Education — Topics

6 Feb 2017

Proposal to Nationalise Preschool Education

Kuik Shiao-Yin asked the Minister for Education about the considerations for keeping preschool education privatised and the barriers to nationalising it.
Ng Chee Meng explained that a diversified preschool sector offers parents varied choices and caters to different needs, though quality and fees can vary, and a nationalised system might not meet every parent's preferences.
The government values private and community partners, works with Anchor and Partner Operators to cap fees and ensure quality, and supports MOE Kindergartens to share best practices with other preschools.
Over 90% of Singaporean children aged five to six are enrolled in preschools, with lower-income families paying as little as $1 a month after subsidies.
The Ministry will continue monitoring and reviewing policies to ensure access to quality and affordable preschool education for every child.

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6 Feb 2017

Activities to Encourage Secondary School Students to Take Calculated Risks

The Ministry of Education has identified Critical and Inventive Thinking as a key 21st Century Competency to help students think out of the box, nurtured through inquiry-based teaching and open-ended tasks.
Schools develop this through co-curricular activities and Values-in-Action projects, where students solve real-world problems creatively, and by offering applied learning opportunities like Applied Learning Programmes and Applied Subjects.
To encourage calculated risks, schools aim to create a safe learning environment for students to try new ideas and learn from setbacks, fostering intrinsic motivation and passion, though cultural shifts require time and home reinforcement.

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6 Feb 2017

Awareness among School Leaders for Importance of Tripartism

The Ministry of Education (MOE) recognizes the importance of tripartism and maintains regular dialogues with various teachers' and public employees' unions to share policies and gather feedback.
MOE has introduced a labour-management relations module in leadership programmes to help senior educators understand tripartism's role in strengthening Singapore's education system.
MOE is engaging cluster superintendents through zonal platforms to enhance their understanding of tripartism and collaboration with unions, addressing the suggestion made.

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6 Feb 2017

Eligibility Criteria for Learning Higher Mother Tongue in Primary Schools

The Ministry of Education stated that schools consider both a student's strong interest and keen ability when determining eligibility for Higher Mother Tongue, as the subject involves additional curriculum time and a heavier learning load.
In response to concerns, MOE explained that while schools set their own criteria, they are guided to balance student interest with academic readiness, and MOE provides support to schools as needed.
A specific case where a school had a high cut-off mark for Higher Chinese was addressed, with MOE noting the school has since reviewed its criteria and added a class to accommodate more students.

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6 Feb 2017

Places for Autistic Students in Special Schools

The Ministry of Education confirmed there are sufficient overall places in special education schools for autistic students, but waiting times for specific ASD-specific schools range from three months to over a year due to parental preference and capacity constraints.
The Ministry is working with volunteer welfare organisations and the National Council of Social Service to expand capacity in ASD-specific schools and recruit more teachers and allied professionals to address staffing shortages.
There is no fixed planning ratio for ASD students due to the diverse nature of their needs, and while manpower challenges exist, the government is confident in future recruitment and training efforts, including using a mix of local and overseas qualifications.

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6 Feb 2017

Waiting Time for Childcare Centre Places

The Minister highlighted that while childcare places have increased by over 40% since 2012 with many centres having vacancies, some high-demand estates still experience waiting times of a few weeks to a few months due to parental preferences and location-specific demand.
The Ministry is addressing teacher shortages through initiatives like the Early Childhood Manpower Plan, increasing polytechnic intake for early childhood courses, and working with private institutions to expand training capacity while also reviewing salary competitiveness.
To expand capacity, new large childcare centres are being built in areas like Punggol, Sengkang, and Yishun, with plans to collaborate with HDB to integrate larger centres into new BTO projects and align their operation with flat handovers to reduce delays.

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10 Jan 2017

Number of Foreign Domestic Workers who have Undergone Basic Eldercare Course

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked for the number of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) who have undergone the Agency for Integrated Care's Basic Eldercare Course, the percentage of FDWs subsidized by the FDW grant who have taken the course, and the number trained under the eldercarer training scheme and deployed.
Minister Gan Kim Yong stated that the Caregiver's Training Grant (CTG) has supported about 20,000 FDWs, with 6,800 households receiving the FDW grant, of which 4,400 used the CTG for training; 167 FDWs have taken the Basic Eldercare Course since 2015, with 52 from FDW grant households.
The Eldercarer FDW Scheme, launched in November 2016, has trained about 30 FDWs in eldercare, with 25 placed with families, and efforts are ongoing to raise awareness of this scheme.

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10 Jan 2017

Simpler Language in Skills Training Course Materials to Cater to Older Workers

Tan Wu Meng asked whether skills training course materials are checked for plain language to help older workers with limited language skills participate.
Ong Ye Kung explained that while the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency ensures quality through audits, training providers are responsible for choosing materials and methods, such as using simple phrases and visual aids.
He added that basic literacy and numeracy programs are available to help workers overcome language barriers and access more training opportunities.

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10 Jan 2017

Enhancing Skills and Capabilities of Nurses and Nursing Aides

The Ministry of Health agrees on the need to up-skill enrolled nurses and nursing aides, especially in aging Singapore, and supports their training through public healthcare institutions and specialized courses, with increased funding to help more enrolled nurses become registered nurses.
While nursing aides are currently restricted from administering high-risk treatments like insulin injections, MOH will work with nursing homes to review allowing them to perform such tasks after appropriate training, provided safety is maintained.
MOH benchmarks training for nursing home staff against best practices from countries like Japan and is reviewing curricula to expand roles and continuous training for both nurses and support staff.

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10 Jan 2017

Government's Response to State Coroner's Suggestions to Mitigate Psychological Effects for Young People under Police Investigation

The Ministry of Education, as part of a multi-agency committee, will implement enhanced support measures for young persons under police investigation, including school accompaniment and an Appropriate Adult Scheme, by February 2017.
A school personnel familiar to the young person, such as a teacher or year head, will accompany them to the police station and hand over to a neutral Appropriate Adult for emotional support during interviews.
The Minister clarified that the Appropriate Adult is preferred over a school counsellor for neutrality, and school staff will use judgement on their presence during the interview process.
Teachers and school counsellors have basic training in mental health awareness to monitor distress, with counsellors receiving more in-depth training.
The measures aim to provide holistic support through collaboration between schools, government agencies, parents, and the community to protect the well-being of young persons under investigation.

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10 Jan 2017

Progress on Plan to Set up School-based Student Care Centres in Primary Schools

The Ministry of Education is on track to open Student Care Centres in all 190 primary schools by end-2020, with 147 centres currently operating in 77% of schools, and overall enrolment rising from 3,000 to over 18,000 students in five years.
While most schools do not have waitlists and the average waitlist is below 10, MOE will continue to monitor demand and work with schools and operators to expand capacity through new centres or by increasing space in existing ones, without compromising quality.
The debate highlighted that 45% of centres are operated by VWOs, and MOE collaborates with various partners, including self-help groups, to set up more centres and share best practices for Student Care Officers.
MOE also works with MSF to support students with special needs, leveraging the school environment and Allied Educators to bridge communication and provide appropriate care.

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10 Jan 2017

Singapore Companies' Efforts to Upskill Employees and Use of SkillsFuture Credits to Train for Alternative Careers

The Minister highlighted that Singapore's adult training system has shifted toward supporting individual lifelong learning, with $400 million in annual subsidies and 40% allocated to individual-initiated training, while noting participation rates above the OECD average but trailing some advanced countries.
Over 126,000 citizens have used $37 million in SkillsFuture Credits by end-2016, but the Minister emphasized prioritizing targeted efforts like Place and Train schemes to align skills with new jobs rather than imposing mandatory employer funding requirements.
Both speakers discussed the need for companies, especially SMEs, to increase investment in employee upskilling, with the Minister citing existing levies and programs while rejecting further burdens like mandatory payroll percentages for training.

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9 Jan 2017

Statistics on Approved Training Organisations (ATOs), Public and Inhouse ATOs and Inhouse ATOs

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked for statistics on approved training organisations (ATOs), WSQ trainee completions in 2016, and how SkillsFuture will expand to employer-led training.
Ong Ye Kung reported 419 ATOs as of end-2016, comprising 154 in-house, 144 public, and 121 both public and in-house, with about 229,000 unique local trainees completing WSQ training in the first three quarters of 2016.
Ong Ye Kung emphasized that SkillsFuture will continue prioritizing employer-led training, building on a history of employer-driven training and later individual-initiated initiatives.

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9 Jan 2017

Breakdown in Utilisation Rate of SkillsFuture Credits by Age Group

Melvin Yong inquired about the breakdown of SkillsFuture Credit usage by age group and proposed allowing elderly citizens to transfer credits to younger family members for skills upgrading.
Ong Ye Kung reported that over 126,000 Singaporean Citizens have used the credits with a good spread across age bands, and emphasized that the scheme aims for individuals to take charge of their own learning, which would be undermined if credits were transferable.
The Ministry therefore does not support making SkillsFuture Credits transferable, as it would contradict the scheme's objective of encouraging personal responsibility in skills upgrading.

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9 Jan 2017

Update on SG50's "50 Schools, 50 SMEs" Initiative

The "50 Schools, 50 SMEs" initiative was a joint SPRING Singapore and National Library Board programme run from April 2014 to May 2015 to connect students with SMEs that contributed to Singapore's economy.
The programme exceeded its target, matching 250 secondary students from 51 schools with 62 SMEs across various industries, with students submitting write-ups on their experiences.
Feedback was positive from both students and SMEs; students gained appreciation for business adaptation and innovation, while SMEs benefited from fresh perspectives and ideas.
The write-ups from the partnerships were uploaded onto the Singapore Memory Project portal, Wikipedia, and Infopedia to preserve and share the learning outcomes.

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9 Jan 2017

Profile and Allocation of Additional 30,000 Healthcare Workers Required by 2020

The Ministry of Health projected that 30,000 additional healthcare workers would be needed by 2020, with over 10,000 for the aged care sector and about half for professional, managerial, and technical roles, and it has been growing the local core through expanded intakes at medical and nursing schools and allied health degree programmes.
Healthcare Professional Conversion Programmes and mid-career recruitment initiatives have trained over 1,000 candidates, and SkillsFuture initiatives like the Healthcare Study Awards and an Earn and Learn Programme support skills acquisition and professional development.
Efforts to retain workers include strengthened career pathways, re-employment up to age 67, job redesign with assistive technology, and flexible work arrangements, while productivity measures aim to manage manpower expenditure and maintain healthcare affordability.

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9 Jan 2017

Mendaki Educational Loans for Post-graduate Programmes

MENDAKI previously offered interest-free study loans for postgraduate programmes from 2011 to 2014, receiving 78 applications during that period.
The initiative was discontinued from 2015 to allow MENDAKI to focus resources on supporting students pursuing first-time degrees and diplomas.
The debate followed a query from MP Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap about the availability, reasons for non-provision, and number of requests for such loans over the past five years.

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9 Jan 2017

Developing and Maintaining a Singaporean Core in Commercial Aviation Pilot Sector

Low Thia Khiang inquired about measures to maintain and develop a Singaporean core in the commercial aviation pilot sector.
Khaw Boon Wan noted that around 3,200 pilots work for Singapore-based airlines, with about 90% being Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has approved four pilot training academies to supplement airlines' in-house training and ensure a sizeable pool of Singaporean pilots.
Support programmes such as the Aviation Leaders Scholarship, SkillsFuture Study Awards, and SkillsFuture Credit are available to help Singaporean pilots upskill in management or specialist areas.

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9 Jan 2017

Minimise Sale of Beverages with High Sugar and Caffeine Content in School Canteens

The Ministry of Education requires school canteens to follow Health Promotion Board guidelines limiting beverage sugar content to six grams per 100 millilitres, with a focus on encouraging water consumption.
Institutes of Higher Learning collaborate with health authorities to promote healthier food and beverage options, with about 30% of campus outlets currently participating in the Healthier Dining Programme.
While sugar limits are enforced in schools, there are no specific national guidelines on caffeine content in beverages sold in educational institutions.

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9 Jan 2017

Reason for Singapore's Drop in World Talent Report 2016 Ranking

Singapore's drop in the 2016 World Talent Report was primarily due to a decline in the "Investment and Development" ranking, which fell from 29th to 38th, driven by a slight decrease in education spending as a percentage of GDP.
The "Readiness" factor, which measures workforce skills and employability, improved significantly, ranking first in 2016, while "Appeal" remained stable around 19th place.
Government spending on education has actually increased over the past decade in absolute terms, but as a percentage of GDP it decreased due to a growing economy and shrinking student cohort sizes.
The government continues to invest in education and skills development, including through initiatives like SkillsFuture, to groom and boost the local talent pool despite the ranking change.

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