Education director-general Wong Siew Hoong to retire

Director-general of education Wong Siew Hoong will retire on March 31 after 38 years of service during which he oversaw key changes such as a revamp of the PSLE scoring system.

He will be succeeded by Madam Liew Wei Li, 49, who is currently deputy director-general of education (schools) and director of schools, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) in a statement yesterday.

Mr Wong, 62, started his career as a teacher in 1984 and was appointed director-general of education in April 2015.

Before that, he was principal of Tanjong Katong Secondary and Raffles Institution, director of schools, and deputy director-general of education (curriculum).

In its statement, MOE said Mr Wong has made significant contributions to the education system and oversaw several key shifts.

These include changes to the PSLE scoring system to grade pupils in wider bands rather than T-scores.

MOE also introduced full subject-based banding in secondary schools to replace Secondary 1 streaming by 2024, as part of efforts to cater to the strengths of students across different subjects.

Mr Wong helped helm MOE's response to the pandemic when it came to teaching and learning in schools.

The statement said: "Under his guidance, schools successfully took precautions to safeguard the well-being of students and staff, and also put in place home-based learning so that students' learning could continue undisrupted."

It added that he oversaw a refreshed curriculum that seeks to integrate character and citizenship education with lessons and co-curricular activities, and enhanced mental health and cyber wellness education across primary and secondary schools.

He also oversaw the roll-out of the Student Learning Space online platform and the policy of providing a personal learning device to secondary school students, and played a key role in strengthening digital literacy in schools through the National Digital Literacy Programme, said MOE.

Mr Wong worked with the teaching fraternity to add effective teaching practices to the Singapore Teaching Practice model and, through it, promote pedagogical improvements and innovations, the statement added.

Mr Wong said: "It has been my immense privilege to serve in the teaching service, to work with so many dedicated fellow teachers and, together with them, help our students develop and grow to their fullest potential."

Permanent Secretary for Education Lai Chung Han said: "I would like to thank Siew Hoong for his sterling leadership as director-general of education over the past seven years.

"He has been an exemplary educator for almost four decades, and I would like to express MOE's deep appreciation to him for his many significant contributions to the education service and Singapore."

Mr Wong's successor, Madam Liew, joined the education service as a teacher in 1994 and has held a range of leadership appointments in schools, the MOE headquarters and public sector agencies, the ministry said.

Of her new role, she said: "I look forward to working with our highly professional, nurturing and dedicated teaching fraternity to provide the ballast, direction and momentum for future generations to contribute their dynamism to Singapore in a global world."

Mr Wong will continue to be involved with MOE after his retirement as an adviser, MOE added.