Equity, diversity important in Singapore schools: Poll

Almost all teachers in Singapore have positive beliefs about equity and diversity in the classroom, a survey by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday released the results of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (Talis) 2018, a five-yearly study of lower secondary teachers and principals that involved 48 education systems around the world.

In Singapore, 99 per cent of principals said most of their teachers feel that schools should encourage students from different socio-economic backgrounds to work together, and that respecting other cultures is something students should learn as early as possible. Across the OECD countries, the statistics were similar though Singapore teachers scored higher than average on other counts.

Talis found that Singapore has a high proportion of teachers working in schools where policies and practices on cultural diversity are implemented.

For example, 99 per cent of Singapore teachers said their schools organise multicultural events, compared with 55 per cent of teachers across the OECD countries.

Also, 95 per cent of Singapore teachers said their schools teach students how to deal with ethnic and cultural discrimination, compared with 80 per cent of teachers across the OECD countries.

These beliefs and practices have also seen improvements in the special education scene: Since 2013, more teachers here have been trained to teach students with special needs, the survey found.

Some 35 per cent of teachers in Singapore have received training on teaching students with special needs, compared with 23 per cent in 2013, when the Republic first took part in the survey.

The latest figure is still lower than the 43 per cent of teachers across the OECD countries who have had special education training.

But the survey report noted that, on average, a smaller percentage of teachers in Singapore work with special needs students.

And when it comes to training to teach special needs students as part of their formal training, 79 per cent of Singapore teachers reported that they had received it, compared with 62 per cent of OECD teachers.

Overall, 54 per cent of local teachers said they felt prepared to teach in such settings when they finished their studies, compared with 44 per cent of OECD teachers.

The number of children with mild special educational needs in mainstream schools here has doubled from 13,000 in 2013 to about 26,000 last year.

MOE's director-general of education Wong Siew Hoong told reporters yesterday during a media briefing on the survey that the ministry would be reviewing how to help teachers be better equipped in the field of special education.

"Our schools have become increasingly inclusive, as we have more students with special needs who can access mainstream curriculum. Our teachers are trying their best to see how they can work with these students as effectively as possible," he said. "Teachers, through this survey, have indicated their need for more professional development in this area."

Mayflower Secondary science teacher Ng Kok Wing, 50, said that this goes beyond teaching methods, like coming up with differentiated instructions and activities for a class with such students.

"We have to observe how they are fitting in with the rest of the class, learn how to interact with them and what tone to take with them. It's also about learning how to meet their socio-emotional needs."