A group of 60 Brazilian teachers have participated in a pilot teacher training program conducted by the National Institute of Education International Singapore, as part of a MoU signed between NIEI and Brazilian NGO Ayrton Senna Institute.
Held in Joinville in the south of Brazil, the program involved 30 science and 30 maths teachers from primary and secondary schools.
“Given Singapore’s established and well-received educational system, there are opportunities for Singapore educational players to collaborate with Brazil”
The teachers will then train their colleagues with the aim of providing 50,000 students with a Singaporean-style education, according to reports.
Khor Aik Lam, regional director of International Enterprise Singapore, the government agency that facilitated the MoU, said that Brazil’s focus on improving its education system means there is scope for international collaborations.
“Given Singapore’s established and well-received educational system, there are opportunities for Singapore educational players to collaborate with Brazil,” he said.
More teacher training programs are on the cards following the successful pilot, among other projects included in the MoU.
NIEI managing director Paul Teng told The PIE News that feedback on the pilot was “extremely positive” from all stakeholders.
“Both lecturers were given exceptionally high scores in the student feedback conducted,” he said.
“The staff from the Ayrton Senna Institute present were also very satisfied with the training outcomes.”
The MoU identified other areas of collaboration beyond professional development for teachers, Teng explained.
These include joint research activities, seminars, sharing of best practice in the areas of pedagogy and educational leadership.
As for the future, Teng told The PIE that NIEI expects to see some concrete projects developed over the next few months, but couldn’t disclose details yet.
“NIEI’s modus operandi is that we respond to our collaborator’s needs,” he added.
“We are in active discussions with the Ayrton Senna Institute as well as with State education officials to determine what programs are needed.”
