Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 54 minutes
ago
SINGAPORE: There will be a new secondary school option for
primary school leavers come 2010 a new School of Science and
Technology will offer students a four—year curriculum, placing
heavy emphasis on applied learning.
The Education Ministry is working with the Ngee Ann Polytechnic
and the Nanyang Technological University to plan and implement its
curriculum.
The move to provide more choice and diversity in the education
landscape was announced by Education Minister Tharman
Shanmugaratnam in Parliament on Tuesday.
At the School of Science and Technology, students will take
courses that incorporate strong elements of technology, media and
design.
Lower Secondary students will take broad—based subjects, while
those at Secondary Three and Four will pay more attention to
O—level subjects.
They can choose from four applied subjects, such as
Biotechnology and Design Studies, on top of core O—level subjects
in the Humanities, Languages, Mathematics and Science.
The school will also prepare students for post—secondary
education in junior colleges or polytechnics before they go on to
university.
Mr Tharman said: "They will be able to learn by experimenting,
tinkering and by taking a project through all its stages from
concept to design to building the models. But the exposure to
real—world applications will not be aimed at getting students to
specialise early in any skills. The real aim will be to nurture
students with inventive minds, people who will keep looking for a
different way of doing things."
In line with the applied nature of learning, enrichment courses
and attachment programmes will be arranged for students at leading
companies such as Creative Technologies and IBM.
Class size will be limited to about 20 to 25 students, and up to
200 places will be available in the school’s first Secondary One
intake in 2010.
Students can also apply through the Direct Schools Admission
Exercise in June 2009.
Lecturers from Ngee Ann Polytechnic will be seconded to the new
school, which will start recruiting teachers this year.
Mr Chua Chor Huat, the current principal of Ngee Ann Secondary,
has been appointed as the new school’s first principal.
The School of Science and Technology is the latest specialised
independent school here after the NUS High School of Mathematics
and Science, the Singapore Sports School and the School of the
Arts. — CNA/so