Providing Education and Health Services for the People

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(No Transcript)
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Meeting the Needs of a Young Nation (1960s -
early 1970s)

• Provide a place for every child
• Building National Loyalty
• Daily Flag Raising Pledge-taking Ceremony
• Fostering Social Cohesion
• Common examination (PSLE)
• Integrated School System (1960)
• Bilingualism (1966)
• Uniformed Groups (NPCC and NCC)
• Preparing for Economic Development
• Technical Education introduced (1969)
• More children in English-medium Schools by 1970s

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Problems of Educationin 1960s and 1970s

• High Education Wastage
• High percentage of school dropouts
• Failure of education system to consider the
  different learning needs of pupils
• More attention to development of pupils
• Ineffective Bilingual Policy
• Less than 40 passed both languages
• Language used in school not complementary with
  language used at home

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Improving Quality of Education

• Streaming
• Primary 3 (1979)
• Based on English, Mother Tongue Mathematics
• Vocational Institutes after Primary School
  Proficiency Examination
• Primary 4 (1991)
• Secondary Education
• Special, Express and Normal
• Gifted Programme (1984)
• Normal (Technical) (1994)
• ITE training

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Improving Quality of Education

• Teaching Moral Values
• Moral Education for Primary Schools (1981)
• A common set of desirable moral values
• Religious Knowledge made compulsory in Upper
  Secondary level (1982)
• Islamic Studies, Christianity, Buddhism,
  Hinduism, Confucianism, Sikh Studies
• Scrapped due to the fear of over-emphasis or
  conversion to certain religious beliefs

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Improving Quality of Education

• Teaching Moral Values
• Civics Moral Education (1992)
• Emphasis on Shared Values
• Introduction to various cultures in Singapore
• Attitudes and values that were responsible for
  Singapores success

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Improving Quality of Education

• Encouraging Creativity
• Innovation
• Seen as solution to the Singapores economic
  problems caused by global recession.
• More autonomy given to schools
• Setting of own priority
• Implementing programmes suitable for the specific
  needs of the pupils.
• Conversion of double-session to single session

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Improving Quality of Education

• Encouraging Creativity
• Establishment of Independent Schools (1988)
• Flexibility in collection of school fees,
  admission of pupils, recruitment of teachers
  academic programme.
• Creation of Autonomous Schools (1992)
• Additional funds more flexibility in programme
• Lower school fees than Independent Schools

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Preparing for the Challenges of the 21st Century

• Promoting Critical and Creative Thinking
• Project Work
• Use of Information Technology (IT)
• Retrieving information from electronic sources

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Preparing for the Challenges of the 21st Century

• Introducing National Education (1997)
• Celebration of significant dates (TD, IF, RH, ND)
• Community Involvement Programme (CIP)
• Developing Talents
• Introduction of Elective Programme (Arts / Music)
  
• Compulsory Primary Education (2003)
• Common core of knowledge skills for life-long
  learning

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Looking Back

• Constant Review
• What worked in the past may not work in the
  future
• Tight control by Ministry versus more autonomy
• Current Affairs ST 27/28 November 2001
• Education Minister Teo Chee Hean recently
  announced the need for wider choice in courses
  in the way they are taught and tested in order
  for pupils to be better prepared for the new
  economy.

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Education in Switzerland
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Structure of Education System

• 26 different education systems in 26 cantons
• Different cultural, linguistic and religious
  needs
• People have a say in educational matters
• Compulsory Education
• Primary and Lower Secondary Education made
  compulsory
• Federal Governments role
• Maintaining the education standard
• Recognition of University Entrance Certificate
  issued at the end of Upper Secondary Education
• Ensures type of education complement with
  economic relevance

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Vocational Training

• Vocational training schools
• Many vocational training schools set up to cater
  for pupils who did not want to go to universities
  after compulsory education
• Apprenticeship
• A choice of 400 professions or crafts
• Apprentices are trained both by private companies
  and vocational schools
• Certificate of Competence
• Choice to work or further education
• Highly valued in Switzerland

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Simplified Diagram of the Swiss Education System
Source http//edkwww.unibe.ch/e/eurydice/frameset
s/mainBildungCH_e.html
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Simplified Diagram of the Swiss Education System
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Preparing for Life in the Canton

• School Culture that Reflects Social Values
• Practice in decision-making
• Bilingual / Trilingual Policy
• English, Mother Tongue, Official Language
• Social Education
• Local culture
• Sense of rootedness
• Strong bonds to school and community
• Sports, School Outings, Project Work, Community
  Service

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Comparing Singapore and Switzerland

• Strong Emphasis in Education
• Key to continued success development of the
  country
• Different approaches at times
• To cater to the different needs of the 2
  countries
• Similarities in some approaches
• Life-long Learning
• Sense of belonging

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Health Care Services in Singapore
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Providing Basic Health Care in the 1960s

• More hospitals and clinics
• Island-wide Inoculation Programme
• Tuberculosis, smallpox
• Routine Examination of children in schools
• Clean-up of Singapore streets
• Environmental pollution, indiscriminate littering
  improper disposal of rubbish
• Deterrents ? Fines
• Public Campaigns

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Improving Health Care Services in the 1970s

• Specialisation of Medical Services
• Plastic Reconstruction Department at the
  Singapore General Hospital (1972)
• Polyclinics
• One-stop Health Centres
• Outpatient Medical Care, Maternal Child Health
  Care
• Conveniently located all over Singapore
• Improvement in hospital facilities

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Issues in Health Care Services in the 1980s

• Self-reliance
• Rising costs of health services
• Personal responsibility to stay healthy
• Medisave Scheme Medishield Scheme
• Medical Care for the Lower-income group
• Class C Wards
• Medifund Scheme
• Medical Care for Senior Citizens
• Many Helping Hands Approach
• A Healthy Life-style
• Health Education
• National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign (1992)

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The Welfare State of Britain
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Characteristics of the Welfare State

• The United Kingdom the Welfare State
• Asa Briggs, in a classic essay on the British
  welfare state, identified three principal
  elements. These were
• a guarantee of minimum standards, including a
  minimum income
• social protection in the event of insecurity and
  
• the provision of services at the best level
  possible.
• This has become identified, in practice, with the
  'institutional' model of welfare the key
  elements are social protection, and the provision
  of welfare services on the basis of right.
• In practice, social welfare in the United Kingdom
  is very different from this ideal. Coverage is
  extensive, but benefits and services are
  delivered at a low level. The social
  protection provided is patchy, and services are
  tightly rationed.

Source http//www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introd
uction/wstate.htm
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Origins of the Welfare State

• High Unemployment in Britain after World War Two
• Poverty, Shortage of food and fuel
• Beveridges report
• Governments duty to end poverty, disease,
  unemployment
• Decision to create a welfare state
• Aimed at ending poverty and sickness
• To look after the citizens from birth to death
• Every citizen was guaranteed a minimum standard
  of living
• Job, home and medical care

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Means of Achieving the Welfare State

• Nationalisation of Utilities and Industries
• These industries to be operated for the benefit
  of the citizens and not making profits
• To create employment and keep these services
  affordable
• Provision of Social Welfare
• Welfare Benefits
• Provision of Health and Medical Care
• National Health Service (1948)
• Free basic medical service for all citizens

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Problems of Welfare State

• Low Efficiency
• Reliance on government funds to survive
• Long waiting queues at hospitals and clinics
• Increase in Government Spending
• Costs of welfare benefits unchecked
• The Why Work Attitude
• Little motivation to work
• Loss of businesses
• More money to be generated from taxes to pay for
  welfare services
• Reduction in profits discouraged investments

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The Shift from Welfare State

• British Government under Margaret Thatcher
• To reduce expenditure caused by welfare services
• Individuals to take care of own welfare health
• Privatisation of Public Utilities Heath Care
• Competition would force companies to be more
  efficient due to the need to generate profits
• Provision of government subsidies reduced
• End of free medical services for most people
• Non-medical services contracted out in hospital
• Hospital to concentrate on medical specialities

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Conclusion

• The Future of Welfare State
• Ageing Population
• Expenditure increasing but less taxes collected
• Welfare Programme could not be removed
• People are used to it
• Government has little support from the population
• Other ways of financing the costs of welfare
  services must be found