Nandini Sivakumar receives Best NIE Trainee Teacher Award

Tamil Murasu featured Ms Nandini Sivakumar, 23, who received the Best NIE Trainee Teacher Award at the Most Inspiring Tamil Teacher Award 2026. Now a Tamil Language teacher at Christ Church Secondary School, Ms Nandini believes that teachers do more than teach a subject, they shape the holistic development of every student.

She seeks to make Tamil a living language that students feel confident using by incorporating creative approaches such as drama and technology into her lessons. She also emphasises understanding students’ backgrounds and building trusting relationships so that they feel comfortable sharing their concerns.

Ms Nandini’s passion for Tamil extends beyond the classroom. She won first prize in the youth category of the Singapore Tamil Writers’ Association short story competition in 2023, presented a research paper at the 14th World Tamil Teachers’ Conference in Mauritius, and participated in the 2025 Singapore Writers Festival. Her final-year research, which received distinction, explored ways to strengthen literary elements in secondary-school Tamil resources.

She said the award was both a joyful surprise and an encouragement to continue growing as an educator.

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