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Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, September 25

ITE makes a worldwide top educator

SINGAPORE : It once used to be the bottom feeder of the educational system in the eyes of parents. Now, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) stands on top of the world.

It has won a global award for improving vocational and technical training in Singapore.
At a ceremony in the United States on Monday night (Tuesday morning, Singapore time), a Harvard University institute held up the ITE as a government programme to be noted for its reforms, and it wants the post—secondary education provider to share its story with the world.

ITE is getting US$100,000 (S$150,000), sponsored by IBM, to do just that. One of the key criteria for the IBM Innovations Award in Transforming Government, which saw more than 100 entries from 30 countries, is whether the programme can be replicated successfully in other countries.

In its citation of ITE, the Ash Institute at Harvard described how it was "formerly a last resort for low—achieving students" but underwent a 10—year reform plan, "revamping irrelevant curriculum, upgrading learning environments and instating new academic requirements for current teachers".

As a result, ITE reported a 33—per—cent increase in graduation rates and a 50—per—cent rise in students enrolled between 1995 and last year.
The award also represents a culmination of ITE’s go—global plan, a bid to increase its influence worldwide. This includes licensing its courses overseas, working on consultancy projects and offering short—term training.

The most important aspect of its efforts has been the alliances it has forged with other vocational and technical education institutes, ITE chief executive Bruce Poh told TODAY.
It recently joined the Global Education Network, comprising institutions from Australia, Canada and the US.

While go—global efforts like these have benefited ITE through "mutual learning" and "benchmarking" of courseware development, curricula standards and faculty development, when it comes to international recognition, its latest award is the icing on the cake, said Mr Poh.
ITE already has plans to share its knowledge with developing countries. Having provided consultancy work in the last two years to Indonesia, Jordan and Thailand, it will be helping leaders of technical education in three African countries — Madagascar, Mozambique and Ghana — when they visit Singapore in January.

ITE graduate Mohamed Suhayil, 30, now a country account manager for a multinational smart card company, told TODAY that his alma mater deserves the plaudits for its achievements, especially for transforming its image. "Without all the bits and bytes I picked up from ITE, I wouldn’t have developed this far in my career."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also congratulated ITE: "It has developed a unique brand of education, to train students with ’thinking hands’ who excel in technical vocations. A first class ITE system is critical to enabling every Singaporean to maximise his potential, and participate fully in Singapore’s growth and progress." — TODAY/ym

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