Education — Topics

2 Oct 2017

Safe Riding Programme for Students who Cycle to School

Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about bicycle parking demand, e-bike usage rules, and the Safe Riding Programme’s take-up rate in schools.
The Ministry of Education does not track parking demand, notes low usage, and advises against bringing expensive items like e-bikes to school.
LTA requires e-bike riders to be at least 16 years old and will launch the Safe Riding Programme this year for secondary school students.
MOE will collaborate with LTA to offer the programme to students who are able to ride a bicycle.

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2 Oct 2017

Quotas for Admission of Students from Different Performance Bans to Reduce Monopoly of Elite Schools

Gan Thiam Poh proposed quotas for students from top, middle, and bottom performance bands to promote inclusivity and reduce elite school dominance.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) stated that secondary schools already admit a mix of Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) students, which meets diverse learning needs.
MOE emphasized that inclusive education is achieved through varied school types and specialized programs, not identical student profiles.
All schools share a common focus on values and Character and Citizenship Education, with co-curricular activities fostering interaction among diverse peers.
The government believes the current approach supports inclusivity and student development without needing mandatory quotas.

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2 Oct 2017

Correlation between Students' PSLE Performance and Secondary School Results

Gan Thiam Poh questioned whether there is a correlation between students’ PSLE performance and their secondary school results.
Ng Chee Meng confirmed a positive correlation, noting that a stronger academic foundation from primary school prepares students better for secondary school learning.
He emphasized that other factors such as student motivation, peer influence, and support from home, schools, and the community have a greater impact on secondary school performance than PSLE scores alone.

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2 Oct 2017

Online Child Protection Module in Preschool Teachers Training Programme

Ms Sun Xueling asked whether online child protection training for preschool teachers could be made mandatory, made available earlier than late 2018, and included in NITEC courses.
Desmond Lee responded that preschool teachers already receive child abuse detection training in pre-service programs and can take relevant continuing education courses.
He noted that agencies provide guides and training to help professionals recognize and report child abuse, with online modules under development and expected by late 2018.
The ministry will study if the module rollout can be accelerated and incorporated into compulsory early childhood qualifications.
Existing training resources remain available, and the new online modules aim to enhance accessibility for educators and social service professionals.

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2 Oct 2017

Refresher Courses for Drivers with Demerit Points

Joan Pereira proposed requiring drivers with demerit points to attend refresher lectures and tests to improve road safety.
The Minister explained that existing voluntary courses, like the DIPS Retraining Course and Safe Driving Course, offer skill refreshment and demerit point expungement.
These courses are optional, aiming to encourage drivers to take ownership of their behavior rather than imposing mandatory attendance.
The DIPS course is for suspended drivers, involving two days of training and tests to shorten suspension periods.
The Safe Driving Course is an early intervention with classroom and practical sessions, removing three demerit points upon completion.

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2 Oct 2017

Food in School Canteen Aligned with Overall Strategy to Fight Diabetes

The Ministry of Education and Health Promotion Board have implemented the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme since 2014, with all mainstream schools serving meals lower in fat, sugar, and salt since January 2017.
All school canteen stallholders receive training on healthier ingredients and preparation methods, with ongoing enhancements to include taste, appearance, and cost management.
The Health Promotion Board conducts annual assessments of school canteens and vending machines to ensure compliance with health guidelines and provides feedback reports to help stallholders improve.

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2 Oct 2017

Proportion of Tenured and Tenure-track University Faculty Members who are Singaporeans

Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Education about the proportion of Singaporean tenured and tenure-track faculty at NUS, NTU, and SMU currently and 10 years ago.
Ong Ye Kung stated that in 2007, 46% of such faculty at the three universities were Singaporeans, dropping to about 40% in 2017.
He emphasized the need for a strong core of Singaporean academics while recruiting global talent on merit, noting SIT and SUSS have higher local faculty proportions.
The government launched the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme in 2015 and awarded scholarships to support Singaporeans pursuing academic careers.
From 1990 to 2014, the universities awarded 260 PhD scholarships to nurture local academic talent.

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2 Oct 2017

Improving IT Skills of Mature Workers for Smart Nation

The Ministry for Communications and Information is upskilling mature workers through initiatives like the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), which has trained about 12,000 workers, with nearly half being mature workers aged 40 and above.
TeSA provides coordinated career support, including mentoring sessions, with over 350 participants, more than half of whom are mature workers.
The government is collaborating across sectors to develop 30 different skills frameworks and harmonize technical competencies to help workers upgrade their technological skills.
SkillsFuture Singapore will launch a national programme called SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace to build foundational digital literacy among workers.
These efforts are integral to Singapore's digital economy and Smart Nation roadmap, with more plans to be announced in the upcoming months.

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2 Oct 2017

Closer Monitoring of Schools to Minimise Fights among Students

The Ministry of Education has equipped all schools with CCTV systems in critical areas to enhance security and deter incidents like student fights.
Schools actively teach social and emotional skills through Character and Citizenship Education to promote conflict resolution and positive values.
When incidents occur, staff intervene to manage the situation, support victims, discipline aggressors, and educate bystanders.
The Ministry emphasizes that shaping student behavior is an ongoing process requiring collaboration between schools, families, and the community.

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2 Oct 2017

Applications from International Students for Local Schools

Mr Ong Teng Koon inquired about the number of international student applications rejected in 2017 and suggested raising the quota above 5% to better accommodate children of resident workers.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary confirmed that around 1,800 applications from international students for Primary 1 in 2017 were rejected during the 2016 registration exercise.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that public schools prioritize Singaporeans and only offer a limited number of places to international students despite their value in enriching the educational environment.

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2 Oct 2017

Statistics on Success of Direct School Admission (Sports) Programme and Singapore Sports School

Mr Ganesh Rajaram requested statistics on the success of the Direct School Admission (Sports) programme and the Singapore Sports School, and the number of students from these programmes who later represented Singapore in their chosen sports.
The Minister for Education (Schools) provided that since 2004, the Singapore Sports School has produced eight Olympians, 10 World Champions, 65 Asian Games competitors, and about 400 students and alumni have represented Singapore internationally.
The Ministry does not track whether students admitted via Direct School Admission (Sports) to mainstream schools later represent Singapore in their chosen sporting fields after graduation.

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11 Sep 2017

Extension of School-cleaning Contract Signed in 2014

Zainal Sapari questioned if the Ministry extended its 2014 school-cleaning contract and asked for the rationale behind any extension.
The Ministry of Education awarded new cleaning contracts for schools starting 1 October 2017.
The existing contracts were extended for a few months to allow more time to evaluate tender submissions.

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11 Sep 2017

Pre-registration Indication of Interest in Primary Schools

Mr. Gan Thiam Poh proposed collating parental interest in preferred primary schools years before Primary 1 registration to help plan future intakes and resource allocation.
MOE stated that pre-registration indications are not meaningful as parents' choices can change over time and planning based on them would not be tenable for school sizing and efficiency.
MOE emphasized that it already reviews demand and supply trends using current and projected population data to ensure sufficient Primary 1 vacancies and quality education for all students.
The Ministry commits to resourcing all schools with trained teachers, facilities, and programs to provide holistic education regardless of planning methods.

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11 Sep 2017

Reducing Anxiety Levels of Singapore Students

The Ministry of Education adopts a holistic education approach through Applied Learning Programmes and Co-Curricular Activities to build strong foundations and reduce excessive competition.
Measures include stopping the naming of top scorers, introducing broad grading bands for national examinations, and equipping students with social-emotional skills and stress-coping strategies.
Counselling support is provided for students experiencing anxiety, with about five per 1,000 students receiving such support in 2016, and the Ministry continues to monitor student well-being proactively.

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11 Sep 2017

SkillsFuture Credit for Employers and Businesses

Patrick Tay asked whether the Ministry would consider creating a SkillsFuture credit for employers and businesses, particularly SMEs and startups, to support employee training.
Ong Ye Kung highlighted existing support schemes like the Enhanced Training Support for SMEs offering up to 90% course fee subsidies, SPRING’s Capability Development Grant, and the SkillsFuture SME Mentors Programme.
Ong Ye Kung explained that while SkillsFuture Credit for individuals encourages self-upgrade, businesses should be inherently motivated to improve, and targeted programmes are more effective than direct credits for employers.

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11 Sep 2017

Proposal for Rehabilitation Programme for Inmates to Plan, Prepare and Serve Meals to Public

Christopher de Souza proposed a rehabilitation programme where inmates could plan, prepare, cook, and serve meals to the public to learn skills, experience career progression, and obtain certifications and savings.
K Shanmugam noted that the Singapore Prison Service and SCORE already offer vocational culinary training in prisons, including preparing meals for external functions and earning WSQ certifications aligned with industry standards.
He highlighted programmes like the Hope Cafe, which trains inmates in culinary arts and F&B operations, and SCORE’s assistance in helping trained inmates secure post-release jobs in the F&B sector.

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11 Sep 2017

Strengthen Current E-learning Portal for Schools

Seah Kian Peng and Dennis Tan Lip Fong questioned the Ministry of Education on steps to improve the robustness of the Marshall Cavendish Online e-learning portal and prevent outages that could disrupt student learning.
MOE requires e-learning portal vendors to meet service level and performance requirements, with load tests conducted to ensure compliance.
A recent MC Online incident involved intermittent slowdowns and login issues due to network equipment limitations capping bandwidth during high traffic.
MOE has upgraded existing network equipment and will continue working with vendors to ensure scalable bandwidth and conduct bandwidth testing before major activities.
The measures aim to better support future home-based learning by enhancing the reliability of online learning portals.

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11 Sep 2017

Number of Slip and Fall Workplace Accidents in Kitchens and Food Preparation Areas

Melvin Yong asked about the number of slip and fall accidents in kitchens over two years and whether workplace safety training would be added to food hygiene courses.
There were 96 cases in 2015 and 92 in 2016, with one fatality and minor injuries in the rest, making up about 3% of all workplace slips and falls in Singapore.
The Workplace Safety and Health Council is collaborating to include kitchen safety topics in revised food hygiene courses by year-end, alongside educational materials to reduce such accidents.

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11 Sep 2017

Waive Season Parking Charges for Educators who Work in Institutions of Higher Learning

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Minister for Education to review the need to charge season parking fees for educators driving to higher learning institutions.
The Auditor-General highlighted that several institutions did not charge market rates for parking, which provided hidden subsidies and conflicted with the clean wage policy.
Institutions of Technical Education and polytechnics have revised staff parking rates to align with market value, pegging them to rates at the nearest alternative car park.
The Ministry of Education appreciates educators' contributions but emphasized the need to adhere to the long-standing Civil Service policy on parking charges without deviation.

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11 Sep 2017

Monitoring SkillsFuture Courses Undertaken by People of Different Age Segments

The Ministry monitors course categories by age, with ICT courses being the most popular across all groups, and older Singaporeans focusing on fundamental skills like basic computer use while younger ones take advanced courses such as data analytics.
SkillsFuture Singapore conducts routine checks to ensure courses are marketed in line with guidelines, promoting accurate and appropriate promotion of training options.
The Government provides information on minimum course requirements in the SkillsFuture directory but does not mandate universal criteria from providers to avoid limiting access, though some providers may set their own eligibility rules based on language, education, or work experience.

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