SINGAPORE - Beyond transmitting knowledge, teachers here will need to be able to use technology in the classroom and also work with partners outside the school environment, such as parents and industry.
But these capabilities will not all be taught to them at the start of their careers, and instead will continue to be developed throughout their working lives, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday.
This means teachers must themselves be lifelong learners, while the Government will continue putting in the effort to ensure they are supported by the best technologies, he added.
Mr Chan was replying to questions from Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) on how the National Institute of Education (NIE) has been preparing trainee teachers to meet the changing demands of education.
This is as the competencies that teachers need and the roles they are being asked to perform are changing, she said.
“Educators now take on the role of content curators and even developers, they have to design learning experiences, they have to deliver on different platforms and, on top of that, are expected to be even life coaches for their students,” Ms Phua said.
She asked what kind of resources the NIE is being given to equip teachers with such skills.
In response, Mr Chan agreed and said the skills that teachers need are changing because the nature of knowledge and education has shifted.
“Having knowledge alone is not sufficient. What is more important is the ability to make use of the knowledge to discern and also to make clear decisions, good decisions based on sound values,” said the minister.
“That’s why the skill sets of our teachers must continue to evolve.”
Educators also need to simultaneously help higher-ability children reach their potential while caring for those with special needs, something that technology can help with, he said.
“We don’t believe we will be able to front-load all these new skill sets while they (teachers) are at NIE. What we need is a continuous professional development programme that allows our teachers to keep learning throughout life, so that they can also inspire their students to do so.”
But while skills will change and evolve, some fundamentals of how teachers are trained will not change, said Mr Chan. These include the inculcation of values and basic pedagogical approaches of how to teach and teach well.
Mr Chan said the NIE works closely with the Ministry of Education, and that its curriculum focuses on training teachers to build character in students.
The training also gives pre-service teachers the skills to create lessons that harness technology like augmented reality and virtual reality, to enrich learning and spur students to explore beyond the classroom.
Given the finite number of teachers joining the workforce, the ministry is focused not just on their quantity but also their quality, and ensuring that they are enabled and supported by technology, said Mr Chan.
“We will continue to put in efforts on this front to... make sure they are of the highest quality, supported by the best technology, in order to stretch the abilities of our high-performing students to their fullest while devoting ample time to high-needs students and their families,” he said.
