Timely change and timeless constants: COVID-19 and educational change in Singapore
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Timely change and timeless constants: COVID-19 and educational change in Singapore Pak Tee Ng1 Received: 6 September 2020 / Accepted: 30 September 2020 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great disruption in schooling around the world. This has triggered me to reflect on educational change in Singapore and some related issues the pandemic has raised. Using “Timely Change, Timeless Constants” as an organizing framework, this paper examines the educational changes that are happening in Singapore and amidst such changes, the timeless constants that should be affirmed. In particular, the move towards a blended learning approach needs to help students develop the capacity for independent learning, not just replicate classroom teaching in the virtual medium. Also, despite needing to adapt very quickly to the pandemic, Singapore should continue to build its education system in a balanced and steady manner, reaffirming the important roles that school leaders, teachers and schools play in the society. Some of these points are applicable to other parts of the world. Keywords COVID-19 · Singapore · Blended learning · Paradox · Digital divide
1 Introduction I am writing this paper during a difficult time in the world. No country can declare with certainty that it is safe from the COVID-19 pandemic. Schooling around the world has been badly affected. Schools in Singapore have reopened fully but many schools in other countries remained closed. COVID-19 has triggered me to reflect on educational change in Singapore. The pandemic has actually raised many issues, and this paper will not be able to identify or address them all. But, I hope my reflection on some of these issues, although mainly about Singapore, will be beneficial to readers from Singapore and many other parts of the world. Let me first provide readers with a brief timeline here. In late January 2020, imported cases of COVID-19 began to appear in Singapore (before it was actually named COVID-19). By February, local transmissions were reported. The Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level was raised from Yellow to Orange on February 7th, just a tier below the top category of Red. A “Circuit Breaker” was implemented from April 7th to May 4th. Except for essential services, workplaces were closed and schools moved to full home-
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Pak Tee Ng [email protected] National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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based learning. The Circuit Breaker was subsequently extended to June 1st. The one-month mid-year school holidays, originally scheduled in the month of June each year, was brought forward to the month of May. Schools reopened on June 2nd, with a combination of strict safety measures, including physical distancing and wearing of masks. So, what has the pandemic changed? Many business leaders, especially those hard hit by the COVID-19 lockdowns, are at the moment at a loss to whether their business, and indeed their whole industry, could surv
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