Four teachers receive Caring Teacher Award

Profile of teachers Mdm Maznah bte Yusak and Ms Corrine Zhu. Four teachers were rewarded on Thursday, April 10, 2014, with the Caring Teacher Award for their dedication in caring for their students. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
Profile of teachers Mdm Maznah bte Yusak and Ms Corrine Zhu. Four teachers were rewarded on Thursday, April 10, 2014, with the Caring Teacher Award for their dedication in caring for their students. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM

Four teachers were rewarded on Thursday with the Caring Teacher Award for their dedication in caring for their students.

Madam Maznah Yusak from Chongzheng Primary School, Ms Juanita Toh from Si Ling Secondary, Ms Stephanie Ong from Teck Whye Secondary and Ms Corinne Zhu from Anderson Junior College were chosen from more than 1,110 nominations from 248 schools this year.

These nominations were submitted by teachers, principals, parents and students. The biennial award ceremony was co-organised by the National Institute of Education and ExxonMobil Asia Pacific.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi presented the awards to them at the Ngee Ann Auditorium in Asian Civilisations Museum.

Eight other teachers received commendations.

A book paying tribute to the 35 winners of the award since it started in 1996 was launched at the ceremony.

Addressing an audience of teachers and students at the event, Mr Hawazi said the recent results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2012 study show that schools are placing more emphasis on ways to develop students' critical and inventive thinking skills.

The latest findings indicated that Singapore has the highest proportion of top performers in the PISA computer-based problem-solving test, beating students from Japan, China and Finland.

"Credit must go to our teachers, who, through their care and commitment, have ensured that our education system brings out the best in every child," Mr Hawazi said.

He also encouraged the winners to care for fellow teachers, for instance, to help younger teachers find their places in the teaching service and hopefully stay on.

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