Schools’ niche programmes help students hone creativity

SINGAPORE — Having been a broadcast deejay and student journalist for the past two years, Holy Innocents’ High student Kelly Yeo said the experiences have given her greater confidence and improved her communication skills.

At the school, students are given the chance to craft their own broadcast programmes and pen their thoughts in the school’s newspaper.

Earlier this year, Holy Innocents’ High was recognised as having a niche programme in journalism and broadcasting.

The school is among 80 secondary schools participating in the Direct School Admissions (DSA) exercise this year, an increase of 30 secondary schools compared to the previous year. They are allowed to accept up to 5 per cent of their Secondary 1 intake based on their niche area even if these students do not meet the entry requirements.

The Education Ministry has said it intends for every school in Singapore to have a niche by 2017, and the ministry will provide funding for schools to train teachers and purchase equipment. Of the 356 schools here, 191 currently have niche programmes.

Holy Innocents’ High started incorporating courses such as writing and broadcast drama into the curriculum about two years ago. It has also tapped the broadcasting platform to share interesting facts and stories on history and science subjects.

Ms Huang Jiebo, the school’s Head of Department in Mother Tongue Language, said: “Through broadcast and writing, students also became more interested in learning as they see the applicability in their daily lives”.

Educators at Henderson Secondary, another school to be recognised as a niche school this year, worked with Singapore Polytechnic to co-design a two-year design and innovation curriculum for all lower secondary pupils.

Students are also able to apply their skills to real-life projects, such as redesigning the school library and taking part in inter-school design competitions.

The school decided on this niche area after noticing their students’ interest in design and soliciting feedback from parents.

Henderson Secondary Principal Simen Lourds noted that more than 90 per cent of his students chose the polytechnic route after their O-Levels.

Participating in design and innovation projects helps students build their portfolios and hones their creativity, standing them in good stead for their post-secondary education, he added.

The list of new niche schools this year also features Broadrick Secondary’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with the school partnering local entrepreneurs with the aim of developing students to be risk-takers in the business world.

CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, meanwhile, was awarded its second niche area in problem-solving. Principal Pauline Wong said: “It is our hope that primary school pupils will be exposed to working on simple real-life problems within team settings from as young an age as possible. The spirit … is to promote learning that textbooks and worksheets cannot provide.”