Collaborations in education are a key aspect of the broad and deep relations between the US and Singapore. This MOU builds on the first US-Singapore MOU on education signed in 2002, which focused primarily on the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science.

The three key areas of collaboration in the 2012 MOU are: (a) teaching and learning of Mathematics and Sciences; (b) teacher development and school leadership; and (c) education research and benchmarking studies. The extension in scope of collaborations reflects the significant expansion in cooperative efforts and exchanges in education between the two countries since the signing of the first MOU.

Commenting on the MOU, Mr Heng said, “Whether in the US or Singapore, we all want our children to be well prepared for the future. To provide our children with a good education, we need good teachers and good school leaders, working together to deliver a holistic and future-oriented curriculum. Learning from the experiences and achievements in other countries, and deriving insights from research and benchmarking studies will also stimulate us to explore areas of improvement. This broader and deeper MOU builds on the success of the earlier collaboration. We look forward to working closely with the US on these two new areas - the development of teachers and school leaders and research and international benchmarking. Our collaboration with other countries is part of our continuing effort to provide the best possible education for our children.”

Since 2002, the US and Singapore have engaged in a number of dialogues, sharing sessions, and projects in the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science. An MOE delegation visited Washington, DC in 2009 to share on the Singapore model method for learning mathematics, and to launch a book outlining our approach. There are also longstanding collaborations in the learning of Science at the school level, such as the Research Science Institute programme¹ and MOE’s collaboration with the Dolan DNA Learning Centre². We will continue to explore ways to deepen our collaboration in these areas.

Both the US and Singapore view teacher development and school leadership as critical in establishing a world-class education system, and are committed to working together to share best practices and experiences in these areas to improve both our education systems. Then-Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Education (MOE), S Iswaran and senior MOE officials had shared Singapore’s experiences at the first International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) in 2011. The National Institute of Education (NIE) and Columbia University’s Teacher’s College are launching a joint Masters of Arts in Leadership and Educational Change. This joint Masters programme will take in students from January 2013 and builds on the strengths of both institutions in the two countries to equip leaders in education with the necessary skills and knowledge to take on curriculum leadership roles in their schools.

Closer collaboration in education research and benchmarking studies will help both countries deepen our understanding of best practices in education, especially in support of Singapore’s increased emphasis in holistic education. The measurement of student development outcomes in non-academic areas is at the cutting edge of educational research and benchmarking efforts.

Footnotes:

1. MOE has been sending students in the first year of junior college to participate in the Research Science Institute programme organised by MIT’s Centre for Excellence in Education for Junior College students since 1986. The annual 6-week science enrichment programme aims to stimulate interest and foster the intellectual and practical skills of students gifted in Science and Mathematics.↩
2. MOE signed an MOU with the Dolan DNA Learning Centre in 2002 covering collaboration in teacher training, curriculum development and establishing infrastructure to support the teaching and learning of life sciences. ↩

The MOU will build on the first US-Singapore MOU on education signed in 2002 and extend the scope of collaborations between the two countries. While in Washington, DC, Mr Heng will hold meetings with Mr Duncan and Mr Roberto Rodriguez, Special Advisor to the President on Education.

Mr Heng will attend the Singapore Conference on 8 February, organised by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He will deliver the keynote address during the education segment of the Conference, on the topic, “Education for Competitiveness and Growth”. He will also participate in a panel discussion involving senior educationists¹ from the US and Singapore.

Footnotes:

1. These include Ms Joanne Weiss, Chief of Staff to the US Secretary of Education; Ms Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University; Ms Jessica Kehayes, Director (Education) at the Asia Society; and Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Education. The panel discussion will be moderated by the US Ambassador to Singapore, Mr David Adelman.↩

醉花林俱乐部是新加坡历史最悠久的华人俱乐部之一，早在1845年，就为潮州人提供了一个联络感情和休闲的理想场所，同时也致力于发展华社的公益慈善、教育文化事业。时至今日，醉花林仍然肩负着带动华人社会积极参与族群事务、推展华族文化事业、发扬华族优良传统的使命。醉花林的前会长、潮州籍的杰出代表翁烈强先生更是以其一生弘扬了华族，尤其是潮州文化的优良传统。

翁老先生是潮州籍的知名企业家，到九十岁高龄，他回忆一生历程，出版了回忆录《新兴之路》。翁老先生的“新兴之路”，也就是“成功之路”。翁老先生的成功之路体现了他勤俭刻苦、热心公益、乐善好施等中华民族的传统美德。这些美德在潮州族群中一直传承不绝，而今更成为普世文明的核心价值。

教育部一向重视“德智体群美”全面教育，从来没有忽略道德教育，而 “以学生为本，价值为导向” 更是我国教育未来的发展重点。当代社会家庭结构产生巨大的变化，三代同堂的家庭逐渐减少，许多孩子缺乏祖父母的言传身教，一些家庭因父母忙于工作甚至出现孩子由家庭女佣一手带大的现象，因此，新加坡的教育有必要加倍重视学生的品德教育，并把品格和价值观的培养，视为重要的教育任务，以确保我国的未来主人翁建立正确的价值观。

学校老师向孩子灌输正确的价值观固然责无旁贷，家庭教育也一样重要。在家里承担孩子的启蒙教育的主要是父母、祖父、祖母。。我相信所有的长辈要灌输给孩子的，都是正确的价值观，但是，长辈的一言一行，其实孩子也都看在眼里。如果社会上每个家庭的长辈在灌输孩子正确的是非观的时候，自己也能够谨言慎行，那学校的老师要进行品德教育也就事半功倍了。学校与家庭教育两者相辅相成，这将促使我国新一代莘莘学子具备新时代所需的“自我意识”、“责任感”和“公民意识”等价值观。

翁老先生本身树立了一个楷模，他家教严格，传统美德体现在子孙身上即是明证。这次举办新书发布会，更是发扬传统美德，并使这种美德世世代代都传承下去的最佳良机。《新兴之路》这本书可以让更多人了解：一个品格良好的人，才能取得成功；一个国家的人民都会坚持自己的道德原则，愿意关怀和照顾别人，才能承担保卫国家的责任，这有助于我国在竞争激烈的全球化经济中具有竞争力。

文化教育活动向来是醉花林各种活动中重要的环节。举办这些活动，旨在弘扬华族的优良传统，推介潮州的民俗艺术，并提供了一个文化交流和商业往来的平台。希望醉花林继续举办像新书发布会这样的文化活动，让更多国人获益。

谢谢！