Debated in Parliament on 6 Feb 2024.
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education (a) in the past three years, what is the annual number of students who apply to ITE; (b) of these, what is the number of students who gain admission to ITE broken down by (i) "O" level qualifications (ii) Normal (Academic) level qualifications (iii) Normal (Technical) level qualifications and (iv) other qualifications.
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education with regard to admissions into Institutes of Technical Education (a) how is the allocation of places between "O" level and "N" level students decided; and (b) how are the grades on subjects taken at the different Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) levels taken into account when computing the points for admission.
Between 2021 and 2023, around 12,700 secondary school students from all streams applied to Nitec and Higher Nitec courses at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) each year. Subject grades taken at different levels are converted to ITE aggregate points, which are then used for admission. Each year, around 10,900 students enrolled in ITE. Most of the students who did not enrol in ITE were Normal (Academic) students who progressed to other pathways, such as Secondary 5 or the Polytechnic Foundation Programme.
The Ministry of Education will continue to cater sufficient post-secondary places for all secondary school students across the different pathways.
PAPERCUTS