Metrics to Assess Effectiveness of UPLIFT Enhanced School Resourcing and GEAR-UP Programmes and Results for Past Five Years

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) what metrics the Ministry uses to assess the effectiveness of (i) the UPLIFT Enhanced School Resourcing programme and (ii) the Guiding and Empowering Students for Affiliation and Resilience to Unlock their Potential (GEAR-UP) program; and (b) what the corresponding figures have been for each of the past five years.

As part of the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) efforts to uplift students from disadvantaged backgrounds, selected schools were given additional resources and worked with community partners to encourage their students with higher needs to attend school regularly – a key factor that reflects the students' engagement in learning and enables them to make educational progress. Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce (UPLIFT) Enhanced School Resourcing (UESR) and GEAR-UP were rolled out across different phases since 2019. By the end of 2025, UESR provided additional resourcing to 100 schools, while GEAR-UP was implemented in 120 secondary schools, with some schools running both initiatives. Collectively, more than 11,000 students benefited annually from these initiatives. About 30% of the target students who previously had absenteeism issues managed to achieve regular school attendance over time.

As part of a holistic review to strengthen support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, UESR and GEAR-UP have been folded into a new enhanced support package for schools from 2026, which MOE had recently announced at this year's Committee of Supply debate.