Seven new subjects, ranging from robotics to sports
science, are set to become part of the O- and N-level tracks to
give students a chance for more hands-on learning.
These subjects, which will be rolled out over the next
two years, will be available in more than 60 secondary schools.
O-level electronics and computing will start next year,
along with three Normal (Technical) subjects - smart electrical
technology, mobile robotics and retail operations.
In 2018, drama, as well as exercise and sports science,
will be added to the O-level curriculum.
These subjects are different from traditional subjects
such as mathematics, for instance. The key focus will be to expose
students to applied learning, which integrates classroom learning
with real-world situations, said an Education Ministry
spokesman.
This will also allow students to make better choices on
courses to pursue after secondary school.
The spokesman
said that the ministry worked with industry partners, as well as
the polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and
universities to ensure that the new curriculum is "relevant and
engaging".
Subjects which
focus on applied learning have been available since 2008. But these
six subjects, which include the fundamentals of electronics and
design studies, are offered only to O-level students.
On average, a
total of 310 students have taken these six subjects each year in
the last five years.
Polytechnic
lecturers also teach the students and help to develop the
curriculum. Most of these subjects will be phased out by next year,
except for biotechnology and design studies offered at the
Singapore School of Science and Technology.
The seven new
applied subjects will be taught by teachers at the secondary
schools themselves, and this could allow more students to take them
up. Teachers are currently being trained to teach the new
subjects.
Under the
current curriculum, 20 students in each cohort study the
fundamentals of electronics each year at Hong Kah Secondary, which
has offered the subject in partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic
since 2008.
"It is a fixed
number because of the polytechnic's capacity and how many other
schools and students they can accommodate on campus," said physics
teacher Wee Jin Yi, who will teach electronics.
Hong Kah has
already refurbished a few classrooms to set up an electronics lab
and several rooms for project work.
The new
subjects will have a refreshed curriculum. Electronics, for
example, will cover the digital circuits in devices such as
computers and television sets.
Parents and
teachers believe that the new subjects will give students a chance
to go beyond traditional academic disciplines and discover where
their interests lie. "We hope to catch students' attention in
electronics at a younger age and, hopefully, they will be more
receptive to a career in this field," said Mr Wee.
