Country: Singapore                            
Title:    Upgrading Teacher Training
Institution:       Ministry of Education
Citations:         Singapore. Ministry of Education. Press release
                   no. 00390, 12 Feb 90.  
Descriptors:       Teacher education.  
Identifiers:       Institute of Education; College of Physical
        Education; National Institute of Education.  
Full text: Teacher training is presently carried out at the Institute
  of Education (IE) which has a two-year Certificate-in-Education
  (Cert Ed) course for entrants with GCE 'A' level qualifications and
  a one-year Diploma-in-Education (Dip Ed) programme for those with
  degrees. Graduates of the Certificate-in-Education course usually
  become primary school teachers while graduates of the
  Diploma-in-Education course teach in secondary schools. The College
  of Physical Education (CPE) offers a two-year Diploma course geared
  towards the training of physical education teachers for primary and
  secondary schools.

  In August 1989, the Ministry established a Committee under the
  chairmanship of Dr Seet Ai Mee, Minister of State for Education, to
  examine the key issues in teacher training in the 1990s and to look
  into the future development of the Institute of Education and the
  College of Physical Education.

  The Committee has completed its deliberations and submitted its
  Report to the Ministry.

  In its Report, the Committee has made five key recommendations :

  (i) the IE and the CPE be merged to form the National Institute of
  Education (NIE) which should have its own board of directors and be
  an Institute of the proposed Nanyang Technological University
  (NTU).

  (ii) the current Certificate-in-Education (Cert Ed) course be
  upgraded and renamed the Diploma-in-Education (Dip Ed) which will
  be awarded as at present at the end of the two-year course.

  (iii) the current one-year Diploma-in-Education course to train
  graduates to teach in secondary schools be upgraded and renamed the
  Postgraduate Diploma-in-Education (Secondary) [PGDE (Secondary)].

  (iv) a new one-year course, the Postgraduate Diploma-in-Education
  (Primary) [PGDE (Primary)], be started to train graduates to teach
  in primary schools and;

  (v) a new four-year degree programme to train 'A' level holders for
  primary school teaching be introduced.

  Recommendations (i) and (v) should be implemented with effect from
  academic year 1991/1992.  Recommendations (ii), (iii) and (iv) will
  apply to those admitted from the academic year 1990/1991.

  The Committee is of the view that it is necessary to upgrade the
  training of primary school teachers to keep in step with the
  improvements that have been made in our schools.  Consequently, it
  is necessary to upgrade the current two-year Cert Ed programme to a
  Diploma in Education programme.  The graduates of the Dip Ed
  programme who perform well could be selected for admission to the
  new degree programme after undergoing bridging courses.

  The current one-year Diploma in Education programme to train
  graduates to teach in secondary schools will be upgraded to a
  Postgraduate Dip in Ed (Secondary) [PGDE (Sec)] programme to
  correctly reflect its postgraduate status.  In addition, the
  Committee recommends that a PGDE (Primary) programme be introduced
  for graduates who are assessed by the PSC, the Ministry and the NIE
  to be suitable for primary school teaching.

  The Committee recognises the importance and complexity of primary
  school teaching in a modern technological society and therefore
  recommends the introduction of a new four-year degree programme. 
  The students will be matriculated students of the NTU and the
  graduates will be conferred with both a BA/B Sc and a Dip Ed.  The
  introduction of a degree programme for primary school teachers will
  also help the Ministry to continue to attract able and talented
  young men and women into the teaching profession.

  The Committee recommends that selected serving non-graduate
  teachers should be given the opportunity to upgrade themselves by
  attending the new degree programme on a full-time basis provided
  that they meet NTU admission standards and after successfully
  completing appropriate bridging courses.  The Ministry of Education
  should grant study leave to enable such selected teachers to take
  advantage of these programmes.

  CONCLUSION

  The above recommendations of the Committee have been accepted by
  the Ministry of Education and have been submitted to Cabinet for
  approval.