Most council members agreed that training could help raise standards, but raised concerns about making it compulsory.
BCA first launched voluntary e-learning courses for council members in 2024, covering procurement, accounting and dispute management, offered at no cost.
Take-up has been low, however, and the authority is now considering whether to make training mandatory – with potential consequences for non-compliance, such as ineligibility to stand for future council elections.
But some council members said mandatory training could deter residents – especially younger ones – from stepping up. Recruitment is already a persistent challenge. The role is generally unpaid and comes with no additional privileges.
Some members are retirees, and to make them attend classes, whether online or physical, without any form of assessment would defeat the purpose, said Mdm Yap Mee Mee, 68, the council secretary at Pine Grove.
