Debated in Parliament on 7 Nov 2023.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education in light of the UK's decision to replace the A- and T-levels with a single Advanced British Standard qualification (a) whether the Ministry plans to review the format of the GCE A-levels to better cater to broader-based educational requirements; (b) whether there are plans to evolve the A-level syllabus away from meeting university entrance requirements toward non-academic subjects; and (c) whether the separate A-levels, polytechnic diploma and NITEC tracks remain the most suitable for the Singapore context.
Our education system offers multiple pathways to cater to our students' diverse strengths, interests and learning needs. At the post-Secondary level, junior colleges and the Millenia Institute equip students with the necessary academic skills and knowledge through the A-Level syllabus as required for further education, particularly at the universities. On the other hand, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education provide more industry-based and applied learning that prepares students for the workforce. These different pathways continue to be relevant today.
We will continue to offer multiple post-Secondary pathways, even as we enhance porosity between the pathways. For example, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has increased the opportunities for polytechnic graduates to further their studies at the universities, especially with more applied university programmes. Since 2020, A-Level graduates have also been able to take polytechnic diploma courses with exemptions of up to two semesters.
We regularly review and make adjustments across all our pathways to ensure that our students receive a holistic education beyond academic preparation, and that our education system prepares them well for the future. For example, to keep pace with technological and global developments, MOE has announced that we will be enhancing the 21st Century Competencies (21CC) framework, with a greater emphasis on adaptive and inventive thinking, communication and civic literacy.
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