Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL) organised two sessions of Heads of Department (HOD) Focus Group Discussion (FGD) cum Awards Presentation Ceremony in 2019. The session for Secondary/Junior College/Centralised Institute HODs and the one for Primary HODs were held on 29 October and 1 November respectively. The topic for the FGDs was "How to enhance Chinese teachers' professional literacy". Through the FGDs, SCCL sought to better understand the professional development needs of teachers and discussed with them on possible ways of collaboration.

     An Awards Presentation Ceremony was held after SCCL's sharing on its teachers' professional development initiatives. Dr Foo Suan Fong, Executive Director of SCCL, presented the certificates to 14 teachers who had completed the "Specialist Diploma in Quantitative Language Research" programme. Two teachers were invited to share their learning experience. They were Ms Yap Kar Wei (Qi fa Primary School) and Mdm Peng Lirui (Edgefield Secondary School). Three other teachers were invited to share their learning experience on the "Professional Certificate in Teaching of Chinese as a Second Language" courses. They were Mdm Tan Yi Ling (HOD, Canberra Primary School), Mdm Zhang Fang Fang (Mayflower Primary School), and Mr Tang Chun Chieh (HOD, Xinmin Secondary School).

     Appreciation Certificates, of two types, were also presented. The "Teachers' Professional Development Partnership Appreciation Certificates" were presented to HODs and coordinating teachers from 57 primary schools and 17 secondary schools/junior colleges/centralised institutes for their contributions in orangizing TRAISI COE training or specialised training courses in 2018 or in 2019. The "Teachers' Professional Development Long Term Partnership Appreciation Certificates" were presented to HODs and coordinating teachers from 17 primary schools and 5 secondary schools/junior colleges/centralised institutes. Recipients of the certificates had successfully organised TRAISI COE training or specialised training courses for Chinese teachers in their respective school clusters over the past three years (2017 – 2019). Principals and vice principals of the awarded schools were also invited to attend the ceremony.

     A representative from Singapore Press Holdings also took part in the event to share information on the new content of the student newspapers "Thumbs Up Junior".

     The two sessions were well attended by 307 principals, vice principals, HODs and teachers. SCCL would like to thank all the participants for their support and participation.

 

Dr Foo Suan Fong presenting the "Teachers' Professional Development Long Term Partnership Appreciation Certificate"

 

Dr Foo Suan Fong presenting the certificate to teacher who have completed the "Specialist Diploma in Quantitative Language Research"

 

Ms Yap Kar Wei (Qifa Primary School) sharing her learning experience on the "Specialist Diploma in Quantitative Language Research"

 

Mdm Peng Lirui (Edgefield Secondary School) sharing her learning experience on the "Specialist Diploma in Quantitative Language Research"

 

Mdm Tan Yi Ling (HOD, Canberra Primary School) sharing her learning experience on the "Professional Certificate in Teaching of Chinese as a Second Language"

 

Mdm Zhang Fang Fang (Mayflower Primary School) sharing her learning experience on the "Professional Certificate in Teaching of Chinese as a Second Language"

 

Mr Tang Chun Chieh (HOD, Xinmin Secondary School) sharing his learning experience on the "Professional Certificate in Teaching of Chinese as a Second Language"

 

Participants at the Focus Group Discussion