Country: Singapore                            
Title:    Language Elective Programme
Institution:       Ministry of Education
Citations:         Singapore.  Ministry of Education.  Press release
                   no. 01685, 11 Aug 1989.  
Descriptors:       Scholarships; Chinese; Bilingual policy.  
Identifiers:       Hwa Chong Junior College; Temasek Junior College.  
Full text: 1.  The Ministry of Education will be introducing a
  Language Elective Programme (LEP) for the study of Chinese at
  junior college level in January 1990.  The objectives of the LEP
  are:

  (i)  to nurture the language talent of students who have an
  aptitude for Chinese language and literature to enable them to
  attain a high level of proficiency in the language and a better
  understanding of Chinese literature and culture.

  (ii)  to help academically able pupils to become effectively
  bilingual so as to better serve the needs of the nation.

  2.  The Language Elective Programme will be available in two junior
  colleges, Hwa Chong JC and Temasek JC.  Students in the LEP will be
  taught Chinese at first language level (i.e. CL1) and offer it in
  the GCE `A' level examinations.  A Special paper will also be made
  available.  A wide range of enrichment activities will be provided
  as an integral part of the programme to help students acquire
  creative writing skills as well as stimulate in them a greater
  interest in the learning of Chinese literature and culture.

  3.  Scholarships will be offered to outstanding students who are
  accepted into the LEP.  Twenty such scholarships, valued at $1,000
  per annum and tenable for two years, are jointly sponsored by the
  Lee Foundation and the Singapore Clan Foundation.

  4.  To be eligible for a place in the LEP, a student must obtain

      either  (a)  a grade of at least B3 in CL1 at GCE O-level, or a
  grade of B4 in CL1 and at least B3 in Chinese literature at GCE
  O-level;

      or      (b)  a grade of at least A2 in CL2 at GCE O-level.

  In addition, he must meet the entrance criteria of the junior
  college (Hwa Chong JC or Temasek JC) to which admission is sought.

  5.  A provisional exercise will be conducted before the end of 1989
  to select students for the LEP in January 1990.  Another exercise
  will be conducted in March 1990 after the release of the GCE
  O-level results.