Mother Tongue Language Exemption for Special Educational Needs Students

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will address the concerns of families and educators that Special Educational Needs (SEN) students deemed not suitable to take Mother Tongue Language (MTL) as an examinable subject, are being further disadvantaged at an early age; and (b) whether more inclusive mainstream secondary schools can be developed by modifying the Secondary 1 Direct School Admission system to allow more admissions of SEN students affected by the MTL exemption scoring changes.

Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Education (a) whether students granted exemption from studying mother tongue languages on medical grounds may be exempted from the new PSLE scoring system taking effect from 2021; (b) what is the number of currently enrolled primary school students who have been exempted from studying mother tongue languages and will now be subject to the new PSLE scoring system from 2021; and (c) what is the rationale for applying the new PSLE scoring system to these students who received exemptions from studying mother tongue languages under the prevailing system.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Education with regard to the application of the PSLE scoring system to those students exempt from studying Mother Tongue Languages (a) what are the guiding principles to determine which Achievement Level (AL) the student will score; and (b) whether there is an assessment of how the new scoring system will impact students with learning disabilities or special needs.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the rationale and principle behind according a student an exemption from Mother Tongue Language (MTL) in national exams; and (b) whether this principle aligns with the new PSLE scoring system for MTL exemption.

Today, more than 95% of our students take the MTL examination at the PSLE, at either the Standard or Foundation level. This reflects the centrality of MTL learning in our education system. Learning the MTLs allows us to connect with our communities, and draws on our rich ethnic heritage and culture to build our unique Singapore identity.

At the same time, we recognise that for a small group of students, such as those with special educational needs (SEN) or who have been away from Singapore for prolonged periods, it may be challenging for them to study one of our MTLs. Hence, upon application, we may grant them exemption from MTL. However, there are many students with SEN or who have been away and who still take MTL, notwithstanding the difficulties they encounter.

In any given year, on average, about 4.5% of our students are exempted from MTL. This group of students will take three examinations at the PSLE – English, Mathematics, and Science. Hence, they will receive only three subject scores on their results slip. The question then is how to use these scores for posting to the next course of study, given that the vast majority of their peers have a score summed up from all four subjects.

That is why for purposes of posting, we assign an MTL score for these students by referencing the MTL scores of other students with similar English, Maths and Science scores, including those offering Foundation MTL. This basic approach will not change when we move from the T-score system to the new Achievement Level (AL) scoring system in 2021.

Ms Denise Phua asked about the underlying principles of this practice. The new AL scoring system is based on the level of attainment by the student himself, and moves us away from the approach of the T-score system where a student has to outperform his peers to register a high score. However, when it comes to Secondary school posting, the student still needs to use his PSLE score to compete with other students in order to be admitted into a school of his choice.

Our treatment of students exempted from MTL is aligned with these principles. For purposes of deriving AL scores, he was exempted from MTL, so no assessment of his standards took place and he has no score. But for the purposes of Secondary school posting, he needs to be compared with other applicants and so we will assign him an MTL score by referencing his peers.

We can and must strike a balance between competition amongst students and self-mastery, but realistically, we cannot remove competition totally, and it is also not a reflection of the real life that we are preparing students for.

What is specific to the AL system is that the assigned MTL score will range from AL6 to AL8. We have done this considering the vast majority of students who offer an official MTL either at the Standard or Foundation levels.

This includes a significant number with SEN or those who have returned to Singapore after prolonged periods overseas. Currently, about 90% of our Returning Singaporean students study an official MTL, with our schools providing support for their language learning. Seventy percent of students with SEN in mainstream schools also take MTL at PSLE. Many of them take Foundation MTL. As the score range for those taking Foundation MTL is AL6 to AL8, it would be difficult to justify to those offering it why another student who did not sit for the examination could be assigned a higher score.

Ms Denise Phua asked about the implications of the new scoring system on course eligibility and school choices. Any student who scores 22 or below will qualify for a Express course. Under the current T-score system and the new AL scoring system, the outcomes are similar.

Our simulations using the most recent PSLE results show that a similar proportion of students with SEN and are exempted from MTL, would qualify for the Express course under both scoring systems. In any case, by 2024, Express and Normal streams will be phased out. In terms of school choices, if we held choice patterns constant, about 60% of them would secure their first choice Secondary school, under both scoring systems.

For those concerned about the chances of success to be admitted into specific Secondary schools, we have over the past few years, significantly expanded places in the Direct School Admission (DSA) pathway to better recognise talents and achievements across different domains beyond general academic abilities. Most schools can now admit 20% of their Secondary 1 intake via DSA, up from 10% in 2017, and many schools have yet to reach this proportion.

Schools are also admitting more students with different strengths and backgrounds, including those with SEN. For example, we see students with SEN who are talented in Mathematics, Science, sports and performing arts, and admitted via DSA into the schools of their choices. MOE and schools will support existing MTL-exempt students affected by the new scoring system in their transition by providing advice on their school choices, and to also explore DSA as an option.

We also recognise that our students with SEN put in tremendous effort to cope with their learning. MOE has increased the resources to help students in SPED schools, and students with SEN in mainstream schools will also benefit from learning support programmes as well as allied educators for learning and behavioural support. MOE is committed to continue working with schools in providing the support needed to prepare our students for the PSLE changes.

Members also asked if we could delay the implementation of the scoring changes for current cohorts or consider an alternative PSLE scoring system for students with SEN. Given that we are changing the national examination scoring system, it would not be feasible for a small group to remain under the T-score system or to use an aggregate score of three scores, as their scores would not be comparable with the aggregate scores of other students for purposes of Secondary school posting.

Ultimately, in grading, scores have to reflect standards, instead of effort or circumstances. Those are relevant factors, but we should exercise that judgement during admission mechanisms like the DSA, instead of compromising the consistency and integrity of the assessment and grading system.

Mr Speaker, performance at the PSLE is just one checkpoint in a child's education journey and it is not the final judgement of a child's ability or potential. The changes to the PSLE scoring, expansion of DSA and journey to Full Subject-Based Banding (SBB) aim to shift our education system away from an over-emphasis on academic results and encourage our students to focus on their own learning. Fundamentally, we want an education system with multiple pathways and opportunities, so that every child can maximise his or her potential and be placed in good stead for the future.

I thank the Second Minister for the comprehensive response. I totally understand the importance of MTL and that requests and approvals for exemption of Mother Tongue studies must not be taken lightly.

But for students who are medically certified with special education needs (SEN) and especially those in special schools taking the PSLE, those who are visually impaired, those who are deaf or autistic SPED students, the PSLE score is the main currency by which they are admitted – they have a chance to go to a mainstream Secondary school and education. Cut-off points is still what many Secondary mainstream schools use to admit these students unless one is exceptional enough to qualify for Direct School Admission (DSA). And, hence, there are genuine concerns by the families and parents of these students. So, I have two supplementary questions to ask.

One, to ask the Minister that if the reason for exemption is valid, is medical, then will MOE consider an exemption as an exemption with no conditions attached? To the layman, the definition of exemption is that it is not conditional and therefore, there is no excitement of the lower score if you are exempted. And there are some who actually fear that the students are further disadvantaged by putting them back into a pool after recognising and after all the good work that MOE has done for SEN, that by now putting these students back into the pool to compete with the rest of the others. So, that is one – can an exemption be an exemption with no conditions attached?

The second is to do with informed choices. So, for those who are currently already in the Primary 1 to Primary 4 cohorts, so-called, in-flight, the families had not made informed decisions at the time when they appealed for Mother Tongue exemption or language studies exemption, whether under the old or the new system now. So, would MOE please consider delaying the implementation for this group and grandfathering the current P1s to P4s, start the new system preferably full and not conditional exemption from the 2020 Primary 1 cohort onwards. I know these are deep issues and that MOE has done a lot of thinking about this. But I ask you not to say "no" to me first but to take the time to consider these several options and let us work together to see what is the best balance decision for this group.

I thank the Member for her questions and, in fact, I think the Member has reflected the concerns of parents who are genuinely worried about their children especially those with special education needs. Perhaps, what I can do is put it in perspective and give the reassurance to those parents that even under the new system, their children will be treated fairly. And let me just outline and explain it.

I will take the second question first because Ms Phua asked whether those who are already in-flight might have chosen otherwise if they had known about this, and whether the current system can remain in place for them so that only the new cohorts coming in for Primary school will be under the new system.

The thing is this: the new PSLE AL scoring system will come into effect for the PSLE cohort in 2021. So, the students with SEN who are exempted and who are taking PSLE in 2021, they too, as part of that cohort, will need to be posted to a Secondary school. When you post, the posting has to be done in comparison with other students. So, all the students in that cohort will be posted under an AL system and you cannot remain under a T-score system. It is not possible to do comparison or to delay it. And that is the reason why you have to do it together. But recognising that you have to do it together, then this is the thought process that MOE went through and we hope that the parents will see that this does not actually disadvantage their children.

The first thing to remember is that actually, more than 95% of our students take MTL. It is 4.5% who are exempted, out of which about 3% includes those who have SEN. Then, out of the ones who have SEN in the mainstream schools, as I mentioned earlier, 70% actually do take MTL at PSLE. So, the ones who are exempted are actually a very small percentage. And for the SEN students who take MTL at PSLE, about 40% of them offer Standard MTL and 30% offer Foundation MTL. So, there is actually already a very large group of students with SEN who do MTL and they compare together with the others.

Then, for those who are exempted, I think Ms Phua asked: can an exemption be an exemption? The exemption is an exemption because if we followed the existing rule, what it would mean is that the student who, for medical reasons or otherwise, if you held very strictly to the rule, it would mean that that student has to take MTL. And we have given the exemption in recognition of the fact that such students may, because of SEN or for medical reasons, have great difficulty in coping with MTL and, therefore, have been exempted. So, an exemption is given and they do not have to do MTL.

But the difficulty comes, as I explained, with posting, because with posting, it is necessary to see how that child compares with other children. And, if you apply it very strictly, then given that you did not take MTL, the correct score should actually be zero, meaning that you have the worst possible score, and we did not want to do that. So, to be fair, we have to assign a score, and we do that by taking reference from their peers, including those who take Foundation MTL.

So, actually, the range of scores for those who take Foundation MTL, by and large, falls within AL6 to AL8. And AL6 is actually not a low score. It translates to up to 64 marks. So, do not be mistaken: AL6 is not a low score and it is still possible for these children to be able to get a place in the Express stream. Receiving an AL6 for the fourth subject does not automatically disqualify a student from accessing a particular course or his first choice Secondary school. For example, a student obtaining two AL5s and two AL6s will get a PSLE score of 22 and will still be eligible for the Express/Normal (Academic) option band.

So, when we did the simulations, they indicate that, by and large, whether under the current system or whether under the new system, a similar proportion of all MTL-exempt students will be able to qualify for Express or the Express/Normal (Academic) option band and that is about 40% of these students. So, by and large, it would not be very different. Even now, you do have to assign them a score because there are MTL-exempt students today. I think at the end of the day, the key thing for the parents to ask is: some parents may be concerned about their children who do very well. They may get one for English; one for Mathematics; one for Science and then you get six for your MTL. You are well within the Express range. So, for those who are at the margins, when it comes to the choice of a particular school, there is always the DSA option. And I would ask, at the end of the day, for the parents to work with the teachers to consider what is the best thing for the child because we do want the best pathway, the best option for the child and especially children with SEN. That, MOE will certainly not compromise on because we want to make sure that whichever path they take, they have good opportunities in order to be able to achieve their aspirations.