Classes on AI to be offered to all primary & secondary school students in S'pore

Beginning from 2025, the government will offer five-to ten-hour modules on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to all primary and secondary schools.

AI for Fun will build on CFF modules

Known as "AI for Fun", these modules will be introduced under the "Code for Fun" (CFF) programme and will offer students additional opportunities for tinkering with AI technology, according to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

Such opportunities include getting students to understand what a smart robot is and training such robots to respond to external signals.

These modules also will build on the 10 hours of CFF modules that are already being offered to primary and secondary schools.

Students will also learn about ethical uses of AI

Students will also be taught relevant digital literacies, such as understanding AI, its uses, risks, and limitations, and ethical considerations in the course of learning different subjects in schools, beyond the CFF modules.

Other skills include verifying the credibility of online information sources and the importance of data security, privacy, and responsible online behaviour.

In addition, teachers will guide students on how to use AI to support their learning, with an emphasis on ethics such as the importance of academic integrity and proper data handling.

Fellowship programme to be introduced for teachers

MDDI also announced that it would launch a Smart Nation Educator Fellowship in 2025 to grow a pool of experts in the education service to hone the digital proficiency of students.

The aim of the fellowship is to build up a core pool of 250 educators with "deep knowledge" on methods to develop the digital skills of students, and is targeted primarily at Teacher Leaders and Senior Specialists.

Participants of the fellowship can look forward to engaging in panel discussions with local and international industry experts, academics, and policymakers, and taking part in hands-on workshops and learning journeys.

The programme will also allow participants to translate the knowledge and skills they acquire into curriculum design or effective teaching and learning strategies that support students’ development of digital skills.

The fellowship will also provide optional modules that will allow participants to dive deeper into digital issues and their implications on society.

Government will be investing S$120 million in "AI for science"

MDDI also said that the government would be investing S$120 million in an initiative known as "AI for science".

This initiative will be led by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and will focus on the development and adoption of AI methods and tools that are transferable across multiple domains of science to enhance research productivity and advance scientific discovery.

It will also aim to cultivate interdisciplinary researchers who are proficient in AI technology and one or more scientific domains.

Another objective is to assist researchers with access to and sharing of relevant datasets and computing resources, and promote the collocation of researchers to foster the transference of expertise to various scientific domains.

The initiative will also support collaborations between Singapore-based researchers and international counterparts to bolster the country's capability and expertise.

This is to ensure that Singapore can benefit from the latest advancements and breakthroughs in AI for scientific discovery and that Singapore’s research community remains "competitive and vibrant".

Top photo via Govtech