The National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore, is Singapore's national teacher education institute, and we are proud to be an integral part of the nation's education service.
NIE's programs offer a holistic education to student-teachers, emphasizing values, and character development. The Meranti Project allows student-teachers to explore Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) in-depth and understand an educator's role in making this topic come alive in diverse classrooms. Student-teachers also develop greater self-awareness and are empowered to guide their students more effectively on graduation.
NIE provides all teacher education levels, from initial teacher education programs to professional development programs for in-service teachers and executive leadership programs for Principals, Departmental Heads, and other school leaders. NIE also administers postgraduate programs that lead to higher degrees in Arts, Education, Physical Education, and Science, and offers part-time programs for current primary and early childhood level teachers to obtain a Bachelor of Education degree.
The NIE Undergraduate programs provide the academic and professional development for undergraduates to become effective beginning teachers in schools. The Undergraduate programs are positioned to integrate the best of an academic degree with a good foundation in education to produce graduates with the knowledge and skills to excel in careers both in education and education-related fields and beyond. The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programs aim to prepare university graduates to become primary, secondary, and junior college teachers. Student teachers in the PGDE (Primary) and PGDE (Secondary) tracks will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach two school subjects (or one in the case of single-subject specialists). Those in the PGDE (Junior College) track will be equipped to teach one subject at the JC level. One at the Secondary level except for Economics and General Paper, the junior college teaching subject and its paired secondary level teaching subject are related. A new set of 16-month programs for the various tracks (except for Physical Education) was inaugurated in December 2016, replacing the earlier 12-month versions.
There are various initial teacher preparation programs offered by NIE that will lead to Diplomas for candidates who will be teaching in primary or secondary schools. There are two versions of the Diploma in Education programs: the General and the Specialisation tracks. The General track prepares student teachers to become generalist primary school teachers. In contrast, the Specialisation track provides for specialization in teaching the mother tongue languages and Physical Education at the primary or secondary school level, and Art, Music or Home Economics at the secondary level.
Candidates who are interested in special needs education can offer a Diploma in Special Education (DISE). DISE is a 1-Year full-time program that prepares teachers/Allied Educators (Learning & Behavioural Support) to teach children and young adults with a range of disabilities, including intellectual, physical, sensory, behavioral, and psychological disabilities.
For candidates interested in pursuing a career in school counseling, they can apply to the Diploma in School Counselling through MOE. This Diploma provides entry-level training for counseling with children and adolescents. Upon completing this eight-month course, candidates can apply evidence-based approaches to help school students to develop their strengths to deal effectively with life issues.
The Singapore education system has been referred to as being one of the most successful in the world. In part, this is due to the sound educational policies and impactful research in shaping the curriculum and management practices for schools. More importantly, much of this success is owed to the passion and perseverance of the 30,000 committed teachers and education professionals contributing to our system. We are proud to be able to call this community our colleagues and work alongside them to improve our education system's quality. Thus, NIE is committed to our vision to be an institute of distinction and our mission to create a world-class institute renowned for its excellence in teacher education and educational research.NIE endeavors to pursue tie-ups with reputable international educational and commercial organizations to cultivate mutually beneficial partnerships. Through memoranda of understanding and agreements, the Institute's network of collaborations spans the globe.
The Group Endeavours in Service Learning (GESL) program also offers student-teachers a well-rounded education through service-learning projects that help them build empathy and social skills by understanding community needs. The program places student-teachers in the unique position of exploring the social issues that surround education so that they are better aware of the broader context and responsibilities that they will face as educators. The TLP is a series of 3 programs that develop leaders on the Teaching Track (Senior Teachers, Lead Teachers, and Master Teachers). It is aligned with the Teacher Growth Model (TGM), which nurtures teachers as ethical educators, competent professionals, collaborative learners, transformational leaders, and community builders. Holistic education at NIE also allows student-teachers to network, learn from senior teachers, and engage in essential dialogue concerning their roles and responsibilities as educators of a future generation.
VIDEOS
