Education

• Minister stated ratios were last reviewed in 2017 for safety and developmental needs.
• Preschools can exceed minimum ratios and must seek approval for more children with needs.
• Flexibility exists for inclusive classrooms with more staff or early intervention support.

• Pritam Singh questioned the decline in graduate full-time employment from 79.4% to 74.4% in 2025.
• The Minister referred to a prior official response detailing factors and measures for weaker employment outcomes.

• Preschools shifted to a five-day week, with daily hours set by employment contracts. Some operators slightly increased daily hours to complete work.
• The ministry acknowledged concerns but noted stakeholder support for the change, citing improved educator well-being. A sector-wide review will be convened to enhance work processes and career sustainability.

• Education Ministry teaches all students to care for peers and seek help from trusted adults.
• Peer Support Leaders receive training to offer comfort and escalate concerns, not to diagnose or counsel.
• Teachers regularly support these student leaders to ensure their well-being and capacity development.

• Parliament debates establishing a single Skills and Workforce Development Agency.
• This agency replaces SkillsFuture and Workforce Singapore to streamline workforce development.
• Bill aims to consolidate training and employment support under one roof.

• Labour market mismatch arises as tech demand grows while some PMET roles are automated, leaving skills gaps.
• Government supports reskilling via programmes placing workers into tech roles, with vacancies outpacing retrenchments.
• Agencies collaborate with industry to design relevant training for displaced professionals.

• The Ministry provides reintegration pathways like returning to school or Institute of Technical Education for certifications. For at-risk students, early intervention involves tracking and support from teachers and community partners to prevent dropouts.
• However, the Ministry does not track the outcomes of students who have already left the school system, relying instead on broader national statistics to guide support programs.

• Singapore's PISA results show a strong link between socioeconomic status and student performance. The government plans to uplift struggling students through targeted support, such as after-school programs for lower-income households, instead of capping the potential of high-achievers.
• A Member of Parliament countered, suggesting the data indicates unequal opportunities for higher-SES students rather than a need to suppress top performers. The Minister of State agreed to monitor this indicator and ensure all students have access to opportunities regardless of background.

• The government acknowledged the global socio-economic performance gap but will not assess if PSLE placement amplifies it, preferring to focus on support like subject banding for disadvantaged students.
• Officials stated they are monitoring educational trends and will review social mixing efforts, such as giving priority to lower-income students in oversubscribed schools.

• MP questions if kids lose out when nearby schools lack their mother tongue.
• Ministry says most schools offer three official languages; few SAP schools are exceptions.
• Planning aims to ensure access to a nearby primary school for all students.

• Eileen Chong asked for a country breakdown of scholarship recipients and targets for non-English-speaking countries.
• The government provided a three-year average: 49% studied locally, 30% in the UK, 15% in the US, and 6% elsewhere, with no fixed targets for non-English-speaking countries.

• Shawn Loh asked about preschool closures without six months’ notice and enforcement actions; the minister confirmed an increase from 26 in 2023 to 44 in 2025, with ECDA taking proportionate regulatory actions including warnings, penalties, and licensing bans.

• About 45% of COMIT allied health professionals have completed CBT training; the rest are expected to finish within two years.
• The Ministry aims for full training coverage across all COMIT professionals, aligning with ongoing upskilling efforts in mental health.

Schools identify gaming concerns via teacher referrals, peer input, and well-being check-ins. Support includes counsellor intervention, parent collaboration, and referrals to Social Service Agencies or IMH for specialised treatment. Community partners like TOUCH provide counselling and programmes for affected students.

• Prof Kenneth Poon asked about student transfers between mainstream and SPED schools over the past decade.
• In 2023, 200 students moved from mainstream to SPED, mostly at primary level, and 159 moved to mainstream, mostly at secondary level.
• No data before 2023 as transfers were handled by schools.

• Gerald Giam questioned the SwimSafer programme’s targets, tracking of proficiency beyond Primary 3, and plans for non-swimmers; Desmond Lee replied that the Ministry sets no proficiency targets, does not track beyond compulsory school lessons, and offers a fully funded remediation programme for students who do not pass Stage 1.

Charlene Chen inquired about the proportion of schools with protected non-teaching time for TSNs and a mandated intervention-to-administration ratio. Minister Desmond Lee clarified that TSNs focus on inclusive pedagogy and capacity-building, while separate interventions are handled by SEN officers and counsellors, with staffing adjusted based on student needs.

• Dr Wan Rizal asked if the Ministry tracks employment and wage changes after AI SkillsFuture programmes. The Ministry tracks placement rates for ICT courses, with 44% employed within six months, but does not track wage changes; it also collects learner feedback on programme quality and effectiveness.

Cai Yinzhou questioned why graduates from aquaculture programs aren't tracked into sea-based farming and proposed a mechanism like those in healthcare and teaching. Grace Fu responded that SFA focuses on farm productivity, not graduate tracking, but collaborates with IHLs on curricula and projects manpower needs based on industry developments.

• Miss Rachel Ong proposed extending up to 95% SG Enable training subsidies to SkillsFuture programmes for broader skill access. Desmond Lee responded that a taskforce is studying enhanced support measures, with details to be announced later.