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Cover Story 专题报道 > All-inclusive: Singapore's Specialised Independent Schools
什么样的人都要培养成为人才—新加坡的专才中学
All-inclusive: Singapore's Specialised Independent Schools
By Poon Sing Waho
Photos courtesy of the Singapore Sports School and the School of Science and Technology
Published: EduNation, Issue 1, Jan-Feb 2013
Human capital is the only resource in Singapore. If the streaming system was necessary for the industrial-based economy in the 20th century in order to nurture people in the most effective and efficient ways possible, then the knowledge-based economy in the 21st century will require the grooming of every single student in order to achieve different peaks of excellence.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has freed the students from the ranking system and has provided different kinds of learning environments for students to discover their passions. They may not be performing well academically, but those who excel in other activities like running, singing or painting can still be proud of their talent and contribute to the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was the former Minister for Education, said, "No matter what kind of children we encounter, we have to discover their talent and potential which they have yet to discover for themselves."

The idea of "specialised independent schools" was first mooted in 2002. At that time, Mr Tharman led the Junior College/ Upper Secondary Review Committee in evaluating Singapore's education system during those crucial years.

"No one knows what will happen to Singapore in 15 to 20 years' time. And because of this our schools should not be limited to one model, and various attempts should be made to nurture talent in different fields," he said. "Singapore's society requires people with different abilities to contribute. Educators have to remember that our society determines the fields of specialisation of our graduates. Through providing a variety of choices, there are more opportunities catering to different talent.

The MOE wants to ensure that everyone is able to receive a holistic education and excel in their own field." He stated that in terms of quantity, Singapore has "enough" graduates. Now is the time we move in the direction of nurturing "quality" graduates.

During his term from 2003 to 2008 as the Minister for Education, Mr Tharman worked on two things: broadening the definition of "talent" and not jumping to conclusions about a child's ability and limiting his or her potential prematurely.

Therefore, an education model that is more flexible, more extensive and provides more variety was implemented.

The MOE has set different yardsticks through schemes such as Direct School Admission and Niche Programme Schools in order to do the best in discovering talent. These measures will help mainstream schools identify students of different talent and enable them to do their best in nurturing these students.

The current Minister for Education Heng Swee Keat announced that $55 million will be pumped into schools within the next five years to help them become schools that are able to start their own niche programmes in order to groom talented students.

Students who possess ability and show a strong interest in sport, mathematics, arts or technology can now study at the Singapore Sports School, NUS High School, the School of the Arts or the School of Science and Technology respectively. These four specialised independent schools were founded in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 respectively. They aim to nurture talent in the sports, mathematical sciences, and the arts and technology fields. Hence their curriculum differs from the all-round model of mainstream schools and are more specialised than other schools with niche or elective programmes.

At the same time, MOE also takes care of the students from normal technical streams and Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), students who have failed national examinations and handicapped students. These are the weaker students academically, those who were labelled "disobedient", "useless" or "substandard". Measures and policies that would help them on their path to success were implemented. These included advancing students in the Normal streams straight to higher level ITE courses, encouraging secondary schools to collaborate and conduct lessons with ITEs and polytechnics, setting up vocational schools like Northlight School and Assumption Pathway School to cater to students who failed the Primary School Leaving Examination, establishing Crest Secondary School and another specialised school for students from the Normal (Technical) streams to start in 2013 and 2014, abolishing labels such as "top schools" and "neighbourhood schools", and increasing education subsidies for handicapped students.

In this inaugural issue, EduNation interviewed the principals of two specialised independent schools - Singapore Sports Schools and School of Science and Technology, Singapore - the first and the latest, to find out about the different school models they have adopted. The other two schools will be featured in future issues of the magazine. Translated by: Chu Luo Jun
 


专题报道 > 什么样的人都要培养成为人才—新加坡的专才中学
什么样的人都要培养成为人才—新加坡的专才中学
文:潘星华
图:新加坡体育学校及新加坡科技中学提供
刊载:《新学》, 第1期,2013年1月-2月
人才是新加坡的惟一资源。

倘若说在上世纪60年代到90年代的工业化时代,新加坡必须靠分流制度把人分成上中下三等,以最有效率的教育方式来培育他们,让他们在最适合自己能力的岗位上工作的话, 来到21世纪知识型经济时代,教育则呈现"什么样的学生都要培养成为人才","群峰连绵"千姿百态的景观。

教育部不再给学生分等,而是提供多种不同的学习环境,让学生能发现喜欢胡思乱想的自己,虽然英文华文成绩很差,算术也做不好,却挺会跑步,或会唱歌,或画画也不错,绝对能找到自己可以发挥的空间,为国家贡献力量。

现任副总理尚达曼曾任教育部长。他说:"无论什么样的孩子,我们都要找出他不为自己所知的智慧和潜能。"

2002年尚达曼领导 "检讨中学高年级和初级学院(高中)教育委员会",全面检讨新加坡从中三到高二的教育后,提出设立"专才中学"的概念。

他说:"15年到20年后的新加坡将发生什么样的变化,没有人能知道。正因为这是个未知数,我们的学校不能单靠一种模式,而必须多方尝试,培育不同人才。"

他又说:"新加坡的社会,需要由各种各样能力的人,贡献力量。教育工作者必须切记的是,社会需要什么素质的人,学校就要培养什么素质的学生。通过为学生提供多种选择、多种机会来为国家培养多面的人才。教育部要做到无论哪里有人,都要确保他们能获得全面栽培,成为人才。"他指出新加坡在数量方面已经培养了"足够"的毕业生,接下去应该朝培养"高素质"毕业生的年代进发。

2003年至2008年在尚达曼担任教育部长的五年里,他尽量做着两方面的工作:一是扩大 "人才"的定义和范畴,二是不再过早界定一个孩子的能力、过早用一个框框把孩子的能力固定下来。

于是,一个更灵活、更宽广、更多样化的教育制度,由此展开。

教育部通过"直接收生计划"、"中小学专长项目学校",来设置不同标准的尺,以尽量发掘连学生自己也不知道的才华。这些措施,让正规学校确认了不同才华的孩子,尽量去栽培他们。现任教育部长王瑞杰2012年宣布在五年内拨款5500万元让全国每一所学校都成为能发展专长项目的学校,培育有才华的学生。

至于有特殊才华的学生,教育部设立了专才中学,为对体育、数理、艺术、科技有天赋并有浓厚兴趣的学生,设立了体育学校、国大数理中学、艺术学院和科技中学。这四所专才中学分别于2004年、2006年、2008年和2010年设立,以培育学生在体育、数理、艺术和科技特长为办校目标。这有别于一般正规中学的全面教育,也比一般有专长项目的学校更专。

与此同时,教育部也非常照顾"弱势"学生,为过去一直被社会贴上"坏孩子"、"没有用"的"次等"学生,如为普通工艺生、会考不及格生、工艺教育学院生,甚至残障学生,推出了很多帮助他们成功的政策。例如全面提升普通课程;鼓励中学和工艺教育学院、理工学院合办课程;设立专为小六会考不及格学生开办的北烁学校、圣升明径学校;2013年和2014年专为普通(工艺)课程学生设立裕峰中学(Crest Secondary School)及另一所中学;提倡每一所学校都是好学校,扬弃 "名校"、"邻里学校"等的标签;以及调高残障学生的教育津贴等等。

《新学》教育双语双月刊创刊号先访问两所专才中学--新加坡体育学校和新加坡科技中学,请两校校长谈谈两种有别于寻常的学校模式,至于其他学校,将在未来陆续介绍。
 

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