Impact of Promotion of Dialects on Learning of Mandarin

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) how has the promotion of dialects helped improve the learning of Mandarin among students so far; and (b) whether the Ministry has done any study to monitor improvements in grades for students taking Mandarin.

Schools do not promote the use of dialects. Our bilingual policy has enabled a growing proportion of Singaporeans to be proficient in English and their Mother Tongue language. With our Chinese language students in schools, our focus is on helping them to learn Mandarin to as high a level as their interests and ability take them. As dialects have differing vocabulary and grammar structure from Mandarin, the learning of dialects may not necessarily ease the learning of Mandarin among students.

The Ministry of Education monitors the performance of students at national examinations closely to assess their level of mastery of the different disciplines. The results of students taking Chinese Language at major examinations have shown a stable trend. Over the past five years, the passing rate of Chinese Language at GCE "O" level has maintained at about 97%, while the distinction rate has held steady at about 40%.