From 2008, students at Canberra Primary School, Crescent Girls' School, Jurong Secondary and Hwa Chong Institution can look forward to even more innovative teaching methods and engaging lessons - made possible through more widespread use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). These four schools will join a new primary school, Beacon Primary School, as the pioneer FutureSchools@Singapore.
Singapore, 22 May 2007 | For Immediate Release
From 2008, students at Canberra Primary School, Crescent Girls’ School, Jurong Secondary and Hwa Chong Institution can look forward to even more innovative teaching methods and engaging lessons – made possible through more widespread use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). These four schools will join a new primary school, Beacon Primary School, as the pioneer FutureSchools@Singapore. The five FutureSchools@Singapore were announced by Rear Admiral Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State for Education, during a visit to Canberra Primary on 21 May 2007.
Paving the Way to Enhance Learning through ICT
Working closely with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), FutureSchools@Singapore will focus on innovative teaching approaches that leverage fully on ICT and novel school infrastructure designs to bring about more engaged learning for their students. ICT tools such as immersive virtual environments and educational games will be used to enhance learning. The schools will also harness the capability of ICT to facilitate connectivity, interaction and collaboration, to enable students to learn from others in their school, their community and beyond, as well as to better involve parents in their children’s education.
In addition, the schools will undertake studies on the impact of ICT use on students’ cognitive, emotional and social development. The learning points, ideas, programmes and technologies from these studies will then be shared with other schools, paving the way for the seamless and pervasive integration of ICT into the curriculum for engaged learning in all schools.
Selection of the First-Phase FutureSchools
In alignment with IDA’s iN2015 vision for Education and Learning, MOE plans to select and develop up to 15 schools by 2015 in a few phases. Taking a phased approach will ensure that the technologies used are the most up-to-date during the different phases and will allow the FutureSchools@Singapore to derive learning points from each phase to improve on the implementation of later phases.
MOE received proposals from 26 schools for the first phase of the initiative in January 2007, and evaluated them based on the following criteria:
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Programmes - Their proposed teaching and learning programmes showing how ICT can be effectively integrated into the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to achieve engaged learning.
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People - Readiness of the school leadership, staff and culture.
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Places - The innovativeness and effectiveness of the physical learning environment to support innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
The selected schools are of different profiles and this will allow the full spectrum of our schools to learn from the experiences of the schools selected for the first phase.
A new primary school, Beacon Primary, was also selected for the first phase of the initiative to benefit from the ability to design and incorporate ICT-enabled facilities into the school infrastructure. The school, which is headed by Ms Lim Boon Cheng, will take in Primary 1 pupils in January 2008 at its site in Bukit Panjang.
The Schools’ Programmes
All FutureSchools will be characterised by the implementation of innovative education programmes that leverage on ICT across all levels and subjects. However, the initiative will not see a one-size-fits-all approach. Each FutureSchool will draw up its own programme according to the needs of its students.
While innovative education programmes that fully leverage on ICT will be a characteristic of the schools, the FutureSchools will stay focused on MOE’s core goals in education, and develop students holistically. The FutureSchools will also plan lessons around the national curriculum, preparing students for national exams, namely, the Primary School Leaving Examination, GCE “N”, “O” and “A” Levels.
The two primary FutureSchools will follow existing school admission procedures for all primary schools. The secondary schools will likewise follow existing procedures, which are based on merit.
MOE and IDA will work with the selected schools to enhance and consolidate their plans. They will implement their programmes in phases, starting from 2008, and will reach full-school implementation in up to 4 years’ time.
More information on each of the five first-phase FutureSchools can be found in Annex A (36.17KB).
Partnerships
A key strategy of the FutureSchools@Singapore programme is the development of strategic school partnerships with IDA, established and committed industry partners, as well as Institutes of Higher Learning, to push the frontier of ICT use to enhance learning.
By harnessing ICT in education through innovative teaching approaches and flexible learning environments, schools will be able to achieve higher levels of engagement of their students who already have an ICT-integrated lifestyle.
To achieve this goal, IDA will facilitate strategic collaboration between the schools and infocomm industry partners. A Call-for-Collaboration to generate an open exchange of ideas and possibilities, and foster greater collaboration among industry partners to meet the needs of FutureSchools@Singapore will be launched on 31 May 2007 via GeBiz.com.
Background
As part of IDA’s iN2015 infocomm masterplan, a target was made to set up 15 FutureSchools@Singapore at the primary and secondary levels by 2015. These schools will push the frontiers of teaching and learning practices by harnessing ICT at a school-wide level. The knowledge gained from the FutureSchools can then be adapted for future projects and for sharing at various platforms to benefit other schools.
View details on the FutureSchools@Singapore Programme.
ISSUED BY MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
For media clarifications, please contact:
Miss Charis Har
Corporate Communications Executive, Corporate Communications Division
Ministry of Education
Tel: +65 6879 6124
Fax: +65 6775 0276
Email: Charis _Har@moe.gov.sg
Ms Jesmin Tan
Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Tel : +65 6211 0917
Fax : +65 6211 2227
Email : Jesmin_Tan@imda.gov.sg
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