The Education Ministry’s (MOE) National Digital Literacy Programme (NDLP) has enabled students to have access to digital devices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal learning devices have helped students greatly to access digital information in so many different ways.
President Halimah Yacob gave an overview of its technology plan, cyber-wellness programmes and rollout of the NDLP. Under the NDLP, all secondary school students became owners of a personal learning device in 2021. This was rolled out in two phases, at 86 schools in Term 2 and 66 schools in Term 3. The roll-out was made seven years ahead of the original target announced by former Education Minister Ong Ye Kung at 2020’s committee of supply debates.
Digital literacy is very important not only for the learning, development and growth of students, but for them to integrate into society after they leave school. With technology, students can also seek help online for their mental well-being.
– President Halimah Yacob
As one of its NDLP initiatives, Pasir Ris Secondary also implemented fortnightly home-based learning where students attend lessons for four hours in the early part of the day and are given a one-hour slot in the afternoon to pursue other areas of interest such as learning another language or playing musical instruments.
The students search for their own resources online on websites, or work with adults knowledgeable in the area, then fill in a reflection log that allows teachers to monitor their progress. While the wellness corner in the school library encourages self-directed learning, Secondary Four student Teng Jiamin, 15, said that it is also a good place to relax.
One of the activities at Pasir Ris Secondary School helps students to identify problems they may face when they share information on websites or social networking platforms without thinking carefully. Excessive gaming has also become quite a serious problem globally and in Singapore. Children and students should be taught about the dangers of excessive gaming, which can become a problem.
Teaching students or young people about the importance of accessing information, being on social media, the Internet, and yet using it safely and responsibly, is important. Raising your awareness of the potential of causing that harm is important so you become more responsible, so the place that you’re leveraging on the Internet is safe for others.
Going digital has become a way of life. Today, people live in a digital universe filled with many wonders. From education, finance and medical, to music, games and shopping, the digital life connects us to these and more, enriching lives.
The possibilities of the digital future are endless. That’s why the Digital for Life movement is here to bring together the community to help Singaporeans embrace digital as a lifelong pursuit, to enrich their lives – so that no one is left behind in Singapore’s journey into the digital future.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, The Digital for Life (DfL) movement aims to galvanise the community to help citizens of all ages and walks of life to embrace digital learning as a lifelong pursuit and to enrich the lives of others with digital technology. The movement promotes good digital habits as our society engages in the digital domain. With the combined effort of corporates, community groups, government and individuals, more Singaporeans will be able to enjoy a better quality of life through technology.
Recently, the President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob has announced that The Digital for Life Fund will set aside $4.8m to support 21 new ground-up community projects to bring the benefits of digital technology to 100,000 people. This year’s President’s Challenge 2021 theme is ‘Building a Digitally Inclusive Society’. With DfL movement, the President hopes to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital transformation journey.