".....We have been introducing greater diversity in terms of programmes and mix of schools. Specialised independent schools like the Sports School, which will commence in January, and the NUS Maths and Science School which commences next year have been established to help nurture students who are exceptionally talented in these areas.

"An Arts School is being studied by MITA. We are allowing schools to adopt new curricula - one school, ACS(I), has already chosen to offer the International Baccalaureate.

"We will allow a few privately funded schools, who might provide an added source of ideas and innovative practices in education.

"And from January, the Raffles and Hwa Chong families of schools, NJC and ACS(I) will be starting their Integrated Programmes which offer a seamless upper secondary and JC education, for students who can benefit from a less structured programme.

"Temasek Junior College (TJC) and Victoria Junior College (VJC) have also submitted proposals to offer the Integrated Programmes.

"The Ministry has studied them carefully and I am pleased to announce that we have approved their proposals. TJC and VJC will start their Integrated Programmes in 2005, and MOE will work with them on the implementation issues.

"These new programmes are not just a matter of setting up new structures or pathways. Diversity only goes so far if it is just about different curricula or specializations, or taking one less set of examinations, without changes in how we teach and learn.

"The real shifts have to be in how teachers interact with students, and in the breadth of experiences we open up for our students. At the end of the day, nothing we are doing with respect to new structures and pathways matters as much as the student’s experiences and encounters in the classroom, playing field and auditorium.

"It is the quality of these experiences, in every school, that will determine if we nurture future generations with the boldness to question, the desire to keep learning through their lives, the compassion for their fellow citizens, and the capacity to lead....."

Excerpted from SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, ACTING MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE APPOINTMENT CEREMONY FOR PRINCIPALS, 30 DECEMBER 2003, 3.00 PM

Source: Singapore Government Media Release 30 Dec 2003