Singapore Chinese Education Society (SCES) 新加坡华文教育学会was established in 1947. The setup was then known as 新加坡华校联合会 (Singapore Federation of Chinese Schools). It comprised members from the community of vernacular Chinese schools, represented by their School Principals. Before the establishment of the national schools, the setup played an instrumental role in setting directions and providing support for vernacular Chinese schools, as well as catering to the interests and welfare of these schools and their staff.
For example, the Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union was mooted and actualised under the recommendation of the Principals in the setup. Members of the setup also came together to discuss and co-ordinate education matters including curriculum and student development, such as providing scholarships and bursaries for students across schools. Subsequently, the School Principals were also invited by MOE as representatives of the setup to sit in committees and contribute to education policy-making.
With the establishment of MOE (with structured national curriculum) and the transformation of Chinese schools to become our mainstream national schools, the objectives of the setup evolved over time, as also reflected by the change of its name to SCES. It now focuses on three key areas: building Chinese Language teachers’ capacity in pedagogical excellence ; supporting the teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture; and promoting values education. Its membership has also expanded beyond School Principals (both former and current) to include MOE MTLB and Singapore Centre for Chinese Language(SCCL) leaders, Chinese Language key personnel (including current and retired Master Teachers and Principal Master Teachers, HODs and STs), academics and faculty members of Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).