.

The Ministry of Education has planned for 22,000 places to be made available this year in the five polytechnics, namely Ngee Ann, Nanyang, Temasek, Republic and Singapore polytechnics. Of these, 4,400 of the places would go to students who had applied through the Early Admissions Exercise.

School leavers who are keen on the polytechnic route say that the diploma pathway has, in recent years, become more attractive as it offers courses that prepare them for careers in emerging industries and fields where there is a high demand for workers.

14 January 2020

In 2018, when the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) surveyed 15-year-olds around the world on their degree aspirations, Singapore had the highest proportion of students wanting to go to university for higher education.

The Paris-based think-tank’s education and skills chief Andreas Schleicher says that the aspirations of young Singaporeans are understandable. But Mr Schleicher also says employers here do not necessarily recognise and pay for better skills. Additionally, he cautions that just because someone has a degree, it does not mean he or she is highly skilled.

Singapore, he said, should not only aim to raise the level of skills among its population, but also look at how to use its skilled and talented workforce better.

He says: “The single most important finding from our analysis is, in fact, that the knowledge economy no longer pays you for what you know. Google knows everything these days. The knowledge economy pays you for what you can do with what you know. Success is no longer about reproducing content knowledge, but about extrapolating from what we know and applying that knowledge to novel situations.”

02 January 2020

More students at the National University of Singapore are now able to win a place in their first-choice degree course as a result of a new policy that awards bonus admission points for first-choice courses.

According to NUS, 1,050 applicants landed a place in a course they listed as their top choice in 2019 because of the bonus point scheme. The university’s intake for last year was 7,800.

The bonus points apply to courses where entry is based purely on converting a student’s grades into points, such as courses in science or the arts, and not to courses such as medicine and law, where students are assessed on their aptitude and interests through interviews.

NUS had said that bonus points can make a difference in close cases. For example, a student with 81 points who applies for communications as his first choice has an edge over another with 82 points who lists the same course as his second choice.

The university’s initiative is in line with the Ministry of Education’s move to expand aptitude-based admission into post-secondary institutions and universities.

30 December 2019

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung has said that social mixing of students from diverse backgrounds in schools should be a deliberate effort and must not be left to chance.

Mr Ong was speaking at the annual Appointment and Appreciation Ceremony for Principals at the Shangri-La Hotel.

He said that initiatives rolled out by the Government to improve social mixing among students have been fruitful and have contributed to a better mix of students.

Mr Ong emphasized: “Better social mixing in school is something we will continue to strive for. The phasing out of streaming to be replaced by full subject-based banding in secondary schools will have a further and significant impact.”

He added: “We must not leave social mixing to chance. We need to make it an intentional effort, to design experiences for students so that social mixing informs and shapes their perspectives in and out of school.”

28 December 2019

The Ministry of Education wants more Singapore students to be able to experience the work-study pathway.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said a reversion to basics across industries can be seen today as a result of widespread technological disruption.

For the education sector, this means reinforcing the apprenticeship model, which is the transfer of skills, wisdom and values from master to disciple.

Mr Ong said: “People sometimes have the wrong idea that (the apprenticeship) system is rigid and inflexible. I think, to the contrary, that the mastery of skills, and especially the basic core competencies, is what makes somebody adaptable in the face of changes.”

The Institute of Technical Education has done its part to boost the apprenticeship model in its educational programmes. ITE launched its work-study diplomas in April last year to give its graduates an alternative pathway to upskill themselves. The work-study stints typically last between 2 and a half to three years, with 70 per cent of curriculum time conducted at the workplace.