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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Tuesday the setting up of academies for arts and physical education.
And educators have said that the new teacher academies will open up opportunities and raise standards in Singapore's teaching profession.
Mrs Lock Wee Lee has been a music teacher for over 20 years, and often, she cannot find time for professional development courses. Another difficulty is finding enough courses.
Mrs Lock said: "Sometimes I actually have to look overseas to attend conferences. I'm very happy they are setting up an academy here, because it would mean that they can attract. It would be a magnet for music professionals from abroad.
"Not only do local music teachers benefit, we can also invite teachers from overseas to come over."
There are currently over 1,000 art and music teachers here and some 1,300 physical education (PE) teachers. And they hope the new academies could swell their ranks over time.
The two new academies are part of ongoing efforts by MOE to add emphasis on music and art, as well as physical education. PE, for instance, is already an O-level subject, and more curriculum time will soon be given to primary schools for students to engage in music and sports.
Other initiatives include building of indoor sports halls for schools, in order to improve access to facilities.
The aim is to further develop the students' soft skills.
However, some teachers feel many parents and even schools do not pay enough attention to subjects like PE, precisely because they are not core academic subjects.
Quek Swee Nee, head of department, PE, CCA & Aesthetics, Bukit View Primary School said: "I think that PE has been given, in a sense that it has always been play-play, and more playing. And basically there is no learning involved.
"But that is not true, because in physical education you can actually see character development, teaching of character development in the process, and we can also see teaching of values."
Teachers said that instead of focusing on these aims, some primary schools are too focused on having students do well for the national physical fitness assessment (NAPFA) tests.
And they hope that through research and interaction with overseas experts, more effective teaching methods and outcomes can be developed.
- CNA/sc
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