Eight teachers received the President’s Award for Teachers in Singapore on 3 September 2026. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam presented the awards during a ceremony held in the city-state [1, 2, 3].
The award honors educators who show exceptional dedication and excellence in nurturing and inspiring students beyond academic knowledge [1, 2, 3]. This year, 5,125 teachers from 308 schools and seven post-secondary institutions were nominated. From 18 finalists, eight teachers were selected for the award [1, 2, 3].
Among the recipients is Go Jun Hong, 39, head of applied sciences and ICT at Woodgrove Secondary School. He was recognized for mentoring teachers and supporting students’ holistic growth. Go emphasized understanding the personal challenges behind students’ behavior. "We prepared him for the examinations. But beyond that, he couldn’t cope by himself… And I thought that was really sad," he said [1]. Reflecting on students' struggles, he noted, "I realised that with almost everybody I spoke to who presented these sorts of behaviours, they usually have some backstory. Even if I were in their shoes, that’s probably the best that I can do" [2].
Another winner, Wu Minmin, 55, mother tongue department head at Xuelin Primary School, was recognized for integrating values and literary appreciation into Chinese language teaching. In Mandarin, she explained, "我觉得我可以为华文讨个公道，让他们觉得其实真的没有那么难懂，而且很有趣" (I feel I can do justice to the Chinese language so that students realize it is not so difficult and is actually interesting). She stressed the importance of reflection and understanding others: "价值观并不是要你背出一个正确答案，说这样做是对的、那样做是错的，而是需要让孩子去想、去反思，懂得怎么去理解别人" (Values are not about memorizing right answers but helping children think and reflect to understand others) [3]. Wu also said, "育人、教人是一辈子的事" (Raising and educating people is a lifelong commitment) [3].
Winners receive funding to attend professional development programs locally or overseas, and may participate in study trips abroad to enhance their skills [3].
The award ceremony held today continues Singapore’s tradition of recognizing educators who contribute deeply to student development, with the next round of awards expected in the coming year [1, 2, 3].
