Creating developmental opportunities
for students and teachers alike is a key
part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE)
strategy to nurture future generations.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) strives to
open new doors for students by providing them with a
well-rounded learning experience, a task which is carried
out by dedicated educators like 32-year-old Fauziah Daud,
who display a deep love for guiding future generations.
What motivated you to pursue a scholarship with MOE?
I was looking for a career in the public service, and
teaching offered me the chance to have a hand in shaping
tomorrow’s citizens to become clear thinkers, and
all-round good people. My love for the Humanities and
my broader interest in knowledge and learning also made
teaching a natural fit. I knew it would allow me to make
a contribution while exploring subject disciplines that
I enjoyed.
Fauziah Daud
Level Head (Queenstown
Secondary School)
Master of Arts
– University of Warwick
Bachelor of Arts, Honours
– University of York
How has the scholarship enabled you to excel at your
current role?
There are many developmental opportunities provided
as part of MOE’s talent management programme. These
include milestone courses that help to prepare you
for the next stage of your career, events such as kopi
sessions that allow you to network with like-minded
educators, and dialogue sessions, such as the Brown
Bag lunch series, that allow you to interact with the
senior management.
Could you share more about your experience working
at MOE HQ?
I was lucky to have been a part of teams that knew how
to work hard and have fun. My HQ stint gave me more
insight into policy planning and the considerations
involved in managing different stakeholder needs and
issue tensions. Experiencing a different workplace
environment also broadened my perspectives on how
organisations can be run, how culture is built, and how
people should be managed.
What are the responsibilities as the Level Head
compared to the responsibilities of a teacher?
Your sphere of influence changes. As Covering Head
of Department, I’m invested in the direction and
development of a larger group of people. You move
from asking, “How can I develop this student,” to
asking, “How can I develop my people so that both
the individual officer and our students benefit?” In
all matters, you need to consider the bigger picture
– in curriculum and assessment, in resourcing –
there is greater complexity when thinking about
how to make things happen.
“A teacher brings her knowledge and
experiences to the classroom – your life well-lived,
will enrich your students’ learning.”
Fauriah
What motivates you to keep going as an educator?
I’m motivated by my own curiosity, as well as
the endgame. It’s something special to run into
former students and see how they have blossomed
into young adults, leading their own lives. I feel
heartened whenever I run into them at the theatre
or discover that they still make time for a good book.
It means that the Literature and English lessons
have stuck!
Why should other people choose to apply for MOE
scholarships?
If you’re looking for work with meaning and impact,
an MOE scholarship opens doors and gives you the
chance to then pay it forward by opening doors for
numerous others over the course of your career.
Any words of encouragement for aspiring
teachers?
Enjoy being where you are now, and be sure to
make full use of the time and opportunities each life
stage offers. A teacher brings her knowledge and
experiences to the classroom – your life well-lived,
will enrich your students’ learning.
Learning To Innovate
Words by Liao Mei HuiPhotos by Koh Sze Kiat
For those who are looking to
gain personal development
and international exposure in
interdisciplinary training, the
Teaching Scholars Programme
(TSP) offers a unique
opportunity that will fuel your
passion for teaching.
Roysmond Sim Zhen Wei
Teacher (Ang Mo Kio
Secondary School)
Bachelor of Science
(Education), Honours
– Nanyang Technological
University
The Teaching Scholars
Programme (TSP) is part of the
existing suite of scholar programmes
in NTU. It is a Premier Scholars
Programme aimed at preparing
tomorrow’s leaders of education who
possess the passion and inspiration
to inspire, nurture and lead our next
generation. We speak to 25-year-old
Roysmond Sim, a graduate from the
pioneer batch who shares more about
the programme.
What motivated you to pursue a
scholarship with MOE?
I was looking for a dynamic career that
would give me the opportunity to impact
lives. I chanced upon the Teaching
Internship Programme (TIP) offered by
the Ministry of Education (MOE), and
thought that being a teacher was a good
fit. An internship experience at Montfort
Secondary School affirmed my abilities
as an educator, as well as my passion
for teaching when I realised how much
of an impact a teacher can make on his
students’ lives.
How did the programme prepare you
to become an educator?
On top of providing students with a
strong foundation in subject knowledge,
it was also focused on developing and
nurturing students with a passion
for teaching to take on the role of an
educator, instead of preparing students
just for the general workforce.
In one of the modules, we assessed
Singapore’s education system in
comparison with other models around
the world and debated on how we can
improve our local model. This gave
me a global perspective of education
and enlightened me to possible ways
which our own education system can
be improved.
Were there any opportunities to gain
overseas exposure?
TSP gave me the chance to go for the
Semester Exchange Programme (SEP)
at San Diego State University and
the International Practicum (IP) at
Stockholm, Sweden. During SEP, I had
the opportunity to not only interact with
locals, but also meet exchange students
from all over the world. This experience
opened my eyes to new perspectives.
IP is an exclusive programme for
TSP students, where we were given a
chance to go to a foreign country to
teach for five weeks. IP at Stockholm
taught me that teaching can be more
than just direct instruction, and that
by involving students in the teaching
process, it can engage students more
effectively and cultivate a genuine love
for learning. Although many methods
learned overseas might not be directly
applicable to the Singapore context, it
has definitely increased my repertoire
of teaching ideas and made me more
equipped for the ever-changing needs of
the modern-day classroom.
“At the end, the genuine gratitude of your students will outweigh any extrinsic reward that you can dream of. ”
Roysmond
Any words of encouragement for
aspiring teachers?
The journey will be tough. Be prepared
to spend a lot of time, love, and effort
on your students to give them the best
education that you can. At the end, the
genuine gratitude of your students will
outweigh any extrinsic reward that
you can dream of. Persevere and learn
as much as you can in your journey as
a student and bring to the classroom
passion for your subject, love for the
students, and many exciting stories
to share.