2008:02:21 Lee Kuan Yew Visited ITE College East

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew visited ITE College East in Simei on Thursday, 21 Feb 2008. Mr Lee said every society has students who do not have academic aptitude, but what is important is to have a good education system that can identify these students´ abilities and maximise their other talents. Lee Kuan Yew said Singapore´s Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) are a success story for having helped those not academically inclined develop skills and contribute to society. The number of ITE graduates pursuing higher education has been increasing. The yearly in-take of about 12,000 ITE students.

Hands-on experience is what ITE is all about, and Mr Lee found out during his visit how the less academically inclined are given opportunities to excel. Lee Kuan Yew said "I think it´s one of the success stories of Singapore that we´re able to uplift the academically less advantaged... and use their other skills, hands-on skills and ability to improvise, to give them that added value so that they can make a contribution to life, to society and to make a good living." He went on "ITE is doing a good job. This is just the beginning, it´s not the end (see footnote). At the same time, the whole education system must be sensitive, will become more variegated."

Mr Lee Kuan Yew said many successful businessmen and entrepreneurs are ITE graduates, and this shows that there are many paths to success. And the ITE and the government are constantly studying how to further improve the technical education system to cater to the non-academically inclined students.

ITE College East in Simei is the most comprehensive of all ITE´s campuses. It offers multi-disciplinary learning and advanced facilities and resources.

Footnote: In a recent Jack Neo's movie, ITE which stands for Institute of Technical Education was called It's The End. This is because kids who don't do well in school cannot go into mainstream options like Junior College or Polytechnic and they have to opt for ITE. However of late the management has been doing a good job. In a recent interview the boss of ITE on radio and he said ITE means It's The Extraordinary. Such a paradigm shift. ITE to some students, 'It's to enjoy'.