Tripartite MOU Between the Ministry of Education, the Ngee Ann Kongsi and SPH Media Trust to Enhance the Learning of Mother Tongue Languages in Secondary Schools

1. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ministry of Education (MOE), The Ngee Ann Kongsi (NAK) and SPH Media Trust (SMT) on 25 March 2022 to provide all secondary school students studying the Mother Tongue languages (MTL) with access to SMT's digital news resources.

2. The tripartite partnership, the first of its kind, aims to enhance the teaching of MTL in secondary schools, and to empower students in their learning of MTL and vernacular cultures.

3. The MOU was signed at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School by Mr Wong Siew Hoong, Director-General Education of MOE; Mr Jamie Teo, Vice-President and Chairman of the Donation & Charity Sub-Committee of NAK; and Ms Teo Lay Lim, CEO of SPH Media Group.

4. Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education, graced the signing ceremony. Joining him in witnessing the signing of the MOU were Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Chairman of SMT, and Mr James Teo Wee Wee, President of NAK. Following the MOU signing, Mr Teo presented a cheque of S$15 million to Mr Chan.

5. Under the MOU, which covers the period of 2022 to 2027, NAK's annual donation of S$2.5 million to MOE will be used to provide digital access of SMT's newspapers and student publications for secondary school students on a bi-weekly basis during the school term to support use of news resources in the MTL curriculum.

6. Students studying the Chinese language will be given a ZBSchools.sg digital account through which they will have access to Lianhe Zaobao's e-paper and zbCOMMA, a student publication by Lianhe Zaobao which keeps students updated on news and campus happenings. Chinese language students will also be able to tap into an array of multimedia resources on ZBSchools.sg, including hanyu pinyin learning tools and text-to-speech functions.

7. Malay language students will enjoy bi-weekly access to Berita Harian's e-paper and Gen-G (short for 'Generasi Geliga'), Berita Harian's student supplement. Similarly, students studying the Tamil language will have bi-weekly access to Tamil Murasu's e-paper, and its student-targeted features such as Illayar Murasu, a column covering the latest teen issues and human-interest stories, and Maanavar Murasu.

8. All primary, secondary and junior college/Millennia Institute MTL teachers will also be equipped with digital access to SMT's vernacular news sites and digital products that they can use as part of their classroom teaching resources. MOE will collaborate with SMT to provide teachers with approaches and tips to use the news resources in the MTL classrooms effectively, and promote good reading habits among students.

About the Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education (MOE) formulates and implements education policies on education structure, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. It oversees the management and development of Government-funded schools, and the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities. More information on the MOE can be found at www.moe.gov.sg.

About The Ngee Ann Kongsi

The Ngee Ann Kongsi is a non-profit Teochew philanthropic organisation focused on educational, cultural and charitable activities in Singapore, while placing a deep emphasis on preserving the Teochew heritage. The organisation is an active advocate in education which funds scholarships for high-performing students and study awards to disadvantaged students. It was founded in or about 1845 by Teochew immigrants from China providing welfare services for its members, and was formally incorporated under the Ngee Ann Kongsi (Incorporation) Ordinance in 1933.

For more information, visit https://thengeeannkongsi.com.sg/en

About SPH Media Trust

SPH Media Trust is incorporated as a public company limited by guarantee. The mission of SPH Media Trust is to be the trusted source of news on Singapore and Asia, to represent the communities that make up Singapore, and to connect them to the world. It has several business segments in the media industry, including the publishing of newspapers, magazines, and books in both print and digital editions. It also owns and operates other businesses including radio stations and outdoor media.

For more information on SPH Media Trust, please visit www.sph.com.sg and our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.