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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
CDAC to double places for its programmes to over 30,000 by 2030
Ms Sabrina Ng, who mentors Primary 4 pupil Nikki Ong as part of the Go the Extra Mile mentoring programme, playing a game of dominoes with the 10-year-old. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG CDAC to double places for its programmes to over 30,000 by 2030 SINGAPORE - The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) will significantly increase access to its academic, enrichment and learning support programmes in the next five years. By 2030, the self-help group aims to more than double the number of places for such programmes, from over 15,000 today to over 30,000 spots , said CDAC chairman Ong Ye Kung. Mr Ong, who is also Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, was speaking to the media after CDAC's 33rd Annual General Meeting at its Tanjong Katong headquarters on June 18. The council said it spent over $37 million to help 15,700 households in 2024 , up from $34 million and 15,300 households in 2023. In 2024 it offered 15,000 tuition and enrichment places, awarded 12,000 student bursaries, and had 8,000 places for family support programmes. With the income criteria raised in 2024 to help families, there was a 12 per cent increase in successful applicants compared to 2023. From Jan 1, 2024, applicants with a gross monthly household income of below $4,800 (up from the previous ceiling of $2,400) or a gross per capita income of $1,400 (up from the last limit of $800) could apply for bursaries for their primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Mr Ong said CDAC has a team of case managers who looked after about 1,400 families in 2024, providing all-rounded support like financial and emotional support. It also provided mentorship for 320 students through its Go the Extra Mile (GEM) mentoring programme, supervised homework group and Project YOUth Can Shine. Enrichment programmes covering areas such as arts and crafts, speech and drama, coding, and robotics, were also offered to over 3,500 students. In addition, a new Tinkering Space area at the newly renovated CDAC@Bukit Panjang held activities to cultivate in the young a love for learning beyond their school curriculum. The self-help group had a net deficit of $1.02 million in 2024, the first year that it has accumulated a net deficit since 2014. Mr Ong said this was mainly driven by higher expenditure as CDAC expanded its programmes and extended assistance to more families and students in need. Going forward, it will tap on its operating surpluses accumulated over the years and donations. 'The immediate priority for the next one, two years is to make sure we can expand our programmes without compromising the quality,' he added. Agreeing, CDAC board member and Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said the goal is to ensure CDAC's programmes reach families and students, and doing so will help it bring on more sponsors, partners and donors. CDAC is also strengthening partnerships and streamlining resources to do more with less, and without compromising impact, said its executive director Tan Yap Kin. For instance, he noted that digitalisation efforts saved over 6,000 staff hours in 2024. 'We will continue to drive ground-up initiatives to enhance productivity and scale our programmes cost-effectively,' he added. On the council's 2030 target of doubling to 30,000 places for its programmes, Mr Ong said this will largely be through increased capacity in the tuition and enrichment programmes. Beyond these, he said students also need role models, and CDAC has a suite of programmes to support their social and emotional development. Mr Tan added: 'While tuition remains a key pillar, we are expanding enrichment programmes to nurture curiosity, creativity, and a love for learning,' he said. 'Together, they support our holistic approach to uplifting students from all backgrounds.' CDAC mentor Sabrina Ng, 36, said there are many students who can benefit from the council's mentorship programmes as school teachers may not have enough time to support them in their social and emotional development. 'With the expansion of our programmes, what remains very important is the quality of the relationship between the mentors and mentees,' she said. 'We are not looking for big leaps, but we celebrate every baby step of improvement.' Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Forum: Removing barriers to opportunity key to discovering Singapore's ‘lost Einsteins'
We read with great interest the Opinion piece by Associate Professor Terence Ho on the need to empower Singapore's 'lost Einsteins' through deeper social investment and greater opportunities for social mixing (How Singapore can expand opportunities for its 'lost Einsteins', May 23). The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) fully concurs with this call. For over three decades, CDAC has worked to uplift families through education, enrichment and community support. CDAC also recognises the important role of social mixing in closing the social capital gap. This is achieved through the involvement of volunteers of various backgrounds, particularly students from secondary schools who conduct programmes for primary year students to develop their interests. Youth volunteers from different professional backgrounds also mentor upper primary children under our Supervised Homework Group project started about 31 years ago. For students from lower-income families, such experiences broaden networks, boost aspirations and open windows to real-world opportunities. We have also sharpened our focus on nurturing the potential of every child, especially those from less advantaged backgrounds, by building up their social and emotional competencies and helping them discover and pursue their interests. For example, we have a mentoring programme targeted at primary school children, providing long-term developmental support from their early years through to post-secondary education. It helps ease school transitions by building confidence, developing strengths, encouraging interest exploration and fostering peer friendships. The programme also involves parents and community organisations, creating a supportive ecosystem around each child. We have partnered with several schools, and early feedback shows promising outcomes: improved emotional regulation, a more positive mindset towards learning, and greater openness in sharing experiences at home. We also have a programme called Spot : Beyond, that enables students to explore and deepen their interests in areas like the arts, sciences and technology. Through progressive and curated experiences, students develop their skills in alignment with their passions. By fostering interaction across socio-economic backgrounds, the programme builds confidence, aspiration and inclusivity – nurturing young talents who might otherwise remain unseen. These efforts form part of CDAC's broader strategy to provide sustained, holistic support that nurtures aspiration and unlocks potential. In line with Professor Ho's insights, we believe that removing barriers to opportunity and encouraging interest-based exploration are essential to discovering the 'lost Einsteins' who may one day shape Singapore's future. Tan Yap Kin Executive Director Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Forum: Human mentorship and AI can make learning meaningful and personalised for children
We refer to the Opinion piece 'Is AI the answer to bridging the tuition gap?' (April 30) and agree there is a place for artificial intelligence (AI) in self-help groups' tuition. In fact, we have been using AI-assisted programmes to help our students who come from low-income families. The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) provides academic tuition for eligible low-income students of all ethnic groups under the Collaborative Tuition Programme, which is run jointly with the Eurasian Association, the Singapore Indian Development Association and Yayasan Mendaki. Since 2022, we have actively introduced educational technology into our English and mathematics tuition curriculum. These learning platforms have AI features that personalise students' learning experiences and provide instant feedback. This integration has enabled us to reach a wider cohort of students and tailor our support more effectively. Over 600 students have benefited from this approach, with positive feedback on its impact. Also, the four self-help groups' annual Joint Learning Fiesta, launched in 2023, created further opportunities to spread the use of AI in learning to tutors. How do our students feel about the use of AI in tuition? A recent in-house CDAC survey revealed that while students liked the immediate feedback from AI, they would still prefer their tutors' personal touch. This confirms that while AI can enhance learning, it cannot replace the encouragement and care provided by tutors. That said, we firmly agree with the article's emphasis that emotion lies at the heart of learning. At CDAC, we place strong emphasis on nurturing relationship-based classrooms, where trust, encouragement and human understanding remain central. In line with this, we have established a Student Learning Support Team to address the holistic needs of our students, providing academic guidance alongside emotional and social support for students from more complex families. By combining human mentorship with AI-enabled customisation, we see a promising path forward – one that balances efficiency with empathy, and innovation with inclusiveness. For CDAC, this hybrid approach is not about replacing human tutors but enhancing their effectiveness, ensuring every student can access meaningful, motivating and personalised learning support. Pooja Trivedi Senior Director (Education) Chinese Development Assistance Council More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
