[(proc text) \"to amend the Parking Places Act (Chapter 214 of the 2014 Revised Edition) and to make related amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) recommendation of President signified; presented by the Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Lam Pin Min) on behalf of the Minister for Transport; read the First time; to be read a Second time at a Sitting of Parliament on or after 20 March 2018, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019","subTitle":"Committee of Supply – Paper Cmd 13 of 2018","sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [3rd Allotted Day]. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head S (Ministry of Manpower)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
The workforce profile in Singapore is changing rapidly. Today, 54% of our resident workforce are professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and 34% are professionals, managers and executives (PMEs).
There have been many PMEs approaching the Labour Movement for help via our various workplace advisory platforms with a variety of issues from unfair dismissals to breaches of provisions in the Employment Act (EA). However, PMEs with a monthly basic salary of more than $4,500 are not covered under the Act.
Since April 2017, we have the new Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) as well as the Tripartite Alliance for Disputes Management (TADM) to assist PMEs to a speedier resolution of their disputes. The Employment Claims Tribunal, which came into force on 1 April 2017, has already done away with a salary cap for salary-related claims by employees but the ECT is limited to salary-related claims, both contractually and statutorily.
The median gross monthly salaries of workers stand at $4,056 in 2016. For PMETs, the gross monthly salaries for P-50 – or at the 50th percentile – for residents stand at $5,910 as at June 2016.
Our Labour Movement has also been challenged with difficult questions concerning various parts of the EA the past few years as it also affects our unions and union members amidst a backdrop of a higher number of layoffs in 2016, unfair dismissals, mergers, acquisitions, outsourcing, volatility and interesting new vehicles involving the sale and transfer of companies/staff.
Based on cases our Labour Movement has encountered in the past few years, a changing workforce profile, upward movements of median wages as well as a stronger impetus to ensure our employment laws stay relevant, I hope to see three things. First, expansion of the scope of EA to cover PMEs beyond the current $4,500 limit; second, extension of the Part IV protection to cover non-workmen beyond the current $2,500 limit; and third, enhancements to the existing dispute resolution framework.
First, expansion. Despite the last round of EA amendments in April 2014, we have still been receiving feedback/queries from PMEs through various channels, such as through our unions/union leaders, TADM, my Meet-the-People sessions (MPS), our U PME Centres, our National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) LawWorks Legal Clinics, as well as through my social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, from aggrieved PMEs whom we were unable to assist as they earned more than $4,500 per month.
Despite the amendments to the Industrial Relations Act (IRA) in April 2015 to allow collective representation of PMEs by all unions, in some of our unionised companies, management have occasionally attempted to use this \"$4,500 limit” in the EA as a proxy to suggest that the union cannot expand its scope of representation beyond those earning more than this sum. Fortunately, such cases are not aplenty. With rising median wages, including that of PMEs, and PMEs gradually forming the majority of the workforce, there is a need to review this $4,500 cap to ensure the EA serves the majority of the working population.
While the intent of the cap is to strike a balance between the rights of employees and to allow companies to manage their labour obligations and costs, the changing profile of our workforce requires a regular review of the scope of coverage of EA to ensure that these policy tensions are adequately balanced. In fact, whether there is a need to have this \"PME versus Rank and File\" dichotomy is something we need to review whether now or in the near future. I submit, therefore, we should remove this $4,500 salary cap completely so that all employees in Singapore can enjoy the basic protection under EA.
Second, extension. Part IV of the EA is important as it involves the \"hours of work\" and determines the scope of those who are entitled to overtime payments. The two current categories of workers entitled to overtime payments are, first, employees who are not a workman but who is covered under the EA and earns a monthly basic salary of not more than $2,500; and second, a workman earning a basic monthly salary of not more than $4,500.
To keep pace with wage movements, I submit there is a need to review both the $2,500 and $4,500 limits accordingly and raise it to keep pace with rising median wages.
Moving ahead, I also see a need to address whether the dichotomy between \"workman\" and \"non-workman\" is still tenable and whether it is also appropriate to consider extending the scope of Part IV to PMEs. This may well be needed as the dichotomy between \"Rank and File\" and \"PME\" workers becomes increasingly blurred. But it will require a closer and deeper examination as it will have a significant impact to both workers and employers.
Third, enhancement. As shared earlier, PMEs earning above $4,500 are not protected by provisions in the EA, such as section 14 on wrongful/unfair dismissals. By the same token, the ECT does not have jurisdiction to hear wrongful/unfair dismissal cases under EA. Currently, union members in unionised companies can file a case to the Manpower Minister for such unfair/wrongful dismissal cases. However, as we see more cases of workers, especially PMEs, facing such unfair/wrongful dismissals, it is also imperative that the Employment Claims Act be reviewed and the ECT’s jurisdiction be expanded to cover unfair/wrongful dismissal cases over and above the current salary-related claims.
Another area for enhancement and greater clarity would be the very technical and highly moot provision of section 18A of EA. In it, an employer has the right to transfer an employee to another employer if the organisation is being restructured. Section 18A allows for the transfer of employees to a new entity. I suggest we should consider amending section 18A to provide greater clarity. The other alternative would be to issue tripartite guidelines or an explicit articulation on what transfers or transactions fall within or outside of section 18A. This is one area that has constantly been tested and challenged, and greater clarity would be a boon for unions, employers and legal counsel. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Many PMEs have approached us for help. They face a lot of work-related problems, including unfair dismissal and also disputes related to EA. However, as some of these workers' monthly salary is more than $4,500, we are, therefore, unable to assist them.
In the past few years, the median income has been on the rise, and it applies to PMEs as well. The proportion of PMEs in our workforce has also been increasing.
To meet the needs of the future workforce and the requirements of jobs and workplaces in the future, I suggest we amend the EA in the following three areas.
First of all, we should remove the salary ceiling to cover all workers, including PMEs with monthly salary exceeding $4,500, so that they will all be protected under EA.
Second, with the rise in median salary, the monthly salary cap of non-manual workers covered under Part 4 of the EA should also increase.
Third, the current dispute mediation framework should also be enhanced, for example, to allow the ECT to handle unfair dismissal cases.
(In English): In summary, these three areas are important areas for review to ensure the EA stays relevant and serves the needs of the future workforce, the future of work and the future of workplaces. However, we must bear in mind that the amendments should not compromise the need to preserve effective collective bargaining and bring more workers within the tripartite relationship. We look forward to work with our unions/union leaders and our tripartite partners closely in the process of review and look forward to positive changes to the labour laws in this direction to better protect workers in Singapore.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, currently, PMEs who earn a basic salary of $4,500 or more are not protected under the EA. According to recent employment data, the median gross salary of resident employees is about $4,050 a month. This means that just under half of our resident employees would easily fall under the category of PMEs earning at least $4,500 a month. Yet, they are not protected under our EA.
It is time that our EA be reviewed to ensure more of our workers are protected under it, particularly when retrenchments or employment disputes arise. It would be good to increase the salary cap as there are more Singaporeans and resident employees who are now earning $4,500 a month and where we now also see more PMEs among Singaporeans. Better still, remove the salary cap altogether so that all Singaporean employees, PMEs or otherwise, are protected under the EA.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, term contract workers make up 10% of our resident workforce. Last year, the Tripartite Standard on Employment of Term Contract Employees was launched. It is a good first step in ensuring better protection of contract workers. When I asked the Parliamentary Question (PQ) on the compliance mechanisms for the Standard in October last year, Minister Josephine Teo said that in two months, 400 employers, accounting for more than 28,000, or 17%, of all resident term contract workers, have adopted the Standard. Could the Minister give an update on how many contract workers are now covered under the Standard?
I have two points to make. First, on compliance. In her reply, Minister Teo said that the Standard relies on self-assessment by companies and engagements with employers based on complaints from employees. I would like to ask the Minister, in the past six months since the Standard was established, how many complaints have been received and what are the outcomes of the engagements?
I understand the Ministry's position to calibrate the compliance to give employers the incentive to adopt the Standard. But there is also the need for the Ministry to do occasional audits to make sure that the Standard is meaningful for contract workers. I believe many public agencies are hiring term contract workers and they should have adopted the Standard. I would like to suggest that the Ministry audit the agencies and survey the contract workers to find out whether the Standard is working and where the gaps are.
Second, on the coverage of protection. Currently, the Standard covers prorated leave benefits, adequate training and the notice period for early termination or non-renewal. The notice period is the same as the notice period for retrenchment of permanent employees. But what is missing in the Standard for Term Contract Workers is the recommendation of retrenchment benefits. Without this recommendation in the Standard, term contracts remain a risk of being the route for employers to avoid the moral and regulatory pressure of retrenching employees responsibly and fairly.
Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin (Nominated Member): There are three groups of vulnerable employees I will cover in this cut: women, foreign domestic workers (FDWs) and people with disabilities.
First, women. In November 2017, The Straits Times interviewed a 28-year-old female lawyer whose former boss repeatedly harassed her. After she rejected him again and again, her boss shifted her work away from legal work to menial tasks. And though she reported her situation to all the appropriate levels of power, she was met with cultural roadblocks: a female senior colleague who told her to stay silent, a founding partner of the firm who brushed it off as \"such things happen when you are a pretty girl\", and a human resource (HR) department which advised her \"not to make a fuss\".
After a year of feeling trapped, she confessed her story to her father – who was also a lawyer – who insisted that she make a Police report. Scared for her future career prospects, she chose to inform the firm of her intentions to go to the Police. The firm finally dealt with the matter by getting her to sign a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting her from reporting the matter to the Police. In exchange, she received a year’s salary and had to leave the firm immediately. The article said nothing further about the boss. So, for all we know, he is still out there harassing his employees.
The female lawyer told the reporter, \"I am not someone who doesn't speak her mind. But when I spoke up, I was told I'm a liar and I made things up. I hope that more people don't have to feel all alone and they can find some support.\"
What is troubling about this story to me is that if a relatively well-resourced and legally trained employee with the support of a well-resourced and legally trained parent felt that helpless in the situation, how much more difficult would it be for an employee with less power and resources to seek help?
Can the Ministry consider two ways of enhancing protection of women from workplace harassment? First, the Tripartite Advisory to Manage Workplace Harassment is useful but there is no awareness about who is actually meeting those guidelines. Can the Ministry consider having a public register that actually tracks which companies are adopting the measures suggested in the Advisory?
Second, because it is usually too complicated, expensive and ultimately pretty awkward to get a Court order against a colleague or boss, most victims do not bother with getting a protection order. Some victims also rather not immediately escalate their situation to the Police because they are uncertain about the impact on their personal safety and professional reputation.
Harassment victims could benefit from having a safe and trusted third party with institutional authority to help them deal with their situation. Currently, the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) is an educational body and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TDM) and ECT deal with more straightforward claims like salary disputes.
Can the Ministry consider empowering either TGFEP or the other two bodies to deal with workplace harassment grievances, or have its hotline for reporting labour infringements be extended specifically to workplace harassment as well?
On FDWs, according to a March 2017 Singapore Law Review article, the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) \"Employer’s Guide\" is a good step. But some of the language used in there is still a bit ambiguous. Right now, words like \"should\" and \"must\" are used interchangeably in the guide. But \"should\" is an aspirational goal whereas \"must\" sounds like an indisputable requirement.
For instance, the guide uses \"should\" for \"your foreign domestic worker should not sleep near any dangerous equipment or structure that could potentially cause hurt or harm to her, and \"You and your foreign domestic worker should mutually agree on which day of the week she should take the rest day\". But it uses \"must\" for: \"You must provide your worker with three meals a day\" and \"you must minimally provide your worker with a mattress, pillow and blanket\". But if we believe in workers' safety and workers' rights, then surely our domestic workers must sleep in safe quarters and must mutually agree on their rest days.
So, can the Ministry replace \"should\" with \"must\" in the guide wherever appropriate? This would help lessen public misunderstanding about what is MOM's tolerance level for abuse that an employer can get away with.
Lastly, on people with disabilities, the EA does not define what unfair dismissal is, leaving room for misunderstanding. People with disabilities have been dismissed without explanation by their employers. Can the Ministry amend the EA to provide a clearer definition of what constitutes an \"unfair\" dismissal and set out legal remedies for unfair dismissals?
Since our workforce is rapidly ageing, acquired disabilities, such as mobility issues and sensory impairments, will become a growing challenge. Some employees also acquire a disability while working for a company.
Currently, there is no requirement for a company to accommodate the employee’s changed situation, such as redesigning a job or offering an alternative role. Can the Ministry require or assist employers to provide reasonable job accommodations for employees who acquire disabilities in the course of their employment so that they may continue in their current role, wherever this is possible or appropriate?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Nee Soon): Mr Chairman, the Singapore economy grew by 3.6% in 2017. This is better than the economic growth in 2015 and 2016.
On the employment front, we were informed of a drop in Singapore's total employment in 2017. This was due to a larger drop in foreign employment, although local employment grew.
I would like to ask the Minister: has the economic growth in the past few years benefited Singaporeans, in particular, the growth in PMET jobs?
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines) (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, Sir, it has been several years since Singapore started its economic transformation, focusing on productivity and innovation. The tripartite partners have restructured business processes and the workforce. We achieved 3% productivity growth last year but some economists have cautioned that such a pace might not be sustainable because of limits from a tight labour market. Can the Minister share if this growth is sustainable and what can we do to maintain productivity growth?
Yet, productivity growth is only meaningful in how they have benefited our workers who have dedicated themselves to helping companies to grow. How has the productivity growth resulted in better jobs and better wages for our workers? Can we consider setting gains-sharing as a basic requirement for qualifying for Government funding schemes?
Capital investment without complementary competent manpower impedes productivity growth. It is important that our workers can take on new opportunities quickly. I hope that MOM can also offer a Career Trial Programme to fresh graduates as well. This helps them with finding an ideal job and lowers the attrition for the employers.
The Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) has given mid-career Singaporeans a viable transition to another industry. Yet, many Singaporeans do not know about this good programme. Would the Ministry consider working with organisations, such as the People’s Association (PA) and NTUC to promote and increase awareness of PCP?
I am convinced that if the tripartite partners can work together, then the strong productivity growth last year will not be a one-off phenomenon.
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Mr Chairman, over the last two years' Committee of Supply (COS) debates, I have raised the issue about Singaporean and foreign workers, in terms of the Singaporean Core and the complementarity of local and foreign workers. I would like to ask the Minister for an update. Can the Minister share on MOM's treatment of \"Triple Weak\" and \"Triple Strong\" companies? I would also like to know if these efforts have resulted in better outcomes for Singaporeans, in particular, for our PMETs.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan (East Coast): Mr Chairman, in a May 2017 Business Times report, a headline read: \"Tech talent shortage in Singapore unable to meet industry demands\". It quoted Hays Consultancy saying that employers were struggling to fill a number of tech roles, including cloud architects, cybersecurity professionals, data scientists and analysts, and mobile app developers. In another report in August 2017, a Business Times’ headline read: \"In the Asia Pacific, talent shortages will bite hardest in Singapore\".
Given that we are rolling out 23 Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs), and new skills and talents are needed to make these transformations successful, what is MOM's assessment of the manpower shortage problems? How would the shortage impact Singapore’s overall competitiveness and ability to create jobs for Singaporeans?
How would MOM help employers, particularly those who are making efforts to raise productivity using technology, to recruit sufficient talents locally or overseas? For new and special technical fields which our local institutions have not yet produced in the right numbers, would MOM allow firms to recruit more overseas talents in the interim?
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast): Mr Chairman, can the Minister provide an update on MOM's treatment of companies on the \"Triple Weak\" watchlist and of \"Triple Strong\" companies? Have the \"Triple Weak\" companies been able to improve the Singapore Core in their workforce? What improvements have been made in the HR practices of \"Triple Weak\" companies to build the strong Singapore Core? Have these resulted in Singaporean PMETs getting quality roles in organisations and seeing their incomes grow? Have we seen an increase of \"Triple Strong\" companies?
With the improving economic growth this year, are we seeing growth in PMET jobs? More importantly, have Singaporean PMETs been able to qualify for these jobs? What more can be done to raise the number and quality of PMET jobs for Singaporeans?
I am concerned if there continues to be missed match and mismatch of PMETs for the available jobs. Have the various SkillsFuture programmes, like the Career Support Programme (CSP) and PCP, been able to address these gaps between jobs and the persons qualifying for these roles? Have businesses supported the PCP and CSP programmes? What progress has been made for local PMETs on these programmes? While there may be suitable job opportunities, are organisations with these PMET roles prepared to leverage these programmes to work with PMETs to transition into these roles?
While we continue to focus on improving the quality of jobs for local PMETs, we must also recognise that with the pace of change and disruptions brought about by technological advancements, businesses do require new skills. In the short term, we may not have the skills and we are already hearing from businesses challenges in filling these roles. This would mean that we will need to continue to tap on foreign talent. Is there support available for businesses to strengthen the local-foreign manpower complementarity? With a third of our workforce comprising of foreigners, what is being done to raise the quality of foreign workers in Singapore?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: I have been lobbying on strengthening the Singaporean Core, Fair and Progressive Hiring and eradication of nationality bias since 2011. It has been an arduous but positive journey. We have seen the introduction of the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) and the National Jobs Bank in 2014.
There are also greater focus and awareness of the move towards not just fair but progressive workplaces and employment practices by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and our tripartite partners. Anecdotally, the situation has improved when I speak to fellow PMEs. However, I do still hear complaints of two kinds.
First, hiring-of-its-own-kind practices and companies advertising in the Jobs Bank for the sake of advertising and treating the FCF and the Jobs Bank as mere window dressing. This happens not just in big multinational corporations (MNCs) but also small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Some also share that employment agencies and placement companies are also where some of these malpractices happen. The general concern is over the glaring disproportionate number of foreign PMEs in certain sectors and companies. In some cases, the nationality biasness results in job losses of local PMEs and hiring of foreign PMEs for jobs which local PMEs can fill.
In this regard, I wish to ask MOM to provide an update on how effective FCF has been in the past three years since implementation in levelling the playing field for our local PMEs and in eradicating \"nationality bias\" discrimination in hiring practices, including by employment and placement agencies.
I know the Minister has shared that he has nailed more than 300 companies into what he calls the \"watchlist\" where he sees the \"Triple Weak\". Has there been an improvement since the last time he shared about this \"watchlist\" and can he share what kinds of companies, whether MNCs or SMEs, and from what sectors these companies are from? I have five concrete suggestions for MOM in respect of what we can do.
Suggestion 1 – At present, you are exempted from the Jobs Bank advertising requirement in any of these cases: (a) your company has 25 or fewer employees; (b) the job position is paying a fixed monthly salary of $12,000 and above; (c) the job is to be filled by an intra-corporate transferee (ICT); and (d) the job is necessary for short-term contingencies, that is, the period of employment in Singapore is not more than one month. Can these areas be reviewed so that one is not easily exempted from the FCF requirements?
Suggestion 2 – Besides executive sanctions and measures, I suggest MOM can also recognise and offer \"carrots\" and recognition to those companies and businesses which demonstrate an exemplary Singaporean Core and a resolute commitment to hire and develop Singaporeans through the Human Capital Partnership programme (HCP).
Suggestion 3 – To encourage building a strong Singaporean Core, companies and organisations which outsource some of their services, such as information technology (IT), HR or accounting and even construction projects, can, within the terms of the tender or contract, not buy from these Triple weak companies, or purchase from companies or organisations which have been recognised by the HCP mark. I suggest the public sector, including Government-linked corporations, take the lead and should not procure services or buy from any of these Triple Weak companies.
Suggestion 4 – Over and above existing requirements under the law, there could be tighter regulation and accreditation of employment and placement agencies to weed out biased and unfair hiring-of-its-own-kind practices and ensure a strong Singaporean Core. By the same token, these agencies, recruitment companies and even company HR departments should not and must not treat the advertising requirement as mere window dressing, and their practices closely monitored. Their frontline and placement staff should undergo mandatory training and accreditation to understand the concept of building the Singaporean Core, FCF and the Jobs Bank.
Finally, Suggestion 5 – A Tripartite Capability Development Toolkit can also be developed by TAFEP for companies to address capability gaps within their organisations and put best practices in place to achieve HCP outcomes, such as hiring and developing a strong Singaporean Core.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong (Bishan-Toa Payoh): According to a World Bank report last year, Singapore ranked second in the world for ease of doing business. We want to remain highly attractive to companies around the world to draw their investments which will create jobs for Singaporeans.
Investors and businesses, whether global or local, want access to global talent. This is especially so in high-tech companies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and robotics, where talents are in short supply and, hence, courted worldwide. We should welcome them because they bring unique value to the local economy.
At the same time, we must ensure the transfer of expertise and technical know-how from these foreign employees to local employees within specific timeframes. Such transfers are critical if we are to build a strong Singaporean Core and boost local competencies. How to facilitate these transfers is the challenge. Monitoring and regulating the ratio and number of Singaporean staff at certain positions within companies after they have been occupied for a certain number of years by foreign staff is one way. Does the Ministry have a process of tracking such data across industries? Another way is to require companies, in particular, those in critical sectors, to justify and limit the ratio of foreign hires and limit how long they can work here.
We have to strike a balance between meeting their demand for selected foreign employees to work in Singapore and providing Singaporeans with job opportunities.
FCF seeks to ensure that Singaporeans are considered fairly for jobs. I would like to ask the Ministry for updates on the effectiveness of FCF enforcement measures and its compliance success rate. How many employers are currently on the FCF Watchlist and which are the main sectors or industries where infringements occur? Does the Ministry also have the breakdown of the job categories, levels of seniority and salary ranges of jobs which had gone to the foreigners in these cases? What are the main sources and channels of feedback, complaints and whistleblowing? How many Employment Pass (EP) applications by errant firms had been rejected by the Ministry in each of the last few years? Having such details will be useful for the Ministry to spot red flags, improve preventive measures and formulate better manpower policies to protect jobs for Singaporeans, as not all errant firms will be captured on the radar of FCF.
Would the Ministry also share with us the effectiveness of our National Jobs Bank in helping Singaporeans find jobs? Does the Ministry have some way of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and usefulness of this portal in ensuring that jobs are actually given to Singaporeans? If not, I would like to suggest that the Ministry consider doing so as soon as possible. Should it be ineffective, we will have to come up with new strategies and ways to connect employers with Singaporean hires.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Last year, during the COS debate, MOM shared that there were 250 companies on the FCF Watchlist. These are companies which have been identified as the Triple Weak companies and which do not adopt fair and progressive employment practices. The companies employ foreign workers at the expense of Singaporean workers and this has created much unhappiness among Singaporeans who have lost their jobs or are employed by companies with a majority of foreigners. Their employment practice has also created much resentment among Singaporeans against foreigners.
In October 2017, MOM shared that the number of such companies on the FCF Watchlist has gone up to 300 companies. This is clearly unsatisfactory as it suggests that these companies are not deterred by the punitive action by MOM and are also not bothered about creating more employment for Singaporeans.
Last month, during a house visit, my resident told me that her company has discriminatory practices in favour of foreigners because of the Managing Director's preference. Despite my request, she did not wish to reveal the name of the company as she was concerned about her own employment. And mind you, she works in HR. My concern is whether there are even more such Triple Weak companies which have discriminatory employment practices against Singaporeans and employ foreigners at the expense of Singapore Citizens.
May I ask MOM what other action can the Government take against companies which have been assessed to be Triple Weak companies and are on the FCF Watchlist? Can we consider revoking these companies' work passes or EPs of the foreigners in their companies?
We need to send a strong signal to such companies that if they are not interested in building a Singaporean Core and intend to hire mainly foreigners, then they should face the consequences as there is no purpose in allowing such companies to thrive in our business environment because they exist at the expense of the Singaporean Core.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: Sir, I am aware that the Capability Transfer Programme (CTP) was rolled out late last year. I wish to ask for an update and how successful it has been thus far and how does it benefit our local PMEs.
I have received feedback from the professional services industry, including the information and communications technology (ICT) and financial sectors, that the current subvention may not suffice and appear unattractive, considering the wage levels of experts in these sectors. Can MOM consider enhancing this cap on a case-by-case basis based on sector-specific needs?
Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Chairman, Sir, I am glad to note that the SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative is steaming ahead and that more programmes are coming online under the initiative, such as the ASEAN Leadership Programme, to help Singaporean executives understand ASEAN business cultures better.
It is important to ensure we cultivate a Singaporean Core in leadership positions across the economy. CTP is another important initiative to be welcomed because it places Singaporeans at the heart of our economic transformation. CTP will help to deepen knowledge transfers to Singaporean workers and train up a strong body of highly-skilled and continuous learning local workforce.
In this light, can the Minister elaborate on the outcomes expected from CTP grants and the metrics that would be used to measure the outcomes to make sure the money is well spent? I am asking this because we have to be careful that CTP is not used to lighten the costs incurred by companies for routine training for their workers. There must be concrete capability development, and this should be measurable.
I understand that CTP offers funding for industry-level projects, such as company-level projects. My concern with funding for company-level projects is that the capability transfer will be limited to benefiting a single company instead of the whole sector. This means that the Government would end up supporting an uncompetitive situation in a sector.
For example, a large company dominating a sector could use CTP to acquire exclusive training for its staff, thereby enhancing its capability and competitive edge against other companies in the sector. Can the Minister give some examples of company-level projects funded by CTP and how the scenario I just described was avoided? How has the Ministry ensured the capability transferred to a company would benefit the sector as a whole?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: Sir, on the topic of S Pass, I wish to submit that, despite raising the qualifying salaries for S pass to $2,200 and new quotas, I still hear two kinds of complaints.
Firstly, the complaint of creative circumvention of this salary requirement by companies.
Secondly, although S Pass is for selective strategic skillsets in specific industries, for example, like healthcare where they are welcomed and needed by fellow workers, there are cases where S Pass is issued to employers for workers doing mere administration or office tasks.
Thirdly, the median wages of semi-skilled workers have also gone up in the past years. I wish to ask if there are any safeguards to make sure that Singaporeans are not replaced by many of these younger, better educated S Pass holders. Is the scheme too attractive and flexible such that it will be abused?
Finally, should the scheme be reviewed, salary ceiling raised or the scheme be eventually done away with altogether?
Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng (Nominated Member) (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, foreign workers form an integral part of Singapore's workforce. In many sectors of the economy, foreign workers supplement the types of functions that local workers are not equipped to undertake and, thus, perform an indispensable role in our economic development.
Based on the trend of the Government's manpower policy, businesses need to bring in foreign workers with a higher level of technical proficiency. While they are working, they also need to receive continual training, particularly in an environment characterised by rapid technological advances and industry transformation. However, training requires expenses. As many enterprises are striving hard to transform, I hope the Government could support enterprises to manage these expenditures.
In his speech at the Budget Debate, Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State cum NTUC's Deputy Secretary-General, emphasised that as our enterprises transform and upgrade, apart from the local workers, our foreign workers should also not be neglected.
In fact, the Government need not worry too much on how to support skills upgrading of foreign workers. I would like to raise a suggestion: a portion of foreign worker levies collected could be channelled back to the business sector, to help enterprises in the training of foreign workers. This suggestion is based on the example of how the Government plans to use carbon tax in this year's Budget. In the first five years of implementing the carbon tax, the Government plans to use the tax revenue to provide more grants and support to help enterprises enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions. In the same way, instead of channelling foreign worker levies into other areas, I would suggest that the Government channel a portion of this levy towards training of foreign workers to uplift the overall skills level of the workforce.
Further, the gig economy is rapidly emerging and has become a trend to be paid attention to. To date, the number of self-employed persons has already reached 200,000. Self-employed persons do not have regular employers, but this is precisely why many employers do regard them as a welcome addition to the workforce during the current manpower shortage. This is because companies always have certain projects which need to be managed by people with special expertise or talents. If companies can find people with suitable criteria, and both parties agree to this flexible arrangement where the work is completed within a designated period, everyone would be perfectly happy. Often this is also a more cost-effective solution.
Not long ago, in order to protect the rights of self-employed persons, the Government set up a Tripartite Workgroup (TWG) on Self-employed Persons to identify recommendations. The Minister for Manpower has given his in-principle acceptance of these recommendations. We look forward to having these solutions rolled out as quickly as possible.
Helping to alleviate the worries of these self-employed persons and building an even stronger and balanced employer-employee relationship is certainly good news to the business community all round!
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To build a workforce with a strong Singaporean Core, we need Singaporean workers distributed across different sectors and at all levels of seniority and skills. It is important that we have our own local staff with technical competence and core skills for key sectors.
Unfortunately, there are substantial labour shortages in certain sectors, such as in healthcare and occupational jobs, such as skilled technicians. These shortages have resulted in dependency on foreign employees which, in turn, sometimes lead to communication difficulties due to cultural and language differences, or where even the hiring of foreigners is not enough to meet demand, we have to contend with long waiting times for repairs. It is clear that hiring foreign employees in certain sectors is not a sustainable solution to labour shortage.
Would the Minister share the details of the local workforce shortages in various sectors? What measures do we have to boost the presence of local hires in these industries?
Companies must also restructure these jobs to meet the expectations of new local hires, in terms of pay, number of hours worked and job perception. Companies should consider ways to differentiate themselves from their competition so that they can justify their higher fees and prices, in order to afford higher salaries to attract local employees. In addition, companies can improve work conditions by tapping upon technological innovations to make such jobs either easier or safer, or both.
The Lean Enterprise Development Scheme (LEDS) was launched in 2015 to grow a more manpower-lean workforce, help build a strong Singaporean Core and nurture a higher-quality workforce. Would the Ministry share an update on the progress of this scheme?
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: Mr Chairman, a key thrust of Budget 2018 is to drive pervasive innovation to support businesses to innovate across the entire value chain.
LEDS, which was announced in 2015, is focused on helping businesses innovate and transform to become more manpower-lean and productive. So, with digital disruption, business models are being challenged. And to transform, businesses require a change of mindset and a re-imagination of their businesses. Can the Minister share how effective LEDS has been in helping companies transform and become more manpower-lean?
It has been reported that over 5,000 companies have tapped on LEDS to transform their business operations and improve productivity. Have these companies been able to restructure jobs to become more attractive for workers? Given our ageing population, have the business transformation efforts made work processes more conducive for mature workers?
I spoke in my Budget Debate speech on the benefits of businesses tapping on mature workers. Mature workers are a source of business experience but may have gaps in the new skills required for the jobs available. By making our workplaces more inclusive, businesses can benefit from the intergenerational diversity of their workforce. Given our tight labour market, especially for PMET roles, it would a shame for us not to tap the potential of this talent base.
The Chairman: Mr Patrick Tay.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: Chairman, can I take both cuts together?
The Chairman: Yes, please.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: Sir, I wish to ask on the progress of the National Jobs Bank and the online jobs marketplace, which the Minister alluded to last year, and how MOM and Workforce Singapore (WSG) have been making use of the data to extrapolate the job openings and identify the skills gaps to better facilitate job matching and employment, especially for PMEs.
Moving ahead, I hope to see even better use of the jobseeker, hirer, jobs and skills data in the Jobs Bank to help minimise both the missed matches and mismatches.
As shared during my Budget Debate speech, I am particularly concerned about the three challenges of long-term unemployment, structural unemployment and underemployment. It affects PMEs, mature PMEs, older PMEs and, increasingly, rank-and-file workers, too.
I wish to ask MOM what has been done in the past three years to address the above challenges and how effective have the schemes been. In particular, I have three suggestions for MOM to overcome some of these challenges.
First, eradicate ageism and all hints of it. Till today, I still hear anecdotally of age discrimination amongst employers. We have an imminent ageing workforce. Can we do more to get employers to be open in hiring and redesign their work and workplaces to cater to this group, instead of negating hiring them altogether?
Second, expand support for employment facilitation and employment for both PMEs and rank-and-file workers. Our citizen unemployment has crept to about 3.3% in 2017. Can the various schemes, including the Work Trial and Career Trial, be further expanded to cover all groups of workers?
The Labour Movement has carried out a detailed survey last year and the survey revealed that there are, indeed, mismatches of placement, skills and expectations, such as remuneration and job requirement. Of these, the mismatch of expectations between employer and worker is the most common occurrence. By the same token, the type of mismatches differed between different sectors, such as the manufacturing sector and services sector. As the types of mismatches differ, the policy interventions must be customised to the needs of the sector.
In addition, the policies need to be dynamic to address the changing and evolving types of mismatches. It is, therefore, imperative to identify which form of mismatch a jobseeker is affected by and address it early lest it develops into another type of mismatch over time.
Mr Low Thia Khiang: Chairman, Sir, last year, we experienced one of the best years in economic growth in recent memory. However, despite stronger than expected economic growth, long-term unemployment has been sticky.
Long-term unemployment rose to its highest in 14 years in 2016. In September 2016, three in 10 unemployed resident workers could not find employment after more than six months. The long-term resident unemployment rate rose to 0.8%. This meant that 17,600 workers were jobless for at least 25 weeks. The spike was mainly caused by older workers aged 50 and above and PMETs experiencing extended joblessness.
In September 2017, according to MOM figures, the rate remained at 0.8%. Older workers and PMETs again had lower rates of finding employment within six months than the overall rate.
Economists and the Government have explained the issue as caused by job-skills mismatches. New technologies and economic shifts have made many job functions and skills obsolete. Therefore, it is good that the Government implemented programmes, such as the PCP and Place-and-Train (PnT) programmes in the last few years to help workers retrain and reskill. Despite these programmes, long-term unemployment has remained sticky.
PCP placed 3,300 PMETs in 2017, but only 10% were long-term unemployed workers. PnT placed 1,800 workers, but only 5% were long-term unemployed workers. Why are the programmes not helping enough long-term unemployed workers? What else can we do for the long-term unemployed workers?
Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Sir, during last year’s COS debate, Minister Lim Swee Say shared that MOM was working on a few strategies to provide enough jobs for Singaporeans and better-quality ones, too. Many initiatives have been undertaken and enhanced, such as the enhanced PCP, the Attach-and-Train scheme, and the enhanced CSP.
I would like to ask the Minister: how effective have MOM's efforts been in helping locals, particularly mature PMETs and those who have been unemployed for long periods, to take on new job opportunities? Will MOM similarly be doing more to help the rank-and-file workers?
Ms K Thanaletchimi (Nominated Member): Sir, PCP encourages Singaporeans to pick up skills and knowledge in different industry sector. With new schemes, such as CTP, it will be helpful to plug the gap in skillsets in certain important fields by supporting the transfer of skills from foreign specialists to fill the talent shortage, eventually to Singaporeans.
Other Career Support Programmes (CSP), such as Work Trial and the new Career Trial Scheme, can be effective means for bold career switchers to not only switch industry, but also switch to different jobs to try them out before deciding to take on the job as a career. We should also identify the success rate of schemes like PCP and CSP in each and every ITM sector by focusing on it sector by sector.
For sectors where PCP or CSP is less popular or the dropout rate is high, we should address those concerns and put in place measures for these schemes to grow. Conducting focus group discussions could be one way to better understand why certain schemes are less popular before we could tweak the programmes for better acceptance. Some other improvements could include mentors to provide support and longer work trial periods for better job assessment.
For example, of the 223 Singaporeans from non-healthcare sectors who enrolled into the healthcare conversion programmes between 2009 and 2011, 82% completed their training and were successfully placed into a healthcare job. Among those successfully placed, 92% remained in their jobs after the end of the minimum service period. Can we define the minimum service period – the retention period – to be at least two years, so as to deem PCP as a successful placement?
For the 18% not successfully placed in the sector, what are the options for them? What are the reasons for their unsuccessful placement? For the 8% who left their jobs after their bonds, what are their reasons? Were we able to keep them in the same industry? Or had they left to return to their previous industry? Would we be able to allow longer trial periods for individuals to ascertain their job fit for some of the professions?
Perhaps, a psychometric test could be conducted for some of these professions to evaluate their suitability during the interview phase. Hopefully, this would provide a better return of investment for all parties that have put in efforts and resources to provide training opportunities and for those who had made the job switch. Similarly, we could also examine the causal factor for dropout rates for the ITM sector.
The ultimate outcome is to develop skilled and productive workers for employers, a well-paying career for the individual, and, for the Government, one less unemployed worker to provide social support for. I believe PCP and CSP are good steps to build a better skilled and productive workforce. I support this move.
The Chairman: Assoc Prof Randolph Tan. Not here. Ms Jessica Tan.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: Mr Chairman, based on the TWG Report on self-employed persons (SEPs), the share of SEPs is at 8% to 10% of our total resident workforce. Although this is not a large proportion of the workforce in numbers of persons, this is not insignificant. In 2016, this made up 210,000.
The report had also indicated that the majority of SEPs – 80% of them – prefer self-employment over regular employment, primarily for the autonomy. Digital platforms are making it more attractive for SEPs as they enable direct connections of those who provide services to those who need the services. This enables a sharing economy and potential efficiencies.
The profile of SEPs reflect the changes in our wider workforce. A greater proportion are aged 50 and above. There is also an increase in the share of those with tertiary education and they are also earning more, especially PMET SEPs.
On the part of businesses, digitalisation is also disrupting the way work is done, employment models and how businesses collaborate. Technological advancement is allowing greater flexibility of how and where work is done.
Work can now be shared across different persons, and people do not need to be in the same time zones or same place to do work. We are already seeing this impacting many industries from healthcare, education, food and many other services.
Businesses are not only directly employing their staff in regular employment but procuring relevant services of SEPs, as and when they are required. Hence, we will probably see an increasing trend of SEPs over time.
Although SEPs have the potential to earn a higher income, they do face irregular income streams, lack of a framework for training and development and do not have health and income protection to manage prolonged or sudden illnesses. Can the Ministry share the responses to the TWG's recommendations to address these challenges?
Mr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Chairman, as mentioned by Ms Jessica Tan, freelancers or SEPs make up close to 10% of our workforce. The TWG was formed by the Minister for Manpower in 2017 to identify the main challenges faced and to make recommendations. I thank the Minister for inviting me to join the workgroup. We have submitted our recommendations to the Ministry. I look forward to targeted assistance and specific support for our SEPs.
In particular, I would like to draw our attention to a segment of SEPs. In the recent joint graduate employment survey of graduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU), results state that more went into freelance work – 2.4% in 2017 compared to 1.7% in 2016. What is the Ministry’s assessment of this small but growing number?
In another survey conducted by MOM in 2016, 83% of approximately 200,000 respondents cited freelance work as their preferred choice of employment. However, 17% did not engage in freelance work as a preferred choice. Again, I would like to ask: what is the Ministry's assessment of this segment? Did they fail in their efforts to seek permanent employment?
For working adults who are currently freelancers not as their preferred choice, what are the types of assistance available to help them transit to full-time employment? For school leavers, are we able to strengthen our channels to guide our youths on the appropriate career choice to springboard their aspirations?
I know we have Education and Career Guidance Counsellors (ECGCs) in schools, polytechnics or Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) and career coaches at the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) career centres to provide career guidance. Are these counsellors and coaches familiar with the nature of freelance work? Can they give a fair assessment of the risks involved, compared with permanent employment? Are they equipped with enough information, so as to better guide and advise their clients? To this end, I would encourage they enhance the support by collaborating with freelance groups to invite experts to mentor, conduct talks to share insights and raise greater awareness on the nature of freelance work.
Finally, I would also like to know how MOM will engage the various Government agencies, industry associations and freelance communities to implement the TWG recommendations.
Mr Kok Heng Leun (Nominated Member): I worked as a freelancer for almost eight years between 2003 and 2011 in the Arts. Back then, my concern was whether I had enough jobs to ensure my financial survival in the short term. At times, I would be offered part-time work with employer Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, and that was a bonus and I felt more secure. But by and large, the security of benefits, such as CPF provisions, was not something I thought much about.
My experience then is similar to what freelancers face today, perhaps an exacerbated level in the gig economy. Because of their relative lack of experience, they can be easily exploited by hirers offering them less pay. To ensure they get a job despite their lack of a portfolio, new entrants resort to undercutting, thereby creating a vicious cycle of decreasing wages. They may take on more jobs than they can handle, endangering their own health and lives in some cases.
In full-time employment, there are legal and contractual obligations enshrining a social compact between employer and employee – employers' CPF contributions, paid sick leave, workplace insurance and other welfare.
But with a freelance engagement, the hirer does not bear such responsibilities. In fact, sometimes, there is no agreement signed, no reimbursement for workplace injuries, no assurance of remuneration deadlines. These are purely transactional relationships, where the hirer stands to gain because there is willing labour. This freelance employment model will continue to thrive, because it is highly efficient. It is what the gig economy relies heavily on. As a first step, to ensure a fairer social compact, perhaps the Government can look at mandating hirers, probably starting from the Government agencies, to make contributions to CPF for the freelancers engaged.
The more they come together, the stronger their negotiating power. It allows us to take care not only of ourselves, but of others like us. It goes beyond the transactional because, through a social compact, we see our interdependency, thereby growing stronger as a society.
Mr Chen Show Mao (Aljunied): Sir, self-employed persons account for around 8% to 10% of working residents and, with the rise of the gig economy, may well increase significantly in the future.
The Ministry has indicated it accepts the TWG's recommendation of a contribute-as-you-earn model for MediSave whereby contributions to the SEP's MediSave account of CPF is required as and when a service fee is earned. As the Ministry further studies its implementation, could the Government also look into more ways to encourage gig workers to make further voluntary contributions to their CPF by providing them with strong incentives to do so?
There is substantial evidence from public policy efforts that positive actions can be induced through non-compulsory incentive mechanisms. For instance, could a \"default\" be established where CPF deductions, beyond MediSave, initially match those of regular-economy workers with the same job profile but, being non-binding, would permit opting into a lower amount? Alternatively, could gig workers receive information in their CPF statements about typical contributions by regular-economy workers in comparable employment circumstances, to encourage them to follow the \"social norm\"?
SEPs typically face short-term cash flow needs, which may trump their longer-term economic interest in saving for future retirement. Could the Government look into offering incentives for SEPs who voluntarily contribute to their Ordinary, Special or Retirement accounts, including favourable tax treatment when they do so?
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: Mr Chairman, in 2017, the labour force participation rate for women aged 15 and above was 59.8%. This was a slight dip from 60.4% for both 2016 and 2015.
There are various reasons that women may choose not to work or be employed. These reasons range from childcare or elderly care responsibilities to the decision to have a better work-life balance and work from home on a flexi-work basis. To what extent does our labour force participation rate data capture the proportion of women who are home-based entrepreneurs or who are on flexi-work schemes? What are some plans that the Ministry has to help and encourage more women to work or be economically active? To what extent have employers implemented flexi-work or work from home schemes to help our women who may wish to have a better work-life balance, and what more can we do, as a society and couples, better manage their familial and economic responsibilities more equitably, thus reducing the burden of familial responsibilities that rest on more women and reducing the burden of economic responsibilities that rest more on men?
There are increasingly more women who are home-based entrepreneurs due to the work flexibility it provides. How can the Government better support our home-based women entrepreneurs? What are some possible schemes or grants that can be made available to them, such as \"micro-loans\" or \"seed\" funding, for instance? How else can the Government provide support for this network of home-based women entrepreneurs? Another concern that I have is that women are still not seen as a valuable source of manpower in the workplace.
Looking at the manpower statistics of 2017, more women are earning lower salaries compared to men. The only income brackets where there are more women employees than men are jobs where the monthly salaries are less than $1,500. For jobs that pay a monthly salary of at least $1,500 up to below $11,000, there are consistently more male employees than female employees in every income bracket. I just cannot accept that women are less capable such that they deserve lower salaries or cannot be employed in positions that pay more for which they are given more responsibilities.
I hope the Ministry will look into how employers employ the workers, particularly in ensuring that women are given equal opportunities, equal recognition and equal remuneration for jobs.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Sir, there is no job protection after a mother returns from maternity leave. Mothers have experienced being treated harshly or assessed unfairly at work due to their pregnancy, and some have been dismissed subsequently upon their return from maternity leave.
In the United Kingdom (UK), it is unfair dismissal and maternity discrimination if an employer does not allow an employee to return to the same job after maternity leave. The International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on Maternity Protection sets the international standard in guaranteeing a woman's right to return to the same position or an equivalent position paid at the same rate at the end of her maternity leave.
Can the Ministry enhance protections for mothers by giving employees the right to return to their job and prohibit any termination during an employee's pregnancy, maternity leave, as well as three months after returning to work from her maternity leave?
Mr Desmond Choo: There are an increasing number of Singaporeans who have to take care of both younger children and older parents because of our marriage trends. They will need greater support at the workplace to balance work-life responsibilities. The recent launch of the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements (TS-FWAs) is a step in the right direction. I would like to ask the Minister how we can further spread and deepen the adoption of FWA.
With the Tripartite Standard in place, there is an opportunity to accelerate adoption of FWA. Frequently, the inertia of established work processes and schedules causes employers to go beyond part-time work as an FWA option. I would encourage the Ministry to consider giving to our young parents with newly born children the legislated right to request for FWAs in the first year of birth of their children. This would encourage employers to review existing structures. Our parents will also feel that they are less of an exception in working towards FWAs with their employers.
Understandably, companies, especially the smaller ones, might find it difficult to implement. The recent announcement on adjustment in work-life grant is particularly welcomed. Capabilities of the work-life consultants can also be enhanced to look into the process redesign and change management in companies which are really the key issues affecting FWA implementation.
The other impact of balancing family needs is that our caregivers tend to drop out of the workforce. Our female residents, being the primary caregivers, have a lower workforce participation rate than their male counterparts. They are also the primary caregivers, whether for children or their parents. The consequence is less retirement savings due to the drop in CPF contributions during the years that they may have left the workforce to care for their families. How can the Ministry review the CPF cash and retirement sum top-up schemes to help our Singaporean women to be secure in their retirement?
Ms K Thanaletchimi: Sir, the tripartite partners have recently introduced various Tripartite Standards (TS) for employers to adopt as good employment practices. While 5,219 unique companies have pledged on Fair Employment Practices, only 11.8% have adopted these standards to date.
I urge the Ministry to adopt a more targeted approach in identifying the reason behind the low TS adoption rate. With the Government's role as a facilitator and enabler in the Industry Transformation Programme, can MOM tap on this engagement platform to better understand the concerns of companies? This also allows us to gather targeted feedback from the companies to improve the initiative.
TS can help address two issues that may arise in any company in today's society – grievance handling and FWAs. Employers need to have established grievance handling procedures to ensure that employee issues are duly addressed and resolved. MOM can work with training providers to implement online resource platforms that allow management, HR and line managers to access the tools on handling employee grievances easily. MOM can also introduce examinable topics that line managers can take periodically to evaluate their standards as a TS adopter.
Another challenge is the need for FWAs in the workplace. Successful implementation of FWA can achieve win-win outcomes for both employer and employee. MOM and TAFEP can conduct regular dialogue sessions for companies and employees to share how they have benefited from adopting robust FWA practices. This will encourage more companies to adopt or review their existing FWA practice.
Currently, TAFEP focuses on incentivising companies to be TS adopters through positive publicity and added resources. I would like to urge MOM to consider using TS as a set of qualifying criteria for companies to be eligible for various funding supports from MOM. These could include enterprise capability funds and employee support funds, such as WordPro, CSP and PCP and so on. This sends a clear message that the Ministry places strong emphasis on Fair Employment Practices.
More should be done to raise public awareness on the TS so that our workforce recognises the TS adoption watermark as quality-assurance of that company. MOM can work with human capital partners, tertiary institutions, trade unions and grassroots organisations to spread the stringent qualifying criteria to be a TS Adopter, and to educate the public on its importance.
In conclusion, I am optimistic that employers who adopt TS are also seen as fair and good employers that value every worker.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, employers should ensure a safe and inclusive workplace for all workers, including by preventing and responsibly handling workplace sexual harassment.
However, the Ministry does not track how many employers have implemented the Tripartite Advisory on managing workplace harassment.
The Association of Women for Action and Research's (AWARE's) Sexual Assault Care Centre saw 108 cases of workplace-related incidents in 2017, a rise from 91 cases in 2016 and 66 cases in 2015. This suggests workplace harassment is a common problem that employees are increasingly voicing out against.
Can the Ministry intensify promotion of the Advisory standards to employers, including setting up and maintaining a public database for employers to voluntarily declare that they have written policies to manage workplace harassment?
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, in the last few months, the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace has been hotly discussed globally. Many, mostly women, have taken to social media to talk about their experience in facing and dealing with sexual harassment at the workplace.
Minister Lim Swee Say told the House last year that TAFEP received 800 complaints over the last three years, of which fewer than five were about workplace harassment. It was not clear if these included sexual harassment cases.
This contrasted with the survey done by AWARE in 2008 with 500 respondents where 54% of the respondents experienced sexual harassment at the workplace. But more recently, according to a Straits Times report on 10 December 2017, one in four cases at AWARE's Sexual Assault Care Centre are about workplace harassment. We have also read press reports of such cases in the past year.
Are there sexual harassment incidences happening at our workplaces which are not being surfaced? Due to a variety of reasons, for example, out of fear of repercussions at the workplace, affected persons are highly and likely to be reluctant to report sexual harassment at their workplace, especially if the perpetrator is a superior. This is especially so if company policies are not explicit on what constitutes sexual harassment, and what standard of procedures are taken when reports are made.
Minister Lim Swee Say had said that TAFEP works with NTUC and the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) to conduct regular courses to manage workplace harassment and have trained a fair amount of company representatives in the past two years.
However, the measures in TAFEP guidelines are not prescriptive, and the Ministry does not track how many firms have implemented the recommendations. At present, the TAFEP guidelines are clear and good in giving specific guides to employers on what they can do to reduce incidences of workplace harassment. However, the guidelines still place a bit more emphasis on affected persons taking responsibility for their own workplace safety – keeping alert, looking out for signs, and understanding what constitutes harassment.
There is less emphasis, however, on educating staff on how to not harass, and the consequences of doing so. The guidelines also do not illuminate on sexual harassment in detail. As seen in recent debates around the globe, it can be sometimes ambiguous to perpetrators on what constitutes sexual harassment.
I would like to propose that MOM should issue definitive guidelines on workplace harassment. Such guidelines can include clearer definitions of sexual harassment as well as to take into account the concerns I have raised earlier. MOM should also keep track of companies which have implemented the recommendations made in the guidelines, and whether guidelines are followed through in reported cases.
Finally, may I suggest that MOM could consider carrying out a fresh survey to get a more realistic picture on the incidence of sexual harassment at the workplace in Singapore? It may provide a better picture so as to help the Ministry as well as non-government organisations (NGOs) to take a more focused approach to handling all related issues more effectively.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, just last month, Minister Teo shared in this House that in 2016, 58% of active CPF members at age 55 met the Basic Retirement Sum. Does the Ministry have the gender breakdown for this group that meets the Basic Retirement Sum? Are women as equally represented in this group as men? Is more being done to encourage top-ups and transfers?
Among the remaining 42% who have not accumulated enough for the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS), 55% were Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme recipients. This means that we have a substantial number, most of whom are low-income earners, who will barely have enough for retirement. We have not even included the numbers of those who are not active CPF members. Does the Minister also have the projections for the amount needed each month for an individual in retirement in the next 10, 20 and 30 years? Based on these projections, the Basic Retirement Sum drawdown forms what proportion of the total amount needed?
Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): It is a global phenomenon that life expectancy is increasing in many countries. Studies show that global life expectancy will increase, on average, by two and a half years every decade, or an increase of three months every year or six hours every day. Singapore's life expectancy is increasing by three and a half years every decade. So, if you were born between the 1960s and 1980s like me, half of us can expect to live for over 90 years. For those born from 2000 onwards, 50% can live beyond 100 years.
I had made a call in my Budget speech for our tripartite partners to consider gradually making employers’ CPF contribution rates to be the same for all workers up to 67 years of age to help with retirement adequacy. I do acknowledge it will be difficult for the tripartite partners to reach a common consensus. Given the circumstances, perhaps MOM can help members to get better returns from the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS).
The Minister mentioned last year at COS that MOM will review the CPFIS to better serve the interest of CPF members. I am concerned that some members are investing through the CPFIS even though they are not financially knowledgeable. They may not fully understand the risks and costs involved, and this could be detrimental to their retirement adequacy.
Can the Minister provide an update on this review, in particular, with regard to how we can help CPF members have better awareness on how much they actually understand the financial implications before they decide whether to invest their CPF savings?
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Chairman, Sir, I have argued in my Budget Debate speech that Silver Support payouts to needy seniors based on HDB flat type may cause hardship for the seniors as well as send the wrong signals. Seniors who meet the criteria for Silver Support are already means-tested to be requiring cash support to meet their everyday needs. They are rigorously means-tested to have low lifetime wages, live in an HDB flat, not own large properties and have low household support. The HDB flat type is not part of the means-testing. However, seniors who live in larger flats get less payouts though they are just as needy as those who live in smaller flats.
This does not make sense. The seniors who qualify for Silver Support are already means-tested to be needy. The size of the flat that they happen to live in does not make them more or less needy. Many seniors often do not have a choice of which son or daughter to live with, or the size of the flat could be a legacy. Having payouts tiered according to flat types seems to signal two things to seniors and their families. One, it is better for a senior to stay with the child with a smaller flat or to live alone. Two, it is better for the family to downgrade to a smaller flat. These signals go against the thrust to get our seniors to age in place. Can the Minister explain the rationale behind the tiered payouts?
I also have several questions to address other specific concerns. What is the breakdown of beneficiaries of the Silver Support Scheme by gender? Since the payouts started, how many beneficiaries have lost their eligibility for Silver Support and what were the reasons?
The Minister had said that seniors who did not qualify for Silver Support could appeal for a review of eligibility. How many appeals have been received so far? Out of these, how many were approved? What were the main reasons when the appeals were not approved? On the appeal process, how can a senior make the appeal? What documents or documentation are required for the appeals?
Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, when we discuss retirement adequacy, we speak of replacement rates – the ratio of retirement income to pre-retirement earnings.
Nowadays, many PMETs are finding themselves retrenched, being unemployed for stretches of time, and/or having to take pay cuts later in life. As a result, the replacement rate from just CPF LIFE payouts may increase as a result of their income dropping later in life.
In the case of people who are in this at-risk group who have already reached a CPF Minimum Sum, and who can show their income has dropped severely, can MOM consider allowing them on an appeal and for a limited time to contribute a smaller amount in employee CPF so as to free up more cash for their day-to-day needs? That would mean that their CPF does not grow quickly and would get less CPF LIFE payouts when they retire, but they will still get their CPF LIFE payout generated by the Minimum Sum. And if their working income has dropped drastically, then their smaller CPF LIFE payout in future would still achieve a reasonable replacement rate with less employee CPF paid for some years prior to retirement. I hope MOM will consider this.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Chairman, Sir, the gender differentiated premiums for CPF Life compounds the effect of the gender income gap. This gap stands at 18% and has not changed in a decade. It suggests we have hit a structural limit to closing the gap by improving the educational attainment of women. To put it simply, this structural limit is that women's participation in the workforce tends to follow the M-curve, leaving employment in their 30s and 40s to provide caregiving for children or aged parents.
In general terms, the current gender income gap means that women will have 18% less CPF savings than men when they enroll in CPF LIFE. With the gender differentiated premiums, women will get less income per month from CPF LIFE than men.
The argument for gender differentiated CPF LIFE payouts is that it is fair because women as a group live longer than men. The corollary is that a unisex CPF LIFE with the same payouts for men and women will make men \"cross-subsidise\" women for living longer. I do not know why men \"cross-subsidising\" women so that everyone can have a reasonable retirement income until they pass on is so terrible a notion.
Let us take a step back and consider this. Women are already disadvantaged by the gender income gap and the unpaid caregiving in the middle of the M-curve. Should not women be given the slight advantage at the end of their lives, just in terms of CPF LIFE payouts, for the sacrifices they willingly take up during the most productive phase of their lives?
The other argument for gender differentiated CPF LIFE payouts is that it is following the industry norm for annuities. But CPF LIFE is not a commercial product sold by a private insurer. It is a national pension programme that combines commercial standards and the social protection concerns of a progressive Government. The retirement inadequacy of women is a major social protection concern in our ageing society.
Mr Kok Heng Leun: The 2017 study on Singapore's older family caregivers by CARE showed that caregivers above 70 years old are primarily spouses, 90% of whom are female. More than half of these older family caregivers do the work alone. Many of them are in declining health themselves, with 30% showing symptoms of clinical depression. Despite their frailty, they dedicate up to 60 hours a week in caregiving.
In another Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) survey on informal caregiving, it was shown that caregivers experienced substantial stress due to financial stress arising from caregiving. This was especially acute with younger caregivers because of their multiple commitments, as these so-called \"sandwich\" caregivers have to work, tend to their children and care for their elderly parents. If we aspire to be a caring society, then we cannot be negligent towards caregivers. The elderly folks taking care of their spouses, caregivers for the disabled, or the above mentioned \"sandwich\" caregivers, they deserve our support and utmost respect.
To help them, one way is to provide tax rebates for families who have members who are caregivers. Another would be through direct allowances, with CPF contributions provided to caregivers to defray the loss of incomes due to caregiving and ensure long-term security.
In Australia, allowances are given to those with heavy and regular caring duties that result in forgone earnings. In Norway, municipalities which are responsible for long-term care services employed family caregivers directly and provide a wage and insurance plan.
We could also introduce a long-term care (LTC) insurance plan, and LTC insurance which individuals can tap on to pay for their own LTC arrangements as well as those of their family members. This would be similar to funds in Germany where social security or LTC insurance can be used for oneself or one's family members.
With our greying population, the burden of caregiving will increase significantly. To be a truly compassionate society, we need to put in place structures of support for the caregivers in our midst.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: It has been reported that while our unemployment level remains low, there are substantial numbers of jobseekers who have been out of work for at least six months and who have found it difficult to get new employment. In other words, they are considered to be facing long-term unemployment. While the number of long-term unemployed has risen only 0.02% for the period 2015 to 2017, what is worrying is the re-entry rate of older workers aged 50 and above. It was found that less than 56% of resident workers aged 50 or older were able to re-enter the job market, compared to more than 66% for the national average.
How effective have the PCP, CSP or Adapt and Grow (A&G) schemes been in helping older workers aged 50 and above to re-enter the job market? How many of our older workers have managed to draw a salary equivalent to their last drawn salary after undergoing PCP, CSP or A&G as they re-enter the job market? How many have managed to see an increase in their monthly salary after having gone through PCP, CSP or A&G?
I would also like to urge the Ministry to consider reviewing the CPF contribution rates for older workers aged above 55. At the moment, once employees are more than 55 years old, the employee CPF contribution is reduced by 7% while the employer CPF contribution is reduced by 4%. This results in an overall reduction of 11% for their combined CPF contribution each month. This is not a small amount. As we encourage Singaporeans to continue to stay active, be gainfully employed and financially independent and make their golden years count, the Government also needs to help them to do so.
At the age of 55 or 56, many Singaporeans are still supporting school-going children as well as elderly parents and are still paying for their housing loans. Drastically reducing the monthly CPF contributions by 11% when they reach 56 years old would mean that they would need to pay more of their housing loan in cash or that they would need to pay for their children's post-secondary tuition fees in cash.
Bearing in mind that more Singaporeans are marrying later and having children later, this situation will be experienced by more Singaporeans as we live through this decade and the next couple of decades. I would like to propose to the Ministry not to cut the CPF contribution rates for Singaporeans aged 56 to 60. Let it remain at 17% for employer CPF contribution at 20% for employee CPF contribution. Many Singaporeans still want to work and be gainfully employed between the ages of 56 and 60, as they still have financial commitments to fulfil.
Between the age of 56 and 60, many Singaporeans are still healthy and active, both physically and mentally, and are still able to actively and productively contribute to their work and fulfil their job responsibilities. If retaining the CPF contribution rates for this group of Singaporeans would render them less attractive to be employed, there are two suggestions.
One, the CPF contribution rates can be staggered downwards progressively rather than a drastic cut once they cross the threshold of 55 to 56 years. For instance, upon reaching 56, the employer CPF contribution can be 16% and the employee CPF contribution can be 19%. Upon reaching 57, their employer CPF contribution can be 15% and the employee contribution can be 18%. The reduction goes down progressively 1% to 2% a year until they reach 60.
Two, the Government can come in to provide a buffer for CPF reduction in a bid to encourage older Singaporeans to continue to work, be financially independent and stay active. Where employers are reluctant to continue to pay the more than 13% CPF contribution, the Government can step in and plug the gap. For instance, upon reaching 56, the employer contributes CPF at the rate of 13% while the Government contributes 3%.
I would like to urge employers to recognise the contribution of older Singaporean workers. They have a wealth of historical and institutional knowledge as well as work-related experiences that can be tapped on. Employers should find ways in which older workers, if they are less physically able to continue to perform the work that they have been doing, can undergo job redesign to become trainers or mentors to younger workers. It is a waste of talent and experience to let older Singaporean workers retire or even end up doing menial work.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: Chairman, we can expect older workers to comprise an increasing proportion of our workforce. Some seniors will even continue working beyond the re-employment age of 67. We should support those who wish to remain active at work to contribute their experience and expertise. Job redesigning and the implementation of age-friendly work practices will become increasingly important and pervasive across different industries and sectors.
The Ministry had enhanced the WorkPro Job Redesign Grant in July 2016 to encourage companies to redesign jobs for our senior workers. More than 600 companies had applied for the grant to date, benefiting over 9,500 older workers. May I ask how far are we from the Ministry's target of the number of companies it wants to attract for this grant? What is the sectoral breakdown for the companies which had applied successfully? Does the Ministry have information on the penetration rate for different sectors and why some sectors attract more successful applications than others? I would also like to ask about the proportion of companies which enjoyed productivity gains after job redesigning with the grant.
Since so many firms have utilised the grant, is there a platform for best practices to be shared so that other companies can benefit from faster and smoother workplace or workflow redesign to better suit older employees? What measures does the Ministry have to raise awareness about the availability of the grant and share the stories of successful applications? Could the Ministry make it mandatory for all public contracts for tender to include a term and condition that suppliers have to adopt these age-friendly practices?
Due to the emergence of new technologies, all of us must be prepared to do things differently for the same jobs or experience career conversions. Such changes are challenging for many senior workers.
The Minister for Finance mentioned in his Budget Statement that the PCPs have helped more than 3,700 mid-career individuals take up new jobs last year. Does the Ministry have details of the number of beneficiaries in various age groups? What is the proportion of individuals aged 60 and above? Does the Ministry have plans to allocate more resources to train and support seniors who make such career transitions?
Would the Ministry also share a progress report about older lower- to middle-income workers involved in the Work Trial scheme which enables them to try out new careers? What is the success rate and how many workers above the age of 60 have benefited?
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Sir, there are seniors who want to work, either out of passion or compelled by financial needs. In the course of my community work, I have met a good number of seniors who have expressed interest in working and, yet, despite relevant experience, find themselves stonewalled after employers find out about their age. Sadly, they could only turn to menial jobs that are physically demanding. Is this ageism?
Looking ahead as our economy evolves, there will be fewer jobs that demand labour but more jobs requiring intellectual wisdom. The elderly tomorrow will be better-educated and tech-savvy. If we do not combat ageism now and start changing how we structure work, everyone will soon lose out, especially as our population ages rapidly. To be clear, this is not to ask for special privileges. Assessment should be based on merit. But what if a senior candidate is denied the chance, not because of his innate ability, but because the work environment, process and job roles were designed against them?
Therefore, it is imperative to create employment opportunities for seniors and a favourable environment to help them thrive. What is MOM doing to stamp out ageism? Would MOM consider adding teeth to the legislation?
Alas, legislation is a crude though effective way of combating ageism. More importantly is how do we redesign the workplace and work for seniors? Apart from the grants available, could the Government take the lead in testing how work environment, workflows, job role designs and compensation and benefits, such as health benefits, CPF contributions and leave conversion, can be adapted and optimised for senior workers?
Not all seniors will choose to work. Some may choose to volunteer or pursue unfulfilled dreams. But let us just make the workplace elderly-friendly and give the seniors an option to decide for themselves.
Mr Chen Show Mao: Sir, many Members have spoken on the importance of our older workers to our future. I agree with them. I would like to urge that we give importance to raising the productivity of older workers and to job redesign as a means to achieve that by making it part of the ITMs, in addition to leaving it to the efforts of individual employers.
Could we expressly identify Job Redesign for Older Workers as a key component of each ITM to be set out among the suite of initiatives for improving productivity in any given industry, so that we may spur the collective thinking that can go into finding better solutions of Job Redesign for Older Workers, and direct some of the industry’s efforts at innovation in this direction? Perhaps, resources could be pooled by companies in the industry to develop best practices, to modify tools and equipment for use off-the-shelf by older workers throughout the industry?
As businesses in our industries think about how to change, even disrupt, processes in the workplace in order to generate greater value on the back of better-used resources, could we make Job Redesign for Older Workers a required part of the syllabus?
We know productivity is one of the four pillars supporting the growth and competitiveness plans of an ITM. Could we envision Job Redesign for Older Workers as a key component of ITMs: a third Horizontal, along with promoting ICT adoption and Skills development? It can help to support the industries and produce improvements across the economy in the face of an ageing workforce.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Surveys conducted over the years continue to indicate that racial discrimination remains an issue in Singapore. These surveys, coupled with personal accounts, showed that racial discrimination is prevalent, specifically in the areas of housing and employment. Despite the publication of fair employment practices by MOM, accounts of employment discrimination remain.
For example, in the recent survey conducted by One Singapore, 48% of the Malay respondents and 41% of the Indian respondents and respondents of other ethnicities said that they face discrimination when applying for a job. The same survey also said that 20% of the Malay respondents and 18% of the Indian respondents and respondents of other ethnicities said that they very often or always felt discriminated against when applying for work.
Such responses suggest that the current Fair Employment Practices under TAFEP have not addressed discriminatory employment practices as successfully as it could, even if the number of such complaints has, indeed, gone down over the past year. If anything, these surveys show a possible under-reporting of discriminatory employment practices.
The issue with discrimination and discriminatory practices is that people can feel and believe that they are not behaving in a discriminatory fashion when they actually may be. Discriminatory behaviour can be latent. They can be casual. People often do not consciously try to be racist even when the actions actively marginalised others or, at least, make others feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
I also understand that Singapore has recently ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in November last year. I would, therefore, like to ask how the Ministry would work and also to better communicate with various stakeholders to fulfil the Government's commitments under the Convention to better deal with discrimination. Would MOM consider working with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) to strengthen existing enforcement procedures against discriminatory employment practices?
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Chairman, Sir, in many jurisdictions, there are laws that ban the use of pre-employment questionnaires asking jobseekers about their mental health, to reduce discrimination. In 2016, the Minister replied to my question on doing the same here that such declarations will not disqualify a candidate from being considered for the job. However, the reality is not so rosy. In October 2016, The Straits Times reported on employment discrimination faced by people with mental illness, in which several interviewees said that they felt the “sense of societal rejection most acutely while job hunting\".
I understand that job applicants who think they have been discriminated against could report the case to MOM, which will then investigate to make sure that the employers are conducting fair and progressive recruitment practices. The problem is that hard evidence of discrimination often does not exist, as the discrimination is often not communicated or is only verbally communicated. Can the Minister please share how many cases of discrimination on the basis of mental illness have been reported to MOM and the outcomes of the investigations by MOM?
Sir, we have done quite well in encouraging employers to hire and integrate people with disabilities into the regular workforce. The culture of inclusive and progressive employment is setting in. The mindsets of employers and consumers have been changing. I believe the Government could and should extend the same experience to promote the inclusive employment of people with mental illness and change the prevailing prejudices against mental illness.
The World Health Organization has estimated that, in developed economies, one in four people have a mental illness some time in their lifetime. Inclusive employment of people will go a long way towards combating society’s prejudices against mental illness. Inclusive employment will assure people with mental illness that seeking help for their illness will not prevent them from gainful employment in the future which, in turn, will help them integrate into society and minimise relapses.
The Chairman: Mr Zainal Sapari, please take your two cuts together.
Mr Zainal Sapari: Sir, the Progressive Wage Models (PWMs) in the cleaning, security and landscaping sectors have helped over 70,000 low-wage workers to become more productive through skills training and earn higher wages. The effects of the PWMs are not one-off. The cleaning and security PWMs were recently enhanced to provide these workers with year-on-year increments in wages.
These planned built-in increases in wages will partly address the problem of \"down-waging\" when their contracts are being renewed. It also helps the service providers to manage business cost better when they bid for contracts as the future manpower cost is more predictable. Would MOM look at extending the PWM to more sectors, such as through industry-led or voluntary arrangements?
I would also like to ask what more can be done to improve their wages and employment conditions. Could we review the EA to make it more pro-low-wage workers? For example, could the pay for working on the rest day be standardised, regardless of whether it is at the request of the employee or employer? Many employers now find ways to pay only the lower rates applicable for work done at employees’ request although it is really them who made the request. Could the Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) be made mandatory? Could we explore the possibility for employers to pay the medication cost for outpatient treatment done at company-appointed clinics or Government polyclinics for non-chronic illnesses?
I would like to raise the issue of rest areas provided by companies for their workers. In the low-wage sectors, such as construction, landscape and security, the workers often find themselves deployed at various sites throughout Singapore. At these places, companies may provide good, proper rest areas for their permanent employees. However, when it comes to the outsourced workers who slog at these sites, they often find that there are no proper rest areas provided to them. Neither are they allowed to share rest areas provided to the permanent employees. These workers also put in effort and hard work into their job duties, and the fruits of their labour often result in a better environment for everyone at the site.
These workers deserve the proper dignity of having proper rest areas so that they can carry out their work more productively. Thus, I would like to call for a review of the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) guidelines to incorporate compulsory designated rest areas for outsourced workers, such as cleaners, landscape workers and security guards, at their respective workplaces.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Chairman, in our national quest for industry transformation, many sectors are focused on technology adoption, productivity improvement and workforce development. These are important, but it is critical that we do not take WSH for granted. On the contrary, we must constantly ask ourselves how can we make WSH more pervasive in every workplace?
In Finland, it is mandated that there must be one elected Occupational Safety and Health representative in workplaces where there are at least 10 employees working regularly. Should Singapore have a mandatory WSH officer in every company?
While we ponder over this, perhaps a more practical approach would be to make it compulsory for companies to appoint a WSH representative as part of the certification for BizSAFE Level 3. There is currently no such provision. For now, companies must appoint a Risk Management Champion (RMC) for BizSAFE Level 2. With structured training, we believe that the role of these RMCs can be expanded to serve as WSH representatives.
With more WSH-trained staff on the ground, one area that we can do better moving forward is to encourage better near-miss reporting to reduce the occurrence of accidents. A structured and well-participated near-miss reporting regime would help to better identify dangerous work conditions and early interventions can help bring down the accident rate.
While it is important to have preventive measures to reduce workplace injuries, it is equally important to help workers return to work in the unfortunate event of an accident. At last year’s COS debate, I highlighted the need for a support framework, beyond the existing Workplace Injury Compensation Act (WICA), to help our injured workers return to work. I am heartened that the tripartite partners launched the Return-To-Work (RTW) Programme in November 2017.
Can MOM provide an update on employers’ participation in near-miss reporting and the RTW Programme? Are there any plans to make participation in these two initiatives mandatory in the years ahead?
Also, the RTW grant is currently restricted to SMEs and does not cover cases involving vocational rehabilitation. To promote and deepen the RTW culture, can MOM consider extending the grant to non-SMEs as well as to cover vocational rehabilitation?
While much of our WSH efforts today focus on workplace safety, physical health and mental well-being seem to have been neglected in our WSH efforts and conversations. With an ageing workforce, workplace health issues will likely become more prevalent in the coming years.
Prolonged exposure to health hazards at work may result in work-related illnesses, some of which may even be irreversible. A build-up of stress and fatigue can also lead to distractions, raising the risk of getting injured at work. Occupational health management is, therefore, critical to ensure that our workers are healthy at work and can perform their roles effectively and productively. Beyond workplace safety, are there any upcoming plans by MOM on workplace health issues as part of Total WSH? Just as we have Total Defence, we must endeavour to have Total WSH.
Ms K Thanaletchimi: Sir, the basic rights of all working people to a safe and healthy work environment are imperative. Workplaces are generally regarded as safe physical environments by most. However, it is increasingly common for employees to be subjected to abuse or harassment. It can be physical, verbal and even via the Internet. Hence, there is a greater need for awareness and protection against all workplace abuse and harassment.
I advocate strongly for all organisations to adopt zero tolerance towards abuse and take firm steps to stamp out errant behaviours. All employees must be informed on the reporting and response procedure for workplace abuse and harassment.
Workplace harassment includes any conduct or behaviour that violates another person's dignity or create an unfavourable work environment, thereby posing a risk to that person’s safety and health. More can be done to educate employees on how to respond to workplace abuse and harassment. Often, the psychological trauma is neglected, but the long-term effect to overall wellness is no less severe.
For a start, an injury or harm as a result of workplace harassment must be treated with the same level of priority as an injury from a work-related accident. I urge the Minister to make the reporting of workplace abuse and harassment mandatory. It is important to understand the scale of the problem. Collating relevant statistics would allow for an in-depth study to identify possible interventions effectively.
Under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), even though a range of civil remedies and criminal sanctions is available to better protect people from harassment and related anti-social behaviour, it may not be sufficient to address individual concerns efficiently and cost effectively. Therefore, I propose to form a mediation body to address such cases efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. This will help to reduce the administrative and financial burden through Court proceedings.
It is, indeed, alarming that in recent months, there have been several incidents of online criticism of Public Service sector staff. I am very concerned about the growing trend of such a campaign as it will inevitably lead to cyber-flaming. Without the benefits of complete information, it is nearly impossible to determine the validity of the claim of either party. Affected employees will be subjected to greater distress and psychological trauma as a result, while the perpetrator gets away scot-free.
The Act needs to be enhanced to address such threats and to protect employees from not just workplace abuse, but from the cyber realm as well. As we put in measures to deter potential physical abuse, we must also look at measures to protect the cyberspace from unfounded attacks. This would also involve public education and, more importantly, how to provide the relevant psychological support for affected staff at the workplace.
The Chairman: Mr Kok Heng Leun, could you take your two cuts together?
Mr Kok Heng Leun: Over the last year, there have been reports of appalling cases of foreign labour abuse, from over-crowded, unsanitary dormitories, to workers served expired food, to workers forced to accept less than half their promised salaries.
Yet, these are merely the cases that have come to light. In order to come to Singapore to work, many foreign workers have to raise significant sums of money to pay recruitment agencies, making them vulnerable to forced labour and debt bondage.
Therefore, even in cases when these workers are underpaid or not paid, or when they experience safety violations, they would rather stay silent, to avoid losing their jobs and, by extension, their ability to repay their debts. To target the root cause of these problems, I would like to ask the Ministry to look into helping these workers to reduce their recruitment costs.
In last year's COS, I have spoken about recruitment approaches in Korea, in which the Ministry has said that they would look into. I would, therefore, like to ask for an update on this issue.
Currently, based on our FCF before the submission of any EP applications, employers are required to advertise the job vacancies on the online Jobs Bank so that there are measures to ensure Singaporeans are considered fairly for these openings. At the same time, the Jobs Bank provides an added benefit of transparency. Jobseekers from Singapore or overseas can access the same vacancies directly without any interference from middlemen or recruitment agencies. Could we, therefore, look into extending this approach to other foreign non-domestic Work Permit vacancies?
This infrastructure that we already possess with the Jobs Bank can be applied here as a viable ready-made solution. By reducing the burden of recruitment costs, foreign workers will have improved mental health states, thereby increasing their productivity and overall work safety levels. Also, they will not shy away from reporting errant employers who flout workplace safety regulations or unjustly withholding pay.
The second issue of concern I would like to bring up is the non-issuance of contracts to foreign workers. At the moment, foreign workers accept work in Singapore based on their in-principle approval (IPA) which lists their jobs, pay and deductions. Yet, upon arriving in Singapore, many either realise that they have been duped by forged IPAs or that their key employment terms (KET) issued within 14 days of starting work, are not aligned with the IPAs. In fact, this KET does not even need to be signed nor is it an actual employment contract.
As a basic fair employment practice, MOM should mandate that a standardised contract be issued and signed by both parties and submitted to MOM before Work Permits can be issued. MOM's newly-announced Settling-in Programme for male construction workers could be an opportune time to educate the workers about KETs and employment contracts as well.
We must ensure that our workers are accorded rights and protection against abuse. We should, therefore, do our best to ensure that our foreign workers, often tasked with hard, menial labour to build our roads and homes, are working under humane conditions and never exploited.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: Mr Chairman, one-third of our current workforce are migrant workers, and it is imperative that we continue to look into their well-being and ensure that they are fairly treated while working here in Singapore. Through the work of NTUC's Migrant Workers Centre, we have identified salary-related disputes as one of the most common issues affecting migrant workers. To minimise such disputes, how is MOM encouraging our employers to use electronic payment for their migrant workers' salaries?
Migrant workers here often worry about losing their jobs should they raise a complaint with the authorities. To encourage early reporting of salary-related cases, can MOM consider doing some degree of matching between companies submitting new Work Permit applications for fresh workers and migrant workers here who have requested for a change of employers?
Today, there are various efforts by different organisations to orientate new migrant workers who arrive in Singapore. Such efforts can be disparate. Does MOM have any plans to synergise these various efforts to holistically orientate and integrate our migrant workers, particularly in their early days in Singapore? A one-stop help centre can also serve to be a valuable resource and avenue of support throughout their stay here while working.
Many companies today still focus on quantity, instead of quality, when looking to hire migrant workers. Where possible, employers should leverage the experience of their current migrant workforce and do more to upskill them. In line with Singapore's overall productivity effort, will MOM introduce new measures to encourage employers to bring in higher-skilled migrant workers? Does MOM have any plans in 2018 to further tighten the in-flow of migrant workers in terms of skills and competencies?
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Sir, many employers of non-domestic workers continue to pay salary in cash. The only documentation that payments have been made is salary vouchers. However, salary vouchers are easily forged and might not tally with the cash amount paid. When workers lodge complaints and salary vouchers are disputed, it is very difficult for MOM to ascertain where the truth lies.
Will MOM consider making it mandatory to pay salaries to non-domestic workers through banks, creating an audit trail as to how much was actually paid? As we move into a cashless society, there is no doubt that all migrant workers will have a bank account.
Many states in the Gulf ‒ the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman ‒ have also implemented such a mandatory requirement. In addition, their laws require banks, payroll outsourced providers or employers themselves to certify monthly that full salaries have been paid, creating an early-warning system for the authorities.
The Chairman: Assoc Prof Randolph Tan, not here. Minister Lim Swee Say.
The Minister for Manpower (Mr Lim Swee Say): Mr Chairman, with your permission, I have asked the Clerk to place the MOM COS-in-brief on the seats of the Members at the start of the Sitting.
Mr Chairman, may I also seek your permission to display some slides on the LED screen?
The Chairman: Yes, please. [Some slides are shown to hon Members.]
Mr Lim Swee Say: Thank you, Sir. The employment landscape has changed in the past three years from 2015 to 2017, compared to the previous three years from 2012 to 2014.
Net job growth slowed from more than 100,000 a year to less than 10,000 a year. Retrenchment went up to 19,000 in 2016. The resident unemployment rate increased to 3.2% in December 2016. The long-term unemployment rate went up, too, to 0.8% in September 2016.
The reasons were partly cyclical but mostly structural: externally, faster pace of technology and innovation and keener and stronger competition; internally, ageing of the local population and the changing profile of our local workforce.
Manpower-driven growth of the past was no longer sustainable. Low productivity growth will weaken our economic competitiveness. Fast growth of foreign manpower will increase social tension and weaken our social cohesion. This is why we have to transform our economy to be more innovative, manpower-lean and productive.
As we transform, we are mindful that one main concern out there is about jobs. Will technology destroy more old jobs? Will foreigners take away more new jobs? Will we end up with \"jobless growth\" for our people?
Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Mr Desmond Choo and Asooc Prof Faishal Ibrahim asked whether our locals have benefited from the economic growth and transformation efforts.
Again, comparing the past three years from 2015 to 2017 with the previous three years from 2012 to 2014, even though growth of foreign employment has turned negative, local employment growth has rebounded to 21,000 last year. Quality of local employment has improved, too. PMET share of the local workforce went up faster in the past three years than the previous three years.
In terms of wage growth, annualised real income growth of our residents for the previous three years is shown in grey and, for the past three years, it is shown in pink. So, grey means 2012 to 2014, and pink means 2015 to 2017. We can see that real income grew faster across all income groups, up from 2.3% to 3.7%. We can also see that wages at the 20th and 30th percentiles (P20 and P30) not only grew faster than before but also higher than most income groups.
Sir, economic and workforce restructuring is never painless, but we have to do what is necessary. We are certainly in a better shape today. In the past three years, manpower growth has slowed from an average of 4% to 1%, while productivity gain has grown from 0.4% previously to 1.8% over the last three years on average, 1.8% per year over the last three years.
Having transformed from a high manpower growth, low productivity gain of 4 + 0.4 = 4.4, or 4% manpower growth and 0.4% productivity growth, to give us 4.4% gross domestic product (GDP) growth, from 2012-2014, we have transformed to 1 + 1.8 = 2.8 in the last three years. That is, 1% manpower growth and 1.8% growth in productivity, to give us the average of 2.8% growth on GDP. We are now much closer to our future growth strategy of 1 + 2 = 3.
Sir, 1 + 2 = 3 is not a rigid formula for future growth but it is a framework to remind us of the need to become more manpower-lean and more productive if we want to ensure that our future growth will be more sustainable.
Mr Desmond Choo asked if the productivity growth is sustainable. Sir, we have made good progress but transformation is uneven, not pervasive enough across all sectors. To make transformation and productivity growth more sustainable, we must press on with four key thrusts. And these are: better job growth in our economy; better employment outcomes for our people; better protection for our workers; and lastly, better capabilities in our Singapore Workforce.
First, better job growth in our economy. Average net job growth of less than 10,000 a year in the past three years was not high enough. We need to bring it up to about 25,000 to 40,000 a year to provide enough jobs for a 3.4 million workforce growing at about 1%.
We must also keep improving the quality and attractiveness of jobs to meet the higher aspirations of our people. So, instead of developing Lean Enterprises individually, we need to develop Lean Industry collectively, especially for sectors that are less attractive to locals today. Minister Josephine Teo will elaborate on this.
Second, better employment outcomes for our people. Last year, under the Adapt and Grow initiative, we helped more than 25,000 jobseekers to secure jobs successfully. Even though the resident unemployment rate has declined since June last year, we are still concerned that unemployment in future is likely to be stickier, not due to shortage of jobs but shortage of skills and job-skill mismatches. I think the concern was also shared by Mr Low Thia Khiang.
We have enhanced the national Jobs Bank into an online job portal known as MyCareersFuture. We are also strengthening the Adapt and Grow Initiative to minimise missed matches and mismatches. Minister Josephine Teo will elaborate later.
Sir, as we make our economy more innovative, we must also keep our workforce inclusive, young and old, high and low in terms of age and skill profile, and for both genders.
For our older workers, the re-employment age was raised from 65 to 67 last year. Employment rates for mature workers aged 55 to 64 and 65 and over, have continued to improve. We are also actively promoting more companies to make better use of technology to make jobs Easier Safer and Smarter (ESS) for our mature workers.
Mr Zainal Sapari and Dr Intan Mokhtar suggested raising their CPF contribution rates. Mr Heng Chee How suggested to review the need for statutory retirement and to raise re-employment age further beyond 67. Sir, the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers was set up in 2005. The issues raised by Mr Heng, Mr Zainal Sapari and Dr Intan are important issues. The Tripartite Committee will study them.
Sir, for low-wage workers, I agree with Members that we must do more to improve their skills, productivity, careers and wages in a more sustainable manner. We introduced the PWM for cleaning in 2014, followed by landscaping and security two years later in 2016. The outcome is positive.
A few days ago, I came across a Straits Times article by NUS economists Kenneth Ler and Ivan Png titled \"Impact of Progressive Wage Model\", and I quote, \"In sum, as a unique kind of \"minimum wage\" policy, the PWM has succeeded in raising wages without apparently reducing employment. More importantly, as a tailored, structured and progressive policy, it provides a wage ladder for low-skilled Singaporean workers, holding out its promise of growing income over time.\" Sir, we will make the adoption of PWM more widespread to benefit more workers. Minister of State Sam Tan will elaborate later.
Third, better protection for our workers. Our workforce is changing fast. We now have more PMETs, fewer rank-and-file. This trend will continue.
Our employment landscape is changing too. With the growth of the platform economy, we can expect to see more freelancers and SEPs. We are concerned for them in terms of skills upgrading, fair treatment, loss of income due to injury or illness and savings for healthcare and retirement. Minister Josephine Teo will elaborate on this later.
For the vast majority who still engage in jobs with the employer-employee relationship, Mr Patrick Tay and Dr Intan Mokhtar called for a review of the EA. I agree with them. Currently, EA covers three groups of employees. First, all workmen who are manual workers or blue-collar workers, including most technicians; second, all non-workmen who are non-manual workers or white-collar workers; and lastly, some but not all managers and executives with a salary cap of $4,500. With PMETs making up 56% of the local workforce now, going up to 65% by around 2030, it is timely to make a more fundamental change to the coverage of EA. In consultation with the tripartite partners, we have decided to enhance our current EA framework.
First, we will remove the salary cap of EA to cover all employees, including all PMETs. I am sure Mr Patrick Tay must be very happy to hear this because he has been championing this for many years. The exceptions are public servants, domestic workers and seafarers who are covered separately, such as by other Acts due to their nature of work.
All core employee benefits in EA, including annual leave, paid public holidays, paid sick leave and paid hospitalisation leave and other protection, such as timely payment of salary, maternity protection and childcare leave, statutory protection against wrongful dismissal and the right to preserve existing terms and conditions for employment transfer resulting from sale of business and business restructuring, all these will now be extended to all employees. And this will cover an additional 430,000 PMEs.
Mr Patrick Tay asked for more clarity on the types of transfers within or outside the scope of section 18A about sale of businesses and business restructuring. We agree that more clarity is useful. We will work with the tripartite partners to update our guidelines on this.
Second, we will extend additional protection on hours of work and overtime payment to more workers. For workmen, the current salary cap of $4,500 already covers more than 99% of workmen. So, there will be no change. But for non-workmen, the current cap of $2,500 will be raised to $2,600 so that this enhancement will extend coverage to half of our workforce. As for overtime pay, the salary cap for non-workmen will be revised upwards, from $2,250 to $2,600. About 100,000 non-workmen will benefit from this increase.
The third and final change to the EA concerns dispute resolution relating to salary disputes or wrongful dismissal. Currently, all salary-related disputes are mediated at TADM. If unresolved, the claims are heard at ECT. But wrongful dismissals are adjudicated by MOM, not ECT. We will shift it over to ECT to provide both employers and employees with \"one-stop service\". We will seek Parliament's approval of these amendments to EA later this year for implementation by 1 April next year.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh spoke about protection for contract workers. The tripartite partners launched the Tripartite Standard on the employment of term contract workers in July last year. For contracts of 14 days or more, the Standard calls for companies to treat contracts renewed within one month from end of previous contract as continuous and cumulative in terms of length of service, for the computation of leave benefits and the notice period for early termination or non-renewal. It also calls for companies to provide training to ensure that their contract workers can perform their roles effectively.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked for an update. As of end February, more than 550 employers, covering more than 30,000 term-contract employees, have adopted this Standard. So far, we have not received any complaint from any of these contract employers.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh also suggested that we should conduct audits and surveys, and to include retrenchment benefits in the Standard. Being a new Standard, the focus now of the tripartite partners is to increase the adoption by more employers. So, we will look into the suggestions by Assoc Prof Daniel Goh when we next review the Standard.
Sir, another important area of protection for our workers is their safety and health. Through joint efforts of the tripartite partners, our WSH performance has improved. The fatality rate has dropped to 1.2 last year, the lowest level ever recorded for our workforce. Our next target, under WSH 2028 to be formulated, is to bring it down further to below one per 100,000 workers.
We are also committed to reduce workplace injuries as well as to enhance workplace health by embracing a mindset of Total WSH. Minister of State Sam Tan will elaborate later.
Last but not least, our fourth and probably one of the most critical challenges is to ensure that slower growth of our Singapore Workforce will not become the bottleneck in the future growth of our Singapore Economy. Today, our Singapore Workforce of 3.4 million is made up of 2.3 million locals, two-thirds of the total workforce; and 1.1 million foreigners, one-third of our total workforce. So, \"two-thirds\" local plus \"one-third\" foreign give us \"one\" Singapore Workforce.
With slower manpower growth into the future, we need to maximise the potential of our two-thirds local and our one-third foreign so that, together, we can maximise the potential of our Total Singapore Workforce. We must strive for two-thirds plus one-third is not just equal to one, but greater than one.
First, we must not allow two-thirds plus one-third to be less than one, and this could happen if unfair employers discriminate against our local workers. To prevent this from happening, we are pro-business but only to those businesses which are pro-worker.
We have identified 500 companies so far. They have the preconceived ideas that our local PMETs are either unable or unwilling to do the job. So, they write them off without even considering them fairly. We, therefore, put them on our FCF Watchlist. Their EP applications are subjected to additional scrutiny. This is to eradicate \"nationality bias\", as described by Mr Patrick Tay. In response to Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Chong Kee Hiong, these companies on our Watchlist come from various sectors, including employment agencies and placement companies.
Mr Patrick Tay, Ms Jessica Tan, Mr Chong Kee Hiong, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim asked for an update. Since we started in February 2016, a total of 1,900 EP applications have been withheld or rejected by MOM or withdrawn by the companies. TAFEP worked with them to improve their HR practices. WSG, NTUC-e2i and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) worked with them to recruit fresh graduates and our mid-career local PMETs. As a result, more than 2,200 Singaporean PMETs were hired by these companies.
One of these companies is an IT services firm with more than 1,000 PMET employees. It was placed on the Watchlist in February 2016. The company worked with TAFEP and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to attract and retain locals and hired about 200 more Singaporeans. After exiting from the Watchlist, this company continues to adopt fairer and more progressive HR practices. Indeed, these are win-win outcomes for both the business and the workers.
Another example, a private wealth management company with 80 PMET employees used to hire mostly foreign PMETs to serve mostly expatriate clients. It was placed on the Watchlist in February 2016. Since then, it has repositioned to serve both local and expatriate clients, and they hired 30 Singaporean wealth managers and PMETs, trained them here as well as overseas. After being removed from the Watchlist, the company continues to hire and develop more of our local wealth managers and PMETs to grow their business. Again, another case of win-win outcomes.
So far, 150 companies out of the 500 companies have improved their HR practices and exited from the Watchlist. Of the remaining 350 companies, 60 of them have not been cooperative and showed no signs of improvement. We have curtailed their work pass privileges: no new EP applications, no renewal of existing EPs, until they adopt fair HR practices. Sir, we will continue to fight this win-lose mindset of \"two-thirds plus one-third less than one\", because it results in a waste of our precious human capital.
Second, for \"two-thirds plus one-third, greater than one\", we will make the \"two-thirds local\" better and strengthen our local core. I agree with Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Lim Biow Chuan. We will continue to enhance the employment and employability of Singaporean PMETs. We will create more jobs of the future for them through Industry Transformation. We will create more skills of the future in them through the SkillsFuture movement, and we will create more careers of the future with them through the Adapt and Grow initiative.
To ensure fair access to more jobs and better jobs, we will strengthen the FCF further, as suggested by Mr Patrick Tay. We will expand the requirement to advertise jobs on the national Jobs Bank before EP application to cover more employers, not just those with more than 25 employees, but also those with at least 10 employees.
At the same time, it will also cover more jobs with a salary of up to $12,000 as of today, to jobs with a salary of up to $15,000. This will take effect from 1 July this year. Sir, thirdly, for \"two-thirds plus one-third, greater than one\", we will make the \"one-third foreign\" better, a point made by Ms Jessica Tan.
As we moderate the intake of foreign manpower, especially foreign professionals, employers say they cannot find enough locals who have the skills and are willing to do the jobs. They say this has slowed down their pace of business transformation and growth. They feel our foreign manpower policy is too tight. To them, MOM is not pro-business enough.
But on the other hand, we hear ground feedback that there are still too many foreigners, too much competition here for jobs with our locals. They feel that our foreign manpower policy is too loose. So, to them, MOM is not pro-worker enough.
Sir, the policy objective of MOM is to strike a fine and dynamic balance between the two – open enough to be pro-business to support business growth, and yet, at the same time, tight enough to be pro-worker to enhance local employment growth.
We, therefore, stay open to the intake of foreign professionals, but continue to tighten the criteria for EP. We did that in 2014 and 2017. This is to calibrate the growth of EP holders and enhance their overall quality, both at the same time.
Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim asks for the outcomes. In the past three years, on average, we approved about 50,000 new EPs every year. But at the same time, about the same number of EPs were not renewed, and the growth of EPs, therefore, slowed to an average of 3,000 a year in the past three years. This is significantly lower than the peak of 32,000 in one year, in 2011.
On the whole, the local share of net growth in PMET employment improved from an average of 68% in the previous three years – 2012 to 2014 – to an average of 78%. So, from 68%, it went up to 78% in the past three years.
Out of every 10 net increase in PMET jobs in the last three years, seven to eight of them went to our local PMETs. Sectors where locals accounted for a large majority of the net growth in PMET employment include professional services, infocomm, healthcare, finance and insurance.
In short, we were able to draw on foreign professionals to help meet the manpower needs of the industry, while at the same time strengthen our local core. By working together, complementing each other more and competing with each other less, our Singapore workforce of \"two-thirds local and one-third foreign\" will be able to support a faster pace of industry transformation for us to compete better globally for better investments and jobs.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan asked for flexibility for employers to hire foreign PMETs, especially those with skills in great shortage in Singapore. Sir, let me clarify that the tightening of EP criteria should not be an issue for most foreign professionals with skills in great demand globally and in short supply locally. These include, for example, AI, data analytics, advanced manufacturing, digital services. These are the expertise often cited in the media by various business groups. Such professionals would command a salary premium and should be able to meet our EP criteria, in terms of salary, qualification and experience.
With the exception of those on our FCF Watchlist, as long as the employing companies have complied with our FCF in giving fair consideration to our local PMETs, they should generally be able to obtain approval for work pass applications for such specialists in short supply globally and in critical shortage locally.
In the exceptional situation where the EP applicants with the skillsets much needed here and yet are not able to meet our EP criteria, we do allow sector agencies to exercise some flexibility but only in a highly selective manner, on the condition that there is, indeed, a shortage of such skills here and that these foreign professionals are needed to help speed up our industry transformation and growth.
Sir, so on balance, our manpower policy is both pro-business and pro-worker. It is designed to improve the quality of both our local and foreign workforces in Singapore and enhance the complementarity with each other. This is so that we can meet the manpower needs of businesses for them to transform and grow and the career aspirations of our people for them to adapt and grow.
Guided by this policy objective, we will introduce further changes to make \"one-third foreign\" even better. For the S Pass holders who are mid-level skilled foreigners, their minimum qualifying salary was last updated in 2013. I agree with Mr Patrick Tay that it is timely to review. We will increase entry level salary by $200, up from $2,200 to $2,400.
As per current practice, those with more years of experience will need to meet higher salary thresholds. To allow companies more time to adjust, the increase will be done in two steps: $100 from January next year and the next $100 from January 2020. We will also provide a transition period for existing S Pass holders.
For Work Permit holders, there will be no further tightening for now, hence, no change to dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) and levy. As pointed out by Mr Melvin Yong and Mr Thomas Chua, our focus is to enhance the quality and productivity of these foreign workers.
Work Permit holders at basic skill level (R2) from non-traditional sources and the People's Republic of China (PRC), they are now allowed to work here for a maximum of 10 years. Those with higher skills (R1) in Services and Manufacturing are allowed to stay here for up to 18 years, and 22 years if they work in Construction, Process and Marine Shipyard.
In response to feedback from the industry, we will extend the maximum period of employment by another four years. So, for those on 10 years, will now go to 14 years. Those on 18 years, to 22 years; and from 22 years to 26 years. This will apply to all sectors and for both R1 and R2 to take effect from 1 May this year.
We will also give employers more pathways to improve the quality of their foreign workers. Besides skills certification, those who are more experienced with higher salary can also be upgraded from R2 to R1 pass. This is currently allowed for Construction, Process and Services sectors. We will now extend it to Manufacturing and Marine Shipyard sectors. We believe this will be helpful to companies that want to hire and retain their better Work Permit holders. It will take effect from 1 September this year.
Fourth, for \"two-thirds plus one-third, greater than one\", we need to make the \"plus\" better. To recognise and spread the adoption of progressive HR practices, we launched the Human Capital Partnership (HCP) Programme in February last year. One hundred and thirty-four HC Partners are now on board. They are from various sectors ranging from MNCs to SMEs. Together, they employ over 140,000 locals.
Mr Patrick Tay, Ms Jessica Tan and Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim asked for an update on HCP. Sir, HCP companies believe in transforming HR into HC, that is, Human Resource into Human Capital, not consumption of Human Resource but investment in Human Capital, turning HR into their most precious capital.
First, they have strong local core at all levels. Collectively, local PMETs account for about 90% of the total PMET workforce in these companies; not just more than 90% at the entry to middle level, but also more than 80% at the senior to top levels.
Second, their workforce is highly inclusive. Jobs are redesigned to be less physically demanding for the older workers. FWAs are offered to allow those with care responsibility at home to share job; and for employees to go on sabbaticals and pursue new opportunities within the company when they return; to pursue part-time studies to upgrade themselves; or to enable retired employees to return to work on a part-time basis.
Third, HCP companies believe strongly in strengthening local-foreign complementarity. They transfer skills from foreign experts to our local workforce and build up the local core in their senior management team.
One HC Partner which left a deep impression on me is Keystone Cable. Keystone Cable is a local SME with 140 employees. It is a maker of power and control cables with a strong foothold in the region. The plant is located in Senoko, not easy to attract locals. In fact, it has to work doubly hard to compete with MNCs for talent.
But as a flexible and nimble SME, it embraces the mindset of human capital development. Starting off as a delivery driver, Mr Jimmy Wong is now a Sales Executive. He brought in $1 million worth of sales in just six months in his new job. He is now being groomed to take on clients in overseas markets. The company was able to attract 20% more job applications last year. But what is even more impressive is that 100% of those they offered jobs to accepted their offers!
Sir, we will keep growing the HCP community, as suggested by Mr Patrick Tay. We will also promote adoption of tripartite standards, as reminded by Ms Thanaletchimi.
Fifth and last, we must strengthen the synergy between \"two-thirds local\" and \"one-third foreign\" so that the outcome will not be \"equal to one\", but \"greater than one\".
Globally, there is big concern that technology will take away many jobs. Yet, we see an amazing race to embrace technology. China is the world’s No 1 user of industrial robots today.
Globally, there is a big concern that foreigners will take away jobs from the locals. Yet, more countries are opening up even more to attract foreigners with the skills and expertise to offer, including China and Japan.
This reminded me of the story of two men walking in the jungle. A tiger was catching up on them. One of them squatted down to tighten his shoelace, the other asked \"what are you trying to do?\" He said, \"I am tightening the shoelace\". \"But the tiger is coming on us, you still have time to tighten your shoelace?\" He said, \"Yeah, because I am getting ready to run.\" \"You mean you can run faster than a tiger?\" \"No, of course not. But all I need to do is outrun you.\"
Now, in the global village, it is not possible to outrun technology, but we can outrun the competition. Those running slower will see more jobs being destroyed by technology. Those who run faster can create new jobs with technology more than the loss of existing jobs to technology. This explains why China is running fast with robots, and Japan is not slow, too.
With the help of robots and AI, Honda Motor, Canon and Pioneer are bringing production of car components, car navigation systems, digital cameras back to Japan. So, \"Made-in-Japan” is making a comeback but, this time, with the help of not just robots, but intelligent robots and human co-workers.
With the world out there running fast, just imagine, what if one day, a \"cheaper\" China becomes better by using technology faster than us, and a \"better\" Japan becomes cheaper also by using technology faster than us. If this happens, they would become cheaper, better and faster than Singapore. What future will we have then?
So, Singapore must run fast, too. In fact, the faster, the better, and we are. We are running fast in Advanced Manufacturing. At Bedok Industrial Estate, my constituency, Panasonic is building a Smart Factory there. It will have machines fitted with sensors interconnected to work with one another. Operations will be more manpower-lean and the local workers will be retrained to take on new and better jobs, such as robot coordinators.
The adoption of predictive management will mean near-zero operation incidents, such as no machine breakdowns, no product defects.
We are also running fast in AI. We now have AI Singapore, our National AI programme, to anchor deep national capabilities in AI. We also have the AI Business Partnership Programme to encourage and facilitate AI adoption in our industry, and the AI Apprenticeship Programme to develop AI professionals with key skills, such as machine learning and deep learning.
In digital services, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is promoting fintech to realise our vision of becoming a Smart Financial Centre. It is working with industry to push through ground-breaking initiatives – blockchain, quantum computing, Big Data, AI and so on. In fact, we move so fast that, today, Singapore is one of the top global fintech hubs alongside London, New York and Silicon Valley.
We are also running fast in becoming a Smart Nation. In the 1980s, when I was still a young man, we became an Intelligent Island through national computerisation, office automation and computer-integrated manufacturing. This time round, we aspire to become a Smart Nation and a Digital Government through the Internet-of-Things (IoT), National Digital Identity, Smart Urban Mobility, Cybersecurity and more.
Sir, all these are important and strategic initiatives to bring and keep us at the forefront of global technology and innovation. However, to truly succeed in becoming a pervasively innovative economy and society, we need to do much more. We need to speed up the development and transfer of new and better global capabilities to our local workforce, a point made by Mr Chong Kee Hiong, not just in high-tech, high-profile and high-impact sectors, but in as many sectors as possible, and as quickly as possible. This is why we are piloting CTP because the potential scope for transfer and development of new capabilities is limited only by our focus and determination.
Mr Patrick Tay asked for an update. I will illustrate with a few examples. In Precision Engineering, smartphones are getting bigger but flatter and lighter. Hence, our local industry needs to use softer alloy and fit in more chips and components. Companies need to use high-speed, high-precision machines to prevent cracking and warping. Local engineers and technicians are also required to have new skills to advise on product design and material selection.
To compete well, our local industry needs to acquire new technologies and new capabilities to offer lower cost – to be cheaper; higher accuracy – to be better; and shorter cycle time – to be faster. So, cheaper, better and faster.
Under CTP, over a period of 15 months, we support our precision engineering companies to install high-speed high-precision machines and to bring in foreign specialists from Germany to train our local trainers, training locally as well as through remote coaching, who are now able to train our local trainees from several companies in the industry.
In the area of pharmaceutical transportation, today, more than 20,000 tonnes of global pharmaceutical cargo go through Changi Airport annually. The global market is still growing and growing very fast. But out of 209 companies certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to handle such cargo, we have only 10 of them here.
To grow Singapore's market share in a global industry that is growing very fast, the Singapore Aircargo Agents Association (SAAA), the Changi Airport Group (CAG), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the industry, they want to work together to bring in IATA-certified trainers from the UK and Dubai to train a group of local specialists here, who will then be able to multiply this capability by training other locals. In total, we aim for up to 25 companies, up from the 10 currently to 25, to be able to obtain IATA certification. So, here is another example of capability transfer.
Sir, CTP is also relevant to the domestic sector. For example, in lift maintenance, the current approach is wait for the lift to break down, then repair, then wait for the lift to break down again. A better approach actually is to make all our lifts in Singapore into \"smart lifts\", using predictive data analytics and maintenance, to shift from corrective maintenance, which means waiting for failure, to preventive maintenance before failure, which is being done by many companies today, to predictive maintenance, or reduce the probability of failure. So, predict what is likely to happen before it happens.
Under CTP, we will partner leading global vendors to bring in overseas specialists or send our local trainers overseas so that, later on, they can return to train our local trainees here. In this way, we can anchor \"smart lift\" capability in Singapore.
Furniture manufacturing is another example. Not many of us know that our local furnishing industry is a S$6 billion industry with over 1,900 companies. Manufacturing facilities here focus mainly on made-to-order furniture. Today, we can design and make furniture using three-axis Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machines. I asked them what does it mean by \"three-axis\", they said these machines can move left, right, up, down, front and back.
In the words of the industry themselves, we are now still at Industry 2.0. To upgrade our local industry to 4.0, we will help them to bring in the 5-axis CNC machines where the tools can twist and turn, cut in different directions, to create contour and more complex shapes. So, this will also make the jobs of the craftsmen ESS! Under CTP, the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, together with WSG, will bring in specialists from Italy to train our local trainers and craftsmen.
Another example of a domestic industry is car maintenance. The market for hybrid cars grew by 200% in the last two years, from 6,000 a year to 20,000 last year. New capabilities are needed for the repair and maintenance of these hybrid cars, no longer just changing the oil filter, checking and replacing battery, lights and brakes, but have to handle a completely different system, such as carry out a battery load test, high voltage cable inspection, front motor test, hybrid transmission test and so on.
Currently, independent third-party car workshops have no access to certifiable training to improve the skillsets of our local technicians. Under CTP, we will partner the Singapore Motor Workshop Association to bring in specialists from Germany to train our local mechanics and to transfer the capability to our local industry.
Sir, these are just some examples to illustrate the point that the scope for capability transfer is tremendous – Hi Tech to Hi Touch; MNCs to SMEs; domestic to export-oriented industries.
We will support good projects from any company and any industry beyond those currently supported by economic agencies for specific sectors.
Mr Patrick Tay asked for details of CTP. To achieve real transfer of capability, project duration is mostly in months and years, not days and weeks. Specialists have to do more than just training but also coaching and working alongside our local workers and be their trainer, mentor and guide. Costs can often be the obstacle, especially for local enterprises.
Under CTP, we will co-fund the cost of capability transfer for foreign specialists to train our locals here or for local trainers to be trained overseas so that, over time, we will be able to anchor more capabilities here to upgrade our local workforce and industries as we transform, adapt and grow.
In reply to Mr Low Thia Khiang, I would like to assure him that in our project evaluation, we will consult the sector agencies and be guided by the various ITMs to ensure that these capabilities will really be relevant and able to strengthen our future competitiveness.
Mr Patrick Tay asked about the funding levels. Funding support will range from 30%, 50% and 70% of the cost of capability transfer, which includes the salary cost of the expert trainers, both local and foreign; cost of living allowances in Singapore and overseas; airfare and training equipment for the industry.
Projects with higher impact on the industry and those benefiting SMEs will receive a higher level of support. So, Mr Low Thia Khiang would be pleased to hear this. So, if the industry impact benefits mainly SMEs, you will get a higher level of support. Total funding per project is currently capped at $300,000. In exceptional cases, as highlighted by Mr Patrick Tay, where the cost of capability transfer is high, and local expertise is much needed but lacking, funding support of up to 90% and project cost of more than $300,000 will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Mr Desmond Choo said we should scale up CTP and accelerate the acquisition of new capabilities. I agree with him fully. We started the pilot late last year, just a few months ago. We will reach out extensively to create more awareness and generate more interest.
We hope our sector agencies and tripartite partners, including the Labour Movement and various industry groups, will make good use of CTP to fill the many capability gaps in a more pervasive manner. We hope to do this across all sectors, with all sizes of companies, as quickly as possible.
Sir, our strategy of \"two-thirds plus one-third, greater than one\" will help ensure that our Singapore Workforce can better support the growth of an innovative Singapore economy, and also create better skills, jobs and careers for an inclusive Singapore Workforce.
\"Two-thirds plus one-third, greater than one\" may be bad mathematics. However, if we work together, I am confident that even bad mathematics can be turned into good manpower policy for the benefit of all. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, the whole world is changing rapidly. In a world where only the fittest will survive, we have adopted a two-pronged strategy.
First, shi shi zao ying xiong (heroes are born out of circumstances). The rapid development of technology and innovation is inevitable and cannot be stopped. If we refuse to make changes or are slow to adapt, we will definitely be eliminated. People say that it is better to suffer for the short term than to endure pain for the long term. To continue with our development, we must master new technology, transform quickly and strengthen our competitiveness.
With determination, we have achieved significant results. The economy has turned around, productivity has gone up, unemployment rate has gone down and wages are growing. This is something that we have achieved by working together. But we cannot be complacent. Economic transformation is like rowing a boat against the current. If we do not move forward, we will be pushed backwards.
Our second strategy is ying xiong zao shi shi (heroes create the right circumstances for themselves). As we strengthen our economic competitiveness, we must also optimise our unique strengths and advantages, as well as strengthen the cohesiveness of our workforce. This is critical.
We must ensure that the benefits and opportunities brought about by the future economy benefit every segment of our society, regardless of age, level of skills and income. We must pay special attention to older and lower-income workers. We must also help workers with young children and aged parents, so that they can look after their families while advancing their careers.
We must also learn from others and overcome our shortcomings, ensure that locals and foreign workers can work better together and benefit from each other. We should not be competing against each other within the country but against competitors overseas, in order to achieve better economic growth and better employment opportunities for Singaporeans.
For some countries, just strengthening their economic competitiveness is considered a success but, for Singapore, we have to strengthen our competitiveness as well as the cohesiveness of our workforce. To us, that is what success really is about.
There are two types of pathways in this world: easy paths and difficult paths. Some countries choose the easy path because it is easier and they can travel faster, but eventually, instead of reaching their destination, they reach a dead end.
What we have chosen is not an easy path. We know that in transformation and upgrading, there are no shortcuts. Although the path is not easy, but as long as our tripartite partners work together and help our workers, we will be able to move ahead of others. When we reach the destination, it is definitely not a dead end but a brand-new wide horizon.
Therefore, let us continue to forge ahead together on this difficult path with a common belief, as one economy, as one society, as one country. Only then can we ensure that Singapore continues to maintain a special place in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Asia and the world. And only then can we ensure that our workers have better jobs, better wages, safe and happy homes, that each generation will be better than the last, and that lives continue to improve.
(In English): Sir, we firmly believe that a job is the best welfare, and full employment is the best protection for our people. Together with our tripartite partners at the national and sector levels, we have to do our best to transform across all sectors, for our economy to transform and grow, pervasively, as One Singapore Unlimited.
We also have to do our best to create better jobs, better skills for everyone to adapt and grow inclusively as One Singapore United. Advances in technology will destroy many old jobs globally and here in Singapore. But if we do more together to build new and better capability faster than our competitors, we can move ahead and stay ahead, to make every enterprise a better enterprise, every job a better job and every worker a better worker. Together, we can strive for innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth for everyone.
Ultimately, as Minister Heng Swee Keat said in Budget 2018: Together, A Better Future. On that note, I thank you, Sir. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Minister Josephine Teo.
The Second Minister for Manpower (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Chairman, I will be sharing what more MOM is doing to help Singaporeans have better jobs, better employment outcomes, better protection and better retirement adequacy. Let me start with better jobs.
Given that our workforce growth is slowing, our businesses have to become more manpower-lean. At the same time, businesses may need to redesign jobs to support an ageing workforce or be more attractive to local jobseekers, who now have higher aspirations.
MOM, together with several sector lead agencies, are helping businesses transform through LEDS. Ms Jessica Tan asked about its effectiveness. Since its launch in October 2015, we have built up good momentum. We have helped about 6,700 companies, which are three times the number a year ago. They come from all sectors and are of all sizes.
One interesting project was undertaken by the Gratify Group, a company which owns many different food and beverage (F&B) brands. The owner, Frank Lau, wanted to make sure that his company's expansion plans would not be held back as a result of a lack of manpower. Hence, when conceptualising its new brand which is called \"Omoomodon\", he set himself a challenge that every outlet must be able to operate with just three staff per shift, when most similar concepts needed at least five staff per shift.
In the F&B business, what Frank wanted was certainly a tall order. Please pardon the pun. But Frank believed that he needed to push the boundaries to have any chance of scaling the business in a sustainable way. He engaged the Singapore Productivity Centre to redesign his workflow and processes. They started with the menu, with food preparation very much in mind. They studied operational flows at many food outlets and collected data on time-consuming tasks. The end result included a central kitchen, self-service ordering and payment and optimised kitchen designs. Staff were also crossed-trained to prepare food and attend to customers.
The improved job scope resulted in better pay and higher retention. Salaries offered by Omoomodon are, on average, 15% higher than market rate, there is lower attrition as workers are more motivated to stay. Thanks to these measures, manpower required for each new outlet was reduced by up to 60%.
This example shows how transformation is possible. LEDS supports all of the firms. It provides a \"one-stop\" service for businesses, especially SMEs, to access schemes offered by different Government agencies, without having to figure out where and who to approach for what.
However, not all transformations need customised solutions like Frank did. Many businesses will benefit just adopting ready-to-go productivity solutions, for example, the Smart Management and Tracking System (SMTS). Using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to manage, track and audit assets to reduce stocktaking time, the companies can enjoy much productivity improvement. It is useful for nearly all businesses in manufacturing and retail.
There are now more than 40 ready-to-go solutions pre-approved by Government agencies, such as the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING) Singapore, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). These ready-to-go solutions have been tried and tested. So, there is no need for businesses to worry about ineffective solutions or fly-by-night vendors.
Through LEDS, we aim to make technology and innovation pervasive, not only at the enterprise level, but also at the industry level, to quicken the pace of transformation, and not just in one or two sectors but across all 23 ITM sectors. For instance, under the Lean Hotel Initiative, 16 hotels came together to collectively identify gaps and design industry solutions. In just four months, the hotels had achieved productivity savings of between 4.5% and 28%, without having to compromise service quality.
We also plan to go beyond the ITMs to non-ITM sectors, and are in discussions with several industries, such as furniture, farms, lifts and escalators, to support their transformation.
Mr Chairman, as businesses transform and jobs become better, so, too, must workers adapt. This is how we can achieve better employment outcomes. As mentioned by Minister Lim Swee Say, the Adapt and Grow initiative helped place more than 25,000 jobseekers into new jobs and careers in 2017, about 20% more than in 2016.
Broadly speaking, we aim to help both missed matches − where employer and jobseekers have not found each other, and mismatches − where there are skills or wage gaps that make it hard for the jobseeker to secure a job. Of the 25,000 jobseekers placed, about 60% involved missed matches. The jobseekers were job-ready but somehow missed finding the right employers. WSG and NTUC-e2i helped them to find a match.
Mr Patrick Tay and Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked for an update on our efforts to strengthen job matching through the national Jobs Bank. We are transforming Jobs Bank into a new platform called MyCareersFuture. MyCareersFuture will have new features to help jobseekers and employers find better matches. It will have intelligent job matching, and can recommend jobs to jobseekers that would best fit their skillsets. It will also highlight jobs that are supported by Adapt and Grow programmes, such as PCPs, to help bridge job and skill mismatches. MyCareersFuture has been up and running since 2 January this year and the portal will be officially launched in the second quarter this year.
Besides reducing missed matches, we helped to close skills or wage mismatches. Of the 25,000 jobseekers placed, 40% involved jobseekers with some form of mismatch. This proportion has grown significantly from just 25% in 2016.
Placements of mismatch cases doubled from about 5,000 in 2016 to about 10,000 in 2017. This reflects our more intensive efforts to address mismatches. As our economy restructures, job-skills mismatch will be a growing challenge. They can be very unsettling for individuals who have lost their jobs or are at risk of retrenchment. This is why our key focus has been to step up support for jobseekers with skills or wage mismatches, because they need more help. Last year, we strengthened support under PCP and CSP.
Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim, Mr Low Thia Khiang and Dr Intan Mokhtar asked how effective MOM's efforts have been in helping the long-term unemployed, older workers and mature workers. If Members recall, CSP provides a wage subsidy that helps to close the gap between what PMET jobseekers expect and what employers are prepared to offer.
With the enhanced wage support under CSP, placements have quadrupled from about 260 in 2016 to over 1,100 in 2017. Among the CSP placements, more than 80% were long-term unemployed. The retention rate of those placed has been encouraging. Within 12 months of placement, about 70% of those placed in 2015 and 2016 have remained in employment.
Besides CSP, we also raised the salary support caps of PCPs. PCP placements in 2017 were almost three times that in 2016. In particular, the proportion of mature PMETs, especially those who are 50 years old and above, has more than doubled.
Similarly, the proportion placed in mid-level jobs paying $4,000 or more has also doubled. Ms K Thanaletchimi would be happy to know that overall dropout rates for PCPs are low as more than nine in 10 participants complete the programmes.
Even in the healthcare sector which has a longer training period for PCPs, almost nine in 10 have successfully completed the programmes. For the minority who drop out, most have personal reasons, or find it challenging to adapt.
We have worked with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to reduce the duration of some PCPs, such as nursing, without compromising the quality of training. More importantly, we need to strike a balance between stringent criteria and processes to screen individuals and give jobseekers sufficient opportunities to start new careers.
One person who has started a new career is Mr Soon Sie Chye who is 44 years old. After graduating with a degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University, Sie Chye spent the early part of his career working as an engineer. More than 10 years ago, he made a career switch to join the banking sector, where he had a fruitful career, leading back office teams in different banks.
However, he always had a lifelong dream to set up his own business. In 2014, he took the plunge but, in less than two years, the venture failed and he became unemployed for more than a year. It was a challenging and stressful period as he just had a newborn. During this period, the family had to depend on his wife's income and their savings, while he soldiered on in his job search.
Sie Chye came across South Island Aquarium, a company specialising in imports and exports of aquatic plants and ornamental fish. Although he had to take a pay cut, Sie Chye was keen on the role as he felt the company had good potential and was excited by its expansion plans. The company was also keen to tap on his MNC and management experience.
To better prepare for his role as a Business Manager, Sie Chye was enrolled in the PCP for International Trading Executives. This is a one-year programme to bridge skills gaps in supply chain, trade finance and e-commerce. He is now five months into the PCP.
Mr Low Thia Khiang asked about the long-term unemployment situation. In fact, Sie Chye is one of the more than 6,600 individuals previously unemployed for at least six months, which is the definition of long-term unemployed, who found a job through the Adapt and Grow initiative.
This is a 25% increase in the number of long-term unemployed placed, compared to 2016. They account for close to 50% of unemployed jobseekers placed through Adapt and Grow when all the different programmes are combined. Realistically, not all of the long-term unemployed jobseekers will succeed in the new jobs that we help match them to.
But we are prepared to take some risk, through support programmes, to help them get on their feet. Otherwise, we risk the pool of long-term unemployed getting bigger and their families falling deeper into difficulties.
Today, with a growing economy and these programmes in place, the long-term unemployment rate for local PMETs has improved from 0.9% in 2016 to 0.7% in 2017. However, compared to a few years ago, the resident long-term unemployment rate remains slightly elevated. But it is not at its highest, contrary to what Mr Low Thia Khiang thinks.
Nevertheless, we believe there is still much more to do. Besides helping those already unemployed, like Sie Chye, we are also helping those at risk of displacement. One such example is Mr Vincent See. Vincent had spent a major part of his career performing IT support in the hospitality sector. However, when he saw his company restructuring to cut costs, he thought he should make plans. Although worried that he could not adapt at his age – he is 51 – Vincent also saw an opportunity to learn something new.
Given the strong growth of e-commerce, he saw logistics as a growth sector and signed up for the Attach and Train programme for Logistics Executives. Unlike the usual PCPs, the Attach and Train programme does not guarantee a job at the start. This is because some sectors or employers are growing but are not yet ready to hire more. But rather than to wait, the programme helps jobseekers like Vincent build up their curriculum vitae (CV) to be ready for a new career when the opportunities come.
Vincent is currently six months into the Attach and Train programme with ST Logistics. The company has been suitably impressed by him and is also ready to hire. Although Vincent’s training attachment will only end this June, ST Logistics has already offered him full-time employment.
Vincent is one of 13,000 mature jobseekers helped through Adapt and Grow in 2017. He is also a very good example of how the Government can help a mature worker, who has taken proactive steps to overcome his fears, to find a new career in a growth sector.
These mature workers account for about half of all placements under Adapt and Grow. About half of them, like Vincent, are 50 years old and above. We now have over 100 PCPs in more than 30 sectors helping both displaced PMETs as well as those like Vincent who are at risk of displacement.
Last year, MOM announced stepped-up efforts to place local PMETs in five growth sectors with good potential for PMET jobs, namely, infocomm and media, professional services, finance and insurance, wholesale trade and healthcare. We have generated positive momentum. Placements in these five sectors accounted for about 50% of all PMET mismatch placements in the second half of 2017. About 50% were mature local PMETs.
Through this effort, we have gained new insights into how we can support the manpower needs of companies that are growing and transforming. The key is to engage the companies early, before they have firmed up their plans. By doing so, it is more likely that their existing employees can be a part of the company's future, instead of being just part of the past.
Our model of PCPs will, therefore, evolve. We no longer wait till workers are unemployed or retrenched to reach out to them. Instead, we work with companies ahead of time to put in place redeployment PCPs, such as in Consumer Banking, where existing staff are retrained and redeployed.
As the banks transform their frontline services, hundreds of bank tellers and cashiers are adapting to do digital marketing, data analysis and product development. These staff can avoid painful retrenchment and, at the same time, help their employers meet their new manpower needs. In 2018, we expect more placements to come from such redeployment PCPs.
Our Adapt and Grow efforts are not only targeted at PMETs. A sizeable proportion, about 40%, placed under Adapt and Grow are rank-and-file workers. Similar to PCPs for PMETs, we also have Place and Train programmes for rank-and-file workers to reskill to take on new roles. More than 2,000 workers were placed under such programmes in 2017, representing a more than 50% increase from 2016.
We have also piloted the Work Trial scheme in 2016. This scheme is targeted at jobseekers who are job-ready but are not sure about the specific jobs. It could also be that the jobseeker and prospective employers are unsure about each other. Through Work Trial, they have up to three months to assess each other, with Government bearing the cost. In 2017, the number of jobseekers placed through Work Trial has increased five times, from about 100 to 500.
One of them is Mr Muhd Sahfari. Sahfari left his previous job as a sales manager in an IT solutions company as he felt the environment was not quite suited for him. However, he was still keen on a sales position as he enjoys interacting with people. He found out that Crosstrack was hiring a sales manager. In case you are wondering, Crosstrack is a startup which provides an online marketplace to allow customers to source for the most suitable courier for their delivery jobs. Unlike his previous sales jobs which were focused on direct sales, Crosstrack's requirement of a sales manager includes operations management and liaising with delivery drivers. Sahfari was, therefore, apprehensive. He thought to himself, could he cope with the additional workload and does a tech startup offer sufficient job security? Therefore, he decided to sign up for Work Trial before committing on a permanent basis.
Through the Work Trial, Muhammad had the opportunity to try out a new job in an unfamiliar environment, in a startup. Not only did he enjoy the dynamic nature of a startup, he also picked up new IT skills. Crosstrack saw that he had the right aptitude and attitude and employed him on a permanent basis when the Work Trial ended.
So far, the Adapt and Grow initiative has been able to provide the appropriate interventions for jobseekers at different stages, as highlighted by Mr Patrick Tay. However, we are always looking for better ways to scale up, enhance existing programmes or introduce new ones which will help jobseekers. This year, we will make three enhancements to Adapt and Grow.
First, we will introduce three new Attach-and-Train PCPs by the second quarter of this year in areas where we expect manpower demand to increase, namely, AI Game Programmers, Robotics Engineers, and Food Production Specialists.
Second, we will also do more for our rank-and-file workers, a suggestion raised by Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim. In particular, to further encourage employers to hire long-term unemployed rank-and-file workers, we will raise the salary support for such workers under the Place-and-Train programme from 70% to 90% of monthly salary. We will also increase the maximum monthly payout to employers from $2,000 to $3,000.
Third, there is scope to enhance the upward mobility of lower- to middle-income workers by helping them take up better jobs. Part of this is done through efforts under LEDS to uplift and transform jobs. But the other part is helping workers to access such jobs. The Work Trial has proven useful in plugging information gaps. Without Work Trial, Sahfari would likely have missed out on a good career opportunity in a growth sector and Crosstrack would have missed out on a good hire.
Mr Desmond Choo will be glad to know that we will expand the current scope of Work Trial to provide workers with more opportunities to try out better jobs, specifically better paid jobs, and help companies which need more manpower to assess jobseekers. This was also a point which was raised by Mr Chong Kee Hiong.
We will call the enhanced programme Career Trial. Under the Career Trial programme, we will double the maximum training allowance from $1,200 per month to $2,400 per month. Further, the salary support to employers and the Additional Retention Incentive, will be available for all jobseekers who are unemployed for six months or more, instead of only for those unemployed for 12 months or more previously. We will also increase the maximum salary support to employers, from $3,600 to $5,400 per jobseeker over a six-month period.
Mr Chairman, the Adapt and Grow initiative is a viable way to help Singaporeans have better employment outcomes even as our economy restructures. We will continue to improve on the scheme designs and intensify our outreach to enable more Singaporeans to be matched to good jobs and careers. Mr Chairman, if you allow, I would like to wrap up this section in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Chairman, the Adapt and Grow initiative had reaped significant results in the past few years. Through this initiative, we managed to help more than 25,000 Singaporeans find jobs last year. This is 20% more than the year before. In particular, there was an increase in the placement of mature workers, long-term unemployed and PMETs.
We will maintain the current momentum, enhance support and increase our scope of coverage through various programmes to ensure that Singaporeans are able to take up new jobs and adapt to the demands of this new era, even if they have to make a switch in their careers.
Mr Chairman, besides helping Singaporeans find good jobs, MOM also set up a tripartite work group (TWG) last year to study the challenges faced by SEPs. Last month, TWG submitted a set of useful proposals, which have been accepted by the Government. We will work with our tripartite partners to implement these proposals progressively in the next two years.
Firstly, with regard to contracts between service buyers and SEPs, a new Tripartite Standard on Contracting with SEPs will be launched.
Secondly, TADM will help mediate disputes between service buyers and SEPs.
Thirdly, we will work with interested SEP associations to develop occupation-specific frameworks to ensure that SEPs are equipped with relevant skills.
Fourthly, we will launch a new insurance product to mitigate SEPs' loss of income during prolonged injury or illness.
Fifthly, we will study how to promote adoption of the abovementioned insurance for higher-risk occupations.
Sixthly, the Government will pilot the \"contribute-as-you-earn\" model to help SEPs save in their MediSave accounts, and study how other corporate service buyers could also adopt this model.
I will elaborate on the implementation timeline for these proposals in English.
(In English): Mr Chairman, for the last decade, SEPs have constituted 8% to 10% of our resident workforce. At the COS debate last year, Minister Lim Swee Say highlighted the possible increase in the number of SEPs, given the emergence of the gig economy. This was the impetus for setting up TWG to look into the concerns of SEPs.
Before I give the Government's response to the TWG's recommendations, let me first provide an update of the SEP landscape, which will also address questions and concerns raised by Mr Thomas Chua, Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Kok Heng Leun.
From our most recent survey in 2017, the number of residents who took up self-employed work for at least six months in 2017 has grown to 223,500, about 10% more than the year before. This growth took place at the same time as regular employment among residents also went up.
All the increase in the number of SEPs came from those who did self-employed work as their main jobs, rather than as secondary sources of income. Such SEPs are referred to as \"primary SEPs\" because they depend on self-employment primarily for their livelihoods. Primary SEPs are also the group we are most interested in. Primary SEPs now constitute 8.4% of our resident workforce, still well within the range of 8% to 10% observed over the last decade.
What do we know about the age and education profiles of primary SEPs, and have they changed in 2017? By age, more than half of the primary SEPs are 50 and above; less than 10% are below 30. The age distribution in 2017 remains largely the same as 2016.
However, the share of primary SEPs with tertiary qualifications rose from 37% to 40%, in tandem with the rise in education profile among the local workforce. But it is still much less than the 55% tertiary-educated in the local workforce.
The most recent survey also showed a notable increase in the number of primary SEPs who said they preferred regular employment over self-employment. This group rose from 19% in 2016 to 23% in 2017.
In other words, about one in five primary SEPs prefer to be in a regular job. However, they tend to be older and have lower educational qualifications. We are very keen to help them and Mr Ang Hin Kee asked how.
First, is to improve the SEPs' awareness of job matching schemes available and encourage them to come forward to the career centres run by WSG and NTUC-e2i. Our existing schemes, as well as the new Career Trial programme that I spoke about, can also help. Certainly, we should help career counsellors and coaches become more aware of these efforts so that they can provide the right advice.
But these efforts will need such SEPs to become active jobseekers. At present, more than 80% of them say they have not been looking for a regular job actively, even though they prefer it over self-employment.
For the vast majority of SEPs who continue to prefer self-employment as a career, we should also address their concerns and provide them with support. To recap, TWG noted in its report that although the SEPs were very diverse, there were four common challenges they faced. First, payment-related disputes; second, loss of income due to prolonged illness or injury; third, lack of CPF savings for healthcare and retirement; and fourth, lack of occupation-specific competency frameworks.
Mr Thomas Chua, Ms Jessica Tan and Mr Ang Hin Kee asked about MOM's response. We are grateful to the TWG members who include Mr Ang, for your well-considered and balanced recommendations. They were very constructive. The Government accepts all seven recommendations and will find ways to fully implement them. Let me share our plans.
First, payment-related disputes. Some observers have suggested mandating written contracts for all SEPs to minimise payment disputes. The TWG considered this but finds it impractical. This is because buyers of SEPs' services include micro-SMEs and even individual households, such as for private home tuition. Some purchases are of very small value
Instead, today, we formally launched the Tripartite Standard on Contracting with SEPs. This was developed with tripartite partners in line with the TWG's recommendations. It is an agreed benchmark which SEPs should encourage buyers to adopt. SEPs will be able to identify and contract with progressive service buyers who adopt the standard. Buyers who adopt the standard need to discuss and agree clearly, with the SEPs, terms of engagement, such as the range of services to be delivered, project timelines and milestones, payment schedules. These will have to be set out in writing.
The standard is a good start to make clear the working arrangements between businesses and SEPs. Over time, the standard will help shape contracting norms and entrench best practices.
But even with written agreements, disputes could potentially still arise. For SEPs with sector agencies, we encourage them to continue to approach their sector agencies. These sector agencies would be in a better position to help resolve disputes. For instance, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) facilitates mediation of disputes between taxi operators and taxi drivers. LTA is best suited for this role because, apart from being familiar with issues in the industry, it has convening power as the regulator of both taxi operators and taxi drivers.
For other SEPs, from September last year, TADM started piloting voluntary mediation when they have payment disputes with businesses. With immediate effect, TADM will extend voluntary mediation services to all SEPs who have payment disputes with businesses.
Additionally, the TWG recommended that a prolonged medical leave (PML) insurance product be developed to mitigate the SEPs' loss of income during prolonged injury or illness. Today, some SEPs buy additional riders on top of their private insurance plans to provide for this. However, there is a lack of an affordable standalone PML insurance product today. This means that SEPs have no alternative if they do not wish to buy the main insurance product. It is only available as a rider.
Observers and SEPs have also asked if service buyers should be made to buy insurance for SEPs, just as businesses buy work injury insurance for their employees. However, unlike a regular employee, most SEPs contract with multiple service buyers. It will not be possible to determine precisely how much coverage each service buyer should provide for the SEP.
We will, therefore, take a practical approach of making the insurance product available for SEPs to purchase for their own protection. I am encouraged that NTUC Income is keen to develop a PML insurance product that will fulfil the TWG's recommendations. Other insurance companies may also step forward to offer such insurance.
Let me now address the question of whether all SEPs should be compelled to have this type of insurance. SEPs are a diverse group. They can be found in numerous occupations, many of which have low-risk of injury, such as real estate agents. SEPs themselves have varying health conditions. We, therefore, agree with TWG that the purchase of PML insurance should largely be kept voluntary.
That said, we want to encourage widespread adoption of insurance by SEPs in some higher-risk occupations, as they are most in need of such protection. Making insurance coverage the norm for SEPs in these occupations would make clear to the buyers of their services that the insurance costs would be priced into their fees. This is only fair. As a start, we have identified two occupational groups in which to promote PML insurance coverage.
The first group is sports coaches and instructors. Collectively, Ministry of Education (MOE) schools are major buyers of their services. MOE has agreed in-principle to help shape a new norm by contracting only with self-employed coaches and instructors who have such PML insurance coverage. SEP coaches and instructors may then price the cost of PML insurance coverage into their bids for MOE's work or projects.
Another occupational group which will benefit from PML insurance are taxi drivers and private hire car drivers. The individual buyers of their services are really the commuters, and there are many. But there are significant intermediaries like the taxi operators and matching platforms like Grab and Uber.
MOM and LTA will study how to ensure that active taxi and private hire car drivers also have PML insurance coverage, together with these intermediaries, the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA).
Together, sport coaches, taxi and private hire car drivers comprise about 30% of all SEPs. In consultation with relevant stakeholders, MOM will also work closely with MOE and LTA on the way forward to promote PML insurance coverage as a norm, starting with these two occupational groups. The aim is to have a viable plan and for a PML insurance product to be available in 2019.
The Government also accepts the TWG's recommendation to help SEPs save more regularly for their healthcare and retirement needs through a \"contribute-as-you-earn\" (CAYE) model. CPF is the cornerstone of our social security system. CPF schemes are not limited to regular employees. SEPs can also make use of CPF to save for their healthcare and retirement needs.
Currently, SEPs are already required to contribute to their MediSave accounts on an annual basis. They can additionally make voluntary CPF contributions to build up their retirement savings. Even though MediSave contributions are mandatory today, about one in four SEPs have not been keeping up with their MediSave contributions. The question is: why?
Well, this is because SEPs are given up to 12 months from the time income is assessed to make their MediSave contributions. A key challenge is that they may not set aside enough cash on a regular basis. So, when the time comes to make that lump-sum contribution to their MediSave accounts, they find it difficult to do so.
Without sufficient MediSave contributions, these SEPs may not be able to pay for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses or keep up with their MediShield Life premiums. They will face a longer-term risk of not being able to pay for their healthcare in old age. So, we are very concerned about them. It will be easier for them to make smaller, but more regular contributions as they receive the earnings. So, this is why the Government agrees to study how to implement the TWG's recommendation for a CAYE model for SEPs' MediSave contributions.
This means that a MediSave contribution is required as and when a service fee is earned, similar to employees today who pay CPF when they receive their monthly salaries. The service buyer or intermediary who contracts with the SEP will deduct and transmit the MediSave contribution to the SEP's MediSave account whenever they pay the SEP.
There is no change to the SEP's obligation to make the MediSave contribution and, for the time being, neither will we require SEPs to contribute to their Special Account to build up their retirement savings. While this is an important issue, this matter should be reviewed only after we have effectively addressed the problem of SEPs defaulting on their MediSave contributions.
Mr Chen Show Mao offered several suggestions to nudge SEPs to make voluntary contributions beyond MediSave. We thank him for his suggestions and will study their feasibility.
Realistically, CAYE can only work for SEPs who contract with corporate service buyers or get work through certain significant intermediaries. The individual hirer of a private home tutor, for example, will not be in a position to help the SEP make his MediSave contribution.
Intermediaries who work with SEPs, such as Grab and Caregiver Asia, have indicated their support for CAYE. But CAYE will not be straightforward to roll out. We will have to work through implementation issues, such as the correct amount of MediSave contributions to deduct in each transaction.
The Government, as a service buyer, will take the lead to implement CAYE. Government Procurement Entities aim to start a pilot by 2020 which will allow us to work through the implementation issues for CAYE and help smoothen its subsequent implementation in the private sector. We will provide more details when ready. In the meantime, we welcome companies to continue their voluntary MediSave contributions for their SEPs.
The final recommendation by the TWG is for the tripartite partners to support SEP associations in developing occupation-specific competency frameworks. Our tripartite partners are committed to doing so. To date, 15 of the 23 priority sectors have launched Skills Frameworks that support the sector's industry transformation. These Skills Frameworks provide key information on sector, career pathways, occupations/job roles, and the skills required for these occupations/job roles. They also list the training programmes that individuals or employers can tap on. The information in these Skills Frameworks will be relevant to both employees as well as SEPs in those sectors.
The Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE) in the Labour Movement is also working with many groups, such as the sports coaches, to develop a training and accreditation scheme.
There are SEP associations that have proactively helped their SEPs to learn new skills. For example, NTA, under the leadership of Mr Ang Hin Kee, saw that foundational digital skills, as well as familiarity with digital applications, such as Parking.sg and mobile payment apps, would benefit its members in their day-to-day work. They also knew the course schedule had to cater to taxi drivers' unique work schedules.
NTA worked closely with one of the SkillsFuture Singapore's (SSG's) appointed training providers and SSG to customise the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme for NTA members. SSG also provides course fee subsidies for the programme to keep the cost affordable for the drivers. If I understand correctly, they pay about $50 for each course.
SEP associations can strengthen support to help their members make their SEP careers more sustainable. The Government and the tripartite partners are keen to work with more SEP associations on this front.
Mr Chairman, let me summarise the Government's response to the TWG’s seven recommendations.
Three recommendations are being implemented from today or have been ongoing. They are the Tripartite Standard on Contracting with SEPs, which we just launched; the extension of voluntary mediation services by TADM to cover SEPs; and the support of the tripartite partners for SEP associations to develop occupation-specific competency frameworks so that SEPs can remain relevant.
Another three recommendations will be implemented in 2019 or 2020. They are to make available a PML insurance product. To promote PML insurance coverage as a norm, starting with two occupational groups, namely, sports coaches and instructors, as well as taxi and private hire car drivers. And to start a pilot programme where the Government, as a service buyer, will implement CAYE for the MediSave obligations for its self-employed contractors.
The recommendation to introduce CAYE for other service buyers will require further study. The Government will focus on selected occupations where there are significant intermediaries or where there are large corporate service buyers we can work with.
We are confident that the TWG recommendations will help address the main common challenges that SEPs face. And we will continue to monitor the SEP landscape to stay on top of the changing trends.
Mr Chairman, as we look to support SEPs better, we are also committed to making our workplaces progressive for all, including for our women. Our female employment rate has improved steadily. Over the last three years, it averaged 72%, higher than the 69% average in the previous three years. In terms of full-time employment, we are ranked sixth, compared to 35 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.
With more women in the workforce, has workplace harassment become a bigger problem? I would like to assure Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin, Mr Louis Ng, Ms Thanaletchimi and Mr Dennis Tan that the Government takes this matter seriously and that the situation is closely, carefully monitored.
Together with the tripartite partners, we have taken a multi-pronged approach towards protecting people against workplace harassment. In 2014, POHA was introduced. Employees who experience workplace harassment should seek help promptly, including for attacks on employees in cyberspace, as raised by Ms Thanaletchimi. They can report such incidents to MOM, as well as to TAFEP, which Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin suggested. They can also seek civil remedies directly through the Courts or report serious cases to the Police.
Between 2013 and 2017, an average of about 20 Police reports were filed annually involving sexual harassment or insults of modesty occurring at the workplace. They were thoroughly investigated and the offenders taken to task.
Some employees prefer to resolve the matter privately without involving the authorities but would rather report the matter to their employers. Legislating mandatory reporting by employers, as suggested by Ms Thanaletchimi, will close off this avenue for such employees and discourage them from raising the matter with anyone. This is not helpful to them.
Instead, the tripartite partners introduced the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment in 2015 to remind our employers of their obligations to prevent and manage workplace harassment. They should also inform the employees of the avenues where they can seek help.
Last year, we also launched the Tripartite Standard on Grievance Handling which covers workplace harassment. Three hundred and twenty employers adopted the standard, covering about 260,000 employees. A mediation body called for by Ms Thanaletchimi already exists as TADM can also mediate harassment cases.
What about gender pay gap which Dr Intan Mokhtar was concerned about? Assoc Prof Daniel Goh cited a study by ValuePenguin. I think he did so during the debate on the Budget, and the study said that gender pay gap \"has remained at around 18% to 19%\" from 2006 to 2016. Unfortunately, the study did not make an apple-to-apple comparison as it included both full-time and part-time employed residents. More women than men worked part-time to meet their family and caregiving responsibilities and naturally earned less.
MOM's Comprehensive Labour Force Survey allows us to look at only full-time employed residents and compare salaries of men and women in similar occupational groups. The data shows that a gender pay gap of 11.8% in 2017 still exists. But this is a significant improvement from 20% 10 years ago. There was also broad-based improvement across most occupational groups.
The remaining pay gap can be attributed to the fact that women are more likely to exit the workforce or have intermittent patterns of work for reasons, such as childcare and sometimes caring for the elderly. If and when they return to the workforce, as a result, they also have to catch up with their male counterparts.
The same reason probably explains why more men than women achieve retirement adequacy. In 2017, 66% of active male members and 53% of active female members turning 55 met their CPF BRS. So, 66% for the active male CPF members, and 53% for the active female CPF members.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong will be pleased to know that the gap is closing. In 2007, the median retirement savings for women at age 55 were about 60% of median balances at age 55 for men. By 2017, 10 years on, this ratio has improved to 74%. And we expect the gap to further narrow over time.
To address Assoc Prof Daniel Goh's concern about the gender difference in CPF LIFE payouts, the best way is really to enable the women to remain in the workforce, so that they continue to advance in their careers and build up retirement savings. This was the key thrust of my speech last night at an event organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Mr Desmond Choo and Ms Thanaletchimi will be pleased that during the event, I also announced that the Government will set aside about $30 million to further promote FWAs. We will do so through the enhanced WorkPro Work-Life Grant, which will provide higher grant support to employers, especially for putting in place job-sharing schemes. This enhancement comes on top of the Tripartite Standard on FWAs launched last year which now covers some 250,000 employees. The Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs which I launched a few days ago during the COS debate on the Prime Minister's Office (PMO); and, thirdly, the very significant expansion of preschool places which the Government is fully committed to.
These measures that I have highlighted will help the current and future cohorts of younger women remain in the workforce and improve their retirement adequacy. For the older cohorts of women who still did not manage to save enough for retirement, we have introduced a number of measures to help. In 2016, we made it easier for members to transfer CPF savings to their spouses’ account by lowering the minimum threshold they must meet, from the Full Retirement Sum to the Basic Retirement Sum.
From October 2018, we will also make it easier for children to transfer CPF savings to their parents and grandparents. I will say more about this later.
Mr Chairman, overall, with our tripartite efforts, we have made progress in helping Singapore women to better manage their family responsibilities and work aspirations. There is certainly more to be done, and we will continue to strengthen our efforts.
Mr Chairman, beyond helping our workers gain access to good jobs and have good employment outcomes, we also want to help them have better retirement adequacy for better peace of mind in old age. Our CPF system serves Singaporeans well in supporting our three basic needs, namely, housing, healthcare and retirement. Today, six in 10 active CPF members turning age 55 have at least the BRS in their Retirement Accounts. By 2020, we expect this proportion to increase to 70% and even more over time.
To help CPF members save more for their retirement, we stepped up efforts to encourage members to top-up their own or their loved ones’ CPF accounts. In 2017, over 61,000 members received about $1 billion in cash top-ups to their Special or Retirement Accounts. In addition, over 35,000 members received about $1 billion in CPF transfers. Forty percent of these members who received cash top-ups, CPF transfers or both, had less than BRS. In other words, these top-ups and transfers were very useful to them.
We have also enhanced WIS and introduced Silver Support to provide additional retirement support to lower-income Singaporeans. Today, about 152,000 seniors qualify for Silver Support. They constitute about 30% of the population of seniors aged 65 and above. I am pleased to share with Members that about two-thirds of the Silver Support recipients are women. I think this shows very clearly that we are not averse to helping those who need more help and that, of course, includes women, especially those of the previous generation who did not have as much of a runway to build up their retirement savings.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked if the payouts can be the same, regardless of flat types. Although all Silver Support recipients are already means-tested, the degree of family support they enjoy is not the same. The purpose of Silver Support is to top-up and to help those who perhaps do not have as strong family support and also because they accumulated too little during their productive years. So, housing type is not a perfect proxy for family support, but it is an uncomplicated indicator. Singaporeans with exceptional circumstances can appeal to be eligible for Silver Support or to receive higher payouts. The appeals will be seriously considered.
Since the scheme started in July 2016, about 10,000 appeals had been received. About half were approved because of the appellant's changed circumstances. This is why it is also not so meaningful to look only at those who drop out from Silver Support because there are also those who qualify. There are those who did not qualify in the past but then subsequently qualify. So, there are people who used to get it but no longer get it because the assessment is updated regularly and they no longer meet the eligibility criteria. But there are also people who did not meet the criteria in the past, but then subsequently were able to. The important thing is that about 30% of seniors above the age of 65 continue to receive Silver Support.
Mr Leon Perera asked about giving CPF members flexibility with their mandatory CPF contributions. I understand his point of view. But I should emphasise that the primary purpose of CPF is to save for our retirement.
Today, while the CPF system is enabling more Singaporeans to have adequate savings in retirement, there are still groups that we want to help build up retirement adequacy. For example, as pointed out by Members like Dr Intan Mokhtar and Mr Zainal Sapari, low-wage workers and older workers continue to need help.
Besides the schemes that I have described earlier, we have also tightened rules on CPF withdrawals for everyone, precisely to ensure that retirement savings continue to be steadily built up and are not depleted. For those who have built up substantial CPF savings, we are helping them grow those savings in better ways, which I will talk about later. It will, therefore, be incongruent with our current focus to start loosening up, whether in terms of the rules on withdrawal or contributions. Let us stay focused on the task at hand, safeguard and grow our CPF savings so that all Singaporeans can have better peace of mind in retirement, for as long as they live.
Mr Chairman, Mr Zainal Sapari expressed concerns that some CPF members who invest through the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) might not fully understand the risks and costs involved. So, their painstakingly built-up retirement savings may be lost.
Currently, there are two ways for members to grow their CPF savings. For those who have no appetite for risk, they can earn risk-free interest on their CPF savings. Those who have an appetite for risk may choose to invest their monies through CPFIS.
However, a member who is willing to take risk may not have the knowledge to invest. Based on a poll commissioned on behalf of the CPF Advisory Panel in 2015, more than half of the CPFIS investors considered themselves to have \"limited\" investment knowledge but it did not prevent them from taking those investments.
CPF members should exercise caution when investing their CPF savings. Over a two-year period between October 2014 and September 2016, 29% of members who invested their Ordinary Account (OA) savings made cumulative total losses. Another 22% achieved cumulative profit that is less than or just equal to the OA interest rate of 2.5% per annum. In other words, slightly more than half of the members with a CPFIS-OA account did not do better through their own investments than if they simply left their CPF balances alone to earn a risk-free interest rate.
We have been studying the feasibility of a third option for this group of members and the scheme is called the Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme (LRIS). This LRIS is targeted at CPF members who have an appetite for risk but neither the knowledge nor time to invest. We are aiming for something low-cost. We want to take advantage of the longer time horizon available to CPF members to earn better upside investment gains.
Yet, the product should also provide some assurance against downside risks. Members can well imagine that such a scheme is not easy to design and will require further study. In the meantime, we will make three enhancements to better cater CPFIS to members with an appetite for risk and have both the knowledge and time to invest.
First, we will introduce a self-awareness questionnaire (SAQ) that will be available to all CPF members. This questionnaire will provide feedback to the member on his level of basic financial knowledge and remind him of the different options available to him to grow his CPF savings, such as CPF interest rates or the upcoming LRIS.
But regardless of the feedback, members can still decide whether or not to invest through the CPFIS. The questionnaire will be part of the process of opening a CPFIS account from 1 October this year. Members who already have a CPFIS account are not required to take the questionnaire but are strongly encouraged to do so.
The second enhancement is to disallow sales charges for products that are offered under the CPFIS. Currently, financial advisors can receive a sales charge of up to 3% of the transacted amount when members use their CPF to purchase unit trusts and investment-linked insurance policies.
This sales charge has an unintended consequence that is detrimental to CPF members' interests. It encourages financial advisors to sell products to earn more commissions which causes the members to \"churn\" their investments. Buy sell, buy sell. Each time, there is a sales charge.
Our target group of CPFIS members will generally not need to rely heavily on financial advisors to decide which investment products to purchase. They can already directly buy unit trusts on online platforms, such as FundSupermart, Navigator and POEMS for zero sales charge. Therefore, the sales charge adds another layer of cost that reduces the member’s investment returns.
By removing the sales charge, financial advisors no longer have an incentive to push products. This also reduces the cost of investing for CPFIS members and will better align the investment behaviour to members who have time and knowledge.
The third enhancement is to reduce the maximum wrap fees charged for CPFIS investments such that wrap fees cover only the cost to maintain wrap accounts. For Members' information, currently, some CPF members set up a wrap account on investment platforms. Financial advisors can charge an annual wrap fee of up to 1% of the amount of funds that they manage in the wrap accounts. The wrap fee covers advisory services and the costs to maintain the wrap account.
We are not opposed to wrap accounts as they are generally considered to bring convenience to investors. Again, the targeted members for CPFIS are not expected to rely on advisory services that are usually included in the wrap fees.
We will, therefore, lower the cap on annual wrap fees to 0.4% of the total amount managed. This is similar to the fees charged by online investment platforms in the cash market. We will review the cap on wrap fees from time to time as the investment landscape evolves.
We are mindful that these enhancements may affect the financial advisory industry which will no longer be able to impose the sales charge on new CPFIS investments and will have to charge only lower wrap fees on wrap accounts. However, we do not expect this impact to be too substantial.
Currently, the Life Insurance Association estimates that about 15% of premiums from new insurance business came from CPFIS products while the remaining 85% of premiums came from the cash market. Nonetheless, to give the industry adequate time to adjust, we will implement these fee changes in two steps.
(a) The cap on sales charges will be reduced to 1.5% from 1 October 2018 and further reduced to 0% from 1 October 2019; and
(b) The cap on wrap fees for both existing and new accounts will be reduced from 1% to 0.7% from 1 October 2018 and further reduced to 0.4% from 1 October 2019.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, we will enhance the CPFIS to further protect the interests of CPF members. Through self-awareness, CPF members can better understand which option is most suitable if they want to achieve the best returns from their CPF savings.
For members who do not have enough time or who are unfamiliar with investments, leaving their CPF savings in their accounts to earn risk-free interest may be the most ideal option.
For members with time and investment knowledge, fees charged for various investment schemes will be lowered in future.
(In English): Mr Chairman, let me conclude. We are taking active steps to help Singaporeans move into better jobs and secure better employment outcomes, even as the economy restructures. The women in our workforce have made progress and will get more help to stay in employment. Our SEPs and CPF members will also enjoy better protection. MOM will continue to improve our schemes and programmes to ensure that we have an inclusive workforce and progressive workplaces. We have our work cut out for us and we look forward to Members' support.
The Chairman: Minister of State Sam Tan.
The Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong): Mr Chairman, the Minister and Second Minister for Manpower spoke about the need to transform and grow, and to adapt and grow. In line with these efforts, I will focus on how we will better support older and low-wage workers. I will also talk about promoting an inclusive, safe and healthy workplace for our workers.
Sir, let me start with older workers, a subject that is very close to my heart. The employment outcomes of our older workers have improved over the years. The employment rate of older residents aged 55 to 64 has increased from 64% in 2012 to 67% in 2017.
Our older worker employment rate is higher than countries, such as Australia, Korea, the US and UK. In fact, compared to the 35 OECD countries, Singapore would be ranked among the top 10.
The unemployment rate of older residents has also remained low at below 3% over the last five years. This is comparable to the overall unemployment rate. This means that the vast majority of older residents in the labour force who want to find a job can find a job. And for those who need assistance to find a job, we will continue to help them through the Adapt and Grow initiative.
Sir, let me give an update on our older workers and also the employment situation and the efforts taken to help them to adapt and grow. Last year, we took further steps to enhance the employability of our older workers.
First, we raised the re-employment age from 65 to 67 in July 2017. We are heartened to see that both employers and workers have embraced the re-employment concept and our older workers have benefited. Since re-employment was introduced in 2012, over 98% of private sector local employees who wished to continue working were offered re-employment at age 62. Of those who were re-employed in the same job, 98% did not experience any cut in their basic wages.
Second, we extended the Special Employment Credit (SEC) scheme, which provides wage support to employers who hire older workers. So far, 93,000 employers who employed over 350,000 eligible older workers have benefited since SEC was extended in 2017. And since 2011, over $3 billion of SEC has been paid.
While results are encouraging, we hope to do even more and better. Hence, one key priority is to ensure that both jobs and workplaces become more conducive for our older workers. We agree with Dr Intan Mokhtar and Mr Chen Show Mao on the importance of job redesign. It can transform work processes for older workers, which Ms Jessica Tan has also brought up.
To encourage adoption of job redesign, we enhanced WorkPro in 2016 to provide more generous funding of up to $300,000 per company, and to complement other capability development grants. Since WorkPro's enhancement, WSG, NTUC-e2i and the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) have funded more than 650 companies, benefiting more than 10,000 older workers aged 50 and older.
Through working with companies, we learnt that job redesign not only makes older workers' existing jobs easier, safer and smarter, it also creates new jobs and opportunities for them. One example is Mdm Toh Kim Pong, a 69-year-old employee at Goodwood Park Hotel. In the past, two younger employees were needed to transport linen to the laundromat. To do this, they have to push trolleys manually, carrying up to 100 kilogrammes (kg) of linen, up a steep slope and across an open-air carpark. Because of her age, this was a task that Mdm Toh could not do. The hotel then decided to tap on WorkPro to introduce motorised trolleys and train older workers like Mdm Toh to operate them. As a result, Mdm Toh is now able to take on a new task previously too strenuous for her. This has also led to a wage increase for her.
Given the success story of Goodwood Park Hotel, I encourage more companies to make their jobs age-friendly through the WorkPro Job Redesign Grant, which is part of LEDS mentioned by the Second Minister earlier. This will also support the growing pool of older Singaporean workers.
Sir, I would like to talk about age-friendly workplaces now. Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Miss Cheryl Chan have asked about age-friendly workplace practices. Mr Patrick Tay and Ms Tin Pei Ling also surfaced this issue of ageism. The tripartite partners share these concerns, too, and have been working hard and taking measures to address them. We all agree that what we should all do is to work towards a workplace culture where our older workers feel valued, and companies think about the needs of older workers when they put in place policies and practices.
In fact, employers are recognising the benefits of having age-friendly and inclusive workplace practices. According to a 2016 survey by TAFEP, seven in 10 employers are willing to redesign job scopes to accommodate older workers. Still, there is room for improvement.
So, I am happy to say that the tripartite partners have developed a Tripartite Standard on Age-friendly Workplace Practices. This Tripartite Standard will promote inclusive workplaces that meet the specific needs of older workers. More details will be shared later when the Standard is launched next month.
As we continue to encourage inclusive behaviour, we will also take action against discriminatory practices. Sir, there is no place for age discrimination in our workplaces. To counter any age discrimination in our workplaces, TAFEP looks into all age-discrimination complaints. MOM will not hesitate to take enforcement actions against errant employers who discriminate against older workers.
Let me now talk about our support for low-wage workers. Sir, this Government pays particular attention to low-wage workers. We strive to uplift their wages, enhance their employment conditions and improve their lives even as they work hard and make an honest living. We do this in two ways. First, through broad-based efforts, and second, through additional support for specific sectors.
Let me talk about the broad-based efforts. The WIS scheme is a key pillar of our support for low-wage workers. As a permanent scheme, it helps low-wage workers build up their retirement savings and meet their daily needs as they work. Since WIS started in 2007, a total of $5.5 billion has been paid to about 830,000 recipients, of which, $3.7 billion went to their CPF for their retirement; $1.8 billion was given to them in cash to supplement their income.
Besides supplementing their income, Workfare Training Support (WTS) gives them opportunities to upskill and reskill to improve their employability. Since 2010, more than 270,000 low-wage workers have tapped on WTS to upskill and reskill. And more than $280 million was used to support such training efforts.
Mr Zainal Sapari pointed out that some of our low-wage workers remain vulnerable and may face unfavourable working conditions. We fully share his concerns. MOM and CPF Board are aware of this. We have stepped up public education and enforcement efforts through the WorkRight initiative. WorkRight ensures that low-wage workers are aware of and not denied their employment rights.
Today, eight in 10 employers inspected were found to have complied with the EA and CPF Act. This is an increase from seven in 10 in 2012. So, we see a gradual improvement. We take firm actions, including prosecution, against errant employers. Therefore, I urge Members to inform MOM if they come across workers who are denied their statutory employment rights.
For specific sectors, we also take a more targeted approach. In particular, the tripartite partners have implemented mandatory PWM in the cleaning, security and landscaping sectors. Through PWM, over 70,000 resident workers have benefited from better wages and better career progression. Real wage growth of workers in PWM sectors has exceeded resident median income growth for the past five years. Workers in these sectors also now have clear progression pathways that commensurate with their skills and competencies. Let me further share the progress in each of our PWM sectors in greater detail.
For the cleaning sector, the PWM was announced in 2012 and came into effect in 2014, and we have seen positive results over the years. From 2011 to 2016, the real median gross wages of full-time resident cleaners grew by about 5.7% per annum. We enhanced the Cleaning PWM in December 2016 to increase their wages further. More than 41,000 cleaners can benefit from an increase in the PWM basic wages of between 3.4% and 4.6% per annum for six years, from July 2017 onwards. And from 2020, cleaners will also enjoy a mandatory annual bonus equivalent to at least two weeks of monthly basic wages.
Similarly, we have seen good progress for security officers. Since the PWM was launched in 2014 and implemented in 2016, the real median gross wage of full-time resident security guards grew by 6.4% per annum from 2011 to 2016. The tripartite partners worked together to further enhance the security PWM in November 2017. Over 34,000 resident security officers can now look forward to higher PWM basic wage increases each year of between 4.1% and to 5.7% for six years, from 1 January 2019.
To transform the industry, the tripartite partners took a decisive step to improve the working hours of our security officers. From 1 January 2021, MOM will no longer grant overtime exemption for the security industry. This will reduce their current overtime hours from as high as 95 hours a month, to not more than the statutory limit of 72 hours. And to become more manpower-lean and productive, the industry is committed to adopt greater use of technology. And with these measures in place, workers will stand to benefit from having higher wages and shorter working hours. This is something that we really want to do for our security officers to modernise the industry and also to professionalise their career.
Finally, for the landscape sector, the real median gross wage of full-time resident landscape maintenance workers has increased by 3% per annum from 2011 to 2016. And we continue to work on improving their wages and working conditions. With the cleaning and security PWM enhanced in 2016 and 2017 respectively, the tripartite partners will review and enhance the landscape PWM this year. More details will be announced by the Tripartite Cluster for Landscape Industry (TCL) after the tripartite negotiations have concluded.
Sir, through these tripartite efforts, both our broad-based measures and sectoral efforts have improved the lives of our low-wage workers. The wages and employment conditions for low-wage workers across the board have improved over time.
Over the past five years from 2012 to 2017, the real income growth at the 20th percentile (P20) of full-time employed citizens grew by 4.3% per annum, faster than at the median of 3.9% per annum. And for working hours, not only did their income increase, they also worked shorter hours. Resident low-wage workers worked fewer hours per week, from 49 hours in 2012 to 46 hours in 2017. On job security, there was also greater job security for low-wage workers. More workers were placed on permanent contracts and the number of casual on-call workers has decreased.
Even so, the work does not stop for us. In MOM, we will continue to work with the tripartite workers to support sustainable wage increases through PWM and raise employment standards through best sourcing.
Given the good progress in the three PWM sectors, we want to see further adoption of PWM in other sectors. PWM can benefit workers beyond low-wage workers, to other rank-and-file workers as well.
As a start, lift firms and unions are working with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to introduce a voluntary PWM for lift technicians. This is especially useful, with a growing demand for lift technicians in Singapore. MOM will support them in this effort. More details will be announced by the industry when ready.
MOM also stands ready to support the tripartite partners to develop and adopt PWM voluntarily for other sectors.
Second, the Government will further safeguard the basic employment rights of outsourced workers in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors. Today, employment law criteria are already part of the professional accreditation and grading frameworks for the cleaning and security sectors respectively. We will take a further step to introduce employment law criteria for the landscape sector.
Starting this year, NParks will introduce employment law criteria in the Landscape Company Register (LCR). Going forward, employers in these three outsourced sectors stand to lose their eligibility to bid for Government contracts, if they contravene employment-related offences.
Additionally, from January 2019 onwards, the Government will only procure from companies with consistent track records in their employment and professional standards. We will require cleaning, security and landscape companies to have two consecutive accreditation status, good grading and LCR status respectively. More details will be shared with the respective industries in the coming weeks. This means that companies in these three PWM sectors must treat their workers fairly in order to qualify for Government contracts.
Through this measure, the Government is taking the lead. The Labour Movement and the PWM tripartite committees led by Mr Zainal Sapari will urge more businesses to follow suit. Mr Zainal Sapari is the champion for low-wage workers. And I hope more businesses will heed the call and adopt similar best sourcing practices.
The tripartite partners will also continue to find ways to improve the employment conditions of workers in these PWM sectors. To this end, the PWM tripartite committees should study further measures, such as Mr Zainal Sapari's proposal to mandate rest areas in these outsourced sectors.
Mr Zainal Sapari has also asked to compel employers to pay for outpatient treatment for low-wage workers. However, our worry is that doing so may inadvertently affect the employability of workers with poorer health. So, this is the very group of vulnerable workers that the tripartite partners are trying to help. We do not want to introduce something that may inadvertently create implications for them which will impact their employment opportunities.
Sir, let me recap our schemes. Under our CPF system, employers are already required to contribute to their employees' MediSave. At the same time, the Government makes additional MediSave contribution to low-wage workers via schemes, such as WIS.
And we have our 3Ms, meaning MediSave, MediShield Life and MediFund, and other significant Government subsidies through schemes, such as the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS). No Singaporean will be denied access to healthcare because of their inability to pay.
Mr Zainal Sapari also called for mandatory AWS for low-wage workers. Under our existing Flexible and Performance-based wage systems, a worker's total annual wage package is made up of three components: monthly fixed component; monthly variable component and annual variable component where AWS is part of the annual variable component.
This design of monthly fixed, monthly variable and annual variable components varies widely across industries, companies and even occupations. As such, the consensus of the tripartite partners is to give employers and unions the flexibility to negotiate their total annual wage package, including AWS, and not mandate the structure of the wage payments.
Sir, I have spoken about our efforts to support older workers and low-wage workers. Our initiatives will particularly help the group of older low-wage workers. For example, they receive higher WIS payouts and benefit more from PWM.
Besides supporting older and low-wage workers, we should ensure that our workplaces are inclusive for all. Not only should we make every worker a better worker, every job a better job, we should also do our best to make every workplace a better workplace. A better and more inclusive workplace has no room for discrimination on account of gender, race or mental condition.
And I thank Dr Intan, Mr Muhamad Faisal Manap, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh and Ms Tin Pei Ling for raising this point. To this end, all employers should embrace fair and merit-based employment, as stipulated in TGFEP. MOM will also take appropriate enforcement actions against employers found to have engaged in unfair employment practices.
At the same time, we should make our workplace more accommodating towards persons with disabilities, as pointed out by Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin. The Government supports employers in this aspect. For example, the Open Door Programme (ODP) provides funding support to employers who hire persons with disabilities and redesign jobs for them.
Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Kok Heng Leun and Mr Louis Ng asked about protections and measures in place for our migrant workforce, including electronic payment of salary, employment contract and recruitment practices. We are fully committed to protecting the well-being of our foreign workers.
There are laws and policies for areas, including salary payment and local employment agency fees. By law, foreign workers are to be issued the Key Employment Terms (KETs) within 14 days of arrival. The KETs state clearly the employment terms, including working hours, leave benefits and the salary amount. It is an offence under our law for employers to reduce the salary from what is stated in the In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter without the worker’s written consent. To limit the financial burden on workers, local employment agencies are also prohibited from charging foreign workers recruitment fees more than one month of their salary per year of service.
We also ensure that foreign workers know their rights and responsibilities, and we assist them proactively when they need help. We work with our partners, for example, the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), to educate both workers and employers on the benefits of salary e-payment. MWC also assists foreign workers with valid salary claims to seek employment.
Finally, Mr Melvin Yong has spoken on WSH. Ten years ago, we set ourselves a \"WSH 2018\" target of reducing the workplace fatality injury rate from 2.8 per 100,000 workers in 2008 to 1.8 by 2018. I am happy to report that we have made significant progress, thanks to efforts from the tripartite partners, WSH professionals and workers. Our workplace fatality rate dropped to 1.2 last year. As mentioned by Minister Lim Swee Say just now, this is the lowest rate recorded for the whole workforce. But we should not be complacent. We are still lagging behind other countries with a workplace fatality rate of less than one.
We can do more. Over the next 10 years, we must aspire to provide our workers with workplaces that are among the safest and healthiest in the world. To do so, we need new breakthroughs in our strategy. We should chart out a comprehensive plan for WSH development over the next 10 years. To do this, I am pleased to announce that we will convene a new WSH2028 Tripartite Strategy Committee (WSH2028 Committee).
This Committee will comprise leaders from industry, unions and key players in the WSH landscape and it will consult widely in the course of its work. It will be chaired by Mr John Ng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Singapore LNG Corporation, who is also a WSH Council member.
Mr Melvin Yong has given good ideas on how to improve our WSH programmes, such as near-miss reporting, WSH representatives in companies and many others. The WSH2028 Committee will study all these suggestions.
While the WSH2028 Committee will formulate specific recommendations, I will now want to take this opportunity to sketch out broad areas that the Committee will look in.
First, we will find ways to strengthen WSH ownership among companies and workers. This means being self-motivated to improve WSH. The Committee will study how we can influence everyone from C-suite executives to rank-and-file workers to being more committed to WSH.
Second, we should increase integration of workplace safety with workplace health as part of Total WSH. Improving both workplace safety and workplace health is important because they reinforce each other. We will study further ways to help companies detect and reduce both safety and health risks.
Third, we need to deepen WSH capabilities of companies and workers, such as by raising the competencies of WSH professionals and improving the quality of WSH training providers.
Fourth, we want to strengthen partnerships with different stakeholders to promote and reinforce positive WSH behaviour. This includes having insurers price premiums more accurately based on claims history by companies, and technology companies providing solutions to detect risky work situations, and hospitals reintegrating injured workers as part of the Return-to-Work programme.
Lastly, the Committee will review the regulatory regime to ensure that it remains effective without excessive burden on compliant companies. The Committee will consider ideas, such as differentiating our enforcement approach based on firms’ or companies' past track records. The WSH2028 Committee will start work in April and intends to complete its report in a year’s time.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, I have outlined the key efforts of MOM in supporting older and low-wage workers, and promoting inclusive, safe and healthy workplaces. Through our tripartite efforts, we have made encouraging progress in these areas plus, as we always say, we are not satisfied with what the progress has been and will always look for new areas for improvements.
So, we will press on with our efforts to make Singapore a great workplace for our workers.
The Chairman: Clarifications? Mr Kok Heng Leun.
Mr Kok Heng Leun: I would like to thank the Second Minister for the reply on SEPs. I am glad to hear that MOM is looking for insurance for prolonged medical leave. I would like to speak on behalf of a lot of the dance community who go to school and Community Centres to teach. They are, quite a lot of times, susceptible to injuries. So, I hope that this group can be included in it.
Secondly, also the stage technicians who would work both indoors and outdoors in events. There is a lot of possibility of casualties during the process. And I hope that it can also be included.
For the third question, I wish to direct it to Minister of State Sam Tan. Previously, with regard to my questions, the Ministry had agreed to check on how the Koreans have been recruiting their foreign workers. I would like to have an update on whether that was followed through and, if so, what was the outcome?
The Chairman: Minister Josephine Teo.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Member for sharing his concerns about the dance community as well as the stage technicians. We will certainly be very keen to get in touch with the associations that they belong to and to explore ways in which we can promote the adoption of long medical leave insurance as a norm for their occupations.
The Chairman: Minister of State Sam Tan.
Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong: I thank the Member for his enquiry on the status of South Korea's recruitment system. MOM has studied the South Korean system. Essentially, under the South Korean model, the Government becomes the Employment Agent for foreign workers. Based on our experience, I do not think this will be practical for the Singapore situation. We have a far greater proportion of foreign workers in Singapore. One third, or 1.1 million, of our workers are foreign workers.
So, it is not feasible for the Government to be a surrogate employment agency for this big group of foreign workers. After very thorough studies, we do not think the South Korean model is something that can be adopted in Singapore effectively.
The South Korean model cannot guarantee that the source country where the foreign workers are imported from would take prudent measures or effective measures to protect the foreign workers from being exploited by the middlemen in the source country. Under the South Korean system, the Government can do something to protect the interest of the foreign workers in South Korea, it does not have the jurisdictions to do something at the source country.
In Singapore, we have put in place many measures to protect the interest of our foreign workers. We have legislated an Act, the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, to protect the rights of the foreign workers. We also work with many voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to help the foreign workers.
Lastly, we have also been actively engaging the foreign embassies where they have foreign workers working in Singapore to make sure, from time to time, that if there are issues concerning the well-being of their foreign workers, we can take up these issues with the foreign embassies. We ask them to pay attention on the treatment of their foreign workers within their own source country.
All in all, we have studied this and, with due respect, it is something that it is still quite new in South Korea. We do not think that it would be practical for us to implement the same approach or same system in Singapore.
The Chairman: Mr Low Thia Khiang.
Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, I think we should protect our local employers and local workers more than foreign workers. Clarification, please.
Firstly, what is the current profile of the long-term unemployed workers compared to 2016? Secondly, whether agencies like e2i and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) would focus more on service of these long-term unemployed workers who seek help because there was feedback that they had visited these agencies for several times but remain unemployed.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, the long-term unemployed includes those who are PMETs as well as rank-and-file. They are also of various age groups. To Mr Low's question about whether they get help from WSG as well as NTUC-e2i, the answer is yes. I shared that, last year, we helped 6,600 of them. For those persons who are helped, the help to them was real and not imagined. As for profile, I am not sure exactly what Mr Low is seeking. But if he could let me know, we will try and find out and share with him.
The Chairman: Mr Ang Hin Kee.
Mr Ang Hin Kee: A question for the Second Minister. We are, of course, concerned that many aspiring young people want to be freelancers, especially those who want to be private hire car drivers or taxi drivers. But moving forward, with the advent of things like autonomous vehicles, there may be a danger that some of them may enter into a career whereby they may be displaced.
So, I would like to enquire if the career counsellors and coaches would be equipped to guide individuals who aspire to be freelancers to make an informed choice or to direct them towards employment that is of a permanent nature, such as an employee-employer relationship, other than the fact that they just make up their mind to probably enter into a lower entry barrier job of a freelancer.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, to Mr Ang's question, at present, if we look at the profile of the SEPs who took up self-employment work more recently, they are quite a mixed bag. They include those that he highlighted, such as media freelancers. They also include people who have taken up work like private hire car driving.
The main thing is that it depends on whether they are doing it as their primary livelihood. If they are doing it as a primary livelihood, then we are, of course, more interested in whether this is their preferred model of work. If they are doing it as a secondary form of employment, it is something that they decided to take on to earn an additional stream of income, we do not have any issues with that.
But we agree with the Member that it probably makes good sense to reach out to career counsellors, those who work with students, in particular, whether they are at the polytechnics or universities, or even other institutions, as well as our own career coaches, to help them appreciate what it is like to be a freelancer and the challenges that are faced, so that they can give correct advice. So, this is something that we can follow up on.
The Chairman: Minister of State Sam Tan.
Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong: Mr Chairman, I would like to respond to the comment made by hon Member Mr Low Thia Khiang. He mentioned just now that while we are looking after the well-being of foreign workers, we should also protect our local workers. He made a very important point here and I fully agree with him.
In fact, our local workers are always close to our hearts. This is why we have very comprehensive legislation to protect the workers' rights. The Minister has mentioned earlier in his speech about making an amendment to the EA. We also have a slew of many other programmes like Adapt and Grow, PCP, CSP, WIS and all that. The sole purpose is to provide a wide range of programmes and assistance to help our local workers to adapt and grow and then also to develop, so that they will be able to secure better job security and employment prospects. I share totally Mr Low Thia Khiang's point that local workers are always the core interest of the Government.
Bearing in mind that while we look after the local workers, we should also treat our foreign workers fairly, so that there is this complementarity between the local and the foreign workers. Otherwise, the ideal situation described by Minister Lim Swee Say of \"two-thirds plus one-third, is greater than one\" would not happen. If we treat our local workers better than foreign workers, then we will see the situation of \"two-thirds plus one-third is less than one\". This is not the situation that we would like to see.
The Chairman: Mr Dennis Tan.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Mr Chairman, I have a question for Minister Lim Swee Say. At the Second Reading of the Employment Claims Bill in August 2016, I suggested to the Ministry that we have one tribunal to handle salary claims, unfair dismissal as well as discrimination. So, I am happy to hear and I welcome the Minister's announcement that we are going to have a one-stop Dispute Resolution Centre to handle salary claims and unfair dismissal.
My question to the Minister is: would the Minister consider, at some point in the future, to expand the service of this Dispute Resolution Centre to include claims and complaints relating to discrimination and workplace harassment? The Minister of State Sam Tan correctly mentioned just now that MOM looks into cases of complaints of discrimination against, for example, older workers.
Mr Lim Swee Say: Mr Chairman, basically the disputes provided for under the EA are what MOM can handle. When ECT was set up, it was set up to handle only salary-related claims. Even so, the tripartite partners decided that we will go on voluntary mediation for disputes which are not salary related. In other words, we currently do not have the legal rights to mediate non-salary related claims, but we did it on the basis whereby we asked the employers/employees whether they are prepared to do so on a voluntary basis.
As it turned out, the percentage was, if I recall correctly, at least more than 70% of them were prepared to do so. With that in mind, we have decided why not take the next step to formalise it? So, that is what we are doing.
Mr Dennis Tan asked whether some of these dispute resolutions would come under ECT. For those wrongful dismissal disputes which are covered under EA, they will all be transferred to ECT. So, that is the next step. All salary-related and wrongful dismissal disputes, which were covered under the EA, will now be transferred to ECT entirely.
In addition to that, because we have removed the salary ceiling, more people can now qualify for EA. As a result, more of them, next year, when we amend the Act, will be able to benefit from the one-stop service from ECT.
The Chairman: Ms Jessica Tan.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: Mr Chairman, Minister Josephine Teo had shared with regard to the comprehensive Labour Force Survey that was done regarding the gender pay gap. Could I ask a clarification? It is troubling to hear that there is still an 11.8% gap, although there have been improvements. But the Minister did share that some of the causes were relating to women stepping out of the workforce and then returning to the workforce. I do hope that MOM will work with the employers, if they are returning back to the workforce and they are doing the value of the job, and they do have the competencies for the job, they should not be penalised. They should be paid the same value of that job, and it should be performance-based rather than how long you have been in the job or whether you have taken time out of the workforce.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, I thank the Member Ms Jessica Tan for giving me an opportunity to say a little bit more about how we look at the data. I asked to look at the data within the public sector and it was quite interesting. For a particular scheme of service, in fact, the median pay of the female officers was higher than the males. So, I wondered why. And as it turns out, the composition of the females and the males in the workforce also matters a great deal. It turns out that the nature of the work performed by females in the public sector lend themselves to earning higher pay.
What I would say is this: when we look at the gender pay gap, whether it is numbers compiled by ValuePenguin or whether it is even based on our comprehensive Labour Force Survey, we should not take it at face value. The fact that more women might have exited the workforce and, as a result, in terms of cumulative length of service is perhaps not as high, that contributes to the gender pay gap. Composition of the male workforce and the female workforce, and what kinds of work are being done, also matter.
If we dug deeper and looked at the gender pay gap within occupations, and then controlled for years of service, I half suspect that the gap is not going to look as high as it does. But having said that, putting all of those things aside, it is still the right thing to do for us to enable as many women as possible to stay in the workforce, give them a chance to grow their careers, and not to have to choose between family and work. That is the right thing to do to enable them to fulfil all of their aspirations for work and family, and we will press on to do that.
Also, if we look at the whole slew of measures that can be taken, by far, the one that perhaps will make the most difference is the availability of FWAs because the reality of their lives are that, at home, there will still be responsibilities to be shared. Even if they have a spouse, a partner, who is willing and able to chip in, very often, exigencies require them to take time out. How do we best enable persons with caregiving responsibilities, not just women, to remain active in the workforce? That must be the thrust of our efforts.
The Chairman: Dr Intan Mokhtar.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: Mr Chairman, I would like to address this to the Second Minister. My question is similar to the hon Member Ms Jessica Tan; it is about the gender pay gap. It is heartening to know that, if you look at the public sector, the gap is probably not as much as 11.8% that the Minister shared earlier. But are there plans to address this gender pay gap and further reduce it, especially in the private sector and, especially those in senior management positions? Because I shared the data in my speech earlier that, specifically, for those who are earning more than $11,000 a month, the number of male employees is twice that of female employees. If we can try and reduce that difference further in the senior management positions, that would be good.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, as I had explained, it is not entirely clear to me that there are, in fact, very significant gender pay gaps, after you have controlled for occupation and for years of service. The best thing that we can do is go back to what will enable the women to make progress in their careers, which is not to exit, and the way in which to do it is to make FWAs available to them.
I should just make a small point. I looked at the public sector data and it was quite interesting. Certainly, among the superscale officers, there is no difference between the male and female officers. For the other grades, as I had mentioned, sometimes, it has to do with the composition, what kinds of work they are doing. I hope that addresses the Member's question.
The Chairman: Ms Thanaletchimi.
Ms K Thanaletchimi: Two clarifications. One, on CTP. Does CTP apply to private and public sector and Government agencies, or is it only for the private sector?
The second question is on workplace abuse and harassment. I just wish to know Second Minister Josephine Teo's take on what she feels about having a Tripartite Standard for managing workplace abuse and harassment rather than having it subsumed under the Grievance Handling or Grievance Management Tripartite Standard. This is to give more clarity to employers on how exactly to manage situations like that, rather than making it more a general statement under the Grievance Handling Tripartite Standard.
Mr Lim Swee Say: Mr Chairman, my answer is a quick one. For CTP, funding support is only for the private sector organisations, not for public sector.
The Chairman: Ms Thanaletchimi.
Ms K Thanaletchimi: That means, does it apply to the healthcare sector because it is like quasi-Government?
Mr Lim Swee Say: The healthcare sector, I think for the hospitals, you are not considered Government, right?
Ms K Thanaletchimi: It is quasi.
Mr Lim Swee Say: Exactly. So long as you are a private sector organisation, you can apply.
The Chairman: Minister Josephine Teo.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, I have to address Ms Thanaletchimi's question. I should say that these interventions can evolve over time. We will take the suggestion and we will look at it. If there is a good reason for us to have a separate Tripartite Standard, yes, I think so, but let us take a look at it.
I should also just supplement my reply to Dr Intan Mokhtar. In the private sector, it is very hard for the Government to intervene. But I cannot imagine why in the private sector, the employers would not figure that they should reward according to talent. If there are specific instances where someone has been discriminated against, I will be very interested to find out.
The Chairman: Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: Mr Chairman, I thank the Second Minister for her responses to the Silver Support and CPF LIFE issues. I have two clarifications.
Regarding the Second Minister's statement that Silver Support payouts using flat sizes is an uncomplicated way to measure household support, that is reasonable. The first question is I am wondering whether the cutting up of the payouts in the four tiers, 1- and 2-room flats is $750 and all the way to 5-room flats, it becomes $300. Is this too fine a banding and creating, therefore, a kind of complicated picture of household support that is much more complicated than what is on the ground? For one, 1-room and 2-room flats can be combined with 3-room flats. I think a lot of seniors who are caught up in that kind of situation where they need our support from Silver Support, living in those flats would be quite similar.
The second question that I have is regarding the appeal process. The Second Minister said that it is an uncomplicated measure, yes. But there could be complicated life situations that the seniors face due to support issues from household members. They might be living in 5-room flats and they might be making an appeal for eligibility. Could they also make an appeal in terms of the quantum?
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, the answer to the latter question is, yes, they can appeal for either the quantum or eligibility. Both types of appeals are seriously looked into. I accept the fact that, regardless of housing type, people can have complicated family arrangements. There have been cases where we have reviewed and drawn the conclusion that they are worthy of higher support from the Silver Support. So, that can be done.
As to the Member's other question about whether the flat type is cut too finely, well, service and conservancy charges are dependent on also that type of clustering. So, from that perspective, it has not been a difficulty.
The Chairman: Mr Louis Ng.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: Chairman, I have three clarifications. First with regard to my cut on Maternity Protection, can I ask whether Singapore will consider ratifying the ILO Convention on Maternity Protection?
Second, I might have missed the reply, but can MOM set up and maintain the public database for employers to voluntarily declare that they have written policies to manage workplace harassments or that they have implemented the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment?
The third question, to the Minister of State, is whether he can clarify why employers need to pay salaries of S Pass holders electronically but not for Work Permit holders. I thought I should also respond to the Minister's shoelace story, just to share with Members of this House that if you do see a wild animal, it is best not to run. Best to stay still.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Chairman, to the question on Maternity Protection, our women should feel secure that they can remain in work even when they get pregnant. Our laws provide sufficient protection against dismissal during pregnancy as well as Maternity Leave. We do get referrals to look into cases and we will take the errant employers to task. If Mr Louis Ng is aware of specific cases, we will certainly look into them.
It does not always require for us to sign on to the ILO's Convention. We are party to the declaration that the ILO has, and we have a very long-standing partnership with the ILO. But all of the ILO Conventions are very binary in nature. When you sign on to one Convention, you must accept every single clause that is specified in the Convention. The difficulty is that, sometimes, we are party to other treaties or agreements that would make it very difficult for us to adhere so strictly to all of the items specified. As a country that values very strongly our commitment whenever we sign on these international conventions, we do not take them lightly.
But let me assure the Member that the laws in Singapore already provide adequate protection to women who become pregnant, as well as when they are on Maternity Leave.
The Chairman: Well, animal or no animal, some of us need to run. Would the Member wish to withdraw his amendment?
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: In closing, I thank my fellow Parliamentary colleagues who, together with me, filed 54 cuts and shared their thoughts, views, questions and suggestions. I believe it has thrown greater light on the challenges we face as a country and the right things we must do to better our work, workforce and workplaces amidst the backdrop of digitalisation, disruption and demographic changes.
I would like to thank Minister Lim Swee Say, Second Minister Josephine Teo and Minister of State Sam Tan Chin Siong for their comprehensive updates, responses and the slew of new initiatives, policies and programmes which we can look forward to. I would also want to thank Permanent Secretary Aubeck, Deputy Secretaries Augustine and Ping Soon and the MOM team, including the Statutory Boards, for their hard work behind the scenes.
Sir, on a personal note, I would like to thank the former Manpower Minister and also the current Ministers of Manpower for realising my dream and wish to not just raise the salary cap, but also to remove it entirely in the Employment Act. With that, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
The Chairman: You are welcome.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $1,683,874,300 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $24,183,800 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Order, I propose to take a break now.
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.15 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 2.53 pm until 3.15 pm.
Sitting resumed at 3.15 pm
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
[(proc text) Debate in Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
Sir, I want to first thank the educators, families and students who have given me input on what they think are important to the future of education in Singapore.
On changes gone right, the most significant move that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has made in recent years is its bold decision to rope in SkillsFuture and adopt developing the capabilities of adult learners under its belt. Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) are now chartered to embark on aggressive continued education and skills training for the adult workforce. The messaging and measures by the two Education Ministers on skills mastery, applied learning and broader school and IHL admission criteria are necessary in a landscape that has over-indulged in the academic paper chase.
However, Sir, the relentless changes to the education and employment landscapes remain. Technology and product and service lifecycles and shelf lives get shorter. Anything that can be repeated and learnt by machines will be replaced by machines. Futurists, such as Ray Kurzweil, predict that soon, a computer that cost US$1,000 will possess the cognitive capability of a human being by 2029.
On key education trends: the writing is on the wall. Just as in business, rapid changes are sweeping through the education landscape. Google \"key education trends\" and you will find at least 90% of the search results reflect key trends in the realm of technology − virtual reality, augmented reality, even mixed reality, cloud technology, learning analytics, coding and the Internet of Things (IoT). Other trends include the move from Pedagogy (child-focused teaching approaches), to Andragogy (the study of teaching adults), to Heutagogy (self-directed learning); and from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) to develop critical thinking and more creative approaches to problem solving. I would like to seek the Ministers' responses to my following questions.
How has MOE kept pace with these new education trends that are the outcome of rapid technological and economic disruptions? How has the work of the Council for the Future Economy (CFE) and Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) affected the shape of education for students and educators?
The 21st Century Competency Model drawn up by MOE has been developed quite some time ago, more than a decade. When was the last time this has been reviewed and how does the prevailing work by CFE and Smart Nation change curriculum creation, development and assessment in schools and IHLs?
What is the state of the SkillsFuture movement and what else can be done to urge Singaporeans to take even greater ownership and action to be ready for further disruptions in the labour market?
As all of the IHLs aggressively embark on Continuing Education and Training (CET), directed by MOE, potential overlapping and unnecessary competition are bound to emerge. How will MOE prevent this and instead enhance the synergy that can arise? Would the Government even consider renaming MOE as the Ministry for Life-Long Learning to put the emphasis on lifelong and self-directed learning and remove barriers to learning for all citizens?
On the role of educators in the future world: the pervasiveness of mobile devices, such as smartphones, smart watches and tablets, has already overtaken desktop browsing. M-learning, instead of e-learning, enables learners to access content even more freely. Educators will need the technical and pedagogical support to integrate M-learning in their curricula. As a consultant told me, the role of educators is to think carefully now about the things that they typically do.
Can the Minister update this House on how aware and prepared are our educators in their changing role in this new world of education? What proportion of them are still in the mode of repeating lectures or rehearsing for high-stakes exams? How have we equipped our educators to take on the role of designers of quality learning experiences, curators of content available online, creators of content and coaches of their students in matters of life?
Should there be an ITM as well for the educators to build the capability and deep skills of educators to keep pace with the needs of 21st century learners? How do educators of the future address skills deficits in the workforce and, if that is getting increasingly unpredictable, how do we prepare the students to acquire more learning agility to face the future?
On equal access to opportunities for all students: much has been spoken at last week's Budget Debate on inequality and/or inequity amongst citizens from low-income households versus others who are more affluent. Whilst it is true that it is hard to ensure equality in life outcomes, it is certainly possible for the Government to do even more to ensure equal access to opportunities in learning and exposures that will further one's future readiness.
The money and meals provided in the EduSave and Meals programme in Budget 2018 are appreciated. But we need to also update and articulate the changing nature of the gaps in today's setting. Holiday and/or enrichment programmes of children from more affluent backgrounds, for instance, have now moved from speech, drama and music lessons to the 21st century's coding, robotics, 3-D printing bootcamps and the like.
A concern that has been raised globally is that of Digital Equity. As mobile devices become the gateways to learning, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programmes allow students to use their own devices in a classroom, there must be found a way by which learners from all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to learning devices in schools up to IHLs. Can MOE please provide an update on what has been done in this aspect of digital equity?
On existing hot-button issues of over-emphasis on high-stakes exams and the tuition syndrome, it is not uncommon to tease parents whose children are taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) that they themselves are also taking the PSLE. It is not uncommon to still hear parents who are highly anxious and highly strung as they report that their children are taking the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations. The tuition industry is still a booming industry because doing well in high-stakes exams is still the ultimate aim of many parents and teachers of especially primary school and secondary school education.
Teachers also have learnt to \"teach to test\". I know of a young girl who is talented in singing and speech and drama but who is taking an Electrical Engineering Course in the Institute of Education (ITE). She achieved a score of 14 in her GCE Normal (Academic) level exams with 2As and 4Bs but only qualify for the Direct-Entry Scheme to Polytechnic Programme (DPP) which does not have any options in Performing or Creative Arts in the ITE or polytechnic. She will spend her next two years in an engineering course in the hope that she can obtain a Higher-National ITE Certificate (NITEC) so that she can apply for Laselle or the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). She would have qualified, her mum says, if she had done better in her academics.
Her mother wrote to me, \"Ms Phua, I am sharing this in the hope that it serves as an opportunity to point our education system to areas where we can do differently, to better cater to a wider spectrum of needs, as the time and tide have changed. Although MOE has acknowledged Howard Gardner's work on multiple intelligences, our school system still leans towards our traditional definition of academic excellence\".
If we have improved in dealing with these hot button issues, why do many parents and students still fret incessantly over them? Could it be that it is insufficient to simply tweak the system through changes, such as PSLE banding instead of T-scores, by allowing subject combinations instead of removing the labels of Express, Normal (Academic) (NA) and Normal (Technical) (NT) and Special Schools? Are we merely rearranging the chairs on the deck and not making deep enough changes? In this age of disruptions, do we dare proactively disrupt our current education systems by slaying some of the sacred cows that we inherited from the proverbial third Industrial Revolution when we are already in the fourth?
One sacred cow is, of course, the PSLE, a practice we have inherited for decades. I have many times in this House shared on how we need to remove this structural thorn in the flesh of the system. There are highly respected education systems globally which do not sort students at the age of 12. I recall what a very dedicated MOE mainstream educator told me, and I quote, \"Ms Phua, I know there are a lot of things to consider before we can abolish PSLE. But the fact of the matter is − if you ask a teacher if he or she would teach differently in a class if there is no PSLE, I am quite sure the answer is a yes. There are just not enough time and room to develop the skills they need to survive in the future world – skills like creativity, flexibility, 21st century competencies that MOE has been advocating. We need more time to look into non-examinable subjects, such as inquiry, discovering and development of strengths of our students\".
Last year, at the Committee of Supply (COS), I spoke about Alibaba founder, Jack Ma, and his partner's intent to start the YunGu School – a 15-year through train system up to high school. I do not believe my reference was acknowledged or addressed. I had been stalking the online media of YunGu School and it has been inspiring so far – with a strong values base and a good balance in information technology (IT), other Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects. I have great confidence that Singapore can design an even more superior localised model. Do we dare pilot a through-train school of the future and, if good enough, scale it?
Past designers of the Singapore education system have often prided themselves in taking an evolutionary instead of a revolutionary approach. But in a time such as this, we must have the dare to go beyond tweaking our school system or we will end up taking one step forward and two steps backward in preparing an education model that befits the future.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Mr Zainal Sapari.
Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, the future of our children depends on what we are willing to do for education today. We want to prepare our students to lead productive and successful lives once they leave the education system and enter the realm of working life. Given the rapid changes around us, we may not know exactly what lies ahead for our students in the future and, at best, we can only try to ascertain what skillsets they might need by looking at current trends. Our graduating students must compete in an increasingly borderless world for the best jobs and, hence, they will need to be nimble, flexible and dynamic and ready to recognise and respond swiftly to emerging trends that call for new solutions, many of which moved into attempts into technological innovation.
The students of today are adept at incorporating new technologies into their lives. I believe that we should tap into these new inclinations of our students and imbibe skills which would continue to make our labour force competitive to employers.
I would like to ask the Minister what some of the fundamental shifts in pedagogy and curriculum are that MOE is looking into to prepare our students for the future, because I believe education is the key for us to be ready for the future.
Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast): Chairman, there is much to admire about the Singapore education system. Singaporean students consistently achieve top rankings in various international benchmarking exercises, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test in Maths, Science and Reading. Yet, it is just as common to hear dissatisfaction from many quarters about this supposedly high-achieving education system of producing stressed-out, book-smart and exam-focused students who can do with more creativity, life skills, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Parents often feel trapped, together with their kids, in a desperate six-year race to safeguard their children's destinies by the tender age of 12.
Policymakers have acknowledged the need for change. Steps are being taken to adjust the PSLE system, provide multiple pathways and applied learning in schools, internships and aptitude-based admissions to IHLs. However, so far, steps taken are merely incremental. The question is, what more needs to be done to keep Singapore ahead of the game in a new era of global talent?
With Industry 4.0, we need to move faster and bolder and continue to make education a strategic advantage to stay ahead globally. The successful reinvention of our educational system depends on transforming pedagogy and redesigning learning tasks. How can we spend less time in high-stakes exam preparations and more time in the joy of learning? How can we spend less time memorising facts and concepts and more time applying these to solve real-life problems? How can we nurture creative thinking, manage complex problems through collaboration and expose our students to a diversity of cultures, languages and practices in order to prepare them to be truly global citizens?
I believe our education system may prove to be Singapore's greatest strategic asset. We are blessed with highly-engaged parents, well-trained educators and generously-funded education institutions. We are well-poised to take the lead and make the necessary transformations to position Singaporeans strongly in the new economy, by making education a key pillar of our economic transformation efforts.
Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister what steps MOE is taking to transform our education system to strongly position our future generations for Industry 4.0.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, there are much needed and significant moves in the preschool sector which have placed greater importance on quality early childhood education for our children. More anchor operators and partner operators have been approved, MOE has come onboard preschool education with the setting up of MOE Kindergartens (MKs) and the Government is setting up the National Institute of Early Development (NIEC).
With these moves, there is also a need to raise the quality of early childhood educators. While NIEC will help to set benchmarks for standards of teaching and learning in the early childhood sector, early childhood educators must also be convinced that their professions are valued.
First, salaries for early childhood educators must increase and be made comparable to that of professionals from other sectors. Second, career pathways need to be made clear and attainable for early childhood educators who seek to pursue preschool teaching as a career. Third, sufficient recognition, rewards and incentives must also be made available for preschool educators, similar to how such recognition, rewards and incentives are available to mainstream primary and secondary school teachers. In addition, there ought to be opportunities for preschool educators to be seconded to lower primary school levels, such as Primary 1 and 2, and vice versa.
We could probably pilot this with our MK teachers first. This experience will help both our preschool and lower primary school educators better understand the transition required of our students as they progress from preschool to primary school. This will facilitate the planning of programmes as well as teaching and learning strategies at both the preschool and lower primary school levels that can help make the transition easier for our children. On top of that, it will also help our educators identify children who may be facing learning challenges to be identified earlier and proper intervention can then be rendered.
I would like to propose for faculty members of NIEC to not just be academics with little or no experience in the early childhood sector or in teaching. While theoretical and academic underpinnings are important, practical and grounded experience are equally important, if not more, particularly in dealing with young children and impressionable minds. I would propose for faculty members of NIEC to be appointed from among senior and experienced early childhood practitioners as well as academics from the sector. I would also propose for NIEC to consider running programmes that can equip stay-at-home mothers or fathers and grandparents or retirees with the requisite knowledge and skills to be caregivers to young children, whether to fulfil familial responsibilities or as a career option. Sufficient support and a conducive learning environment at home are equally important in providing quality early childhood education and development for our children.
While we strive to close the gaps in the provision of early childhood education in our preschools, we also need to help parents and grandparents create the same supportive and conducive environment at home for our children that can facilitate their learning and growth.
For the stay-at-home mothers or fathers and retirees who are trained as caregivers to young children, they can also be considered as teaching assistants or edu-carers in our MKs or other preschool centres to support our preschool educators.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): Recently, my friend from the corporate sector attended a kick-off meeting, where staff was introduced to the concept of VUCA, which stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous, and the importance for both staff and organisation to be aware of and thrive in a VUCA environment.
Similarly, in 2013, the then-Minister for Education envisaged what every Singapore child should achieve in 10 years of basic education, where deliberate shifts are made away from academic grades towards providing opportunities for students through diverse and real-world learning experiences to discover their interests and talents, develop life skills and find joy in learning because if the real world when they grow up is going to get more VUCA, then all the rigours in academia will not save them.
A 2015 survey done jointly by The Straits Times and research company Nexus Link found a staggering seven in 10 parents of children from preschool to secondary levels sending them to tuition classes.
All in all, they spent $1.1 billion a year on tuition, according to the national Household Expenditure Survey released in 2014. I am sure this number would be even higher now.
So, I wish to ask the Minister to, firstly, provide an update on the Ministry's efforts to set students on a holistic learning trajectory, and how they are bearing fruit, as a midpoint check; secondly, review tuition cost expenditures, which disadvantage and pressurise students of lower socioeconomic backgrounds; and finally, take the lead and provide solid data that there is no link between tuition and better performance, to dispel the herd mentality of many parents.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, the topics on building an innovative workforce and caring society have been discussed extensively in this House over the years. Many Members have proposed and suggested measures and steps to be taken to achieve these two objectives.
Sir, in order for our society to strive towards these goals, it is vital to create a system as well as ambience that allows and, more importantly, facilitates individuals to realise and maximise their potentials.
One of the most effective ways to do so is through our education system. I would like to repeat my call to introduce the teaching of psychology in our secondary schools which I have made twice in this Chamber. Psychology, in its broadest term, is the study of the human mind and behaviour. It has many disciplines, like personality, cognitive behaviour, social perception, to name some.
Individuals who have acquired a knowledge of psychology will most likely be able to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and also of those people around them. By knowing personal strengths and weaknesses, individuals will be better equipped to work on maximising their potential, and this will result in boosted self-esteem and confidence. Naturally, the persons who are motivated will be the ones who try to innovate and think out of the box.
Being aware of others through the learning of psychology will contribute positively towards our ongoing effort in developing a more caring and gracious society. A person who is aware of the existence of different personalities and perspectives will be able to better apply acceptance and tolerance and respect these differences. These are very important values to embrace in making our society more caring and gracious.
Sir, learning of the human mind and behaviour should be done at an appropriate learning stage of a child. According to Jean Piaget, a world-renowned French psychologist, children between the ages of 11 and older, which he termed as the formational/operational stage, are able to use logic to solve problems, view the world around them and plan for the future.
Hence, I would like to urge the Ministry to consider conducting a study to assess the feasibility of introducing psychology in secondary school as a component of the Science subject.
Mr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Chairman, Sir, from my recent exchange with the hon Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary on Members of Parliament (MPs) speaking in schools, and from information subsequently obtained, I am not 100% sure, but it would seem that Government officeholders and grassroots advisers (GRAs) can go into MOE schools to officiate at events, hold dialogues on national issues and interact with students. But MPs in their MP capacity cannot. The Senior Minister of State did not confirm this directly. I would like to ask MOE to now confirm if this is, indeed, correct.
That exchange was headlined in some media outlets as if I was advocating partisan politics in schools whereas the Government wants to keep politics out of schools. That is incorrect. What I am arguing for is that we should balance up the exposure that students already have to People's Action Party (PAP) MPs wearing their GRA or Ministerial hats. The key phrase in what I said is \"both sides\". Our students should be able to hear from and talk with MPs who are not from the ruling party. Why? For two reasons.
Firstly, students should not be exposed to only one set of perspectives on national issues. Students should be able to hear first-hand in their schools the perspectives of duly elected non-PAP MPs on issues of the day, be it our ageing society, public finance or social policies. It is not an adequate response to this to say that students can access views on the Internet. Exposing students to only one set of views from speakers in schools is unhealthy for the development of their critical faculties and their ability to see both sides of an issue. They should be able to pose questions and dialogue with elected public figures, both PAP and non-PAP.
Secondly, this blocks students from understanding the role played by elected MPs other than those from the PAP in our legislative process. MPs from all parties play a role in our legislative process that is enshrined in the Constitution which our students study in schools. Students should have the opportunity to hear directly from non-PAP Members of this House about their experience on the role they play in the national institution of Parliament and in the legislative work it undertakes.
Surely, it cannot be argued that Ministers and GRAs are, by definition, non-political when they talk to students, but non-PAP MPs are, by definition, political. The same strictures on speech and behaviour can be applied to both groups when they go into schools. I believe that both groups should be allowed into schools but not to canvass for a party, not to engage in partisan discussion, not to wear party symbols and so on, that is, to be consistent with Education (Schools) Regulations, section 111.
I know that non-PAP MPs can go into schools in their personal professional capacity. Indeed, I have done that before. But in that capacity, they cannot have dialogues about their role in the legislative process, whereas it would seem that PAP MPs can, wearing their Ministerial or GRA hats.
I have a second question. It appears that in the past, MPs could go into schools in their MP capacity. There are public references online to MPs having officiated at school events in the past as MPs. I am told that there are many plaques in schools recording that a certain MP opened a particular school facility. In former PAP MP Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee's memoirs, he writes on page 18, and I quote, \"I have made this call on many of the schools I spoke at during those early years as MP\".
I noted that on at least two schools' websites that prior to 2011 or thereabouts schools would acknowledge MPs but, after that, the schools referred only to Grassroots Advisers. Would the MOE confirm that this change was, indeed, made in 2011 and why was this change made at that time?
In conclusion, Sir, firstly, would MOE consider allowing all MPs, including Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) into schools to be able to share their perspectives on public affairs in their role in the legislative process as MPs, all subject to the same strictures on speech and behaviour to keep out partisan politics? Secondly, can MOE clarify when was the apparently long-standing policy to allow MPs into schools changed and why was it changed at that time?
Mr Chairman, Sir, we can pin labels that say \"PAP is by definition okay\"; \"non-PAP is by definition partisan and hence not\". But does that serve the best interest of our students who will become the citizens of tomorrow? Let us not make this a conversation about labels. That is a circular argument. Let us make this a conversation about what is best for our students.
The Chairman: Mr Ang Wei Neng, you can take your two cuts together, please.
Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong): Chairman, values are best taught through experiences. Thus, I applaud getting students to volunteer in a community through the Values in Action Programmes.
Many schools send their students overseas to do volunteer work and it is an eye-opener for many students when they visit the villages of neighbouring countries. However, could schools also explore with voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) in the school vicinity so as to directly serve their community? Schools could work with grassroots organisations to identify problems in the community and help to solve them. I hope MOE could dedicate more resources in this respect. Maybe even work with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to come up with a joint registry of VWOs which is open to volunteers from the schools.
Many students cringe when they attend National Education (NE) classes which could be known as different names in different schools but have similar results. Many feel that it is propaganda. The only good thing, in the eyes of the students, is that there is no examination.
However, it is important that our students appreciate the sweat, blood and hardship of our Pioneers in the early days of nation-building and understand and feel proud of how Singapore has transformed from Third-World to First.
Some schools have tried to make NE more interesting. For example, Evergreen Secondary School has just been given facilities for NE sharing and teaching, including an NE learning centre, political leadership corridors, movers and shakers' gallery. Students can follow any trail by downloading an app. And this is an example of a school-based effort. But how do we, as a whole, make any class more interesting and relevant?
Perhaps, MOE could consider using contemporary issues to reflect the reality, constraints and limitations of being a small country. For instance, the detention of nine Terrex infantry vehicles by the Hong Kong government could be used as a case study to reflect how Singapore could react in a crisis. Another possibility is to create milestone experiences where youths can feel proud to be a Singaporean. For example, we could have activities to celebrate the issuing of the pink identity card (IC) to our 15-year-olds.
Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our mother tongue languages (MTLs) form the links to our cultural heritage and are the vehicle for the transmission of our cherished traditions and values. Proficiency in our MTLs helps us to appreciate the richness of our culture and allows us to connect with our roots.
In addition to the recognition and reinforcement of our own identity, our MTLs are invaluable as a glue that gels our communities and enables us to communicate and connect with our counterparts around the region and other parts of the world. For Singapore to continue to embrace this diversity as a strength in our multilingual and multicultural city, a strong command of our MTLs would be critical in helping our students to thrive in a rapidly changing global society.
How will MOE engage our students and community to make the learning of our MTL come alive? What are the steps that MOE will take to ensure that our students develop a deep appreciation and love of our MTLs not just in school, but also outside of school and beyond their schooling years?
Mr Chen Show Mao (Aljunied): Sir, the Budget speaks of plans for economic development to focus on regional cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Many Members have spoken of the importance of our region to our future. I agree with them. Actually, our region is not only important to our future, but also to our past, to our sense of who we are and where we are rooted in the world.
Can we take the opportunity to complement these efforts in economic development with an increased focus in our school curriculum on teaching Bahasa Melayu? It is our National Language and a regional language. Could we help those students who do not otherwise learn Malay in school attain some basic level of proficiency?
I know our children who do not otherwise learn Malay have a lot to do already in school, including learning English, Chinese or Tamil to ever higher levels of proficiency. Many Members have spoken of the importance of that, and they are right. But Bahasa Melayu is our National Language. I believe it would be to the good if all our children could learn it to some basic level of conversational fluency. Such learning will be good for the cognitive and intellectual development of our children. It will also protect and preserve our multiculturalism and promote national integration and a sense of identity.
We currently have conversational third language programmes for Malay at the primary school level as enrichment, but not part of the regular curriculum. As learning languages is best done when young, could the Ministry look into making the conversational third language programme part of the syllabus for our primary school students who do not otherwise learn our National Language, perhaps included as part of the regular curriculum for every primary school student, but without the pressure of examinations?
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: Sir, the attention given to students with special needs in schools has grown from strength to strength, thanks to the MOE team. However, with the backdrop of the rapidly disruptive economy and employment market, I am concerned that this special population would still be left behind unless we put in more strategic focus and priority.
Many students with special needs fall off the cliff after completing their formal schooling at age 18 or 21. Unlike their typical peers, SkillsFuture does not quite cater to them yet. But advances like artificial intelligence (AI) will not only replace low-skilled jobs but also some tasks performed in higher-skilled jobs. How can MOE ensure that persons with special needs can continue to learn and upgrade their academic, vocational and life skills throughout their lives? How have the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and the Smart Nation Initiative specifically supported the special needs community in terms of curriculum development, delivery and assessment and nurture both students and staff?
I propose a Lifelong Learning Masterplan be developed and implemented to empower and equip young and adult learners with special needs to be future-ready.
Recently, I was told of the story of Mary, and this is about enhanced support for those in mainstream schools. I was told the story of Mary, not her real name, who is now 17 years old. Her mother wrote, \"We discovered Mary was musical from Primary 3. She was in the school choir and competed in international choir competitions, winning awards with the school. Also, a strong member of the speech and drama group. She was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and struggled in school with inconsistent learning support for her education needs.
From the Express stream, she switched to the Normal Academic (NA) and, finding difficulty coping socially, she then also developed clinical depression. Despite that, she pressed on with the family, spent much less time in music, passed her GCE N(A) examinations and scored an aggregate of 14 ‒ not good enough to qualify for LaSalle or NAFA because she did not have a GCE \"O\" level certificate. Mary is now in the ITE’s DPP Electrical Engineering programme for eligible GCE \"N\" level students because the programme does not have options in performing or creative arts. She will spend the next two years in an engineering course of no interest to her, in the hope that she can get a NITEC certification in two years so that she can apply for LaSalle or NAFA.\"
Sir, her mother wrote to me, not to complain, but to share to ask if better support could have been given to students with diverse needs and talents like Mary, and if there are other better options for young people like her. Mary’s case is not isolated. A highly-talented visually-impaired young pianist and composer, Adelyn, also faced the same dilemma.
The stricter Mother Tongue exemption policy in mainstream schools, too, has impacted students with diverse needs. A respected psychologist consultant in the private sector who consults for the MOE actually is in grief when countless appeals that he made to exempt his child from Mother Tongue were rejected unless she fails in all subjects. This is notwithstanding the fact that she is diagnosed to have dyspraxia and other learning challenges. Learning is a big struggle and the family is waiting for the 12 years of compulsory education to be over and is seriously contemplating other options for their life after Primary 6. But what of others who are not able to afford other options?
Sir, the current support model in mainstream schools appears to be inadequate and needs a rethinking in terms of the support framework and resources. When I comb through online on what is available in Singapore and compare them to some of the other better models ‒ not all are better, but some are better ‒ there is a stark difference in the depth and quality, quantity of resources available to support learners with special needs in the mainstream classroom.
I, therefore, seek the Minister’s update on what is the existing support model, the adequacy level and the optimal support level that can be provided for students with special needs within (a) primary schools; (b) secondary schools; (c) IHLs, such as the ITEs, polytechnics and the universities.
On Special Education (SPED) schools, I am very thankful to Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary who chaired the Compulsory Education (CE) Committee and good work has been done to understand the needs and also to obtain suggestions from many focus groups, comprising students, staff and families. Many issues were raised that relate to how the quality of SPED schools can be further enhanced so that the stigma could be removed and every SPED school is and perceived as a school of choice for students who are better off in this specialist setting. The work of the CE Committee, I believe, is not over, and I ask MOE to continue to look at enhancing SPED schools in this 4th Industrial Revolution that Singapore is in.
On SPED Academy. Finally, I wish to repeat my COS request last year to set up a Special Education Academy to ensure that, one, the lifelong learning needs of Persons with Special Needs (PSNs) in our country will be addressed so that they can be contributing members to society and lead a quality of life that is not below that of other citizens; two, to also ensure that more educators and other professionals in this field develop deeper capability and skills mastery; three, to ensure that family caregivers can hone their skills and more effectively support their wards with special needs throughout life; and, four, to ensure that employers, colleagues and members of the public can enhance their awareness and skillsets to accept, work with and value PSNs in Singapore.
In conclusion, Sir, children and adults with special needs are not merely statistics and burdens who cost us money. They have potential and can contribute to society, if given a fair chance and the appropriate training and support. They say, it takes a village to raise a child. But it takes a leader to lead the village. For a first-world education system, MOE must lead and assemble the right helping hands and take its place to facilitate stronger support for learners with diverse and special needs in our country.
Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines): I welcome the decision in Budget 2018 to increase support for education. Indeed, every Singaporean should have access to quality education, regardless of their background.
I applaud the efforts over the years to assimilate special needs children into mainstream schools. We have the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), Focused Language Assistance in Reading (FLAiR) programme for those who need additional help in English and Development Support Programme (DSP) to help mild to moderate special needs children to have a smoother transition to primary school.
DSP educators gave feedback that once a week with the children is insufficient for those who need more intervention. Another teacher said that she has three special needs kids out of 24 in her preschool class. It would be good if preschools which are willing to take in kids with special needs can have additional funding and training. Can we expect future enhancements to existing schemes and also for these programmes to be available in MKs, if there is not any now?
There are allied educators in primary school. Is it time to work out something so that some of these children can have a seamless transition from preschool to primary as well?
Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Mr Chairman, Sir, I understand that MOE has been retooling the education system to shift the unhealthy focus on academic competition to emphasise holistic education and the love of learning.
But a culture of \"academic results focus\" has already set in among the parents. We cannot blame the parents because they want to give the best to their children. They learned the culture from the old focus on academic competition, believing in the old paradigm of good grades and a linear path from elite primary schools to the top universities.
When they are faced with globalisation and technological disruptions, they become even more anxious about making sure their children get the best start in life. When MOE rightly sought to improve preschool education by setting up MKs, some parents saw this as a new first stop to academic success.
It was reported that a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to look at the connection between well-being and PISA test achievement found that Singapore students have higher levels of anxiety, compared to the OECD average. For example, 76% of Singapore students reported feeling very anxious for a test even if they were well-prepared, compared to the OECD average of 55%. The students involved in the study were mostly Secondary 4 students. I hope MOE could do a study to see whether this kind of anxiety is also affecting primary school children and even children in preschool, so that we can learn how to mitigate the problem.
MOE should not stop to complete the transformation of the system despite these diehard habits. It will take time to change such an entrenched culture. Meanwhile, MOE could also look into communicating and educating parents on the many pathways to success in the new economy, so as to lessen their anxiety and, thus, lessen the transfer of the anxiety to their children.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai (Marine Parade): Mr Chairman, Sir, there are a few fundamental tenets of a child's education which I believe most of us, if not all, will subscribe to.
First, always be prepared to try something new ‒ push the envelope, break new ground, do something we have never done. Who knows, it might turn out that you will enjoy the new adventure, arise to a fresh challenge?
Second, fail at something. Being always or even often successful is no good to a young child. Learn to lose and be gracious in defeat. But also learn from losing. Pick up, dust off, try again, be stronger and better the next time round. This also teaches resilience.
Third, we have to work as a team. No man is an island, and no one functions in silos. Our children have to be able to work and play with one another and to support, complement, encourage and cheer one another on. They have to learn to come together to make a cohesive team, a team which would be stronger than the sum of its parts.
Fourth, hard work. Nothing ever comes without hard work. It takes a lot of hard work to become good at anything, and even more hard work to remain good and stay ahead of the competition. There are no short cuts.
These are all simple basic values, but the foundation and cornerstone for bringing up the women and men of tomorrow, the leaders of our next generation. I believe, Sir, that all of these are best taught, not in the classroom, but on the playing field. And I am quite sure most in this House would, I hope, agree with that. Very often, a child's first encounter with sports, especially team sports, would be in school when they first enrolled for their primary education.
Schools, therefore, play a crucial role in being the first mover in introducing sports into our children's lives. And should there be sufficient interest and sufficient talent demonstrated, the school invariably would also take the additional active role of identifying and eventually nurturing that talent. Sports, therefore, offer an educational platform for our children which cannot be easily replicated.
On that score, I would like to raise a few queries and have some suggestions for the Minister's consideration.
Do schools in Singapore have sufficient breadth, in terms of the variety and range of sports offered? This is important because not every child can afford or have an opportunity to be exposed to sports outside of school. How is anyone going to know if he or she can be good at sports if they have no opportunity to try that sport? So, the initial formative years in their primary school would be crucial. For instance, not offering, say, hockey or badminton as a school co-curricular activity (CCA) option would quite likely mean that the child might never be exposed to that sport. This, in turn, then limits the selection base from which a young budding talent might be identified and, in turn, then subsequently limits the base from which national athletes could be selected.
From a resourcing perspective, I understand that it would, of course, not be possible for every school to offer every sport. But could more be done to enhance the range of options available? Could, for example, a central body be set up, like the Co-Curricular Activities Branch (CCAB), which can then administer and offer sporting options which may not be quite so popular, quite so mainstream, and, therefore, not available in many of the schools?
Alternatively, is MOE working with Sport SG or Active SG in promoting sporting options to our school children and make sports more accessible? The MOE website indicates that students who are keen on an activity which may not be offered by the school could seek the school's approval to set up that activity. How often has this been done and, in any event, is it realistic?
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Chairman, Sir, in recent years, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and MOE have been concerned about the nutritional health of school children in two aspects, namely, healthier food and a balanced diet, to fight obesity and to get young people to adopt better eating habits. This is all good. I would like to ask the Minister what percentage of schools have adopted the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme since 2011 to date. Also, how much more are students paying for these healthy meals on average and are we making sure students from low-income households can afford the meals?
Recently, there has been some public discussions about mealtimes as more schools move to single sessions. Parents are concerned that the children are eating late lunches in the mid-afternoon and not having enough time to eat snacks during recess time due to the scheduling of classes. While nutritionists say that there are no set hours for children to have their meals, they also advise that children should have three main meals and two to three snacks at regular hours. They should be eating every three hours.
I understand that MOE leaves it to the schools to decide on their daily schedules. Nevertheless, MOE could reassure the public by conducting a survey of all schools on their meal and snack scheduling and provide an advisory for regular recess and lunch breaks to ensure students would never go hungry during the school day.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Chairman, Sir, inflation is an inevitable and intractable global issue. I am concerned about the rising living costs, how they will impact our students from low socioeconomic families. In spite of the subsidies, bursaries, scholarships and grants, there are some students who will still fall through the cracks. The distractions of part-time work and social problems at home may prevent them from focusing on their studies. This results in a vicious cycle where the poor cannot do well in school and they are unable to break out of the poverty cycle.
I would like to request the Minister to further enhance the current schemes available to support the aspirations of students from lower socioeconomic families. How are they given equal access to opportunities for all students regardless of their family and income backgrounds? How much resources are allocated to these schemes and how many beneficiaries are there per year?
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Chairman, Sir, in reply to a 2013 Parliamentary Question (PQ) on measuring social mobility, the Government highlighted only two types of metrics: percentages of Singaporeans who did not complete secondary education as well as post-secondary education, and growth in the median gross monthly income from work.
Some governments, notably the United Kingdom (UK), have developed a dashboard of social mobility indicators based on a lifecycle framework. The objective is to make life chances more equal at the critical points for social mobility, such as early childhood development, school readiness at age five, secondary school attainment, opportunities for tertiary education and getting into and on in the labour market.
I would like to ask the Minister for Education whether the Government monitors indicators at critical points in a person’s development that contribute to mobility, such as early childhood development, and how do our current indicators compare with countries with comprehensive dashboards, such as the UK?
Miss Cheng Li Hui: Sir, Budget 2018 enhances the MOE FAS by raising the annual bursary quantum for pre-university student from $750 to $900 as well as updating the income eligibility criteria.
I would like to know what are the determinants used by the Ministry to decide the bursary quantum and the increase. I am glad to see the announcement in Budget 2018 to cover more meals for secondary school students under the School Meals Programme. Under the current scheme, primary school pupils receive subsidies of $2 per meal for seven times a week while secondary school students will receive subsidies of $2.50 a meal; $2.50 would seem insufficient for secondary school students.
I would like to ask what the considerations behind the decision are to increase the school meals fund and are the current subsidy amounts sufficient.
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Chairman, Sir, the Edusave awards and bursaries scheme has provided an excellent opportunity to our students to incentivise them, motivate them and give them a platform on which they can celebrate their achievements. The extension of the Edusave awards to non-academic achievements has also been very well-received.
The news that this already very popular scheme has been given additional resourcing, particularly targeted for the lower- to middle-income, has been very well-received. The programme has proven useful not only to defray some of the costs of education for the family but also provides an opportunity for students to use this to tap on school-based enrichment programmes to enhance holistic learning beyond the boundaries of the classroom or the textbook.
Can the Minister please elaborate further on what enrichment options there might be?
The Chairman: Minister Ng Chee Meng.
The Minister for Education (Schools) (Mr Ng Chee Meng): Mr Chairman, I thank Members for their cuts.
MOE is committed to giving every child the best start in life – not just in school, but for the future. Ms Denise Phua, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Ms Foo Mee Har and Mr Zainal Sapari highlighted the driving trends of today and asked how we will prepare our children for the future economy.
I agree with them that given the trends, tomorrow's jobs will require innovation. We will prepare our children from young and we start from a position of strength. Over the years, we have developed an education system that is effective in inculcating students with sound values and equipping them with a strong academic foundation. We have built upon this base in the last few years.
One, we have strengthened our focus on the holistic development of every child. We have dialled back from an over-emphasis on academic grades. Teachers today coordinate to manage the assessment and homework load. We took steps to reduce the competitive pressures in our system, so that students can focus on their learning. For example, from 2021, the new PSLE scoring system will measure how well a student has learnt and not how he has done in comparison to his peers.
Ms Denise Phua asked if we can pilot no-PSLE through-train schools. I understand her good intentions, as well as the stresses that parents and students face. Stress arises from a complex mix of factors – policies, expectations, perceptions, mindsets and ground realities.
The PSLE changes we have made are important changes at the policy level. However, it will take time for the effects to be felt on the ground, including other policy measures like Subject-Based Banding, to increase the porosity in our schools. However, we do not think that removing PSLE is the way to go. PSLE remains a useful checkpoint at the end of primary school to help us determine where each child’s academic strengths lie. This guides the child to a suitable academic programme in secondary school, one that would best fit his learning needs.
PSLE does not, however, cast in stone what students can achieve in school in life or anytime in the future. Removing PSLE and having a through-train will only transfer the stress on parents and students elsewhere, such as to the Primary 1 registration, where if I can paraphrase Ms Foo Mee Har in her words, it would then be a 10- to 15-year race to safeguard the child's interest. The anxieties at Primary 1 then would be tremendous.
Also, the GCE \"O\" and \"N\" levels at the end of this through-train will really be most stressful. A single examination in the whole career of a child's life.
Mr Faisal Manap suggested for MOE to introduce psychology in the secondary school curriculum. Psychology, however, is an abstract discipline, not an age-appropriate subject at secondary school. A better broader approach to fulfil the same intent is to focus on 21st century competencies in our curriculum, create more space for informal learning, learning through play, and encourage opportunities for character building in the classroom, outside the classroom, in the CCAs, including our enhanced Outdoor Education. These support the socio-emotional development in our children.
Ms Denise Phua asked about the 21st century Competencies Framework and when it was last reviewed. It was last reviewed in 2014 and also during the time when I entered MOE when I took a fresh look at the Framework. Our teachers in tandem are provided many professional development opportunities and resources to support their learning and keep them updated on all the different \"gogies\" that Ms Denise Phua has mentioned. We have also initiated the Singapore Teaching Practice where the best teaching practices are shared online amongst teachers.
Two, we are creating multiple pathways to success, something that Mr Low Thia Khiang mentioned. We introduced Subject-based Banding to allow upper primary and secondary school students to take subjects they are strong in, at a higher level. Beyond academic strengths and interests, we are providing many opportunities for discovery and talent development in the sports and the arts.
Mr Edwin Tong made good points about sports in schools and developing sporting talent. Today, primary school students learn fundamental movement skills in different sports in their Physical Education (PE) lessons, a wide range. Primary 4 and 5 students who are interested in sports CCAs not offered by the school can consider joining MOE’s centrally-run Junior Sports Academies, which offer a variety of sports modules.
In secondary school, students learn at least six sports and take part in at least three inter-class sports competitions. A third of our students enroll in sports CCAs. Of these, 60% are non-school team players. Our schools understand that the value of sports cannot be measured by performance merely in the inter-school games.
MOE also promotes programmes organised by ActiveSG to encourage our students when they are not in school to participate in sports in the community.
Three, we are developing positive attitudes and dispositions for lifelong learning. I have highlighted repeatedly in this House and outside, the need to nurture the joy of learning and entrepreneurial dare. These are important because they sustain self-directed, lifelong learning and instill an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit in our children. These may not be measurable but are certainly observable. They are of utmost importance to shift us away from simply studying for exams to learning for life.
Mr Low Thia Khiang asked that MOE complete our transformation by changing the \"entrenched\" culture of an over-emphasis on academic results. He understands it will take time. I agree. I thank Mr Low for his cut and will consider his suggestion for the study proposal.
The many changes I have mentioned are meant to take pressure off parents and students, reducing the chasing after the last mark in our school system. Ultimately, I hope to partner parents and students themselves to reduce their anxieties and stress. Many parents I have spoken to tell me they agree with the directions that we have taken. They also asked, like Ms Foo Mee Har, what will all these mean for their children’s learning experiences in school? As I mentioned earlier, our education system today equips our students with a strong academic foundation and sound values. These are significant strengths.
Mr Pritam Singh mentioned education systems in Israel and Finland in the Budget Debate. Indeed, there are strengths in these systems which we can learn from. But we are circumspect when we study other systems. We do not blindly seek to replicate other systems in Singapore nor simply adopt new trends.
In fact, these countries are also looking towards Singapore and wanting to learn from us. Consider Israel: I visited Israel and looked at their talent development and innovation ecosystem. It has a strong disposition in this area but, overall, it has big averages. If we use PISA as one indicator, Israeli students underperform the OECD average.
There is also a significant education outcomes gap between the average and the top Israeli students. We do not want this in Singapore. Here, we have high averages, where our students, regardless of socio-economic status, outperform most of their peers in different countries. Rather, we will improve our education system by building on our existing strengths, even as we explore new possibilities. Let us not throw out the baby with the bath water. As such, on top of strong academic foundations and sound values, we want to get our students to move beyond the classroom and apply their knowledge in the real world. This will help nurture our next generation of \"change-makers\".
Our students must be able to connect their \"Head\" knowledge to their \"Hands\" and create value. And their \"Hands\" must also be connected to their \"Hearts\" so that they contribute their knowledge and skills to the betterment of society. Education must go beyond the classroom and academic grades. This is key.
I will focus the rest of my speech on how we will anchor this within our education system, through the lived experiences of our students.
But, first, let me tell Members a \"Story of Two Cars\". I met two 10-year-old boys at a community event some time ago. They wanted to show me their toy car. I thought to myself initially what was this about? But when I saw the car, I got interested. You see, the car was not any sexy toy. It was very plain, made up of cardboard. The boys took some of their mother's shoe boxes, cut off the top and bottom and fashioned a flat chassis. They then got a set of wheels, mounted them on together with some rudimentary drive train and wired the system up. Then, they applied what they had learnt about energy in their Science class. They put on top of the chassis miniature solar panels and made their own solar-powered car. And it worked brilliantly. Their eyes sparkled when they talked to me on that Saturday morning as they showed me their solar toy car. This car is made out of pure fun, pure curiosity. These boys, all of 10 years old, applied what they had learnt in Science class to build their own toy. Impressive!
The second car is also a solar-powered car but, this time, it is a racing car. This car was built by a team of Singapore Polytechnic students taking part in the 2017 World Solar Challenge. They competed against 39 other teams from all over the world, including Cambridge University and Stanford University. They took 20 months to make that car using a high-tech carbon fibre-reinforced composite body. The top speed of this solar car is 100 kilometres per hour (km/h), built by 18- to 20-year-old boys. The team had a difficult race. They met with rough weather, an accident and, unfortunately, did not finish within the deadline. However, I want to celebrate their success and include them in my speech. This car was built out of passion, deep skills and resilience. Though they may not have won, the learning in their journey is invaluable.
These two cars may be miles apart in technology and horsepower but, educationally, they are part of the same journey – from curiosity to mastery; from knowledge to application. We want all our students to be able to make this type of learning journey. And our vehicle is Applied Learning.
What is Applied Learning? It is a mode of learning for all students, not just a separate track for vocational students. Students learn by applying and by doing. They learn beyond the classroom. They see for themselves how they can apply what they have learnt to the real world. And from all the interactions I had with students, I see them enjoying learning. They are self-motivated or become self-motivated. These are powerful learning experiences. They stick for life, driving lifelong learning.
Since 2013, we have encouraged schools to develop their own Applied Learning Programmes (ALPs). All our secondary schools now have ALPs. It is a diverse, colourful and exciting landscape, catering to a wide range of interests: STEM, Languages, Humanities, Business, Entrepreneurship, Aesthetics, Inter-disciplinary Fields, and I will now include STEAM, as Ms Denise mentioned, to add \"arts\" to STEM.
All the ALPs, importantly, encourage exploration, ideation and creativity. There are no tests or examinations. I have emphasised this to MOE. Students learn through experimentation – they try, fail, try, learn from it and try again.
Let me share with Members some of my experiences with students. I recently met some Fuchun secondary students and they tell me their school has an ALP called \"Innovations in Science and Technology for Sustainability\". They all learnt basic coding and programming and apply their coding skills to programme robots. They do it in Secondary 1.
I met one Secondary 4 boy. His name is Zee Cheen. Together with his team, Zee Cheen designed and built from scratch a robot that could move on different terrains, even on water, to retrieve and transport objects. Zee Cheen told me that when they started, and I quote, \"Everything was in a mess.\" They had to learn to work as a team, put in place a plan, work each bolt, gear and wire step-by-step to fulfil their design. They went through many interactions.
Surprisingly, Zee Cheen told me that his biggest lesson through this ALP was not just in creating the robot. His team has to bring their robot to the Science Centre's Maker Faire. And he had to practise public speaking and he says it is not his forte. He had to explain his robot to each visitor interested in his robot! In his words, he said, \"These are things I cannot learn in a classroom\". This is the value of applied learning in real life.
Some of our primary schools have also developed ALPs. I have visited Teck Whye Primary which runs an ALP called \"Media Whiz Kids!\" I met Maisarah, a cute petite Primary 5 student. She wanted to help her schoolmates tell fake news apart from real news. So, she worked with her friends and teachers to make a short three-minute video. In the video, Maisarah explains what fake news is, why people create it, and she also suggests how to tackle it.
We all debate about fake news in this very Chamber. Through Applied Learning Programmes, our 10-year-old students are teaching it in their own way in school. It is a refreshing take on a very real concern.
Maisarah and her friends narrate and present with great confidence and clarity. Importantly, Maisarah's teachers not only use the video to raise information literacy among their students but also inculcate values. The video has been uploaded onto the school's Facebook and I encourage all of us to take a look.
I am very proud of the confident and creative students our schools have nurtured through ALPs. But I am even prouder of our teachers, who have committed their time and effort to develop Applied Learning experiences for their students.
Ms Elaine Koh, a teacher I met from Fuchun Secondary, told me the difference she saw in her Secondary 4 Normal (Technical) students, Viknesh and Kumaran, after they have participated in the Maker Faire. She shared that they were very engaged and focused when they tinkered and built things. And when I met Viknesh and Kumaran, they told me they are interested to study aeronautical and mechanical engineering at ITE. They want to design and build aeroplanes and racing cars. ALP has ignited a passion in them, to want to continue their learning and their maker journey.
ALPs are intentional ways to spur innovation in our students. MOE will build on the good work done on ALPs. I have directed all primary schools to set up ALPs by 2023. We will also support schools with ALPs to further enhance and strengthen their capabilities and programmes. This is an investment worth making – nurture innovation and creativity and, importantly, prepare our children for our future.
MOE will make another major investment to prepare our children for the future. We will put aside a significant budget to develop the new Science Centre. The new Science Centre will play a key role in providing such Applied Learning experiences for all students when it is completed by the mid-2020s. It will bring science to life through immersive and interactive exhibits and experiences. It will partner homegrown and international companies to provide a wide range of programmes to students and youth: hands-on maker workshops, experiments in specialised laboratories, opportunities for mentorship and research. And I will remember to add, the artistic element into it as well.
It is not just in the applied fields where Applied Learning is relevant. Our teachers are making a big effort to infuse Applied Learning experiences into their day-to-day teaching. For example, we are using Applied Learning to make our MTLs come alive for our students. This will help foster their appreciation for languages and strengthen their proficiency, which Ms Tin Pei Ling spoke about, and which Mr Azmoon Ahmad and Mr Low Thia Khiang also mentioned in the Budget Debate. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Although our education system is well-regarded by the international community, many people are still concerned that in a future where automation is the norm, will our next generation be replaced by machines?
I can understand their concerns. But I am confident that as long as our education system can empower our children to be creative and acquire good values, our next generation will be able to grasp the opportunities in the future.
In order to cultivate creativity from young, MOE is now promoting Applied Learning in our schools. Our students already have a solid academic foundation; but we do not want them to be only able to \"talk about strategies on paper\" and become nerds who only know how to talk but not how to do. They must know how to convert knowledge into power and use it in real life. Only by applying intelligently what you have learnt can you create infinite possibilities with finite knowledge.
I will share an example. Students of Yuan Qing Secondary School are learning to write xinyao (新谣) in the Chinese classes. Through song writing, their language ability will improve and they can also appreciate the beauty of the language better. One student, Guo Zifeng, wrote a song, \"My Mother\". The lyrics are very touching and the melody beautiful, expressing his love and gratitude to his mother. The song won an award in the 2017 Xinyao Singing and Writing Competition.
The work of Zifeng makes us understand the importance of right values. However good a person’s knowledge base and creative capability may be, if his values are flawed, he will bring greater harm to society. Hence, we introduced various programmes in our schools to instill good values in our students. We teach them to be centred on the right morals. This has been our education principle all along.
Applied learning should not be confined to a particular subject and the classroom. We hope parents can do the same in daily life to give our children more space and time for applied learning and instill right values in them. Parents can work together with the school and create a better future for our children.
(In English): I will now move on to connecting the \"Hands\" and the \"Heart\". It is critical that we equip our children with the right values and develop in them a heart for others. Without the right moral compass, talented individuals can do more harm to society than good, and that will be tragic. Just like knowledge, values cannot remain simply in the \"head\". They must be acted out, applied to the real world.
Mr Ang Wei Neng encouraged schools and students to work with their local communities. I mentioned my visit to Teck Whye Primary earlier. During my visit, I met a Primary 6 student. Her name is Zer Jynn. She showed me a pair of chopsticks that she and her team designed for people with weaker muscular control, such as our elderly. Zer Jynn explained that she and her team had first thought of a catch-and-release mechanism to allow users to use the chopsticks with minimal strength. And she built this model, nothing fancy, using simple materials – chopsticks, a straw, a spring and a masking tape. And in this model, she designed something to help the elderly grab food. She experimented several times until she was satisfied with the catch-and-release function. With this design, she went on to 3D-print a plastic prototype, with the help of her teachers.
These are the 3D-print chopsticks. However, she is not satisfied with the plastic prototype as it did not work as well as her initial prototype. You see, she has probably reversed the hinge. But I have given her some possibilities and she told me she will work to improve her prototype. She is a Primary 6 girl.
And Zer Jynn is not alone. Her schoolmates in the Teck Whye Primary iDesign Club have built learning aids for their peers with dyslexia, and other prototypes to improve the quality of life for the physically disabled or the elderly. Through the iDesign Club, they not only learn about design principles but, equally important, they are tacitly learning to care, empathise and serve others in the community.
Zer Jynn and her schoolmates may only be in primary school but, under the guidance of their school and teachers, they exemplify what we want to nurture in our young the connection among the head, the heart and the hands, innovating to improve the lives of others, developing leadership, empathy, care and, importantly, resilience. Applied learning in real life is so much more effective than just doing it in the classroom.
Besides developing solutions for the community, our schools and students have also partnered the community to strengthen culture and heritage. A good example is Bulan Bahasa – the Malay Language Month. I worked with Minister Masagos on this. The community hosts activities, such as writing workshops and storytelling, that broaden students' exposure to language and culture. Students, in turn, contribute to the community. They set up activity booths for the public. They also take on the roles of Rakan Bahasa, or Friends of the Language, to serve as museum guides at the Malay Heritage Centre.
The two-way partnership between schools and community not only enhances the learning of students but allows them to put values into action and serve the community.
In a separate event at Fiesta Bahasa, this time round at the National Library, I was very happy to see a batch of Hwa Chong Institution boys participating. You see, they were learning Malay, trying to learn to speak it fluently. These Chinese boys from a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school were interacting with our Malay students and parents naturally, without a hint of any language barrier!
Mr Chairman, this is applied learning in action, in languages, to promote our Singapore's unique cultures and heritage.
As we strive to build a caring and inclusive society, we must make sure no child is left behind. Last year, the Government announced major plans to strengthen the preschool sector to give every child a good start and the best chance to succeed in life. This included upgrading the preschool profession to attract good teachers and careers.
I welcome Dr Intan Mokhtar's suggestions. I am happy to update that we are on track for the NIEC to be fully operational by January 2019. NIEC will offer a range of quality programmes to prepare those who aspire to join the Early Childhood (EC) sector with a good foundation for a career as an EC professional. I would like to reassure Dr Intan Mokhtar that EC training today is already delivered with a heavy emphasis on practical skills. Most faculty are experienced practitioners in the preschool sector. It will be no different in NIEC.
Separately, MOE has facilitated professional exchanges between MK educators and also primary school teachers. They help develop mutual understanding, which smoothens the transition from kindergarten to Primary 1.
MOE is also committed to providing quality and affordable education to all Singapore Citizens, regardless of their financial circumstances. Our education today is heavily subsidised at all levels. Ms Denise Phua mentioned Digital Equity, as learning is done more online.
This year, we will be rolling out the Student Learning Space (SLS) to all students. SLS will provide high-quality, curriculum-aligned learning resources and online learning tools for students. This will drive self-directed learning which can take place anytime, anywhere and, hopefully, reduce the reliance contribution as well. MOE has provided funding to schools, which can be used to subsidise students from less advantaged backgrounds, for them to purchase mobile learning devices.
Mr Edwin Tong and quite a few others in the Budget Debate asked about Edusave contributions. We will increase the annual Edusave contributions from 2019. With this increase, students can participate in more activities, such as creative writing programmes and learning journeys, to broaden their learning experiences. The Government also provides a range of financial assistance schemes to assist those who are in need. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Ms Cheng Li Hui asked about this.
At the primary to pre-university levels, Singaporean students who need assistance can tap on the MOE FAS. We will do more for students from lower-income families by enhancing the MOE FAS. We will raise the income criteria for the Gross Household Income per month from $2,500 to $2,750, as well as the per capita household income per month from $625 to $690. We will increase the annual bursary quantum for pre-university students from $750 to $900. We will provide 10 meals for secondary school students under the School Meals Programme, an increase from the seven we provide currently. This is in answer to Assoc Prof Daniel Goh. We will also increase the income eligibility criteria for the Edusave Merit Bursary and Independent School Bursary.
Overall, with these enhancements, the various financial assistance schemes will cost the Government close to $100 million per year, and benefit around 90,000 students in total.
Mr Chairman, I have said what MOE, our schools and teachers are committed to doing. But let me emphasise that we cannot do this alone. We need the whole nation to move with us towards holistic education, and parents play a most important role.
I strongly urge all parents to give our children the time for their minds to imagine; space for them to experiment and learn to embrace and take risks; opportunities to learn from failing, trying, relearning and trying until they succeed.
Mr Chairman, let me conclude with a story. I visited Assumption English School last July to open their upgraded school site. The opening ceremony was a most unusual one, hinged on robots programmed by their students part of an ALP. I was invited to participate in a robot race on stage, to move the robots, in order to switch on a ray of bright-coloured lights to mark the official opening of the school. The robots were powered solely by wind and controlled by an iPad. My engineering mind straightaway went into a thinking mode and I thought these robots could fail easily and, when they fail to function, the bulbs will not light up, and the failure will be significant, in front of the whole school, a hall full of parents, students, MOE senior officials.
After the ceremony, I congratulated the then principal, Mrs Mabel Leong, and I quietly asked her \"What would you have done if the robots did not work? What was the backup?\" She told me quietly, too, \"Minister, there is no back up.\" She said that if the robots did not work despite all their planning and efforts, she would have simply stood up, apologised to me and sought my understanding to skip the segment. In spite of the risks, she decided to keep the robot segment. I suspect because she is proud of her students and it showcased her students' pride in their learning. I must tell you, I smiled the widest smile in an entire week, knowing what Mable was doing.
Our principals and schools are moving in the right direction. More of them are taking calculated risks for their students to have the time and space for experimentation, to try, fail, try again, even in front of a Minister! Seeing how the schools and educators are changing, I sincerely urge all parents to join us in creating similar opportunities for our children.
The results of such opportunities may not be immediately apparent. But the true test for all of us is not any single examination. It is the test of life. It is such opportunities that will benefit our children for a lifetime, much more than cramping their free time with excessive tuition.
I hope all parents will encourage their children when they participate in their schools' ALPs, Outdoor Education Programme, Values-in-Action activities. Engage them in conversation over their Applied Learning experiences, share in their successes and setbacks. Share in their joys, empathise with their failings. Create more of such learning experiences for them in the classroom and outside the classroom.
With the full support from educators and, most importantly, parents, our children will get the best start in life, whatever the future may bring. They will acquire the skills and values to thrive in the future. A brighter future of greater fulfilment awaits them. [Applause.]
The Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Sir, our education system is evolving. To prepare each of our students for the future, MOE has to be prepared to do different things, and to do things differently.
I thank Ms Denise Phua and Miss Cheng Li Hui for their encouragement as we continue with our efforts to support our students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Some of this expertise did not traditionally reside with MOE. Decades ago, we tried something different. We partnered VWOs which had deep expertise in SEN support. And as both sides learnt from each other, these partnerships evolved to strengthen support for our students. One good example of this is our relationship with AWWA, with whom we work on different service models. The partnership extends to mainstream schools, where Asian Women Welfare Association (AWWA) provides training and consultation services to our educators, supporting students with physical and visual impairments.
Today, 80% of our students with SEN are enrolled in mainstream schools. I say that again to make sure we are all clear – 80% of our students with SEN are enrolled in mainstream schools. They are supported not just by allied educators, but also by educational psychologists and suitable intervention programmes, including those provided by organisations, such as AWWA.
As our students move on to the post-secondary space, they are supported by SEN Support Offices in each of our IHLs. To prepare for entry into the workforce, students with SEN can participate in SG Enable's IHL Internship Programme, as well as the RISE Mentoring scheme.
We are also looking ahead and constantly seeking ways to better support our students to realise their potential. There are different ways to do this, including the suggestion of an academy for those with special needs and all who support them. For now, MOE takes a targeted approach. We are enhancing the professional development for our staff and are also looking at how to better support students with SEN at key transition points, like when they enter schools.
Strong partnership between MOE and the community has also enabled the sector to make significant improvements. Over the past year, MOE has worked with our Government-funded SPED schools to ensure the smooth implementation of compulsory education for children with moderate to severe special needs. We are confident that students who can benefit from such specialised support will receive quality education in these schools.
Yet, as Ms Denise Phua has pointed out, our efforts must go beyond legislation. MOE and our partners must continue to look for ways to do better, to deliver affordable, quality Specialised Education for our students.
Grace Orchard School, an early participant of the School-to-Work Transition Programme (S2W) did several new things to ensure that their students benefited from the opportunity. They reached out to the private sector for job opportunities; they updated their curriculum, so that the students could start their job training in their last years within the school. The S2W programme has seen positive outcomes, and we are working with MSF and SG Enable to scale it up.
We are also looking into lifelong learning opportunities for those with special needs. Our SkillsFuture Credit course directory is continually updated with new courses. We also have a SkillsFuture Study Award for Persons with Disabilities to recognise those who demonstrate resilience and perseverance in pursuing lifelong learning.
I can address a few of the specific queries that Miss Cheng Li Hui and Ms Denise Phua brought up. The DSP programme, together with EIPIC, is organised by MSF and I need to defer to them to talk about those interventions. But there are three MKs that offer the DSP programme and we will study how we can do that better.
To Ms Denise Phua's questions, all teachers since 2005 have been equipped with SEN training during their pre-service training at the National Institute of Education (NIE). Each school also has a group of teachers who have undergone certificate level training in special needs at NIE. These are known teachers trained in special needs.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) in the Chair]
On top of that, there is at least one Allied Educator (AED) for Learning and Behavioural Support (LBS) looking at the behavioural needs rather than educational needs in every primary school. We are recruiting more of these AED (LBS) and our target is to ensure all primary schools will have a baseline provision of two, and 95% of secondary schools will be given a baseline provision of at least one AED (LBS).
Mr Ang Wei Neng asked about National Education (NE). There are people who feel that the storyline is worn and tired, or, as Mr Ang Wei Neng expressed it, that NE is propaganda.
Sir, MOE recognises that we have to be open to doing NE differently. We must empower our students to discover what being Singaporean means to them personally − not because the syllabus or a textbook says so, but because they themselves know so through a process of discovery and the creation of a strong sense of their own identity.
This was the basis for the work of the NE Review Committee, where my MOE colleagues and I, together with colleagues from community organisations and the private sector, had the chance to hear from over 2,000 students and educators. Our recommendations centre on nurturing a sense of belonging to our country and community, a sense of Singapore's realities and challenges, and a sense of shared hope and aspirations as a nation.
Our efforts to refresh and improve NE will then be driven by three groups of interventions.
First, just as learning must evolve to remain relevant, NE discussions must take on contemporary issues, as well as the perspectives of different Singaporeans, including our students themselves. This will enable our students' shared appreciation for the ever-evolving Singapore story.
Mr Leon Perera asked about how we expose our students to diverse perspectives. This is already happening, is already done in subjects like Social Studies, History and Geography. Students undertake learning journeys, they come to Parliament to visit and witness Parliamentary debates. Their learning is well-supported by educators.
Our students examine evidence and different viewpoints before arriving at informed and reasoned conclusions. This includes exploring the rationale behind policy decisions, and the pros and cons of alternatives. In General Paper (GP) lessons, students consider different perspectives and learn to differentiate between fact and opinion. One of the NE Review Committee's recommendations is for students to discuss contemporary issues on a more regular basis and not just during the subject periods that I have just mentioned.
Bendemeer Secondary School is a school which already makes a conscious effort to do so and provides an example of how we can develop the process further. When I visited the school, I saw students have lively discussions on their own on issues relevant to Singapore, such as the environment, a car-lite society, technology and future jobs. The school is looking to deepen this practice in their Character and Citizenship Education periods, so that students have the time and space to explore their convictions and reflect upon such issues.
Our students may not always agree with one another, Indeed, in Bendeemer Secondary School, the session that I witnessed, there was a lively debate. They may not even agree with their teachers, but we do want to ensure that there is space for respectful conversations and that we nurture in our students open-mindedness, respect for one another and that they develop the skills for critical thinking.
The second group of interventions is that we will facilitate citizenship experiences which empower our students, allowing them to find their own meaning as citizens. There are already milestone experiences throughout a student’s journey in our schools, such as the NE Show for all primary students, subsequently, things like the Outward Bound School.
Schools like Ping Yi Secondary School decided to try something different. Their 15-year-old students receive their National Registration Identity Cards (NRICs) in a special school ceremony that emphasises that despite their different backgrounds, these 15-year-olds must stand together and understand the shared privileges and responsibilities of being Singaporean. We look forward to making more of such cohort or school-based experiences meaningful and available for our students.
Educators are critical to any learning experience. So, a third thrust of our efforts supports teachers. They have been doing well and, going forward, we will include more professional development opportunities and involve experienced educators in spearheading pedagogical innovation.
If I may return to some of the questions that Mr Leon Perera asked, he took a particular view about labels and perhaps my labelling of his comments has partisan politics. Sir, I provided those words not as a label but as an explanation of what he was asking for. Perhaps, I may need to expand upon why I believe that is an apt explanation for what he is asking for.
The Member himself has acknowledged that he has attended schools in a non-partisan, non-political capacity. There is no obstruction to him doing so. What he is asking for, is for him to be allowed to attend in any partisan political capacity. There is a difference. He seems to believe that he has previously attended in a non-partisan political capacity, but I am assuming that the reason he is asking to attend in a partisan capacity, because he is assuming that everybody else attends only in a political partisan capacity. This is a level of hubris that is really quite remarkable. If he can attend in a non-partisan, non-political way, I think the assumption should be, in good faith that other people can do as well.
What he is asking for, what he is implying, is for him to attend in a partisan political way somehow provides balance within our existing framework. That is not so. What he is asking for is a fundamental shift that we bring partisan political debates by elected MPs into the schools. That is not what we do currently, and so it would be inappropriate for an invitation to be extended to him in his capacity as a member of a political party and as an MP.
It is not a label, Mr Chairman. It is an explanation that what he is asking for is inappropriate.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked about our students' nutritional health. MOE had worked with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to survey our students' nutritional habits, and also in the rollout of the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme. Under this programme, canteen stalls prepare food with healthier ingredients and use healthier cooking methods. Since January 2017, all mainstream schools have come on board this programme.
Our schools also recognise that students benefit from meal breaks so that they can sustain their energy and focus. Students have two meal breaks a day, with a longer lunch break if there are afternoon programmes.
We also help our students understand the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. Primary school students are taught to read food labels, to plan healthy meals and the importance of eating enough and eating right. As MOE and HPB continue to work to build up their knowledge and their habits, I must stress the vital role that parents play in reinforcing these healthy habits at home.
Sir, MOE's efforts are, ultimately, part of our Government's commitment to a society where people have the opportunity to do better and progress, regardless of their starting point in life.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked about MOE's tracking of social mobility. Last week, the Minister for Finance updated the House on the Government's efforts to study social mobility as measured by the incomes of adult Singaporeans as compared to their parents'.
On MOE's part, we track closely the progress of all students in our education system. Like other countries, we do pay close attention to those from more disadvantaged family backgrounds. We monitor how they fare in school, including at key milestones of education attainment, their progression to post-secondary institutions, including the polytechnics and universities. More importantly, we put in place programmes to give extra support to those who need it right from early childhood prior to Primary 1, and many different interventions, including meals, career counselling and learning support programmes.
As a result of these interventions, we have made significant progress. Today, nine in 10 students from the bottom 20% of socio-economic stratification progress to post-secondary education. Fifteen years ago, only five in 10 did. Today, more than half of our students who live in 1-room to 3-room flats progress on to publicly-funded degree or diploma programmes.
Internationally, as I updated this House last month, our 15-year-old students from the most disadvantaged families performed significantly better in PISA than OECD students of a similar socio-economic background.
Sir, social mobility has always been, and will continue to be, a priority of education. We start early on, we ensure access to quality education for all students and, on top of that, levelling-up programmes for the disadvantaged to give them every opportunity for success. In our IHLs, our students are prepared well for the workforce, with nine in 10 of them able to get a job within six months of graduation.
With MKs and NIEC, we are also seeking to improve access to quality preschool education. Our efforts to provide space for exploration and applied learning in schools will benefit all students, regardless of their background.
In the higher education space, as well as in our future economy, it is about the diversity of pathways that recognise and reward different strengths, as well as investments in continuous learning and relearning that will ultimately serve our mission of ensuring that social mobility is maintained in this nation of ours.
Sir, as we look forward to a new future, with many paths and many possibilities, our education system continues to evolve, trying different things and trying to do things differently. What has remained unchanged is the belief that all of us together – MOE, schools, parents and the community – must continue to provide all our students with opportunities and experiences that bring out the best in them so that we can all realise our collective potential as a nation.
Mr Zainal Sapari: Sir, as a former educator, I was heartened by MOE's move to further incorporate aptitude-based admission into our universities, polytechnics and ITEs. I believe that it is important to help students be curious and engaged in what they are learning. Such is what is needed to encourage lifelong learning, a necessary skill for success in the real world.
Aptitude-based admission presents another approach to evaluate the students' strengths and weaknesses. Such an awareness may allow the education system to equip them with the skills that are best suited for their abilities and interests. Personally, I see aptitude-based evaluation as a means to uncover hidden gems amongst our students, ensuring that the education system is able to recognise these latent abilities and offer them the best possible chance for their career development.
Studies by MOE have shown that among students with similar national examinations aggregate scores, those admitted based on aptitude tend to do better in their studies and are more likely to continue in careers in the sectors they were trained for. Hence, can MOE share its plans to offer more courses based on Aptitude-Based Admission to our ITEs?
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Sir, The Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) is a good way to help students from the Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) stream to gain direct entry to our polytechnics. It gives hope and confidence to the students whose academic grades may otherwise be inadequate and inspires them to keep on pushing on with their dreams and aspirations.
The exemplary performance of students from the pioneer batch who have graduated last year is an indication of the success of this programme. As such, I hope the Ministry will consider further expanding PFP beyond 800 students. I note from a Straits Times report that PFP has been beneficial in helping students adjust to life at polytechnic, with some graduates outperforming their \"O\" level peers as well. Perhaps the polytechnics may wish to offer the option to other students who may have qualified for admission to polytechnic but need extra help.
Considering the overall performance of PFP's Pioneer Batch, I wish to ask what further plans does the Minister have to support the aspirations of the students who opt for this pathway.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: Sir, there are foundational engineering courses under the Common Entry Programme (CEP), where they will receive their Engineering diploma.
CEP would enable students to be exposed to different specialisations within engineering, before deciding on a specific engineering diploma. I understand that these are for students who are interested to pursue this broad subject but would like more time to discover their areas of interests before selecting a diploma of their choice in the second semester or second year. Many of us have been in that position before – not sure what to do, what we would like to do, what to pursue for our studies and for our career.
So, I think having such a CEP is a good move. With this exposure, the students will have opportunities to tread on shallow water before taking the plunge, thus minimising bad career decisions at the end of the road.
It is also a way for us to embed the required DNA, core of the discipline into each subject, while giving students free rein to explore their specialisation later on.
At the broader level, can the Minister provide an update on its efforts to provide more options for polytechnic students to explore their interests and strengths before choosing their specific course of study?
I have two other specific questions for the Minister as follows: (a) are there now more engineering graduates with the inception of CEP; and (b) secondly, does the Minister intend to expand CEP to non-engineering subjects?
Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: Mr Chairman, in order to better prepare our students to be skilled and competent and to be able to hit the ground running when they enter the workforce, it is important that they receive hands-on training in skillsets which dovetail into and complement the industry sectors they are trained for. This not only provides our industries with well-trained and upskilled employees but also gives the new trainees an opportunity to master the trade from an early stage.
In this light, the Work-Learn Technical Diploma (WLTD) programme, which is about to commence shortly for ITE graduates, is very much to be welcomed. This programme provides graduates with first-hand experience to learn, practise and do at the same time. Could the Minister provide an update on the WLTD programme, including how many have applied for this programme, which industry sectors have seen the greatest interest, and whether there are plans to expand this programme and in what direction?
In addition, could the Minister also provide an update on the SkillsFuture Work Study degree programme: what has been the take-up rate for this programme? What has been the feedback so far from students' and participating employers? Can this programme also be enhanced? And are there plans to grow the number of applicable industries and participating partnering employers?
The Chairman: Mr Ang Wei Neng, you have two cuts. Please take them together.
Mr Ang Wei Neng: Chairman, many ITE students and graduates are good with their hands and less brilliant in paper-and-pen examinations. Singapore is far behind some parts of the world in nurturing technical skills. For example, in the UK, apprenticeship programmes offer work-based learning which can lead to a bachelor's or master's degree.
In Germany, its vocational training programmes cater to 60% of the country's young people. These dual-training programmes are a mix of theory and hands-on training in areas like advanced Manufacturing, IT, Banking and Hospitality. Trainees do not pay for the training. In fact, they are paid for the time they take for the training. As a result of this programme, the youth jobless rate in Germany is very low.
Similarly, in Finland, more than 50% of the Finnish youths apply for technical and vocational education in training. So, like Mr Edwin Tong, I would like MOE to give an update on WLTD, as well as the Work-Study Degree programme.
The rapid development of technology has benefited lives and also disrupted lives at the same time. Many skillsets learnt during an undergraduate course a decade ago can turn obsolete in just one year. Gone are the days where a graduate degree can last for life. We need to relearn, retool, re-energise throughout our working lives. What roles do our oldest public universities like the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) play in promoting lifelong learning? Are these IHLs adequately funded to provide courses for lifelong learning?
Currently, NUS has a School of Continuing and Lifelong Learning offering Bachelor of Technology programmes, specialised certificate courses and courses for Executives and Professionals. NUS Alumni can study up to a maximum of two modules over a three-year period until 2020, and the first year of study is free.
Similarly, NTU runs a College of Professional and Continuing Education, where alumni are entitled to 20% discount on courses. What has the take-up rate been like? How do IHLs ensure the courses offered are relevant to emerging trends and future needs? How are they working with industrial players to ensure that courses are useful and future-ready?
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: Since the launch of the SkillsFuture movement, there are numerous initiatives implemented to help Singaporeans upskill, reskill, deep-skill and cross-skill. Nonetheless, amidst the plethora of SkillsFuture offerings, how successful have we been in helping Singaporeans not just improve or expand their repertoire of skills, but also helping them remain employed or even become more employable?
How extensive are efforts to increase awareness amongst students and employees on the opportunities that SkillsFuture offers? How aware are Singaporeans about the various SkillsFuture courses that they have for them? How many Singaporeans have taken up SkillsFuture programmes, such as Earn and Learn and the SkillsFuture Study Award since they were first launched? How extensively are our universities and IHLs working with employers to implement such SkillsFuture initiatives and programmes?
May I propose that employers who are keen to be part of the SkillsFuture movement actively advertise the positions within their organisations in which they are able to support programmes, such as the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn or the SkillsFuture Study Award? Probably, a separate category can be set up to help Singaporeans navigate MySkillsFuture or SkillsConnect portals and identify employers who are keen to support them in such SkillsFuture programmes, beyond just the usual job vacancies that employers have within their respective organisations. This will facilitate job searches by Singaporeans and help them identify employers who are supportive of skills training among their employees.
It would also be good to link employers to support SkillsFuture programmes with the educational institutions that provide such SkillsFuture programmes within these online platforms to make it easier for Singaporeans planning their career and training and development.
Ms Foo Mee Har: Chairman, I would like to declare my interest as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wealth Management Institute, a SkillsFuture training provider.
SkillsFuture was launched four years ago at a cost of about $1 billion a year. It was driven by the imperative to have Singaporeans develop new capabilities for the future and embrace a culture of lifelong learning in order to ride the waves of change brought about by rapid technological disruptions and economic restructuring.
It is unclear to me how successful we have been on this journey. Deputy Prime Minister Tharman said in a recent interview with The Straits Times that we are no more than one-third of the way. For the movement to gather more traction with both employers and employees, there must be clear linkages between training courses to skills acquisition and improving career prospects.
We can be justifiably proud of the capabilities of public sector IHLs in producing graduates with strong employment prospects, as evidenced by employment surveys and low youth unemployment rates. But the ecosystem for continuing education and training is not endowed with the same scale, resources and infrastructure.
As more and more learning is expected to take place after one joins the workforce, adult learning will become an increasingly important part of our education system. I would like to ask the Minister what plans are in place to nurture a vibrant and scalable continuing education ecosystem capable of responding rapidly to the evolving needs of industry.
Let me give an example. In the areas where there are significant job opportunities, I would like to suggest to the Government to invest and develop such training infrastructure to provide the economies of scale needed to develop strong capabilities. We know there are 42,000 new information and communications technology (ICT) professionals needed over the next three years in industries like finance, healthcare and logistics. We should really consider setting up a national institute of ICT for professionals to provide a comprehensive set of training programmes that facilitate aspiring professionals’ entry to the industry, while offering seasoned professionals skills for them to master and apply in this particularly attractive industry.
Sir, companies also have a critical role to play in the SkillsFuture movement and the workplace is undoubtedly the best place for job-specific training. I would like to ask the Minister what strategies will be deployed to get companies engaged in SkillsFuture, and how SkillsFuture can support trade associations to accelerate the implementation of ITMs.
Assoc Prof Randolph Tan (Nominated Member): Sir, international comparisons, such as those in the PISA and PIAAC studies, provide valuable opportunities for improving our understanding of the gaps in education and in training.
We are all familiar with PISA, and PIAAC stands for the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Singapore’s inclusion in such studies would not have been possible without the Ministry's progressive efforts and support.
By highlighting potential gaps in policy, the findings from such surveys are useful in guiding early intervention strategies. In addition, the information they provide can improve the efficiency with which intervention is applied. In particular, the survey on adult skills conducted under the PIAAC study had found that among the 34 economies surveyed, Singapore ranked first for the use of ICT skills at work. Singapore’s corresponding rankings for numeracy skills and reading skills are also high, at 6th and 7th respectively.
Sir, at the same time, Singapore workers also have some of the strongest relationships between proficiency in literacy, numeracy and wages among the countries in the study. What this implies is that workers who have skills deficiencies could be expected to perform significantly poorer in the labour market.
This raises some specific areas of concern. My interpretation of the results of the PIAAC survey is that the proportion of workers in Singapore who may be at risk of skills deficiency is not insignificant. While the results of surveys must be looked at in perspective, the areas of concern they point to in Singapore’s case suggest that lack of basic literacy and ICT skills appears to affect skills performance in other areas. So, there is a significant knock-on effect. This could imply those without foundation in literacy and ICT skills will not be able to make further progress in the labour market.
I would like to ask the Minister how this challenge is addressed in the national skills training framework. In particular, the same study shows much more variability in skills among Singapore workers than those in the other countries in the survey, with our older workers clearly performing poorer compared to their younger counterparts. This higher variance in skills proficiency suggests that training has to be much more carefully tailored to individual needs. How is this dealt with?\t
Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng (Nominated Member): Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Government has increased its spending in education and lifelong learning in this year's Budget. Singapore's ageing population and declining birth rate will directly affect the structure of our workforce in the future. In view of the constraints of our small population, we have always championed the idea of everyone contributing towards one's best, and that everyone could get to use one's value and talent fully. Therefore, I fully support increasing our investments into education, and giving greater attention to raise the quality of our human resources so that our economy will continue to develop and prosper.
Trade associations are willing to play an active part in this long-term plan to develop human resources. Our IHLs provide one of the key sources of business talents. The training and curriculum in IHLs should match the actual needs of the business community. In view of this, if trade associations could collaborate closely with IHLs to educate our students in accordance with the practical needs of the businesses, it would be an arrangement that produces many benefits.
From what I know, in the aspect of curriculum planning, some institutions would seek views and feedback from the business community or the relevant trade associations. Such beneficial interaction is meaningful. Moving forward, we hope that the interaction between IHLs and trade associations will not be confined to merely consultation. In operationalising and implementing these training programmes, trade associations should also be invited to participate, particularly those which are willing and with the capabilities to do so.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister, in the event when there are gaps between the needs of businesses and the training received in the IHLs, how could the two parties come together to address these gaps?
The ability of our economy to sustain its growth is due partly to the business community and the Government-linked companies having sufficient top-rated talents. Taking this year's Budget as an example, the Government introduced the Net Investment Returns (NIR) framework in 2008. NIR contributed $15.9 billion to the Government's revenues this year, far exceeding the $7 billion it contributed in financial year (FY) 2009. It has become the Government's largest revenue source, outstripping corporate income tax, personal income tax and Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Much of the NIR, which is based on the national Reserves, has come from the Government Investment Corporation (GIC) and Temasek Holdings. The country's investment depends on high-quality talent, they possess global perspectives, rich industry experiences, and understand deeply global economic developments. The fact that the NIR exceeds other tax revenues reflects the importance of high-end talent to our economy. In this regard, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) has implemented many initiatives to study market developments in China and encouraging businesses across all sectors to broaden their vision. High-end talent can help businesses and industries to innovate and grow. In the long term, this will help contribute more towards our corporate income taxes.
Therefore, I suggest we undertake education with a broader perspective, and give more emphasis to the development of high-quality human resources, so as to promote the future development of our economy and businesses.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry (Nee Soon): Chairman, the Government is encouraging our workforce and students to focus on short-term skills-based courses, instead of longer-term broad programmes. This is the appropriate move. However, for some sectors, there is still considerable work needed to get the SkillsFuture and Continuing Education short-term skills-based courses up and running. This is because the industry in those sectors may need more time to determine on the industry's future requirements. As such, would the Government consider delaying the decision to cut funding for post-graduate programmes until the ecosystem of short-term skills-based courses is more mature in those sectors?
Miss Cheng Li Hui: Chairman, with the changing economy and technological disruptions, it is important for adult learners to continue to reskill and upskill themselves to face the needs of our future economy. IHLs have been ramping up their delivery of CET, by providing short training courses for adults to acquire the right skills that can be applied in their respective jobs.
More industry-relevant modular courses have also been introduced to provide both undergraduates and postgraduates to learn new skills and develop deeper skills.
Beyond clearly skills-based and industry relevant courses, it is also important to continue support for postgraduate programmes like Masters programmes since they cater to a different group of Singaporeans who might prefer a more structured approach to training. Minister Ong Ye Kung had mentioned that MOE was going to review the funding for such postgraduate programmes. I would like to ask for the outcome of the review.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: Sir, more universities around the world from the United States (US) to Australia and New Zealand are offering micro-credentials, which are like mini-degrees or certifications in a specific field. I am glad our autonomous universities (AUs) are following suit to keep up with the demand. These bite-sized courses are good for our busy individuals who are keen to upgrade and upskill themselves but do not have the time or resources for full-time postgraduate courses. The prestige and reputation of the AUs will give students further assurance of the effectiveness and legitimacy of the course materials and assessment methods.
Nevertheless, while the main goal of these micro-credentials is to encourage and recognise the mastery of specific skills, many individuals still aspire to attain formal postgraduate qualifications.
Will the Ministry expand the scheme and allow employees to eventually attain full qualifications from various micro-courses? For example, students who achieve sufficient micro-credentials in business administration topics could convert them into full credits and transfer them into a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. According to Converge, a digital magazine by the Centre for Digital Education, which is a national research and advisory institute specialising in higher education technology trends, policy and funding, these are what universities in America are working on.
We are gearing away from over-emphasis on academic accomplishments, but formal qualifications are still greatly valued and can be a powerful source of motivation for Singaporeans to pursue skills upgrading and lifelong learning.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: Chairman, we are living in an increasingly interconnected world, and it is right and appropriate that our workforce reflect this global diversity.
However, back in 2013, I was surprised that Singaporean academics formed the minority in context-sensitive fields in political science, public policy and the communications departments in local universities.
About a third of university academics in the UK are from outside the UK. This is according to figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Saudi Arabia has gone down the localisation route, by hiring foreigners for academic positions at government universities as a last resort.
Last year, the Minister in an earlier reply to me, mentioned that the percentage of foreign academics have declined from 47% 10 years ago to 40% today. The Minister had recognised the importance of academic staff diversity, in tandem with having our universities imbued with local character and identity.
With an eye on the latter, how confident is the Minister that the various talent and research schemes and platforms will result in a more equal footing in some key departments? What are some of the reasons this has happened and what is the impact that the Minister has noticed?
Do we know why some Singaporean academics find it hard to get to teach in local universities or why so few are tenured in local universities? Can the Minister provide more clarity on these issues?
The Chairman: Dr Intan Mokhtar, you can do the last cut for MOE.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: Mr Chairman, I declare my interest as an Academic Board member of the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board (PSB) Academy.
In November last year, the findings of the first private education institution (PEI) graduate employment survey that was conducted by the Council for Private Education (CPE) and SkillsFuture SG was released. The survey found that six in 10 PEI graduates found jobs within six months of graduation, drawing an average starting salary of $2,550. This was found to be significantly lower than similar graduates from the AUs, such as NUS, NTU, the Singapore Management University (SMU), the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) or the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), where, on average, eight in 10 found jobs within six months of graduation, drawing an average starting salary of $3,325.
Understandably, those from the PEIs have offered caution in simply accepting these findings. However, they cannot be ignored either. There are still students who have spent large amounts of money on certificate, diploma or degree programmes offered by PEIs but have later on found that their employment options or career progression are limited due to a lack of recognition of their qualifications attained.
How does CPE plan to engage our students who are considering their post-secondary educational options to ensure they are aware of the expectations related to the different educational pathways and options available to them? How does CPE plan to ensure that our PEIs remain responsible in offering quality and niche educational programmes for our students which have good employment outcomes, other than through the graduate employment survey or the EduTrust certification? Would CPE consider carrying out surprise audits on the lecturers teaching in the PEIs to check on the quality of teaching and the qualifications of the lecturers? How does CPE plan to keep in check the fees of degree programmes offered by these PEIs to ensure they are not over-inflated?
The Chairman: Minister Ong Ye Kung.
The Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mr Chairman, Sir, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Faishal Ibrahim, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling and myself will try to answer all the cuts.
We have heard a lot about how the future will be different. The questions from Ms Denise Phua, Ms Foo Mee Har, Mr Zainal Sapari and Mr Thomas Chua boil down to one central question that should really preoccupy every Education Minister in the world, and the question is: is our education system preparing young people for a fast-changing future, or is the model, as we know it, outdated?
Our system has a solid foundation. This is reflected in good PISA scores, good university rankings and good employment outcomes. By no means they will guarantee success, but they are indicative of how we have gotten the evergreen basics right.
We must build on, not sit on, this foundation. Indeed, this has been the mission of every single Education Minister in Singapore over the years.
Forty years ago, our schools suffered from very high dropout rates. The uniform curriculum also did not cater for students’ varied pace of learning. The then-Minister for Education, Dr Goh Keng Swee, said that the starting point is to identify the \"causes of things\", before putting in solutions to fix them. His solution then was to allow students to study at different paces that suited them. School dropout rates dropped dramatically. Subsequent Education Ministers continued to tackle the problems of their times. It is due to all of them, and all our educators, that we have the strong foundation we have today.
Ms Denise Phua asked for the worldwide trends we are grappling with now. The fact is that today, the Education Ministers face a challenge that is entirely different in nature compared to 40 years ago.
Things are changing so fast, and the future so dynamic, so volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA), that it is harder to identify the \"causes of things\" and come up with solutions before another future unfolds. However, we can anticipate the shape of things to come and build a system that can respond to and embrace the changes. We can already identify some features of the future system.
For one, education needs to wear lighter academic colours. Hence, we revamped the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system.
Education also needs to recognise the diversity of strengths and talents amongst our young. Hence, we brought the Direct School Admission (DSA) system back to its original objectives, placed students into IHLs based on aptitudes and demonstrated interests rather than just grades alone, we started new applied and design universities, and we opened up work-learn pathways.
We also need a new kind of IHL, where success is not measured merely by pass rates, employment outcomes or international rankings, but the long-term resilience of students, and their willingness to take risks, innovate and create.
By reshaping the education system, we can ensure the long-term prosperity of Singapore and continued social mobility across generations, an imperative of the education system that Ms Sylvia Lim raised. In this system, you learn to learn, and you never really graduate. That is the essence of SkillsFuture, and the most important feature we need to build into our system today.
How do we do so? Ms Denise Phua once told me – and she just repeated it again in her opening speech – that of all the changes made to the education system in recent years, the one that got her most excited was the integration of SkillsFuture Singapore into MOE. I remember in her words two years ago, she said it was \"the game changer\".
She is right. I agree with her. This change started IHLs breaking out of their traditional mould, from educating only students to becoming centres for lifelong learning.
The immediate impact is this: IHLs have started ramping up their courses for adult workers. In 2017 alone, 54,000 adult learners passed through our IHLs, slightly over 10% of the entire adult learning market. But the more profound impact is what is going to come next, which is their new approach to teaching.
Why is there a new approach? Because, previously, IHLs all had the mindset that we only have three to four years to prepare students before they embark on their careers. So, from the word go, IHLs are in a race against time to pack in foundational knowledge, industry-related training, interdisciplinary skills and work attachments, all within those three to four years.
The result is a hectic and technically very intensive curriculum. Employers often comment that Singapore graduates know a lot of \"stuff\" – technical stuff. But we can do better in terms of soft skills, be genuinely interested in the industries we chose and the careers we chose, have some fire in our bellies.
The current approach will change when IHLs realise that they do not have three to four years to work with students. They have 20 or 30 years to work with students, because they will keep returning for more knowledge and skills after graduation. So, there is really no hurry to pack so much stuff into the formal curriculum in those three to four years.
Instead, there can be a greater focus on laying a strong foundation, giving them more time and space to seek counsel and decide on their career and their area of interest. Only an interest-driven choice will motivate students to want to learn their whole life, to master their professions and their crafts, and to build deep expertise.
This paradigm shift will deeply affect the way education is delivered in IHLs. I will talk about three aspects today – Develop, Discover and Deepen.
Let me first talk about changing the way we develop students.
Ms Foo Mee Har and Mr Zainal Sapari said that the education model and techniques must be updated to reflect the changing needs of industry and the real world. That is why what our children are going through today at IHLs is vastly different from what we, as parents, went through when we were students. Vastly different.
IHLs can no longer merely be places to listen to lectures. Schools and IHLs must also be places where students make friends, build networks, seek mentorship, gain exposure to different cultures, discover what they want to do, and even find lifelong partners – but only at IHLs, not the schools.
In short, as Mr Edwin Tong pointed out, learning must become experiential. Knowledge no longer carries the same premium it used to because technology has made knowledge very accessible. What is highly valued today is how someone applies knowledge in real life. In other words, what is valued is skills. That comes with experience and practice. That is why all of our IHLs are introducing more experiential learning into their curriculum.
Today, industry attachments have become the norm, and practically all polytechnic students are required to go through them. At SIT, industry attachments are, in fact, an integral part of education, and last for up to a year.
Internship is at one end of the spectrum of industry experience in IHLs. At the other end of the spectrum, which Mr Ang Wei Neng asked about, are various work-study programmes. For example, we have 76 Earn and Learn Programmes training over 1,700 students so far.
The AUs have also started offering SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree Programmes in areas, such as information security, business and analytics, software engineering, and finance. So far, close to 90 students have enrolled in such programmes. The number is not big, but the number will grow, and the number of courses being offered will also grow.
We also announced the launch of the ITE Work-Learn Technical Diploma in four sectors late last year. A couple of Members asked for an update. Interest in the programme is strong. ITE received more than 300 applications for the 180 places available. Each course is at least 1.3 times, or 30%, oversubscribed. The technical courses are particularly popular, such as Marine and Offshore Engineering and Mechanical and Electrical Services Supervision.
ITE is engaging various industries and plans to roll out another 10 new ITE Technical Diploma programmes in the next two years.
So, to Mr Thomas Chua's question on how do we bridge the gap between industry need and education, I call upon industries to participate directly in education. Our new programmes are bringing industries into the IHLs, and IHLs into the industries. Whether it is IHLs or industry, both can initiate the discussion.
There is also greater recognition of the importance of overseas exposure, because our young will very likely grow up to have to work in global industries and international environments.
Today, around two-thirds of all AU students do at least one overseas stint, in the form of academic exchanges, overseas internships or entrepreneurship experiences, or short project-based trips. SMU and SUTD are also focusing on exposing students to Southeast Asian countries which form Singapore's immediate economic hinterland.
In particular, overseas entrepreneurship programmes, where students are attached to startups in the US, Europe and Asia, are being ramped up rapidly in our AUs. Startup incubators, such as BLOCK71 and the Hangar at NUS, NTUitive at NTU, as well as Pollinate, jointly set up by Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic, are all buzzing with activities.
Experiential learning also involves learning knowledge and skills that are contemporary, relevant and hands-on. At NUS, there is a strong emphasis on data science and IT. All students, whether you are learning Literature, Arts, History, Science or Engineering, must take compulsory modules on either quantitative reasoning or computational thinking. These are the foundational skills to coding and data analytics. NTU, too, has announced that it will make courses in digital literacy compulsory for all students. SUTD made a similar move last week. This is a significant shift in IHL curriculum, and it has taken off across the board.
I visited our local engineering company, HOPE Technik, recently. Members will know them for building the Red Rhinos for our Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). They are also building robots, autonomous vehicles and exoskeletons for many international customers. When I asked how we can improve the education of engineers, one of the founders, Mr Peter Ho, an NUS alumnus, said that engineering students should learn how to weld. He said knowing welding means you can do prototyping, and that makes you a better engineer.
I think there is a lot of wisdom in that comment. It reflects a growing need to incorporate innovation and creativity into our curriculum. That is Applied Learning right there, as Minister Ng Chee Meng spoke about. I am not sure if, in time, our engineering students will all learn welding, but they do learn 3D printing today. And perhaps all engineering students should learn prototyping.
Let me now talk about how we can better support our students to discover their interests and aptitudes. The practice of IHLs today frontloading education and packing a lot of stuff into the first few years is most stark in our polytechnics, where students are funnelled into occupation-specific courses right from the start. Over time, courses also proliferated as employers wanted graduates with specialised skills and wanted them fast.
But it is daunting and confusing for our young students, who, at the age 16 or 17, have to choose amongst 230 courses. Most of them hardly know what work life is like, much less the work nature in these specific jobs. As IHLs transform into centres for lifelong learning, this approach will change.
First, we will have more Common Entry Programmes (CEPs) at the polytechnics, which Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about. While there is always a small group of students who are very clear about what they want to do from a very young age, the majority of students will be in a self-discovery mode when entering polytechnics. They may have an idea that they like engineering, IT or social science, but find it too early to pick a course that is specific to an occupation.
For these students, therefore, I agree with Mr Seah Kian Peng that giving them more time to explore their interests will help. Even an extra six months or one year is going to help. Thus, from 2019, polytechnics will offer more CEPs. CEPs comprise foundational modules common to a particular cluster of discipline, and students get to sample all of them and explore their interests.
Today, all polytechnics already offer an Engineering CEP, and they will introduce two more CEPs – one in Business, and the second one in Information and Digital Technologies – two clusters. From next year, we expect the two new CEPs to account for 30% of these cluster intakes.
To illustrate, for a student in the Information and Digital Technologies cluster, he will take foundational courses in Computing Mathematics, Introduction to Programming and Networking Fundamentals in his first year. From his second year, he then decides on his specialisation. That will give them more time.
Second, we will also streamline polytechnic courses. Over-specificity puts students at greater risk of being displaced when the industry changes. It can also stifle the versatility of students. By streamlining the course choices for students, we increase the career options for graduates.
Polytechnics will, therefore, reduce the number of courses by about 20% over the next two to three years, largely by streamlining and merging courses. We are consciously trading depth for more breadth and versatility. Let me emphasise, we are streamlining and reducing the number of courses to give students broader exposure. There is no fall in polytechnic intake due to this change.
Third, strengthen Education and Career Guidance (ECG). The two changes I just spoke about need to be supplemented with a stronger and more systemic effort to guide students. This has to start in secondary schools to help students get a broad sense of where their interests and strengths lie. This is where Applied Learning will really help. Typically, this falls into one of the following four domains – science and technology, ICT, social sciences and humanities, or the creative arts.
In the IHLs, the process will continue to, first, expose students to knowledge and skills within their chosen cluster of disciplines, and then to help them identity their specialisation later on. Towards the tail end of their IHL education, they will undergo industry attachment – like a capstone – to reaffirm their interest in their chosen career. This is a systemic, self-discovery approach for students, which we will roll out to all the IHLs in the coming year.
Stronger ECG ensures that more students can navigate the multiple education pathways available and choose the one most suitable for them. One such pathway is the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) which Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked about.
To give Members some background, today, polytechnics mostly admit students who graduated with the GCE \"O\" level certificate. They also take in a small group of students who graduated with Normal (Academic), or N(A), certificates.
These students from the N(A) stream did well for their GCE \"N\" level examinations and are given a chance to go directly to the polytechnics. We started PFP in 2013 and the first batch just graduated in 2017.
The outcomes have been very encouraging, and maybe even surprising to some. Typically, 25% of every cohort scores a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5 and above. But for PFP students, 35% achieved it – 35% compared to 25% on average. The norm is that 55% of each cohort score GPA 3 and above, but 70% of PFP students achieved it. Dropout rates for PFP students are also much lower than average.
How did they do so well? I asked the polytechnic principals. They said being offered PFP greatly motivated the N(A) students. I also believe that it has something to do with the students' strong interest in the polytechnic path that they chose.
There is an important lesson in education policy here. Given the right encouragement and a chance to prove themselves, especially in an area that they enjoy doing, the students will do their best and will have a good chance of doing well. This inner drive outweighs all the tuition and all the close supervision that are given to the students.
Today, PFP is open to students from the GCE \"N\" level stream who score an aggregate of 11 points and below. Given the success of the programme, we will expand it and extend it to students from the GCE \"N\" level stream with an aggregate score of 12 points and below. With this change, the number of students accepted every year will increase from about 1,200 today to 1,500.
Mr Zainal Sapari asked about aptitude-based admissions. Today, our IHLs' admission processes consider factors beyond academic accomplishments to recognise students who have already discovered their interests and aptitudes. NUS just announced that it will give bonus points for first choice applications to encourage students to pursue their interests and I really commend them for that.
However, this approach is not without problems. Polytechnic principals told me that since I announced and implemented that, they have been receiving many more appeals from students and parents. This is expected, and I thank the IHLs for looking at every single appeal carefully.
What students and parents need to understand is that passion and aptitude need to be demonstrated and is not declared, and that has to come through during the admission process.
For example, during my time, if a child likes airplanes, he would know every model of airplanes. He would go to Changi Airport as a past-time to see airplanes take off and land. And he would have the digital video disc (DVD) of \"Top Gun\" and would have watched it 20 times. This interest is demonstrated, and you cannot hide it. For example, since young, I have loved art and I spent all my time doodling – and I meant really \"all my time\" and I used to have a lot of work to show for it.
So, last year, we set the aptitude-based admissions target for IHLs at 15% of their intake cohorts. The institutions have made good strides but they have not fully used the quota, so I will leave the target at 15% for now.
However, there is scope for us to do more at ITE. Ideally, admission to vocational training pathways should predominantly be aptitude-based. There are practical constraints, such as course capacity or the industries' ability to absorb these graduates, but where possible, we want every student to enter a vocation of his liking.
ITE will embark on a review of its admission system, to rely more on assessing students’ aptitude through interviews and review of portfolios. The revised system will be implemented in stages from the 2019 admissions cycle, starting with selected courses in the Business, Hospitality and ICT sectors.
I also note Ms Denise Phua's two examples of students from the GCE \"N\" level stream who like art but were unable to get into LaSalle or NAFA, and that is because they require a minimum of GCE \"O\" level certificates. We will review that. After all, we have PFP programmes that allow students from the \"N\" level stream to go to a Diploma programme in polytechnics. So, we will review that, and I thank the Member for the feedback.
Next, let me talk about deepening what we learn through lifelong learning. Ms Foo Mee Har asked about the status and future plans of SkillsFuture. It is a long-term movement. I thank Deputy Prime Minister Tharman for his assessment that we are a third there; actually, I think it is more like a quarter.
SkillsFuture is not just the SkillsFuture Credit as we all know. Neither is it just about getting IHLs to deliver training programmes for adults. It requires a transformation of the education system as we know it; it requires our young to uncover their interests and passions and commit to learning their whole life; it requires employers, private training providers and IHLs to all do their part for lifelong learning; it requires society to celebrate and recognise a broad range of achievements and success.
IHLs can play a bigger role in our future plans for SkillsFuture. They have studied the ITMs, gotten feedback from industry partners, and have launched around 800 industry-relevant modular courses since October last year.
They are collectively known as the SkillsFuture Series and cover a wide range of disciplines. ICT is a key focus of the IHLs. It is a rich area. There is value for each IHL to contribute. There will be some overlap, but I do not think it is a problem so long as the demand is strong. And over time, each IHL will find its niche and the landscape will settle.
These courses are funded at up to 70% upfront, so that fees are significantly lower. Many will be structured as Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs), where funding will be even more generous.
As of February this year, more than 4,900 adult learners have enrolled in SkillsFuture Series courses. So, it is not too bad. The IHLs will develop more modular courses in the coming year and sharpen their focus to meet industry's evolving needs.
By 2020, we expect to have increased the annual funding of IHL lifelong learning programmes by $100 million, up from about $210 million per year today.
As the IHLs roll out more modular courses, the AUs will repackage certain courses to create pathways that lead to smaller qualifications, often referred to as \"micro-credentials\". These micro-credentials comprise only modules targeted at developing expertise for work and, as Dr Lim Wee Kiak said, can be useful in providing a milestone for adult learners to aim towards and which employers can recognise.
However, we should be careful not to let such micro-credentials become a new arms race to collect credentials. IHLs should instead focus on imparting skills and knowledge needed by industry and package them into a nice bundle that represents a meaningful upgrading of skills and know-how. Learners, too, should focus on picking up what is necessary for their work and for their careers. Our AUs will progressively roll out more of such micro-credentials in the coming years and subject them to the market test.
As we step up support for SkillsFuture Series courses, we also reviewed the way we fund Postgraduate by Coursework programmes at our universities, namely, Master's by Coursework and Postgraduate Diplomas. Mr Henry Kwek and Miss Cheng Li Hui asked for an update on the review.
Given our limited budget, we need to do some re-allocation of resources. Hence, from 2019, for the majority of MOE-funded Postgraduate by Coursework programmes, the subsidy level for Permanent Residents (PRs) will be adjusted slightly downwards, while that for international students will be discontinued. However, there will be no change in the subsidy level for Singaporeans. This will free up around $25 million in budget each year, which will be rechannelled to support modular courses at our IHLs for our local workforce.
Notwithstanding the reduction in subsidy for non-Singaporeans, we must continue to attract selected, deserving postgraduate international students who can make meaningful contributions to Singapore.
Besides these discrete changes, what is more important is the shift in the mindsets of all of our IHLs to embrace lifelong learning as part of their mission. Mr Ang Wei Neng is right that gone are the days where a degree can last someone a lifetime. NUS is blazing the trail in this regard.
Last year, NUS announced that all alumni can take up two modules for free over a three-year period. The response was overwhelming, and alumni started to attend classes side by side with young undergraduates. Encouraged by the good response, NUS is expanding it into a programme called NUS Lifelong Learners, or L3. Under L3, NUS will treat every student enrolment as lasting for 20 years, not just three or four years. It will help their students build their careers and learn for life during this period. This gives new meaning to the word \"alumni\". I am sure this change in mindset will spread to all IHLs.
Today, short courses for adults are mostly unpacked from long full-time programmes. In time, they will have to be developed independently, with a practical bent – delivered by practitioners on skills in demand by industries; or a futuristic bent – taught by researchers on cutting-edge technology.
Mr Chairman, Sir, let me conclude. Transformation of education cannot be done by MOE alone. I agree with Ms Foo Mee Har that a key partner in education are the employers. We need employers' hands on deck, too, to provide input on curriculum design, offer their experts as adjunct lecturers, place our students in meaningful internships, and participate actively in lifelong learning by providing inhouse training for their employees.
I agree with Dr Intan Mokhtar that we should give greater recognition to employers who support this, such as through the SkillsFuture Employer Award that was started last year. But the best reward for them is the outcome of their investment in their own people. As we shift the IHL system to lay a stronger foundation for students and be less prescriptive in the occupation we are preparing them for, employers need to step up even more to involve themselves in education and lifelong learning, especially for the young.
We also need to work closely with the most important people in our students' lives – their parents. Our children are often the people we love the most. It is natural for parents to want to bring them up impeccably – from the night feeds when they are babies, helping them with homework when they are in primary school, taking leave when they are taking PSLE, attending Open Houses at the IHLs with them, interviewing their boyfriends and girlfriends. We want the best for them.
But the truth is we are all parents-in-training. Just when you become an expert in taking care of babies, they go to school, and it is a totally different challenge. And when you thought that you had finally mastered parenting school-going children, they become teenagers, and that presents another area of challenge.
Our children often do a better job at keeping up with the fast-changing world than parents do. By ensuring that they are so well taken care of, does it help them or are we inadvertently blunting their abilities to adapt? Years ago, I taught my daughter how to cycle, and I learnt that a young girl cannot learn how to balance with an over-protective dad holding the back of the bicycle. I had to let go. Eventually, when my running could not keep up with her pedalling, I did, and off she went. She learnt how to cycle, and I learnt how to let go.
Perhaps one of the best things we, as parents, can do for our children is to know when to let go and what to let go of. But this does not mean that they will be left alone; they will have the love of the family, as well as support of the entire school system.
That is why parenthood is a roller coaster ride and for the lion-hearted. There is no guaranteed success. But children need the time and space to explore in order to discover their strengths and their interests, find their place in the world and ignite their joy of learning.
This is not just a matter of personal freedoms, but a pragmatic response to the fast changes in the world around us, a world where it is hard to identify the landing points that the unfolding story of the rise of China and technological advancement will lead us, a world where the young are creating their own jobs through startups and innovations and shaping their own future.
So, 40 years ago, we built systems to respond to challenges that we could identify. We must now foster human ingenuity and resilience so that our children can thrive in a future we cannot yet discern. This requires us to give students a say in what, how and when they want to learn, to help them develop, discover and deepen their knowledge and skills in the areas that they are passionate about.
This is the most precious gift for our children. But we cannot give it to them; we can only set them on a journey to discover it for themselves. [Applause.]
The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Education (Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim): Mr Chairman, both Minister Ng Chee Meng and Minister Ong Ye Kung spoke about preparing our children for a changing future. It is our goal to provide every child with the opportunity to get a good start in life, discover his strengths and interests, and help him realise his potential. As we prepare our children to be future-ready, we want them to develop holistically. We want to cater to the diverse interests of our students with multiple pathways and different options.
This is also what parents want. I know, as a father of two children, we all share the same goal – we want the best for our children and to bring out the best in them.
That is why we must work together, as strong school-home-community partnerships will lead to better student outcomes. Over the years, we have made significant efforts and progress in building enduring partnerships with parents, the community and industry partners to support our schools and students, and we will continue to build upon these efforts.
Parents are a child's first teacher. Together with the teachers in schools, they are crucial in supporting our children in discovering their strengths and achieving their aspirations. This includes our efforts in exposing our children to a broad range of diverse sports, and developing those with sporting talent, which was raised by Mr Edwin Tong.
As Minister Ng shared, we have put in place various programmes to expose and nurture our students in this area. I am glad that many parents and community partners also recognise the value of sports being inculcated in our young and partner schools to provide our children with the opportunities to try out different games and sports.
If you were to visit Lianhua Primary School on a Saturday morning, you will see it bustling with energy, with students playing soccer in the field, while others play tennis in the sports hall. These are, however, not school-based programmes but community programmes led by professional football club, Warriors Football Club (FC), as well as SC Global and Singapore Tennis Association. Parents see to the logistics, take attendance and contribute in ways to ensure a smooth running of the programme. Such partnerships augment schools' programmes, offer our students more options and expose them to a wider range of sports.
We also recognise the importance of bringing together community and industry partners whose expertise and resources can extend the knowledge and learning in schools through authentic contexts.
This is particularly relevant in the learning of our MTLs. For instance, the teaching of the Malay Language does not just belong to the cikgu or the parents. It also involves the Malay community coming together to deepen our students' sense of their own culture and rich heritage. The Perkasa Warisan Camp designed for our Primary 4 students is one such initiative. Allow me to elaborate more about the camp in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Perkasa Warisan Camp is a collaboration between the grassroots leaders of the Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC) and our experienced teachers of the Anugerah Guru Arif Budiman Work Group (AGAB), with the support of the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC). Themed Malay Gastronomy, our students will learn about indigenous herbs and spices in the outdoors before applying that knowledge to create their own unique nutritious salad dish and share their ideas with their peers and parents in a creative way.
One of our teachers whose expertise was tapped on to design the learning experiences of the camp is Mr Azhar Bin Abdul Rashid. Mr Azhar explained that the Perkasa Warisan camp is where language truly comes alive for our students as they explore the application of the Malay language in the wider community.
This camp will be piloted in Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and Tampines GRC this month. We hope to extend this initiative to more schools in other GRCs in the future.
(In English): For our younger children at the preschool level, we want to spark their interest in learning Malay through play. Following the successful partnership between the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning and Wildlife Reserve Singapore, I am glad to share that the Wow Wild Learn Programme, which turned the River Safari into a mega living classroom for our preschoolers, will be offered in Malay from August this year.
Such collaborations are made possible as the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee has established a good system to facilitate networking and partnerships among schools, preschools, community organisations, such as the Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM) and ASAS '50 (The Singapore Writers' Movement ’50), and Government agencies, including the People's Association (PA), National Library Board (NLB), NParks, National Heritage Board (NHB) and the National Arts Council (NAC).
Mr Chen Show Mao asked if we can also extend the learning of Malay language to other students at the primary level, by including conversational Malay language skills as part of schools' formal curriculum.
The Conversational Malay Programme was introduced since 2005, where non-Malay students learn to conduct simple conversations in the Malay language and gain appreciation of the Malay culture. Today, 91% of our primary schools offer the Conversational Malay Programme or similar school-based programmes. This equips our students with some grounding of the Malay language so that they can pick up the language more easily should they need it for economic or other reasons in their adult lives. Making it compulsory for all primary students may not be feasible with a number of competing demands on our students’ attention. The current model, where the learning of a third language is encouraged but remains optional, is a balanced approach.
Lastly, let us talk about the industry, how we can partner them to complement and supplement our students’ learning in schools. Let me illustrate it using the example of Juying Primary School. The school’s Learning for Life Programme is Environmental Education, and they partner an industry partner, Greenpac, which is a big advocate for green practices, to teach the students grow and harvest their own vegetables using a hydroponics system. The students benefited tremendously from this partnership as lifecycles of plants, a topic in the Primary 3 Science syllabus, came to life. This is what Applied Learning is all about, where our students learn by doing and experience the real-world application of sustainable farming.
As their Values-In-Action project, the students further collaborated with the Residents’ Committee to share their harvest with the community. They also got the canteen vendors to cook the vegetables for the whole school to savour the vegetables of their labour during recess. These are small but important steps in guiding our students to care for others and contribute to the community within their means.
Sir, we are all preparing our students for a future that is fast changing with many unknowns. It is not an easy journey. However, as the Malay saying goes, \"Sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit, sehari selembar benang, lama-lama menjadi kain\", meaning a little effort in time makes a hill, and a thread woven becomes a cloth. I believe we can go a lot further and do a lot more for our students when we do it hand in hand with our parents, community and industry. Together, we play a collaborative role in preparing our next generation to be ready for the new world.
The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers for Education (Ms Low Yen Ling): Mr Chairman, Minister Ng Chee Meng, Minister Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Faishal Ibrahim have expounded on the shifts we are making in our education landscape to better equip Singaporeans for the future economy.
As we build up our people’s skills, competency in our MTLs is an important area that will stand Singaporeans in good stead. Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Bilingualism has always been an integral part of our education policy. With the increasingly interconnected global landscape, proficiency in our MTLs and cultural heritage will also help us to connect with our global partners more effectively.
Ms Tin Pei Ling asked about our efforts to enhance our students' proficiency in MTLs. First, our schools are instrumental in providing a nurturing environment for students to learn and explore their MTLs. With the support of the three MTL Promotion Committees and Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism, local arts and cultural groups, media as well as grassroots organisations, our schools have been incorporating various creative ways to express the languages, including xinyao, comic writing, radio drama writing, community tours and even games, in their teaching of MTLs.
For example, teachers in Jing Shan Primary School developed a platform called \"Story Village\" that lets students improve their Chinese through interactive games and interesting stories. The more proficient learners can even help their friends learn the language by creating new game software in Chinese.
Through such innovative MTL teaching, we hope that the learning of MTLs becomes a part of the students' everyday life. MTL is not just a subject, it is a live language. As Minister Ng Chee Meng has mentioned, real-life applications can help make the MTLs come alive. Hence, we seek to cultivate students’ interest to continue learning and using their MTLs by ensuring that MTL learning is engaging and relevant.
Second, we hope to create a vibrant and supportive environment for MTL learning beyond schools. We encourage parents to use MTL with their children. This can involve day-to-day activities, such as watching a show or movie, listening to songs or reading a book in their MTL with the children. We will also provide parents with various resources to support their teaching of MTL to their children.
One example is the Annual MTL Symposium (MTLS), which brings together many experts and specialists to share tips and resources with parents on the teaching of MTLs. Last year, more than 15,000 parents, educators and students participated in and benefited from this symposium. In addition, parents can use the interactive iMTL portal with their children at home to help and guide their children to learn and practise MTLs at their own pace. This is our iMTL portal.
(In English): Mr Chairman, in English. Our local arts and cultural groups, media as well as grassroots organisations can also provide rich contexts to excite our students to use their MTLs. For example, the Indian Heritage Centre worked with the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee to develop a Discovery Kit that lets students practise the language as they explore the centre.
Like the learning of many skills today, Members have heard from the Ministers, the Senior Minister of State, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary the learning of our MTLs does not stop after we leave school. As adults, we can also build on the foundation we received in school and continue to build on our language proficiency later in life and throughout life. There are now 190 MTL-related SkillsFuture Credit courses supporting lifelong MTL learning. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Institute of Business will also be introducing Business Chinese programmes in Community Centres for easy access by adult learners.
Besides strengthening our proficiency in MTLs, what are the other work-relevant skills that we need to develop to face and thrive in the future economy? This is really what the SkillsFuture is all about. And Members have heard Minister Ong Ye Kung talking about it earlier.
I agree with Assoc Prof Randolph Tan that literacy and ICT skills are critical skills for our workforce. This is why our Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework includes Workplace Literacy and Numeracy as well as International Computing Driving Licence courses. ICT is also the top area of training that is supported by SkillsFuture Credit. Over 6,000 Singaporeans have picked up useful IT skills under the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace initiative, such as using e-payment platforms, using social media and even starting an e-business.
Dr Intan Mokhtar asked about the impact of the SkillsFuture movement. Awareness of the SkillsFuture movement among Singaporeans has improved from 45% in January 2016 to 70% in December last year. According to the WSQ Outcomes Evaluation Survey 2016, 90% of respondents indicated that their WSQ training has helped them work more effectively and more efficiently, and 72% found that it had facilitated their job search. More than 1,700 polytechnic and ITE graduates have participated in the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme and more than 2,400 Singaporeans have been awarded the SkillsFuture Study Awards.
Nonetheless, some Singaporeans may need help to navigate the training landscape, as Dr Intan Mokhtar has pointed out. Our schools and IHLs have strengthened their Education and Career Guidance efforts to help students better appreciate the strengths and passions that they possess, and also better understand the available education and career opportunities. To help Singaporeans make informed decisions, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) publishes key information, such as the PEI Graduate Employment Survey and trainees' ratings on the course quality and outcomes of SSG-supported courses. This information transparency spurs the PEIs to keep their programmes industry-relevant and graduates' skills employable.
To encourage and facilitate our people's training journey, we have tailored and personalised the MySkillsFuture portal to meet individual training needs. This portal allows users to access industry information and search for jobs and training opportunities according to their interests. On this website, we also highlight exemplary employers who are avid supporters of staff training. In the two months following its launch, the portal has attracted more than 1.9 million page views, with more than 270,000 users having logged in. Come the later part of this year, Singaporeans can look forward to a customised SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme portal that shows available places and participating employers.
To broaden our public outreach, we have partnered our five Community Development Councils to introduce SkillsFuture Advice workshops to help Singaporeans understand work trends and workplace skills needed. Ms Evangeline Boo is one of the 4,600 Singaporeans who have benefited from this move. Through the SkillsFuture Advice workshop, she became more aware of her own training needs. She now actively uses the MySkillsFuture portal to search for leadership and management courses to improve her work as a director.
As Minister Ong Ye Kung had mentioned, we will continue to expand the learning options for Singaporeans and that includes working with IHLs to introduce more courses for adult learners. Part of this will involve resourcing IHLs with the best talents, local and foreign, for teaching and research.
Mr Seah Kian Peng asked about the local representation in our AUs. Our AUs are national institutions and it is certainly important that they continue to have a strong Singaporean Core who understand our local issues well. We have introduced the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme in 2015 and awarded 77 scholarships to aspiring Singaporean academics so far.
Together with our parents and partners, we will continue to strive to equip and empower Singaporeans in their lifelong learning journey ahead so that we can all gear up to seize the opportunities in the future.
The Chairman: We have some time for clarifications. Ms Denise Phua.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: I have some questions. To the Senior Minister of State, who could have been distracted by Member Leon Perera's suggestion to have MPs help conduct political education in schools, but this is not about that. The Senior Minister of State did not respond specifically to my recommendation to strengthen and further resource the existing support model for students with special needs in mainstream schools from primary to secondary to IHLs. The feedback is that the resources are insufficient and the model is quite inadequate. So, I seek the Senior Minister of State's consideration for that.
The second clarification is also my second time request for a SPED Academy to place more strategic priority and focus so that we can create lifelong learners as well out of the special needs population, just like NUS adopting its alumni now and looking at their graduates over a 20-year timeframe. I wonder if we could do the same for SPED.
The next clarification is addressed to the two Ministers. It sounds like MOE has got its act altogether and that you have covered all grounds. I was just wondering, in a future that is constantly disrupted and at most times unpredictable, how do you navigate a space like this to ensure more learner agility amongst our students and even more self-directed learning from a very young age?
Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank Ms Denise Phua for the follow-up questions. Indeed, we want to strengthen support, but the question is how. I think Ms Denise Phua and many others will appreciate that the SPED space is not homogenous, with very varied challenges, very varied needs. When I describe things like the structures that we have or the 80% of students with SENs in our mainstream schools, that is not a model. That is not a target. That is an outcome of the approach that we are taking. We currently have a space with a wide variety of service delivery models and a wide variety of structures. So, we have to take a little bit of a step back and have a sense that there really is no clear single answer about a single best model.
But there are some common challenges that we need to address in terms of strengthening our support. The biggest single challenge actually is professional capability. So, when we look at what we are doing now in our schools, the mainstream schools, the MOE-funded SPED schools, our VWO partners, the biggest single challenge is to not just have enough of the professionals but actually deepen the capabilities of those professionals. That is the biggest single focus of the work that we are doing. So, the answer to the Member's first question is yes.
As to the SPED Academy, it is something that we will seriously study, we are quite open to improving and updating and refreshing how we do the different models of SPED delivery. There is no single model of SPED delivery and we are quite open to studying further models.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: I thank Ms Denise Phua for her questions. As a system, we remain open-minded, as open-minded as possible, not to be blindsided by different trends that may surface. Some trends would be relevant, some trends may fade. But we examine it in totality. Structurally, we do reviews in MOE periodically across all different subjects and we do benchmarking with renowned institutions around the world and we also go on study visits.
For example, I went to Australia. My staff actually asked me, \"What would you like to learn in Australia?\" I wanted to look at outdoor education and how it would strengthen a perceived weakness in our own system. So, we look at different systems to learn new things. We also have research and development (R&D) arms set up in NIE and MOE. These research entities plug into the world institutions where they do research on pedagogical, heutagogical or andragogical updates. We are always trying to keep at the forefront of developments. But always, as I said earlier, remembering to customise it to our Singapore context.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Chairman, a short reply to Ms Denise Phua because she asked the Ministers. The short answer is help the students find what they love to do. If it is something they love to do, they will be self-directed and they will learn their whole life. That is what we are focusing on.
The Chairman: Mr Seah Kian Peng.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: Chairman, just two short clarifications. The first is addressed to Minister Ng Chee Meng. In my cut, I talked about the Ministry's views or actions over the burgeoning expenditure on tuition and how I feel this disadvantages students of lower socio-economic background. So, I would like the Minister's response to that. What can we do to address that?
The second clarification is directed to Senior Parliamentary Secretary Low Yen Ling on the composition of local academics in context-sensitive faculties in our local universities. What are the Ministry's views towards this? Is there a need, is there a deliberate attempt to increase this composition or number?
The Chairman: Minister Ng Chee Meng.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the clarification. To assist our students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, this is always a work-in-progress. We will do our best, but it will never be an ending where we will be happy with it.
You can see from the different programmes that we have started. MK is a key example. When we started the kindergartens, we wanted to address these disadvantages and bring disadvantaged students to as equal a starting line as possible. In the MKs, we reserve one-third of our places for children from the lower socio-economic backgrounds. We provide the different financial schemes. I have said in my speech the different levelling up of criteria, including for Edusave.
We also, in our schools, pay very, very high attention to learning support programmes for students coming into our primary schools at Primary 1. If they are slower, whether in the languages, in English or in Mathematics, we have different programmes to support them in Primary 1 and Primary 2, and we extend it all the way to Primary 6 if required. Most of the kids do well and they graduate from these support programmes by the time they are at Primary 3.
We have also designed after-school areas. It is almost like a relax area where a VWO person or teacher stays back to supervise them. They get to hang out in a cool room where there is play but only after they have done their homework part.
I have my own experience through the family support services where we also partner Family Service Centres (FSCs). Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds may not have a conducive home environment. We partner the community services to make sure that they are well looked after and well-supervised so that they are not distracted. But there are ground realities that we have to cope with, such as family circumstances, even family abuse. All these are difficult entrenched problems that we face. Our teachers even tell me sometimes that they wake up earlier in the morning and go to the flat of the students to bring them to school.
The Chairman: May I request that the Ministers keep their replies short as well.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Yes, I will. Today, for faculty, both tenured and non-tenured, the split between local and foreign faculties is about 50-50. If you look at university leaders – Deans and above – it is about 70% Singaporeans, 30% foreigners, quite in line with Minister Lim Swee Say's \"two-thirds plus one-third, more than one\".
But on the Member's question, I fully agree with him that all our universities are national universities. They must understand local issues, Singapore's and our region's challenges and they must understand the context of Singapore. Faculty who understand the context of Singapore can be locals and can be foreigners. So long as they understand the context and they do research and teaching that are within that context, we welcome them. Having said that, we do want to develop local scholars who will rise up through the ranks. And they are Singaporeans, and they do meaningful local research. That is why we have the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent (START) programme.
The Chairman: Mr Leon Perera.
Mr Leon Perera: Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary for responding to my cut. I just have four clarification questions.
Firstly, can the hon Senior Minister of State confirm that Ministers and GRAs can actually officially attend events in schools and interact with students? He did not directly reply to me; so, again, I would just like to ask him if he could directly reply to confirm that point.
Secondly, is it the case that in the past, MPs could attend events in schools in their MP capacity? I cited some facts that would seem to suggest that that is the case, but I am not sure. So, I am not making any assertion, I am just posing a question. Was it the case in the past that MPs could attend events in schools in their MP capacity and, if so, why was that then not deemed to be partisan politics?
The third question is linked to the first two: if that was the case, then when was this policy changed, and why was it changed at the time it was changed?
Lastly, I am just going to take another crack at this. If Ministers and GRAs can attend events in schools and interact with students as Ministers and GRAs, following a certain set of rules and that is not deemed to be partisan, why cannot Members of this House from other parties and also NMPs similarly interact with students following exactly the same rules? Why would the one set of interactions be deemed to be inherently and by definition non-partisan, the other inherently and by definition partisan?
The Chairman: Senior Minister of State.
Dr Janil Puthucheary: May I begin by asking Mr Perera for a little bit of clarity from his initial cut. Has he attended a school and interacted with students? If so, in what capacity?
Mr Leon Perera: Yes, I did. I alluded to that in my cut speech. I attended one event in my private sector capacity. And in that capacity, I only spoke about one aspect of my private sector work, did not touch on anything to do with my role as an MP or perspectives on current affairs, public matters and so on.
Dr Janil Puthucheary: Mr Perera is clear that he is able to separate out his partisan political views from attending and interacting with people in other capacities. So, that is the answer to Question 4. Anybody can attend the school; it has got to be a question of what capacity you attend in and that drives your behaviour in the school.
All kinds of people can have political views. People who drive buses, people who prepare our food, our teachers. But you have to be very clear about the role in which one attends and interacts with students. So, that answers your fourth question. And that is the basis for the first question. People do attend, and they do so in a very clear capacity that is non-partisan in nature.
In the past, the policy was the same. So, the specific instance that the Member referred to, I believe, does not actually specify the capacity in which the person was speaking at the school or meeting the school. It was those years in his capacity as an MP. So, my reading of the exact same text that he has quoted is that what was referenced was the time in years that he had spent as an MP, not that he was attending the school in his capacity as an MP. I think that point is really quite clear if one reads the text properly and is not seeking a derived meaning from it. Have I answered Mr Perera's question?
The Chairman: Mr Perera, I have to call Miss Cheng Li Hui first.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: Question for the Minister. Will MK be taking in and have more progress for mild to moderate special needs children? It is sometimes hard for parents of special needs children to find preschools that are willing to take in their children. For example, we have some special needs children in my PAP Community Foundation (PCF) centres in Tampines, but they are no longer Tampines residents. They have moved out but when they moved to a new estate, they have problems finding another preschool which is willing to take in their children. Since MK is extending to more estates, can MK play a bigger role in this?
After checking with some teachers, they say that MK does not have enough special needs programmes as well. So, can the Minister just clarify on this?
I also have another question that is a bit more for the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), but it is about preschools. Can there be more funding and training for teachers who care for and teach special needs children? Because they have some problems in terms of the timing as the core curriculum is only four hours, but the DSP programme comes in during the four hours and takes the children out for one hour. The teachers feel that they can actually do that after-hours.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Mr Chairman, the short answer is yes, we have some capability to support special needs children in MK, but these are very nascent. We will develop more support programmes and we will be building towards that.
The Chairman: Mr Leon Perera, do you want to clarify?
Mr Leon Perera: Yes.
The Chairman: Okay. He has already answered. So, unless it is a new point. We do not want to go into a debate on this issue.
Mr Leon Perera: Absolutely, yes. Just to clarify the answer that the hon Senior Minister of State gave. I have come across websites of schools which have chronologies of past events where the events describe an MP attending in their MP capacity before 2011 or thereabouts, and the grassroots adviser attending after 2011 or so. So, in the context of this sort of information, I would just like to confirm again ‒ and this is really my last point ‒ is it the case that that has always been the policy that MPs cannot attend in their MP capacity and only in their grassroots adviser capacity?
Dr Janil Puthucheary: That is correct. There is no change. When I go to visit the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association (SAFRA), which I have done recently, on the banner, it said that \"Visit by Dr Janil Puthucheary\". I was not there in my medical capacity.
The Chairman: Dr Intan Mokhtar.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: Chairman, I would like to address this to the Minister for Education (Schools). I am happy to know that ALP will be rolled out to all our primary schools. Can I clarify that, together with that, there will also be a review of the textbooks and activity books used in the primary schools because, at this point in time, as a parent, I can share with you feedback that there is too much repetitive and rote learning in our activity books and worksheets given to students? So, in order to ensure that there is applied learning done in schools, I think there should be a lot more practice where the skills are learnt in a contextual manner.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Mr Chairman, yes, curriculum and textbooks are reviewed periodically in MOE. We will continue with this process to make sure our teaching materials are properly updated.
The Chairman: Alright, if there are no further clarifications, would Ms Denise Phua like to withdraw the amendment?
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: Gladly, Sir. Mr Chairman, Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. So, on behalf of all my colleagues here, I would like to thank the entire MOE team ‒ the support staff must be somewhere around in the building ‒ for helping us to change the world for the better for all of our students, families and professionals. Thank you so much, and I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $12,270,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $570,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply – Head Q (Ministry of Communications and Information)","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): Sir, I beg to move, \"That the total sum to be allocated for Head Q of the Estimates be reduced by $100\".
Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to speak on the Digital Economy, which presents many opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans.
We are living in a world where industries and businesses are swarmed by digital disruption. Yet, the infocomm industry and technology-based startups that have emerged could form a key growth sector of our future economy, as it provides good jobs, stronger businesses and a better quality of life in general.
The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) anticipates that this sector will create more than 13,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) level jobs and have more than 210,000 infocomm media (ICM) workers by 2020. These projections provide us with an idea of the magnitude of digital disruption in the future.
Given our small and open economy, our businesses need to be nimble and embrace the transformation required to adapt to the new digital world. What is the Government doing to ensure that Singapore's businesses and workforce are able to thrive in the digital future?
The Ministry has launched several initiatives to help the various industries transform and thrive in the digital era. Examples include the industry digital plans launched for the logistics and retail sectors in 2017, while at the small and medium enterprises (SME) level, the SME digital tech hub and solutions for SMEs have been set up. Can the Ministry update us on how these initiatives have performed? Perhaps we can also learn on what more can be done to help our SMEs go digital? Besides logistics and retail, what other sectors will be considered for digital transformation?
However, for the ICM sector specifically, how do we help it grow and realise its full potential? What are the Ministry’s areas of focus in helping Singapore companies to develop the ICM subsectors?
For these companies to be successful, we must help them internationalise. In particular, we need to help drive innovation in the sector and help our local ICM companies productise solutions and enable them to achieve greater commercialisation, especially in deep technology, in areas, such as artificial intelligence (AI), financial technology (fintech), urban solutions and cybersecurity.
We must help our local companies go international and leverage one another. How is the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA’s) internationalisation effort progressing? How is IMDA's approach for the internationalisation of ICM companies differentiated for the ICM sector, compared to that of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore for companies across other sectors?
Chairman, we recently passed the Cybersecurity Bill in Parliament. The Bill aims to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity defences, especially those involving critical information infrastructure (CII). But our defences will only be as good as the ecosystem that we can build here, that is the CII providers, technology solution providers, manpower, startups and research and development (R&D).
How can the Government help promote the development of a sustainable and vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem, including cybersecurity startups?
Singapore, as an international hub and global business and tourist destination, has been successful because of our connectivity. How can the Government ensure that Singapore continues to maintain its lead in digital connectivity, given the environment around where all our competitors are also linking up?
Since ICM separates itself − it is a vibrant and growing sector for us and also one that has impact on other industries and our overall business and SME landscape – we should help aim to grow it to the best of our resources and provide opportunities at various levels for Singapore and Singaporeans. Mr Chairman, please allow me to continue my speech in Malay.
(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Digital skills have become a fundamental and important asset in today’s economy and for the future. Many careers and businesses depend not only on digital technology but also relevant skills, like data analysis, in order to compete. Without digital knowledge and skills, career progression will be hampered and the way businesses are done will also be limited. We have no other choice and must undergo this transformation to survive in the future.
In the business world, we saw a trend of more Malay entrepreneurs moving to online platforms to conduct their business as well as grow their companies, not only for the local market but also regionally and globally. However, much more can be done for them to progress and be identified as a regional and global player.
The same goes for businessmen in areas, such as food and beverage (F&B), retail and logistics, who need to utilise digital technology and data analysis skills. Such digital skills, at least at the basic level, must be acquired by workers at all levels, including professionals. This is also important for those who are entering the workforce, regardless of industry. Every job, be it technicians or professionals, needs digital skills in order to perform their roles more effectively and productively in this digital era.
In terms of info-comm careers, many opportunities have been made available currently to help prepare for a digital future. In fact, MCI estimated that this sector requires thousands of info-comm workers in a few years’ time.
Apart from workers, businessmen will also need to look at this trend and how it can affect their businesses, if they fail to make immediate preparations for this digital world. Some of them have to engage in partnerships, for instance, when entering the global market, in order to become more effective. In this regard, what are the Ministry's plans and efforts to help, especially SMEs, so that they can move quicker to join the digital wave?
For workers, what ways are being done and will be done to encourage them so that they will not miss out on the possibilities and opportunities that may come?
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman: Dr Teo Ho Pin.
Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang): Sir, AI has promising applications in many areas, such as expert systems, robotics, speech recognition or gaming. With the improvements in machine learning, AI can enhance its accuracy in diagnostic work, facilitate intelligent surveillance round the clock, and improve productivity through the reduction of manpower and the streamlining of work processes.
Sir, given the applications of AI being explored and the ethical questions that may arise, such as personal data protection, are there plans by the Ministry to introduce regulatory frameworks to guide AI deployments and ensure that Singaporean society is ready to accept the effects of the adoption of cutting-edge AI?
Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer): Mr Chairman, my cut today is on the digital economy as well. Over the last two decades, digital computing technologies have rapidly changed the world, with far-ranging implications on businesses and consumers. Particularly, the pace of adoption of digital technologies has accelerated over the recent years. Adoption of digital technologies has resulted in a very connected world, empowering individuals and transforming how businesses and governments operate.
There are many benefits to a digital economy. Higher productivity, enhanced quality of life, better jobs, and the list goes on. There are many reasons to be optimistic about Singapore’s future in such an economy if we get a few core strategies right. This is a subject which I will return to discuss later.
First, why am I optimistic? Traditional factors of production like land, labour and capital will no longer constrain the economic expansion of a small island state like Singapore.
The Worldwide Web will be our land. Goods can be produced and can be sold anywhere through e-commerce. Through the Internet, we can also access labour anywhere. American high school teachers are teaching English Language to primary school students in China through the Internet. This has become a thriving business for companies like VIPKID, which provides international elementary school experience to half a million registered Chinese students online.
Capital can be raised in any stock exchanges through angel investors, venture capitalists or even through crowdfunding. All one needs is a sound business idea and persuasive skills.
So, instead of land, labour and capital as traditional factors of production, we are now seeing a new factor of production. And this is data.
For machine learning and AI to thrive, one would need datasets. And lots of them. Here, Singapore is currently at a disadvantage. We have a small population and our privacy laws, as they currently stand, do not make for easy access to data. Data are also collected and stored separately even within different branches of Government and not freely shared. They are compartmentalised and do not lend themselves to analyses or deep insights which can help reduce pain points, improve asset utilisation or provide for a more tailored and customised service. And the list goes on.
Could the Minister lay out his plans to revisit our privacy laws to strike the right balance against data abuse even as we allow for datasets to be used for analysis for legitimate enterprise or Government applications?
Mr Ong Teng Koon (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Chairman, knowledge convergence has been a key trend in the media for a number of years. The blurring of the line between content creation and content distribution has profoundly changed the challenge that regulators face.
In the \"good old days\", film and television (TV) students made content; broadcasters and cinemas distributed them; and the average man on the street consumed the content.
Nowadays, everybody is both a consumer and the producer of content, using platforms like Facebook, Instagram or YouTube to share the content they create with the entire world.
It is in some ways amazing that these open platforms give each individual so much power to communicate with the world. Anybody, even a young child, can go viral if they create good content. However, this openness creates its own challenges, since the platforms do not own the content that they carry. If objectionable content is found on YouTube or Facebook, it is not always easy to assign responsibility and have it removed.
We have continued advances in AI, and additional complication arises in the form of bots. They are programs which masquerade as real humans, adding to the noise on the Internet. These can have serious consequences, as the recent revelations about the impact of Russian bots on the US elections show.
As technology continues to advance, we can only imagine that such threats will continue to grow. It was, therefore, a forward-looking move to merge the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA) to better position the joint entity to deal with the fast-changing environment.
I would like to ask the Minister what does MCI see as the main regulatory challenges in the converged infocomm and media environment and how will IMDA address them.
The Chairman: Ms Sun Xueling, you have three cuts. Can you take all three together?
Ms Sun Xueling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Chairman, we recently debated the Cybersecurity Bill in Parliament which looks at 11 CII systems. But Singapore’s cybersecurity is more than that. Our regular businesses and individuals also need to practise cybersecurity.
Given how plugged in we are as a country and as a people, every computer in our system can become a conduit in which to launch cyberattacks.
The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) commissioned a survey last year to find out Singaporean attitudes to cybersecurity. It was discovered that one in three respondents did not manage their passwords securely. They store them on computers, write them down or use the same password for multiple accounts. For almost half the survey respondents, they did not conduct virus scans on their devices and files and used open, non-password protected wi-fi networks in public places.
The risks to us as a country is thus large as there are many open gateways through which we can be hacked. How then can the Government work with businesses and educate the public on how to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents?
As we work with SMEs to encourage them to leverage digitalisation to increase productivity, can we also take the opportunity to educate them on cybersecurity and encourage them to take appropriate precautions? Can the SME Centres set up to help SMEs embrace digitalisation also be equipped to provide cybersecurity awareness training to SMEs?
For the public, can we work on two groups of individuals in particular? To the elderly who may give out personal details freely when asked, can we work through grassroots organisations to provide fundamental cybersecurity awareness to them? And to our young who will use online resources increasingly in schools, can we include cybersecurity training as part of their school curriculum?
CSA launched the \"Live Savvy with Cybersecurity\" campaign last year. Such general awareness campaigns are useful to inculcate awareness of cyber threats to mass audiences. Awareness is the first step. Then we can discuss the steps we can take collectively to avoid being victims of cyberattacks.
The benefits of digitalisation to the economy are apparent. However, when we look at the rate of adoption of digitalisation by SMEs in Singapore, since the SMEs Go Digital Programme was launched last year, only a few hundred SMEs have adopted digital technology using 30 out of the 56 pre-approved solutions by IMDA. Given the close to 180,000 SMEs we have in Singapore, how can we promote wider adoption of digital technologies?
SMEs employ two-thirds of our workforce. If we can encourage the adoption of digital technologies effectively by our SMEs, the training our workers can receive in the process will be a huge plus.
The Government has worked with the trade associations and chambers (TACs) to establish Digital Tech Hubs. Based on our knowledge of the most frequent queries SMEs have when they approach the Digital Tech Hubs, are we able to put together learning points, customise solutions and push out to a larger group of SMEs?
IMDA has highlighted that it would develop sector-specific Industry Digital Plans (IDP) for six priority sectors, namely, Retail, Logistics, Food Services, Wholesale Trade, Cleaning and Security.
The Logistics IDP and the Retail IDP have been rolled out. What is helpful with the IDPs is that they include a self-assessment category which allows SMEs to know where the skill gaps are and then it directs the SMEs to look for help from Business Advisors at SME Centres or, in the case of needing advanced digital advisory, that they meet with principal consultants at SME Digital Tech Hub.
On paper, the IDPs would give management consultants a run for their money and truly showcase the professionalism and high standards of the Civil Service. However, I am concerned with the rollout on the ground as many SME business owners may not read or understand the IDPs. How would the Government go about pushing out the IDPs on a broad scale? Are there plans to go to the ground level to push the message out rather than wait for the SMEs to show up at the SME Centres or Digital Tech Hubs?
Further, I would like to enquire how the six priority sectors were arrived at and what is the envisaged timeline of the rollout? Would the Ministry be looking to roll out with certain Queen Bee companies in each sector to seed the digital plan and have it permeate through the supply chain?
Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Chairman, for many SMEs, going digital is a very difficult decision to make but it is a very critical one. For some, they look at it as a disruption but, for others who are successful, it is an opportunity.
The SMEs Go Digital Programme that is under MCI has certainly made some headway but there are more that we can do. SMEs can implement information technology (IT) in two different ways: (a) internal, which is a process change in order to become leaner and save on manpower and become more cost-efficient; (b) external, which is to really change their business model, so that their products and services can be sold or marketed more efficiently. It is an important part for them to shift their mindset, not just on process change.
I would like to ask the Ministry how we can help these SMEs, especially the smaller ones that are traditional businesses, to reap the benefits of digitisation and, secondly, how such programmes can be enhanced.
The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi, you have two cuts.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): If there was one buzz word that has been hogging the news, it is the efforts of our Government to go digital. We went from transport to financial sector, then down to the grassroots from buying groceries to buying food at the hawker centres and wet markets, and we have also been pushing very hard to get everyone on board.
Since the last Budget, the Government has also launched SMEs Go Digital to help them build stronger digital capabilities so as to secure growth in the digital economy. The aim is to enhance productivity through tools, such as digital ordering and payment and fleet management, as well as cybersecurity, data protection and data analytics.
The Government has also offered consultants at the SME Digital Tech Hub who will go beyond providing basic advice on proven digital solutions that are pre-approved for funding support. Can the Minister provide the House an update on the SMEs Go Digital programme so far and how has it been meeting its objectives?
The TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) is a SkillsFuture initiative driven by IMDA and other partners. Its aim is to offer various programmes to support current information and communications technology (ICT) professionals and non-ICT professionals to upgrade and acquire new skills and domain knowledge. It also allows employers in ICT and non-ICT companies who want to leverage TeSA programmes to attract fresh or mid-career professionals to their companies. It can also help develop the number of ICM professionals which is prevalent in many sectors and can eventually empower traditional companies to improve performance.
Can the Minister provide an update on the TeSA Accelerator? Is it achieving its objectives and what are the next steps in the evolution of the programme?
Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Sir, in Mandarin.
(In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Chairman, it has been four years since the National Translation Committee (NTC) was established in 2014. I would like the Minister to provide an update on the work of the Committee.
In order to encourage Singaporeans to pay more attention to translation, Government agencies should take the lead. Take Chinese, for example. Currently, the media and members of the public can check the standard translation of official terms from MCI's database. However, this glossary page was hidden in a remote corner of the MCI website, and people who are not aware of this service cannot find it at all. This database does not contain names of buildings and the streets either.
A reader from Lianhe Zaobao recently pointed out that there were many translation errors with regard to the Chinese street names in the pamphlet distributed by a certain Town Council. There used to be standardised Chinese translation of street names, and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has published a Chinese version of the street directory before.
Currently, if the public wants to find the Chinese name of a certain street, they can go to the website of Street and Building Names Board (SBNB) under the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to check. However, there were few people who are aware of such a service.
To standardise the official translated names is the job of the Committee. However, after standardisation, if the public is still unaware of its existence, it would be such a waste. For the convenience of the media and the public, and to signal the Government's commitment in maintaining the standard of translation, I suggest an independent portal be set up, so that the public can check the official translated Government terms easily, including Chinese street names.
If there are enough visits to the website, we will be able to collect enough data to develop this website into a machine translation system. This will help improve Singapore's translation standard.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong (Non-Constituency Member): Chairman, Sir, a 2014 study done by the Singapore Children's Society and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) found that one in nine adolescents said they have been victims of cyberbullying. As social media and messaging application platforms become more prevalent, the Ministry must tackle this problem head-on, and fast.
Last year, the Media Literacy Council organised the \"Better Internet\" campaign to promote responsible online habits and safe Internet use. However, the resources available on the Council website are limited. There is no dedicated helpline, no support network or resources for parents and teachers and no channels for victims to submit cyberbullying reports.
There is much we can learn from Australia, where the Office of the eSafety Commissioner is responsible for promoting online safety. The Office provides extensive resources on reporting of cyberbullying, helplines, online safety programmes and resources for schools and classrooms. The first step we can take is to organise a centralised resource bank, as well as to create a safe space, for victims to take refuge in. I urge the Ministry to consider this to tackle cyberbullying.
Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Chairman, people are at the heart of the digital transformation. Their skills, knowledge and mindset determine if Singapore can succeed in the new digital economy.
Our digital transformation is also only as meaningful as how it could make the lives of Singaporeans better. This is also the heart of the digital transformation.
The challenge is how we can help our workers to thrive in this new digital economy. A worker in his mid-50s and has started working in 1980s has survived the typewriter, the pager, browsing using Netscape, emails on UNIX in the 1990s, rise of the mobile devices in the 2000s, the ongoing third industrial revolution on digital manufacturing, while trying to make sense of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, Internet of Things (IoT) and data exchange. Some workers will make the transition fairly seamlessly, but a fair number, especially the mature workers, will need assistance.
How can MCI work with the tripartite partners to retrain and reskill workers and, in fact, also the employers, to take advantage of the opportunities brought forth by the digital economy?
For there to be good jobs empowered by technology, there must be good companies similarly empowered. For SMEs, they need to develop a digital strategy and access competent manpower to execute the strategy. However, SMEs might find it difficult to adequately resource this change. The longer-term impact is impeded by digital growth and uneven development.
Can the Ministry develop a common pool of such technologies and manpower that these companies can tap on to accelerate participation in the digital economy?
When I visited the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) Workers' Union members two weeks ago, I am convinced that technology will generally help our workers work longer and more productively. Most of those I have met were in their 50s. The backbreaking work of hauling luggage can never be fully eliminated because there are just too many different shapes of suitcases for automation. But automated luggage drop-off can take away much of the physical work. Part of the work now is to help passengers navigate and troubleshoot check-ins and drop-offs. The crux is early training and preparation, including for the subcontractors.
Will the Ministry assist in ITMs to coordinate digital and technology preparation for workers and companies? How will MCI work with and incentivise employers to identify needed skills and train the workers ahead of digital transformation in the workplace?
Automation and the growth of the digital economy are inevitable. This does not sound the death knell for the human worker. Throughout history, mankind has weathered technological disruptions to find new jobs when there used to be none. Human ingenuity was key. But we have to be prepared to adapt and train even though history appears firmly on our side. The consequence otherwise is a digital economy without a heart.
Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Chairman, the future is in digitalisation, as many of my colleagues have been pointing out.
The Government is taking the lead in going digital and, thanks to the efforts of the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), more and more Government functions are going online and getting tailored to our needs, making it easier and easier for us to use. Everything, from tax returns to customs clearance, is amongst the easiest and most user-friendly in the world.
The Government is also providing extensive encouragement and support for SMEs to digitalise. It is likely that more and more will do so, both to provide better services for consumers and also to improve productivity for the shrinking workforce.
However, the reality of digitalisation is that not everyone will be comfortable with the changes or able to adapt. Many of us here may have already gone to the trouble of forgetting passwords and having 40 to 50 to remember. But these problems are minor, compared to those who may not have education, English in particular, and those who may not even be able to work on a computer. There are many, particularly the older and less educated, who have difficulty accessing some digital services.
Singapore has one of the highest mobile and Internet penetration rates. However, while the penetration is high, it is still not complete and there are many who are impecunious who do not have Internet access or mobile phones maybe because they have not paid their bills. So, this, too, may impede some of their access to mobile services.
How can we ensure that Singaporeans of all ages and backgrounds are not left behind as the economy digitalises?
Mr Yee Chia Hsing (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, free-to-air TV channels in Singapore are now broadcast in both analogue and digital formats. The existing analogue TV channels will be switched off on 31 December 2018 and all Mediacorp TV channels will be broadcast in digital format only.
I would like to ask the Ministry how many households are still on analogue TV signal. Of these, I suspect quite a lot of them are the elderly. As such, I urge the Ministry to put in more efforts to highlight the importance of getting ready for the ending of analogue TV signal broadcasting.
To increase awareness, is it possible for blank screens to be broadcast on the analogue TV signals followed by the necessary info-commercial messages to teach users what needs to be done to receive the digital TV signals?
I would also like to know if it is possible for the Ministry to work with the Silver Generation ambassadors for them to educate the elderly about the need to have a digital TV set-top box and maybe assist elderly residents to set up the TV set-top box.
Sir, in conclusion, I hope that more can be done to help our elderly prepare for the Digital Only TV signals and let us hope that New Year’s Day in 2019 will not bring blank screens to them.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: In August 2017, there is the 3P Workgroup to study the issues of digital readiness. The aim is to deliver a blueprint of strategies to help Singaporeans, especially the more vulnerable, understand and enjoy the benefits of technology. This workgroup, comprising representatives from the public and private sectors, is to propose strategies to improve digital readiness among Singaporeans.
It is important that we get our senior citizens to tap on technology to make their lives better. The Silver Infocomm Initiative is one good example, which has reached out to more than 130,000 senior citizens to promote IT awareness and literacy. So, as we go on the Smart Nation drive, we must not forget to help our seniors to get ready for it, as Member Mr Yee Chia Hsing mentioned just now.
In addition, may I also suggest that more be done for low-income families beyond what is being done now, in particular those with young children at home?
Can I ask the Minster when will the blueprint be ready? What can we expect in terms of the recommendations? How will the Government work with businesses and the community to take this effort forward to help all, not just seniors, as well as low-income families and their children?
Mr Ganesh Rajaram (Nominated Member): Chairman, firstly, let me declare my interests as I run the Asian business of a multinational media company, Fremantlemedia International.
Sir, over the last few years, MCI has been spearheading Singapore’s digital transformation – from AI, data analytics, cybersecurity, immersive media and IoT – within a short span of time. I would like to commend MCI for its foresight, and its multi-prong approach to digital disruption and transformation.
Sir, I would like to focus my speech today on the mainstream media. The mainstream media, to me, has perhaps the biggest and most important role to play in combating fake news in Singapore. They also have a crucial role to play in strengthening social cohesion. These can be achieved through two pathways: enhancing the quality of journalism and building a network of partnerships.
I am pleased that both Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Mediacorp are heading in these directions. Editor-in-Chief of the SPH English/Malay and Tamil media group, Warren Fernandez, said recently that good journalism and news organisations that are credible and reliable play a vital role in combating fake news. This emphasis on quality journalism and credibility will ultimately also have important consequences for the company's bottom line as print circulation and advertising revenues continue to decline at SPH.
Sir, The New York Times faced a similar predicament just a couple of years ago but managed to turn things around. Indeed, it has just announced that it made more than US$1 billion in overall subscription revenue in 2017. While other media companies are struggling, The New York Times saw its circulation surge, adding 157,000 digital subscriptions in just the fourth quarter of 2017 alone.
One of the reasons for this turnaround was a focus on quality, in-depth journalism. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Thompson said, and I quote, \"We believe that more and more people are prepared to pay for high-quality in-depth journalism that helps them make sense of the world.\"
An emphasis on balanced quality reporting and commentary will inevitably bring more subscribers and readers, be it for print or online. While reporting news quickly and accurately is important, Singaporeans would benefit from reading varied, considered commentaries that provide a deeper and sometimes alternative view of pressing national issues. Mature, cogent and well-argued commentaries can deepen the level of debate and discussion among Singaporeans and also broaden the consciousness of the impact of certain arguments.
I would like to suggest, Sir, that this is not a question about funding. It is about talent, and about nurturing and developing quality talent in the newsrooms. To me, the country needs more of quality commentators, such as The Straits Times Opinion Editor Chua Mui Hoong and Mediacorp journalist Barathi Jagdish. Their commentaries are thoughtful, considered and balanced. They raise questions like good journalists, but they do so constructively. Their arguments are backed by facts and not just emotions.
Sir, the digital revolution has removed barriers to information. Singaporeans today are bombarded by tidal waves of fake news and agenda-led emotional reactions of online bloggers and pseudo-journalists. Many Singaporeans reading the personal ramblings of these so-called political-social commentators are not fully aware of the backstory and agendas of these sites and their contributors: online commentators who are more than happy to make inflammatory and controversial remarks to grow their readership for advertising revenues; commentators who insinuate without fear of any organisational sanction, and who are not bound by any code of ethics or journalistic ethos.
Sir, in the competition for eyeballs, newsrooms are getting younger. While the actual effectiveness of using young journalists to attract young readers warrants an in-depth study, I would like to suggest that newsrooms consider a structured and coordinated mentoring scheme to help develop and guide the younger journalists.
When I was a rookie Malaysia Cup reporter in the early 1990s, the mentorship that I received from veteran football writer Jeffrey Low was invaluable. It played a key role in my development as a journalist and the stories I broke. That uncanny eye for detail, relationship building and the art of learning how to ask the right questions, these are things that cannot be learnt in the newsroom. They are learnt on the ground, on the job. There is a rich wealth of talent among veteran journalists in the newsrooms at SPH and Mediacorp, and we must encourage our newsrooms to tap on these senior journalists.
Old-school journalists can be terrifying to those who skate on the wrong side of law and ethics because they relied on investigative journalism and not Internet journalism. They did not have Google to help them look for information, nor did they report off stories posted on social media. Instead, they spoke to people face-to-face, on the telephone, and developed their own network of contacts. They also checked their facts and corroborated news breaks.
A renewed focus on quality journalism – which was the strategy of the New York Times – will reinforce the credibility of our mainstream media and result in growing readership. In a sea of emotional and sometimes irrational online commentaries, we must ensure that people are also provided with mature, well-argued opinions.
We are beginning to see this renewed commitment to quality journalism by SPH and Mediacorp. Programming on Channel NewsAsia consistently stands out because of a focus on quality.
Last year, we saw the documentary, \"Regardless of Religion\", the follow-up to the previous year’s hit, \"Regardless of Race\". Yet again, the producers treated a very difficult subject with sensitivity and made it entertaining and interesting. It helped that they had a natural talent to front the show. Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary's ease in front of the camera was pivotal in the success of the programme. It is programmes like these that go a long way in setting the platform and developing social cohesion. Programmes, such as \"Insight\", also deserve mention for their investigative journalism.
But while Mediacorp is putting the emphasis on quality and seeing positive results, it also needs to foster more partnerships to thrive.
Sir, partnerships are becoming the norm in the media industry among companies big and small. We have already seen some major mergers in the broadcast and film arena: the Disney and Fox merger is among the biggest.
And the recent changes at the Board and management level at Mediacorp have begun to show positive effects, with the company embarking on partnerships and looking to cement more. One recent partnership was the Channel 5 drama \"Missing\", a first-ever co-production with Thailand.
Mediacorp will also have to look at partnering pay television platforms across the region and locally to elevate the quality and increase the footprint of its content. Perhaps, the Government can look at incentive programmes for Mediacorp to achieve this.
Lastly, Sir, my favourite topic – the broadcast rights for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. I thank Minister Yaacob Ibrahim for his comprehensive replies to my Parliamentary Questions a few weeks ago on this issue. I agree with the Minister that sports rights are getting more expensive, particularly for marquee events like the Olympics. And I also agree that as important as these events are for the viewing public, we cannot be held to ransom to any ridiculous fee being asked for by rights holders. But as someone who has been on both sides of the fence – a rights holder and a buyer – I would like to suggest that the 2020 Olympics should be seen with a special lens.
Firstly, the Tokyo Olympics will be telecast on prime time in Singapore. Secondly, we have the prospect of watching our Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling win more medals. Other athletes, such as Quah Zheng Wen, will also be in their prime. Thirdly, while Singaporeans were grateful for the last-minute deal to telecast the Rio Olympics two years ago, the hurried rescheduling of programming is not ideal. It must have been difficult for Mediacorp to garner sponsorship and advertising, given the last-minute deal. If the deal had been brokered earlier, it would have given them more time to approach global sponsors of the Games, who are, as I speak, already planning their media spend for the Tokyo Olympics.
Perhaps this could be the opportunity for Mediacorp to embark on a long-term partnership with pay platforms StarHub and Singtel to go after these rights together. In today’s world, content is platform-agnostic. Nobody cares where they watch content. If it is quality content, they will find a way to watch it.
Sir, given the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on public service broadcast (PSB) content every year, surely a small portion of that spent on Olympics rights is justified, as these could have a far more lasting and tangible public service effect than any PSB programme. In fact, the halo effect of Schooling’s win is still being felt two years after his feat. Some things, as they say, are priceless.
Mr Vikram Nair: Chairman, let me pick up on PSB programming. The PSB contestable funds scheme has been very important in developing quality local content across different languages – English, Malay, Tamil or Mandarin. Shows that may not have been otherwise economically viable have been developed in Singapore and much appreciated by our own audience.
Many of these PSB programmes have been part of our television and have developed a very strong audience. While television remains a dominant medium, changing media consumption patterns have many viewers going online. I must confess that I watch most of my own local programmes on Toggle. Besides free-to-air TV, what other platforms is the Government working with to extend the reach of PSB programmes to engage Singaporeans?
The Chairman: Mr Darryl David, you can take both your cuts together.
Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Mr Chairman. The ICM ITM is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of around 6% for the industry and create more than 13,000 PMET jobs by 2020.
Media companies in Singapore include content creators in the film and/or television industries, 3D animation, cutting-edge video games, trans-media storytelling and new media initiatives. Leading digital media companies, such as Lucasfilm, Tecmo-Koei, Double Negative, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft have also opened offices in Singapore.
But what part can smaller media companies play in Singapore’s quest to be a global media hub? If it is crucial to create a digitally-enabled media environment, what measures are there to help smaller media industry players take that digital journey of transformation?
Could the Government share how it is helping to build digital media capabilities needed for continued growth in the long term?
Mr Chairman, we would all agree that the library is and should always remain an important social and educational institution and that it has an important role to play in our new evolving economy.
How can we ensure that libraries remain viable and relevant in this new economy? Can libraries better support the nationwide effort to promote and prepare all Singaporeans for the future economy so that jobseekers and entrepreneurs alike have access to ever-changing knowledge? Beyond the computerisation of services and the development of technology to support reading, what can libraries do to make reading, whether it is traditional or digital, delightful and engaging for its users in all languages?
Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, a survey conducted by the National Arts Council in 2015 indicates that there is an inverse correlation between the age and the tendency to read. With a fast-ageing population, our libraries will face an uphill task to encourage reading among our seniors in the future. This challenge is further compounded by the fast pace of life and high-tech society in Singapore.
Sir, Singaporeans spend many hours reading phone messages, using social media applications or watching videos through various media. All these factors may have reduced the motivation for people to read in print, especially in the library. More 26 million people visit our 26 libraries yearly. I wish to commend the efforts of the libraries in adopting many initiatives, such as mobile apps, reading clubs and e-books, to encourage reading. Despite that, the number of adults who visit the library and borrow books for their own reading and learning has not been increasing.
We need to transform our 26 libraries into \"active lifelong learning centres\" to further encourage reading and learning among Singaporeans. We must redesign our libraries to create more conducive learning corners for children and provide a more comfortable reading environment for adults, especially seniors. We must also make our libraries friendlier for the elderly and organise more regular activities, such as talks, to support active ageing.
Sir, the libraries in Japan have introduced various innovative ideas to make their libraries more elderly-friendly. For example, Chiba Prefecture organises seminars on a regular basis for seniors on various topics that are relevant to the elderly. Hokkaido's libraries have partnered various senior welfare-related organisations, and provide many senior-friendly library services, such as book delivery services, \"dementia café\" and recitation services for those who are visually impaired.
Sir, I hope that the Minister can update the House on initiatives that the National Library Board (NLB) has undertaken to promote reading, especially in regard to library and digital content services.
The Chairman: Ms Sun Xueling, you have half a minute.
Ms Sun Xueling: Chairman, to tell the full story of a nation's history, it is not just the voices of important players which matter, but those of ordinary Singaporeans, too. I would like to ask the Ministry how the National Library and the National Archives intend to reach out to ordinary Singaporeans to include their oral histories and capture footage of daily living. This will help preserve our heritage and also enrich the quality of our collections. Further, how are we increasing access to archival resources in our libraries to encourage greater understanding of our history and culture?
The Chairman: Minister Yaacob.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Committee of Supply Reporting Progress","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mr Chairman, may I seek your consent to move that progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow?
The Chairman: I give my consent.
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow.\" – [Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.] (proc text)]
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House (proc text)].
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2018/2019, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.
Mr Deputy Speaker: So be it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Adjournment ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" – [Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien.] (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 7.23 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Revision of Means Test for Legal Aid","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Law whether the means test for legal aid can be further revised to allow more Singaporeans to qualify for legal aid as the legal issues they face, such as matrimonial disputes and family-related legal issues, can severely compromise their personal financial ability to engage legal assistance on a commercial basis.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry of Law regularly reviews the means test for civil legal aid to ensure that legal aid remains accessible to lower-income Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who cannot afford their own lawyers.
Legal aid is unlike other forms of Government social assistance which benefits the individual seeking help, as legal aid often means the state helping one party in a legal case against another Singaporean. We must, therefore, ensure that our system is rigorous in only assisting those who wish to pursue meritorious cases but cannot afford to do so.
For matrimonial disputes, the following provisions are in place to assist applicants. First, where the spouses are estranged, the Legal Aid Bureau excludes the income of the applicant's spouse when assessing the applicant's means. Second, in a divorce case, the matrimonial property would not be included in the means assessment.
Moreover, for family proceedings involving children or protection order applications between spouses or ex-spouses, the Director of Legal Aid can give an extra deduction for the disposable capital component of the means test. This ensures that the most vulnerable persons in family-related disputes are eligible for legal aid.
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