Technology can help achieve 'effective class size of 1' in S'pore schools: Chan Chun Sing

Technology can be leveraged in Singapore schools to customise lessons according to the unique needs of students, creating an "effective class size of one", said Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing on Feb. 11.

But while technology can greatly assist in scaling up students' learning, Chan noted that human teachers continue to play an important role in relationship-building and facilitating an effective learning environment.

Chan was speaking at an event for a graduating cohort of National Institute of Education (NIE) teachers, jointly held by NIE, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

Addressing an audience of 500 including student-teachers and former educators, Chan highlighted past milestones in the education sector, such as the move from vernacular to English-language schools, the introduction of streaming, and changes to the PSLE T-score system.

He also spoke about future opportunities to pursue, and pitfalls to avoid.

Tech can help customise lessons to student needs: Chan

Chan stressed that despite Singapore's steady progress in its education standards over the decades, "we cannot afford to rest on our laurels".

He said that two structural shifts, which have seen progress over the years, would help prepare Singapore students for an era of increasing uncertainty, volatility and fragmentation.

One is for Singapore as a society to embrace learning beyond schools and books, and to encourage self-motivated learning.

The other is for MOE to support the customisation of education to meet the diverse abilities, needs, interests and aspirations of students.

Chan said this would be done by supporting diverse pathways, embracing new mindsets on education, and leveraging technology to overcome a "trilemma" faced by education systems across the world.

Typically, there are trade-offs between quality, scale and cost in public education, and that "at best you can have two out of three", Chan noted.

But Chan felt that Singapore has a chance to overcome this "trilemma" through the use of technology.

"We must transcend teaching to the average of a class. In an ideal future, we will be able to leverage AI and data science to customize lessons according to the unique needs of our individual students — to create, in effect, a class size of one."

How it could work

Chan elaborated on this concept further during a panel discussion after his speech.

He was joined on the panel by NIE Director Liu Woon Chia and National University of Singapore (NUS) associate professor Elmie Nekmat. The discussion was moderated by Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) president Tan Tai Yong.

Chan said that technology provides teachers today with more tools to transmit knowledge to students based on their needs, such as gamified learning systems that allow individual students to learn subjects like English and Mathematics at their respective levels.

On how technology could be used to customise lessons, Chan raised the example of Singapore Polytechnic, which made some of its teaching resources available to students online as a substitute for in-person lectures.

If students fast-forwarded the teaching videos, teachers could infer that they likely had mastered the content.

Meanwhile, students who kept rewinding the videos might be assessed to need more help in the subject, allowing teachers to focus their interventions in class, Chan said.

Chan said that one possible way to manage class sizes is to have smaller classes for students who need more supervision from teachers, with larger ones for students who can undergo self-initiated learning with the aid of technology.

Similar practices are done in MOE schools today, which do not have standard class sizes, noted Chan.

"If we can use more technology to scale the class sizes according to the needs of the respective students, then we will move away from the debate [about] physical class sizes, and that is our holy grail," said Chan.

That said, Chan pointed out in his speech that teachers still have a crucial role to play as teaching is not just about the transfer of knowledge to students.

"Education guides the population. It is the inculcation of values, life skills, national identity and a sense of cohesion in our people. No amount of funding or technology can replace the guidance, personal connections and commitment of educators."

Some tuition centres give education 'a bad name'

An audience member asked Chan about his thoughts on Singapore's tuition industry, and how the government would ensure equitable access to quality out-of-school education.

Chan acknowledged that the government can't stop "well-endowed families" wanting to give the best to their children by sending them to tuition.

But he highlighted that MOE schools remain committed to ensuring any child in Singapore who walks through their doors has access to quality opportunities, regardless of their background.

In contrast, Chan said some "black sheep" in the tuition industry "give a bad name" to the entire education sector by selecting good students for admission and later flaunting their results to advertise their services.

"I get very hurt when I see advertisements that if you consume this product, you will get four A1s in your PSLE. The truth is, they got 4 A1s and then they consumed this product," said Chan, to laughter from the audience.

Chan also took issue with tuition agencies touting their services outside schools, especially on the first day of Primary 1, and felt it was "totally unnecessary" to cause such anxiety amongst parents.

Instead of forcing them to go for tuition, Chan encouraged parents to help their children discover their unique gifts instead.

"Our job as parents and as educators is to help our children understand their strength and weaknesses, and in return, use those strengths to make a contribution to society," he said.

@mothershipsg Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing was speaking at an event for a graduating cohort of National Institute of Education (NIE) teachers, jointly held by NIE, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on Feb. 11. #tiktoksg #sgnews #fypsg #learningisfun #education ♬ original sound - Mothership

Top image from Chan Chun Sing/Facebook