MOE regularly reviews curriculum and programmes to promote arts education

We are heartened by Mr Lin Zi Hao’s interest in the arts, and appreciate his views on how we can strengthen arts education in schools (“我国应积极推动艺术教育”, 14 February 2024).

The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews our art and music curriculum to ensure it keeps pace with the latest developments and trends in the arts and education sectors. For example, we have recently refreshed our art and music syllabuses for primary and lower secondary students.

In the refreshed art curriculum, students learn to observe, think creatively, and spur their imagination through diverse forms of drawing, including digital forms. Students are also exposed to technological advancements in art such as digital photography and imaging. In the area of cultural appreciation, apart from art works from Singapore pioneer artists, students also learn about art works from local contemporary artists such as Tan Zixi, Zulkarnaen Othman, and Yip Yew Chong.

Similarly, in the music curriculum, students can experience a wide range of genres and styles through listening, creating, and performing. For example, students are introduced to works by local composers such as Dr Kelly Tang and Jeremy Monteiro, who draw influences from ethnic, traditional, and contemporary elements. Students have the opportunity to learn about traditional forms of music such as ethnic percussion music, and they also perform contemporary pop tunes by singer-songwriters like Inch Chua and Shabir Sulthan. Schools also offer arts-related co-curricular activities in a wide range of art forms beyond art and music, such as those in dance and drama.

Some of our schools also host special educational programmes, such as the Art and Music Elective Programmes, as well as the Enhanced Art and Music Programmes to cater to the learning needs of artistically inclined students.

With a good general foundation in the arts and opportunities to deepen learning, students who are keen can pursue further study in art and music as part of their post-secondary and continuous education journey.

As Mr Lin highlighted, Singapore’s first arts university will admit its first batch of students in August this year. The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) will augment the strengths of its constituent members, LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, to provide a transformative arts education for students to have more pathways to further their interest in the arts. UAS will offer an expanded range of programmes in fine arts, design, media arts, performing arts and arts management, as well as in new and upcoming areas in the applied arts, to prepare its graduates to thrive in the creative economy. Besides UAS, the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore also offers aspiring musicians the opportunity to pursue music at a higher level.

MOE will continue to provide opportunities for all students to understand and appreciate the arts, and enable those who have the aptitude, passion, and ability, to pursue the arts at a higher level. With the recent developments in arts education, and students like Mr Lin who are interested in and speak up for the arts, we can take heart that the future of the arts in Singapore will be brighter.

Mrs Eugenia Lim
Divisional Director, Student Development Curriculum Division 2
Ministry of Education

陈允晶
学生发展课程司(第二司)统筹司长

教育部定期检讨课程以推广艺术教育

谨答复《联合早报·交流站·青年视角》于2月14日刊登的林子昊同学投函《我国应积极推动艺术教育》：

林同学对艺术的兴趣让我们深受鼓舞，也感谢他就如何加强学校艺术教育提出的意见。

教育部定期检讨美术和音乐课程，确保它跟上美术和教育领域的最新发展和趋势。例如，我们最近更新了小学和中学低年级学生的美术和音乐教学大纲。

在更新后的艺术课程中，学生通过包括数码形式在内的各种绘画形式，学习观察、培养创造性思维和激发想象力。学生也能接触到美术领域的先进技术，如数码摄影和成像。在文化鉴赏方面，除了新加坡先驱艺术家的美术作品，学生也会欣赏到陈子曦、祖卡南奥斯曼（Zulkarnaen Othman）和叶耀宗等本地当代艺术家的美术作品。

，在音乐课程中，学生可以通过聆听、创作和表演来体验各种的流派和风格。例如，学生会接触到本地作曲家董叶明和蒙特罗（Jeremy Monteiro）等人的作品，他们都是从民族、传统和当代元素中汲取养分。学生有机会学习传统形式的音乐，如民族打击乐，并表演由蔡昀娟（Inch Chua）和沙比尔苏丹（Shabir Sulthan）等创作歌手创作的当代流行歌曲。除了美术和音乐，学校也提供与艺术有关的各种艺术形式的课程辅助活动，如舞蹈和戏剧。

一些学校则开办音乐特选课程（Music Elective Programme），以及强化美术课程（Enhanced Art Programme）和强化音乐课程（Enhanced Music Programme）等特选教育课程，以满足有艺术天分的学生的学习需求。

有了良好的艺术基础和深化学习的机会，有志于美术和音乐的学生可以在中学毕业后继续深造，展开他们的持续教育之旅。

正如林同学所提到的，新加坡第一所艺术大学今年8月招收第一批学生。新加坡艺术大学将增强成员学院——拉萨尔艺术学院和南洋艺术学院的实力，为学生提供变革性的艺术教育，让他们有更多的途径进一步发展对艺术的兴趣。新艺大将在美术、设计、媒体艺术、表演艺术和艺术管理，以及应用艺术的新领域提供更多课程，以帮助毕业生在创意经济中茁壮成长。除了新艺大，新加坡国立大学的杨秀桃音乐学院也为有抱负的音乐家，提供追求更高水平音乐的机会。

教育部会继续为所有学生提供了解和欣赏艺术的机会，让有才华、有热忱、有能力的学生能够追求更高水平的艺术。随着近年来艺术教育的发展，以及像林同学这样对艺术感兴趣并为艺术发声的学生，我们相信，新加坡艺术的未来将更加光明。

教育部学生发展课程司（第二司）统筹司长
陈允晶