[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s first university of the arts will be established in a partnership between the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and the LASALLE College of the Arts, Education Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Wednesday (March 3).
It will be a private university supported by the government, with LASALLE and NAFA as its two constituent universities, and both will continue to be separate schools offering their own programs, he added.
Speaking during the Ministry of Education (MOE) Supply Committee debate in Parliament, Mr. Wong said: “The MOE strongly believes in the need to cultivate more diverse talents through our multiple educational pathways. In our next phase of development, we will need this diversity of talent in STEM, and also in the arts, design and media. “
He added that the two institutions have “grown more and more”, adding: “Due to the quality and standards that both LASALLE and NAFA have achieved, I am pleased to share that the Ministry of Education will grant the alliance its own powers to grant degrees, and it also confers college status on you. This will be our first university of the arts in Singapore. ”
The university is expected to be established within the next three to four years, the Education Ministry said in a press release.
LASALLE and NAFA are currently awarding degrees in association with renowned foreign universities such as Goldsmiths, the Royal College of Music and the University of the Arts London, Wong said, adding that the programs are subsidized by the MOE.
LASALLE and NAFA welcomed some 300 and 130 Singaporeans and permanent residents respectively for their degree programs in the 2020 academic year, the Education Ministry said in a separate fact sheet.
The Ministry of Education, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, will work with LASALLE and NAFA to establish the alliance, he added.
“The university will take advantage of the strengths of both universities and promote synergies between them. For example, students in the future may benefit from a more diverse range of offerings, with more opportunities to access inter-agency modules and projects, as well as share learning resources. Teachers can also look forward to more opportunities for joint academic collaborations, ”said the Minister of Education.
“More importantly, we envision the university contributing more to cultural life in Singapore and the region, and offering a stronger value proposition to its students and stakeholders.”
For example, a student enrolled in LASALLE could take modules at NAFA through the alliance and have those credits recognized in their LASALLE curriculum.
READ: Fewer graduates found permanent full-time jobs in 2020, rise in temporary part-time employment amid COVID-19
The Education Ministry has appointed a pro-temporary committee to work with the two schools to develop the structure and operating model of the new arts college, and its work is expected to be completed in early 2023, the ministry said in the Press release.
There are similar models abroad, such as the alliance between the National University of Ireland, the Conservatory of Dance and Drama and the London University of the Arts, the Ministry of Education said in the fact sheet.
The committee will refer to these models abroad to work closely with LASALLE and NAFA to develop a model “unique and relevant to the Singapore context,” the ministry said.
Commentary: A Liberal Arts Education in Singapore and the Utility of ‘Useless’ Knowledge
COMPLETE RINGS BY SUBJECTS
About 30 more high schools will implement full subject-based bands in 2022, Wong said, in an update to the scheme.
He added that the initial findings from the first 28 pilot schools have been “very encouraging,” he said: “The students in the blended classes are learning well. They are making friends with classmates from different courses. More importantly, they are learning to respect and appreciate the differences and strengths of others. And with a greater diversity of perspectives, classroom discussions are richer and more lively.
“Some students attempting subjects at a more demanding level were naturally apprehensive at first. But with the support and encouragement of their teachers and classmates, they have made good progress in their learning and are enjoying their lessons. “
The remaining high schools will implement full subject-based bands during 2023 and 2024, he added.
READ: Complete Subject-Based Banding, An ‘Important’ Move to Maximize Student Talents: Ong Ye Kung
READ: Government to End Current High School Broadcast System – What You Need to Know
The Ministry of Education is also reviewing post-secondary education pathways so that students have more opportunities to go to post-secondary courses aligned with their strengths and interests, Mr. Wong said.
“In particular, we will take steps to improve our polytechnic and ITE education, to ensure that it continues to respond to the aspirations of our students and the needs of our future economy,” he added.
The Second Minister of Education, Maliki Osman, is leading an ongoing review of opportunities and pathways in applied education.
Noting that around 30 percent of Nitec graduates today do not progress to Higher Nitec or other publicly funded upgrade pathways, Mr. Wong said the Ministry of Education is reviewing the structure of the curriculum to enable more students to earn a Higher Nitec certification.
For example, the ITE curriculum will be streamlined to allow more students to earn a Higher Nitec grade in a shorter time, Dr. Maliki said in his speech Wednesday.
“This will equip our ITE graduates with deeper skills relevant to the industry, which provide a stronger foundation for skill upgrades in the future. We will also ensure sufficient flexibility for students of different profiles under this new system to meet different learning needs and rhythms, ”he added.
Since many ITE students also want to obtain a diploma, the Ministry of Education will also expand the offering of distinctive diplomas at ITEs, said Mr. Wong.
The ministry is also studying whether the Polytechnic Foundation Program can be expanded to serve more students, beyond the current group of normal (academic) students, said Dr. Maliki.
The Common Entry Programs, which are aimed at students interested in a group of polytechnic courses but who are not decided on the specific course, will also be expanded to the arts, design and media and science groups in all polytechnics starting of 2023, he announced.
With this change, about 25 percent of first-year diploma students will enter polytechnic through a Common Entry Program, up from 20 percent today, added Dr. Maliki.
The programs were last expanded in 2019 to include the business, information and digital technologies groups, in addition to the engineering groups, he said.
