Education — Topics

7 Nov 2017

Updating Career Guidance Counsellors for Students on Industry Trends

The Ministry ensures career guidance counsellors stay updated on industry trends through networking sessions with industry practitioners, guided by Industry Transformation Maps and Skills Frameworks, and by using resources like the MySkillsFuture portal developed with SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore.
Collaborations with agencies like SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore, and the Employment and Employability Institute include joint events, workshops, and career fairs organized by Institutes of Higher Learning to support students transitioning into the workforce.
Career development for ECG counsellors includes professional training, on-the-job support, and opportunities for lateral postings and senior appointments, ensuring they build expertise and grow alongside students.
ECG counsellors regularly attend networking sessions with private and public sector agencies to stay informed about job market disruptions and opportunities, covering diverse industries such as aerospace, logistics, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.

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6 Nov 2017

Regular Attendance of Children in Primary School

Murali Pillai asked whether the Ministry for Social and Family Development would update the Children and Young Persons Act to include parental neglect of regular primary school attendance as a factor in determining if a child needs care or protection.
Desmond Lee responded that irregular school attendance often stems from complex family stressors like marital or financial issues, and that parents are primarily responsible under the Compulsory Education Act, with family and community support prioritized before state intervention.
He explained that the Children and Young Persons Act is not necessary to specifically address irregular school attendance as the Compulsory Education Act already covers this, and the Ministry of Education uses a holistic approach with counselling and support before legal enforcement.
The Children and Young Persons Act focuses on protecting children from serious harm or risk, with Child Protective Service intervening when needed, while early intervention and community partners like Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres help families.

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6 Nov 2017

Enhanced Anti-bullying Hotlines for Students

Member Leon Perera questioned how widely anti-bullying hotlines are publicised, what steps are being taken to improve their capacity and effectiveness, and whether aggregated anonymised data from these hotlines can be analysed to identify patterns for further intervention.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) collaborates with community partners like the Singapore Children's Society to promote bullying awareness and support avenues through school programmes, workshops, and communication channels such as talks, newsletters, and web portals.
Hotlines are operated by community partners and allow anonymous calls, which can limit the ability to identify in-depth patterns; MOE is open to working with partners if they share data to enhance intervention efforts.

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6 Nov 2017

Manpower for Infrastructure Projects

The government is working with tripartite partners to ensure a strong pipeline of engineers and technicians for Singapore’s infrastructure projects, with demand expected to grow notably in sectors like railways and lift maintenance.
Measures include industry-wide branding and promotion to uplift the image of technical careers, supported by initiatives like the LTA’s $12.5 million Public Transport Manpower Development Fund.
Efforts are being made to build a dedicated talent pipeline through expanded training programmes at various education levels and structured on-the-job training.
Agencies are also attracting mid-career switchers via Professional Conversion Programmes to equip workers from other sectors with relevant skills for infrastructure careers.

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6 Nov 2017

Generalists to Help meet Singapore's Future Healthcare Needs

The Ministry of Health is investing in broad-based training for all doctors by incorporating generalist skillsets into medical school curricula and defining these competencies for postgraduate specialist training, including a mandatory Geriatric Medicine programme for non-Internal Medicine residents.
Current training pathways already provide flexibility, allowing doctors to gain generalist experience (such as three years in Internal Medicine) before choosing a specialty, and the Ministry will assess if similar flexibility is needed for surgical specialties.
Generalist doctors are emphasized as central to providing patient-centric, holistic care for Singapore’s ageing population, guiding the focus on strengthening their role in the healthcare system.

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6 Nov 2017

Anti-smoking Messages in Schools and Reducing Accessibility of Cigarettes to Minors

Miss Cheryl Chan inquired about barriers to quitting smoking beyond treatment costs, school anti-smoking programs, and inter-agency efforts to limit cigarette access for minors.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong highlighted that quitting requires personal determination, with support from HPB’s “I Quit” campaign and multi-agency public education to prevent smoking initiation.
Schools and tertiary institutions integrate anti-tobacco messages and provide cessation counseling, while laws impose fines and license suspensions for selling tobacco to minors, with plans to raise the minimum legal age to 21.

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6 Nov 2017

Career Paths of Former GEP Students

Over the past five years, about 1% of the age cohort was admitted into the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) each year.
Longitudinal data shows GEP graduates have excelled academically and in non-academic areas, with many now holding senior leadership roles in both public and private sectors.
The GEP is regularly reviewed and tweaked to ensure it meets the developmental needs of students and prepares them for the future.

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6 Nov 2017

Student Applications for Exemption from Mother Tongue Subject

Darryl David asked the Minister for Education for data on the number of primary school students who sought and received exemptions from Mother Tongue assessments due to learning difficulties over the past five years.
Ng Chee Meng stated that around 2% of the Primary School Leaving Examination cohort each year were granted Mother Tongue exemptions due to special educational needs that severely affect learning.
He explained that exemptions are considered for students whose certified conditions severely impact their ability to cope with Mother Tongue and overall learning.
For students who struggle with the standard Mother Tongue curriculum but are coping otherwise, alternatives like Foundation Mother Tongue or Mother Tongue "B" are offered, focusing on oral and listening skills with reduced writing demands.

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6 Nov 2017

Support for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

The Ministry of Health collaborates with the Ministry of Education and other agencies to identify and support children with ADHD through programs like REACH, which involves multidisciplinary teams working with schools.
For children below seven, suspected developmental conditions including ADHD are flagged by doctors and preschool teachers, with screening and referrals managed through Case Filter Meetings and early intervention programs.
Subsidies are available for services like REACH and early intervention, with additional financial assistance for parents who need it, though diagnostic methods for younger children are approached cautiously.

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6 Nov 2017

Grooming Talent for Clean Technology

The Singapore government is investing in research centres and talent grooming initiatives to develop local skills for clean technology jobs, focusing on areas like clean energy and water.
The cleantech sector currently employs over 20,000 workers, with projections of 2,000 new PMET jobs in clean energy by 2025, at least two-thirds of which are expected to be filled by Singaporeans.
Increased focus on clean technology is positioned to boost Singapore’s economy through domestic innovation, exportable solutions, and job creation in high-value sectors.

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6 Nov 2017

More Mother Tongue Teachers for Preschools

The Ministry of Education and Early Childhood Development Agency have increased local mother tongue teacher training places by over 70% and introduced specialized tracks, growing the pool of such teachers by 35% to about 3,300.
Support measures like scholarships, fee subsidies, and the Professional Conversion Programme have attracted mid-career switchers, with 255 joining the preschool mother tongue teaching sector in 2015 and 2016.
To address shortages, the government is exploring conversion programmes for retired primary school teachers and current teachers, who would need to undergo bridging programmes for early childhood education.
Efforts are underway to improve working conditions, recognition, and career prospects to retain local mother tongue teachers, though challenges like attrition due to personal commitments remain.
The government is working with other ministries and training institutes to ensure a sustainable pipeline of quality mother tongue preschool teachers while addressing concerns about the use of foreign teachers.

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6 Nov 2017

Career Enhancement for PMETs with Government Schemes

The Minister outlined a four-pronged strategy to enhance PMET careers: economic transformation, lifelong learning via SkillsFuture, the Adapt and Grow initiative, and tighter rules on foreign PMETs to improve local-foreign complementarity, reporting positive outcomes in productivity, PMET employment share, and median income growth.
The government is aligning Professional Conversion Programs with Industry Transformation Maps to target growth sectors like finance and infocomm, offering higher wage support for mid-career PMETs, and has helped about 10,000 local PMETs secure jobs through Adapt and Grow programs in the first eight months of the year.
While acknowledging ongoing challenges like job-skills mismatches and the need for employer and worker adaptability, the government is expanding support through tripartite partnerships, retrenchment task forces, and the Lean Enterprise Development scheme to help PMETs transition into better jobs.

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3 Oct 2017

Additional After-school Care Places Given More HDB BTO Flats in Yishun

Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Ministry of Education about plans to expand after-school care places and cope with additional resources due to new HDB BTO flats in Yishun.
MOE is on track to open Student Care Centres in all primary schools by end-2020, with nine out of ten Yishun primary schools already having school-based SCCs.
The remaining Yishun primary school will get a school-based SCC by 2019, and community-based SCCs also supplement after-school care in the area.
MOE will work with the Ministry of Social and Family Development to monitor demand and plan new or expanded SCCs without compromising quality.

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3 Oct 2017

Enrolment of Primary 1 Students Based on Distance and Parents' Ties with Schools

Gan Thiam Poh asked for data on how many children enrolled in their parents' alma mater, the proportion living more than 8km from school, and if the Ministry would revise criteria to consider both school ties and distance for shorter commutes.
The Senior Minister of State for Education replied that about 12% of Primary 1 students enrolled through school ties phases, with less than 15% of those living over 8km away, and noted the current framework already prioritizes distance bands from the school.
Gan Thiam Poh highlighted cases where nearby residents could not secure places and asked for a review to prioritize closer distance, while the Minister acknowledged the need to balance proximity, school ties, and family circumstances, committing to ongoing data monitoring.

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3 Oct 2017

Measures to Deter Bullying in Schools

The Ministry of Education reports that bullying in schools is relatively stable, with about 10–20% of students experiencing social or verbal bullying and less than 5% experiencing physical bullying, and emphasizes proactive measures like Character and Citizenship Education, teacher training, and peer support to create a safe environment.
Bullying is defined as persistent behavior intended to cause hurt or distress, including cyberbullying, and schools provide accessible reporting channels, prompt investigations, and counseling for both perpetrators and victims, with parental involvement in severe cases.
There are concerns about cyberbullying and online videos, but the Ministry focuses on upstream education and positive behaviors rather than just prohibiting phones, and while various reporting avenues exist, data on hotline usage patterns would require further parliamentary inquiry.

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2 Oct 2017

Annual Infographic on Usage of National Manpower, Training and Upgrading Schemes

Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked if the Ministry of Education will issue an annual infographic to update individuals and companies on their usage of national manpower, training, and upgrading schemes such as Adapt and Grow and SkillsFuture.
Ong Ye Kung responded that agencies like SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore actively promote schemes through industry associations and unions, and the government encourages employer investment in workforce development.
The MySkillsFuture portal will launch later this year to let Singaporeans track their SkillsFuture Credit usage, and the SkillsFuture Advice for Individuals programme will provide community-level guidance on available schemes.
Despite various outreach efforts and evolving schemes, the government does not plan to issue individualized annual updates on programme utilisation, but encourages active engagement with the schemes.

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2 Oct 2017

Highest Level of Mainstream Education Attained by High-functioning Intellectually-disabled Children

Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Ministry of Education about the highest mainstream education level attained by high-functioning intellectually disabled children and the support to keep them in mainstream schools.
Education Minister Ng Chee Meng explained that such children are typically classified as having mild intellectual disability and their needs are best served in Special Education (SPED) schools, which offer customized vocational programs.
SPED schools like APSN Delta Senior School and Metta School provide Workforce Skills Qualifications and ITE Skills Certificate programs, enabling students to gain vocational certification and become employable.
The Minister highlighted that SPED schools employ specially trained teachers and allied professionals to cater to these students' specific learning, emotional, and practical needs.
The response implies that mainstream education may not be the primary or most supported pathway for these students, as SPED schools offer tailored programs for independent living and workplace readiness.

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2 Oct 2017

Passing Rate for National Physical Fitness Award/Assessment Scheme in 2007 and 2016

Miss Cheryl Chan asked for the NAPFA passing rates in 2007 and 2016, how schools prepare students, and how they assist students struggling with the 2.4km run-walk.
The Ministry of Education reframed NAPFA in 2014 as an educational tool, reducing test frequency to alternate years and integrating fitness training into the PE curriculum.
Schools teach students to train for the 2.4km run-walk progressively and set personal targets focused on self-improvement rather than passing, with no national comparison of passing rates over time.

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2 Oct 2017

Racial and Household Income Distributions of Students in Primary and Secondary Schools

The Ministry of Education noted that about one in ten schools differ from the national racial norm, and while the performance of students from different ethnic groups varies, the gap, particularly for Malay students, has been closing over time.
The Ministry does not collect household income data across the system, but acknowledged that socio-economic status is correlated with academic performance globally, while emphasizing that student motivation, home support, and school quality are more critical determinants.
The Ministry is committed to providing equitable education through needs-based resourcing, such as additional staff for counselling and support programmes, enhanced financial assistance, and partnerships with community groups to assist disadvantaged students.

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2 Oct 2017

Subsides for NSmen to Buy Personal Tablets and Laptops for E-learning Use

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked if subsidies would be provided for NSmen to purchase personal tablets and laptops for e-learning use following the relaxation of electronic device usage in camps.
The Ministry of Defence stated that the SAF provides necessary electronic devices through its LEARNet platform for e-learning, such as tablets for recruits in Basic Military Training, making personal device subsidies unnecessary.
NSmen from low-income households can seek financial assistance for electronic devices through the Infocomm Media Development Authority's Home Access Programme, which offers subsidised Internet access and basic computing equipment.

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