Number of Vacant School Sites and Average Length of Time of Vacancy

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Education (a) how many school sites are currently vacant; (b) what is the current average length of time such sites remain vacant; (c) what is the current status of these sites which were used as COVID-19 vaccination centres and migrant worker housing during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider offering short-term leases at these sites pending the long-term plan for these plots of land and facilities, to raise revenue and optimise our buildings.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) currently has 10 vacant school sites. Two are currently being spruced up to be used as interim holding sites, there are plans for another two sites to be used as interim holding sites before schools move to their upgraded or new campuses or as permanent campuses. The remaining six sites are pending reinstatement before the land is returned to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for other uses.

In addition, there are six former school sites that are still being used or temporarily safeguarded for use for COVID-19 related operations. When they are no longer needed for such operations, these sites will be returned to MOE for use as either interim holding sites or as permanent sites for new schools.

MOE regularly reviews our schools infrastructure plans and where there are vacant sites which MOE does not need, the sites will be returned to SLA who will work with the relevant Government agencies to put the buildings out for adaptive reuse if there are no short-term needs for the land. In other cases, the land is converted to other uses.