More Places in Direct School Admission Programme and Mainstream Avenues for Students to Pursue Interests

Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Education in view of the increase in this year's applications for Direct School Admission for Secondary Schools (DSA-Sec), whether more spaces will be provided for students to be admitted via DSA-Sec.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Education in view of the steady rise in direct school admission applications, whether the Ministry is considering more mainstream avenues for students with abilities in sports and humanities to pursue their interests.

The Direct School Admission exercise for Secondary Schools (DSA-Sec) provides a pathway for students to enrol in Secondary schools based on their diverse talents and potential, beyond their academic performance demonstrated at PSLE. The number of DSA applications has increased over the years, in line with MOE’s efforts to broaden the definition of merit beyond academic results and increase the accessibility of DSA.

Since 2018, we have increased the number of DSA places, allowing Secondary schools to admit up to 20% of their Secondary 1 intake. In the 2022 DSA-Sec exercise, around 3,900 students or 10% of the 2022 Primary 6 cohort received offers. As such, there remains sufficient DSA places for eligible students to enrol in schools, and MOE currently has no plans to expand the number of places.

At the same time, MOE will continue to ensure multiple avenues for students to discover and develop their diverse talents and interests. These include Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs); art, music and PE curriculum; and Applied Learning Programmes and Learning for Life Programmes. These enable every student to access opportunities to support their development, regardless of whether they participate in DSA.