NIE to shorten teacher training for degree holders from 16 to 12 months: Desmond Lee

The National Institute of Education (NIE) will be reducing the length of its Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme from 16 months to a year, Minister for Education Desmond Lee announced.

The PGDE is a full-time programme that trains and prepares university graduates to teach at primary and secondary schools, as well as junior colleges.

Each year from 2022 to 2024, it has seen a cohort of about 390 student teachers, with a mix of fresh graduates and mid-career switchers, CNA reported.

Refreshing the programme

Speaking at the Teachers' Conference and ExCEL Fest 2025 on Jun. 3, Lee said NIE and the Ministry of Education (MOE) are currently reviewing and refreshing the programme to better meet the needs of an increasingly diverse teaching force.

The move is also part of MOE's redoubled efforts to attract "individuals with sound values and the right motivations" to become teachers.

Lee also shared that the refreshed programme will focus more on integrating theory and practical application.

Learning will also be more flexible.

Besides their core learning courses, student teachers will also get to choose electives based on their needs and interests.

MOE added that current students enrolled in the programme will not be affected by the review, according to The Straits Times.

More details will be shared after the review is complete.

Lightening teacher workload

MOE has been exploring new ways to reduce the administrative workload of teachers so that they can focus on their students' development, Lee said.

Such efforts trial procurement approaches that help teachers organise cohort camps and make small-value purchases more easily.

A Parents' Gateway for parents to directly submit documents will also allow teachers to no longer need to manually track and collate absentee records by the end of 2025.

Top image from NTU's website