Eight English teachers receive award for building students’ confidence in communication

SINGAPORE – At St Andrew’s Junior College, General Paper (GP) students identify news clippings to turn into quizzes for peers in their cohort.

This is one of the ways Wong Sui Lee and her team of GP teachers help students find their voice and take charge of their own learning.

“We’re able to get them to glean a better understanding of the world and also get them to be curious about what’s happening in the world,” Wong, 47, said.

The head of department for GP was one of the eight English teachers who were lauded at the Inspiring Teacher of English Award 2026, on Sept 29, for kindling a love for the subject.

It is presented by the Speak Good English Movement and The Straits Times, with support from the Ministry of Education.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi was the guest of honour. In his speech, he said: “Today, we exchange ideas faster, and in greater volume than ever before. Yet amid this abundance, two essential abilities can quietly become lost: the ability express ourselves clearly, in our own voice, and the ability to listen with empathy.

“Neither develops by accident. Both must be deliberately cultivated in our students -- through the good work of our teachers.”

Chairman of the Speak Good English Movement Jason Leow addressed this year’s recipients and nominees, and the role they play in their students’ lives. “You are not just preparing students for exams. You are shaping how they think, how they speak, and how they connect with the world. That is a heavy responsibility, and you carry it well,” he said.

Since its inauguration in 2008, the Inspiring Teacher of English Award has recognised a total of 159 teachers, including this year’s awardees. The awardees were chosen from 107 nominations.

The award is categorised into two categories – the Teaching Award and the Leadership Award.

The Teaching Award recognises teachers who exemplify good spoken and written English while the Leadership Award recognises subject heads or heads of department who have led the school towards a shared vision.

Another recipient, Sasha Kaur Dhillon, the deputy dean for GP at Temasek Junior College, brings learning outside of the classroom.

Through her project, Singapore A-Z, students pick a topic related to Singapore. The students then go out to interview people and come back to share what they learnt.

“You can really see their eyes light up when they say, this is actually what someone told me,” Sasha, 31, said.

She said the students took interest in the subject as the classroom discussions became more personal to them and they immersed themselves in it.

Over at Tampines North Primary School, English teacher Rafidah Ridzuan believed that it was important to connect with her students from the very beginning of her teaching career.

Even after 28 years of teaching, the best part of her day is to sit with her students and talk to them during recess.

She said that her students love to talk about “everything under the sun”, including personal matters.

“At the end of the day, when my children talk to me about anything and everything… I’ve provided them that safe environment,” Rafidah said.

Zheng Kankan, 39, was surprised when her student wrote her a note.

The subject head of literature at Maris Stella High School had encouraged the student to compete at a poetry recitation competition.

She helped him train and curate poems for the competition. With her guidance, he developed a love for poetry.

Although the student did not reach the finals, he wrote a note to Zheng to express his appreciation.

“‘He wrote me a note and told me, ‘Thank you for showing me the world of poetry recitation. If there’s a next competition, I would like to sign up for it.’ I was quite encouraged by that,” she said.

Jaime Ho, editor of The Straits Times, said: “There is little that is closer to the heart of journalists and The Straits Times newsroom than the beauty and wonder of language.”

“We therefore have the highest regard for teachers of the English language - for it is they who bring joy to their classrooms, and inspire our children to embrace the language through which they will express their ideas, and grow to be well-informed and inspired young adults.”

The award winners received a trophy, a certificate, and a cash award. All recipients and nominees will also receive a one-year membership to the Singapore Association for Applied Linguistics.

Recipients of the Inspiring Teacher of English Award 2026

Teaching Award category

• Benson Pang, 33, level head for English language, Jurong West Primary School

• Rafidah Ridzuan, 50, English language teacher, Tampines North Primary School

• Chiu Yee Qian Millie, 33, English language and literature teacher, Crescent Girls’ School

• Foo Khim Youn Justina, 41, English language teacher, St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School

• Sasha Kaur Dhillon, 31, General Paper teacher, Temasek Junior College

Leadership Award category

• Lin Weijia Amanda, 44, head of department for English language, Kranji Primary School

• Zheng Kankan, 39, subject head for English literature, Maris Stella High School (Secondary)

• Wong Sui Lee, 47, head of department for General Paper, St Andrew’s Junior College