It seems that the Education Ministry of Singapore is looking to nurture more students for the love of art and culture apart from preparing them for the workforce. According to Heng Swee Keat, the Minister of Education, they are putting in efforts to groom students to become more creative, expressive and imaginative with their new initiative in launching the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the Arts or known in short as STAR. The education system of Singapore is known to be highly competitive and students usually are trained and taught a wide range of skills and academic knowledge but the need for more creative thinkers and innovative knowledge have become more important in recent years.

He said that the academy would provide professional development opportunities for art and music teachers for teachers in the art and music areas. He also said that in doing so, the ministry will provide more of such opportunities for teachers by raising the level of art and music education in the Singaporean schools. This is where the new academy comes into play where music teachers are able to share their expertise and look at ways to improve the students’ learning experiences.  In doing so, students will be able to grasp more skills and creative technique to equip them before they go out to the industry.