Kuan Yew Proposes Setting Up Fund TO Boost Bilingual Education

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah SINGAPORE, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- Singapore's former minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew has proposed to raise money for a Bilingualism Fund at the launch of his new book, 'My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore’s Bilingual Journey' Sunday. In a statement, the Ministry of Education (MOE) thanked Lee for his generous contribution towards promoting bilingualism and for raising funds for the cause. It said the fund would be named the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism. MOE said the government would provide a 1:1 matching grant for donations to the fund, up to a cap of S$50 million. It said bilingual education in English and the Mother Tongue Languages was a cornerstone of the republic's education system as learning two languages helped Singaporeans plug into a globalised world while strengthening links to "our Asian heritage." The Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism will supplement efforts by MOE in the teaching and learning of English and the Mother Tongue Languages, amidst changes in the home language environment. For a start, MOE said the fund would focus on initiatives for Mother Tongue Languages and English learning at the pre-school level. -- BERNAMA