FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
ADDENDUM TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
MR NG CHEE MENG
ACTING MINISTER FOR EDUCATION (SCHOOLS)
MR ONG YE KUNG
ACTING MINISTER FOR EDUCATION (HIGHER EDUCATION AND SKILLS)
1We mould the future of Singapore, and aim to bring out the best in every child. We seek to nurture them into upright, confident, knowledgeable and skilful young adults, equipped with a strong, lifelong curiosity and passion for learning.
Passion for Learning
2Together with parents and our partners in the community, we will build on our efforts to bring out the best in every child, regardless of his or her starting point.We will guide, inspire and support every child to nurture a love for learning and pursue a meaningful and purposeful life through a student-centric, values-driven education.
A Holistic Education to Develop the Strengths and Interests of Every Child
3We will provide wider exposure and opportunities for students to discover and build on their interests and talents in a range of areas, and develop important life skills from a young age. At the same time, we will continue various efforts to reduce excessive focus on academic results, so that learning is more enjoyable, examinations are not overly perceived to be high-stake endeavours, and students have more time and space to pursue a broader range of interests, sustain their curiosity, cultivate an innovative spirit, and pursue a well-rounded education.
4In the pre-school sector, we will continue to develop, refine and share with the wider sector quality kindergarten curriculum and age-appropriate teaching and learning resources.
5We will strengthen programmes in primary schools to help students discover their strengths and interests in areas such as arts, music and sports. A stronger emphasis will be placed on outdoor education, to build up ruggedness and resilience in our students.
6We will create a diverse landscape of secondary schools with distinctive programmes in various domains and applied learning opportunities, to provide more options for students to develop their interests in their chosen field.
7The delivery of 21st Century Competencies will be strengthened in the Junior College (JC) curriculum to better prepare JC graduates for further learning and to develop individuals with sound character, resilience and humility to serve and lead the community.
An Inclusive System that Provides Opportunities for All
8Beyond imbuing values and imparting knowledge and skills, education is a critical leveller of societal gaps, so that no child gets left behind. We will continue to strengthen our school-based levelling-up programmes to support academically weaker students, and provide financial support for students from financiallychallenged families to cope with the costs of education. We will also expand Student Care Centres to provide an after-school environment conducive to learning for more students from a less advantaged background.
9We will step up efforts to support children with special educational needs through school-based programmes, specialised services, special education schools, and programmes in collaboration with employers to smoothen transition from school to work.
10The use of Information and Communications Technology resources will be deepened to better achieve our desired education outcomes. Through providing access to quality MOE-developed or curated online resources, students can learn anytime, anywhere, at their own pace and in collaboration with their peers.
11Our educators are instrumental in educating our next generation. We will enrich pedagogical skills and content mastery of teachers by strengthening teacher training and ongoing professional development, so that they can better impart 21st Century Competencies and sound values like respect, responsibility, integrity, care, resilience, and harmony, which remain core to our desired outcomes of education.
Diverse Aspirations, Multiple Pathways
12Young people have diverse aspirations and desire to contribute to society, nation, and mankind in a variety of ways. We have established Education and Career Guidance (ECG) Centres, with a structured ECG curriculum, and deployed ECG Counsellors to secondary schools, JCs, ITE, and polytechnics. They interact with students and help them better understand their strengths, and uncover their passions and aspirations for the future.
13We will support students by developing multiple pathways, spanning diverse fields from science and technology to social services, creative arts and hospitality, at the post-secondary and tertiary levels to develop their knowledge and skills in their areas of interest. Whatever the pathway chosen, our students will learn the latest knowledge and skills, and build a strong foundation for continual learning throughout their lives. This is the best way to prepare them for the future.
14ITE, through its three comprehensive campuses, will continue to develop useful hands-on and industry-relevant skills for our young. Polytechnics will continue to provide high quality, practice-based education in a dynamic and progressive education environment. We will focus on learning not just in school, but also in the workplace.Accordingly, we will place greater emphasis on industry attachments, as well as other learning formats such as the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme – a modern apprenticeship programme.
15We will increase cohort participation rates for publicly-funded university places from 32% today to 40% by 2020.Our university offerings are expanding. Aside from quality offerings in traditional fields, there are many more possibilities in the universities to cater to individuals of varying strengths and interests.NUS has the NUS Overseas Colleges to nurture entrepreneurs; Yale-NUS’ Liberal Arts Programmes cater to students with broad thirst for knowledge; NTU and SUTD are developing new generations of engineers through their Renaissance Engineering and innovation and design-centric programmes respectively; SMU offers many double major programmes and is strengthening its emphasis on inter-disciplinary learning; and SIT and UniSIM will launch more applied degree programmes, with a strong nexus with industry, to develop talent with specialised skills and an ability to innovate.
16We will continue to ensure strong regulation for the private education space, to ensure that students are protected and both institutions and courses meet or exceed minimum quality standards.
17Very importantly, our young must leave the education system with the desire and curiosity to continue to learn and hone their skills throughout their lifetimes. The objective is to not to chase for more and higher qualifications, but to achieve mastery in everything we do. As a society, economy and nation, we need to recognise and celebrate different forms of successes, and embrace a culture of lifelong learning.
18To achieve this, enabling a better matching of interest and course of study will be key to achieving higher levels of engagement and a passion to deepen one’s learning and skills. Institutes of higher learning will increasingly expand the use of holistic selection practices to assess students based on attributes beyond academic scores.
19Whatever highest qualification a student leaves the education system with, we want him or her to continue the journey of education through his or her lifetime – learn the latest technology and thinking, practise his or her trade to perfection, plug into and acquire auxiliary know-how. We will increase the number of part-time programmes and skills-based modular courses at the post-secondary education institutions to facilitate this lifelong learning process. The enhanced ECG, individual learning portfolios, and enablers such as the SkillsFuture Credit will better empower individuals to take charge of their own skills improvement journey.
20To make the learning experience seamless, lifelong learning will be overseen by MOE. This entire effort – to discover passions, provide possibilities for a range of pursuits, nurture curiosity, and learn for a lifetime to achieve mastery – is SkillsFuture. With a strong foundation of skills, expertise, and an ability to learn and re-learn, we can innovate and adapt to changes much better, both as individuals and as a social and economic collective.
Strengthen Partnerships
21Education is a partnership, between teachers, lecturers, students, parents, counsellors, schools, institutions, employers, and communities. We will continue to strengthen these partnerships, so that this is a lifelong journey we share to nurture our young and mould the future of Singapore.
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MINISTRY OF MANPOWER
ADDENDUM TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
MR LIM SWEE SAY
MINISTER FOR MANPOWER
1MOM seeks to help Singaporeans take on good jobs, build fulfilling careers, enjoy sustained increases in real incomes and have a more secure retirement.In doing so, we support the goal of building a nation of opportunity and a society that cares for its people.
2Singapore is at a turning point. We have a more educated generation with diverse aspirations and needs. We have an ageing population with baby boomers retiring in increasing numbers over the next decade. We face a volatile global economy, keener competition, and faster technological change.
3To sustain a nation of opportunity, we need to transit from a manpower-led to a manpower-lean economy. Even as we reap the benefits of growth, we must be inclusive in our approach so as to build a society that cares.
A Nation of Opportunity
4MOM will work closely with the other government agencies and our tripartite partners to strengthen the Singaporean core in the workforce and ensure Singaporeans of all ages have fair opportunities for leadership development and growth.
Strengthen the Singaporean Core
5To strengthen the Singaporean core in the workforce, we need to speed up our economic restructuring efforts and create more higher-quality jobs to which Singaporeans aspire. Companies need to embrace productivity and innovation, and reduce reliance on low-skilled foreign manpower. MOM will help companies become more manpower-lean, and strengthen their Singaporean core in all major sectors of the economy. We will support employers to re-design jobs, processes, and workplaces to fully tap on the experience and contributions of all workers, especially our mature workers.
Fair Opportunities for Leadership Development and Growth
6To maximise their full potential, we will enable Singaporeans of all ages to pursue good jobs and build fulfilling careers. As the economy restructures, we will help Singaporeans, especially those in mid-careers, to adapt and remain employable. We will enhance our employment support to prepare our workers and minimise potential jobs-skills mismatch.
7We will work to ensure that Singaporean workers are fairly considered by employers when hiring, and have fair opportunities for leadership development and growth at all levels.
A Society that Cares for its People
8Quality growth should lead to better jobs and higher incomes for all. We will seek to achieve this through the three Ps – Protection, Progression, and Pride.
9Protection. We have enhanced the Employment Act to protect more workers and extended the Industrial Relations Act to cover more Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs). We will raise the re-employment age from 65 to 67 by 2017. We will also expand our suite of dispute management services for workers and employers. We will step up efforts with our tripartite partners to enhance Workplace Safety and Health.We will strive for a culture of prevention to safeguard the well-being of our workers in safer workplaces. We will also enhance protection of injured workers to facilitate their return to work.
10Progression. The tripartite partners are developing Sectoral Manpower Plans to help create diverse career pathways for Singaporeans to fulfil their aspirations, while meeting the manpower needs of industry. We will pay special attention and care to the older and lower-wage workers, by helping them achieve higher wages through better skills and improved productivity.
11Pride. We want all workers to take pride in their work and all employers to value their workers. We will work with tripartite partners to promote progressive HR practices, invest in human capital and create workplaces where workers in all jobs are respected and valued.
Retirement Adequacy
12We want Singaporeans to have greater peace of mind in retirement. We will continue to enhance the flexibility and adequacy of the CPF system while ensuring its long-term sustainability. We have accepted several recommendations from the CPF Advisory Panel which aimed to improve the CPF system. The Panel comprised experts and community leaders and took into consideration feedback from citizens. We will work towards the smooth implementation of these recommendations.
13For elderly Singaporeans who have lesser means in their retirement years, we will implement the Silver Support Scheme to provide quarterly cash supplements.
Achieving Good Jobs “For You” and Inclusive Growth “With You”
14We can only achieve and sustain better jobs, higher incomes and financial security for all if employers, unions, workers, government agencies, and the community at large work in unity. Together, we can instil pride and confidence in co-creating our desired future of a better workforce and progressive workplaces for Singaporeans and Singapore.
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MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
ADDENDUM TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
MR LIM HNG KIANG
MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY (TRADE)
MR S ISWARAN
MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY (INDUSTRY)
1MTI aims to achieve sustainable economic growth so as to create good jobs for Singaporeans.
Opportunities for Quality Growth
2The confluence of a slower than expected recovery of the G3 economies and the moderation of growth in China have resulted in weaker global economic growth. Against this backdrop, there are pockets of opportunities that Singapore can continue to exploit. The ASEAN economies are expected to continue to grow, driven by a rising growing middle class.
3To position Singapore for the future, we must persevere with restructuring to enhance our companies’ capabilities and our people’s skills. At the same time, developing growth clusters will keep Singapore resilient amidst slower global economic growth and create good jobs that provide opportunities for Singaporeans.
Developing Growth Clusters
4In the Advanced Manufacturing cluster, existing capabilities will be enhanced to expand into new types of high-value manufacturing. Our investments in technology like 3D printing and robotics will help grow competitive niche segments.
5We will also develop industries around Smart & Sustainable Urban Solutions. As cities urbanise in Asia, there are many opportunities to commercialise innovative urban solutions developed in Singapore, which can be scaled and exported overseas.
6The Logistics & Aerospace industries will support growing trade within and out of Asia. Deepening specialised logistics capabilities will help keep Singapore well-connected and maintain our position as one of the leading air and sea ports in Asia.
7The biomedical sciences cluster, which comprises global market leaders in medical technology and pharmaceuticals, is vital for Singapore to tap on emerging opportunities in Applied Health Sciences. MTI will support companies in this sector to meet the needs of a rapidly ageing population in Asia, as well as to target emerging segments, for instance in geriatrics and preventive care.
8To sustain these growth clusters, industrial and energy infrastructure will be enhanced, along with Singapore’s status as a vibrant global city. This will ensure that Singapore remains attractive to investors, companies, talent and visitors.
Enhancing Capabilities and Competitiveness
9Investment in research and development (R&D) is a key enabler in our plans to develop the identified growth clusters. Under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 plans, MTI will partner the National Research Foundation (NRF) to leverage R&D to support innovation-led growth for our enterprises. This will involve promoting collaboration between companies, research institutes and start-ups, and also enhancing access to technology for small local companies.
10For start-ups, we will continue to foster an attractive environment for entrepreneurial talent to thrive in Singapore, and facilitate their expansion overseas. We will deepen our partnership with Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to restructure and raise productivity.
Growing Beyond Singapore
11Beyond developing a strong business ecosystem in Singapore, expanding market access overseas will create opportunities for our companies and for Singaporeans. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), ASEAN Economic Community, and our expanding network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) will mean lower tariffs, improved market access and greater transparency for companies. MTI will also support companies in developing capabilities to internationalise through the expanded Enterprise Development Fund.
Equipping Singaporeans for Jobs of the Future
12Singaporeans will need deep skills to access good jobs and remain relevant as technology changes the nature of work. To equip Singaporeans at all career stages for jobs of the future, MTI will partner MOM, MOE, industry players and unions in SkillsFuture initiatives.
13Employers are also a vital part of the SkillsFuture journey. MTI will continue to support the development ofsectoral manpower plans to support industry growth and productivity efforts in key sectors. SkillsFuture Mentors will also help guide SMEs as they upgrade their training and development capabilities.
14Our efforts to prepare Singaporeans for the future represent a commitment to bring both our economy and our people forward together into a better future.
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Prime Minister's Office
(Monetary Authority of Singapore)
Addendum to the President’s Address
MR Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Deputy Prime Minister andMinister-in-charge of THE MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
1MAS will provide an effective anchor for economic and financial stability during a period of global and regional uncertainties.
2We will also actively promote innovations in finance. Technology will challenge many existing players, but is a major opportunity for our financial centre. We will work with the industry to use technology to increase efficiency and lower costs of payments, enable financial institutions to expand their reach abroad as well as better manage risks, and provide benefit to customers including ordinary savers.