Pathway for Normal (Technical) Stream Students Who Do Well and Go on to Take GCE "O" Level Examination

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) beyond just having subject banding as an option, whether the Ministry allows students from the Normal (Technical) stream who do well in their GCE "N(T)" Level examination to do their GCE "O" Level examination if they want to; (b) if so, how many of such students have there been to date; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry has plans to provide this pathway.

Secondary 4 students in the Normal (Technical) or "N(T)" course who perform well at the GCE "N(T)" Level examination can laterally transfer to the Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) or "N(A)" course and take the GCE "N(A)" Level examination. Thereafter, they can progress further to Secondary 5 "N(A)" and sit for the GCE "O" Level examination. This allows students to progressively bridge the gap between the academic demands of the "N(T)", "N(A)" and "O" Level curricula.

Over the last five years, an average of about 530 students per year transferred from the "N(T)" course to the "N(A)" course. They are identified early, based on their secondary school performance. Because of these early identification efforts, only a handful of students will transfer to the "N(A)" course after the GCE "N(T)" Level examination every year. Of all the students who transfer from "N(T)" to "N(A)" course, 10 to 20 each year transferred further to the Express course.