Editor's Say
Reading this issue of the NIE News, you may notice that there is a lot about individuals and organisations (NIE and its partners) and their contributions to education in Singapore and beyond. Some have received special awards for their work; others have set up innovative programmes; others have been recipients of those programmes. In fact, there are so many examples of the exceptional work that is being carried out that it has been necessary to expand this issue from twenty to twenty-four pages.
As you read the articles, I believe you will notice one thing that stands out again and again and that is the passion that each of those involved brings to education. For example, NIE works with a number of partners in providing quality training. One of these is Temasek Foundation which is passionate about helping other countries learn the lessons that Singapore has learnt. Temasek Foundation works with NIE to provide opportunities for passionate educationists in other countries to learn skills they can pass on to their colleagues using a cascading approach. The Leaders and Educators in Asia Programme (LEAP) is one such opportunity.
The passion for teaching, service and teamwork shown by many of our colleagues is highlighted by the list of those in the NIE family who have received NTU Nanyang Awards. They set an example for all of us. It is this passion that has led to the international recognition of such individual contributions as that of Associate Professor Lawrence Zhang and of the success of Singapore's education system as a whole.
In the end, the real test of any teacher is the passion that she or he brings to the subject content and to the development of the students. Students will respect and learn from the teacher who has passion for the subject and for them. This issue introduces you to some of those teachers and educationists.
Guest editor
Dr Christopher Ward
English Language & Literature Academic Group