Education — Topics

14 Mar 2016

Assessment of Students under Police Investigation for Suicide Risk

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong questioned whether school counsellors should be required to assess suicide risks for students under police investigation and be present during police interviews on school premises.
The Acting Minister for Education stated that school counsellors are trained in suicide risk assessments but such screenings are not mandatory for all police-involved students to avoid unnecessary distress, focusing instead on those showing signs of emotional distress.
The Ministry emphasized the importance of consistent monitoring and parental-school collaboration to support students' well-being during and after police investigations, and is open to having counsellors present as "appropriate adults" based on ongoing reviews of police procedures.

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14 Mar 2016

Training for Educators and School Counsellors on Mental Health Assessment of Students

The Acting Minister for Education confirmed that teachers and school counsellors are equipped to help students with psychological and mental health issues, with teachers serving as the first point of contact.
Teachers are trained to establish a supportive classroom culture, recognize distress signals like social withdrawal or mood changes, and engage with affected students.
For complex cases, teachers refer students to qualified school counsellors, who provide interventions for issues like anxiety and depression and refer severe cases to medical professionals.

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14 Mar 2016

Police Training for Handling of Persons with Mental Illness

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef questioned the extent of police training in recognising mental health presentations and the standard procedures when encountering such cases.
The Minister for Home Affairs outlined that all officers undergo a three-month basic course and a three-month specialised course, which include handling individuals with mental health conditions.
Police collaborate with agencies like IMH and AIC, referring non-dangerous cases to AIC and arresting dangerous individuals under the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act for assessment at IMH.

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14 Mar 2016

Fulfilment of Grant Obligations by International Students who Receive Study Grants

MOE has implemented tracking and reminders for international students on tuition grants, with over 80% of graduates serving or deferring their bonds, while a small minority account for about $30 million in grants annually.
For the 2012 cohort, 84% were working or had deferment, while the remaining 16% included some who could not be fully tracked; non-contactable students are considered in default and face serious consequences if they later apply to work or reside in Singapore.
MOE recovers liquidated damages from defaulters and imposes adverse actions, such as denying future work or residency applications, to deter non-fulfilment of grant obligations.

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14 Mar 2016

Impact of Preschool Teachers on Recruitment and Centre Operations

The Ministry acknowledges a tight labour market and projects a need for 1,500 more early childhood educators over the next few years, with initiatives like expanded training courses, mid-career conversion programmes, and skills development to attract and retain staff.
While there is some spare capacity nationally, localised shortages exist, causing some centres to operate below capacity or have long waiting lists, and the Ministry is working to address both physical infrastructure and teacher shortages in high-demand areas.
Suggestions were raised to elevate the recognition of preschool teachers, consider foreign-qualified Singaporeans and PRs, and review qualification standards, with the Ministry indicating openness to reviewing these areas while balancing manpower needs and education standards.

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14 Mar 2016

Use of CPF Retirement Account Savings for Diploma and Degree Courses

Miss Cheng Li Hui proposed allowing parents to use their CPF Retirement Account (RA) savings for their children's full-time subsidised tertiary education, citing later marriages and the need to support children's education during parents' retirement years.
The Minister for Manpower, Mr Lim Swee Say, outlined existing CPF Education Scheme rules that permit using Ordinary Account (OA) savings for education and noted that RA funds can be used for education if members have property pledges or are still working, but emphasised that doing so may compromise retirement adequacy.
The Minister highlighted that alternative financing options such as student loans, bursaries, and education assistance schemes are available, and argued that allowing RA use for education could conflict with the CPF's primary objective of securing retirement savings.
In response, Miss Cheng Li Hui argued that the government should permit RA usage with repayment obligations, especially for lower- and middle-income families who may not secure sufficient loans, while the Minister reiterated that the government's education loan schemes already cover full tuition and living costs.
The debate concluded with a focus on balancing the importance of education investment with the need to protect retirement adequacy, without a clear consensus on relaxing RA withdrawal rules for educational purposes.

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14 Mar 2016

MOE's Directive for Schools Not to Take in Transfer Students without Required Cut-off Points

The Ministry of Education explained that its directive to limit transfers to students who meet a school's cut-off point aims to ensure a fair, transparent, and objective admissions process, addressing past complaints about unfairness.
Officials noted that while over 800 successful transfers occurred, flexibility remains for exceptional cases, such as medical or special needs, and Principals can consider qualified appeals within the guidelines.
MPs raised concerns about the sudden policy announcement timing, the balance between flexibility and transparency, and whether the PSLE score has become the sole decisive factor, with MOE committing to better communication and retaining a holistic system that includes non-academic pathways like DSA.

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14 Mar 2016

Selection Criteria for SkillsFuture Course Partners

The Acting Minister outlined that SkillsFuture partners are selected based on robust governance standards, including quality assurance systems from the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and Institutes of Higher Learning, with regular audits and industry validation to ensure course relevance and quality.
Miss Cheryl Chan raised concerns about some WDA courses not adequately aiding job seekers, prompting suggestions for clearer course guidelines and more frequent cross-accreditation benchmarks, to which the Minister responded that career coaching and regular audits address these issues.
Patrick Tay praised the inclusion of online platforms like Coursera and Udemy and suggested more frequent reviews of approved courses, with the Minister agreeing to consider quarterly reviews and inviting feedback from unions to broaden the course offerings.

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1 Mar 2016

Take-up rates of Schemes that Encourage SMEs to Hire Fresh Graduates and Interns

The SME Talent Programme (STP) co-funds internships, sponsorships, and training for students from ITEs, polytechnics, and universities, with 155 job matches and over 700 internships in 2015, benefiting 192 enterprises, up from 116 in 2014.
The SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) started in April 2015 and had placed 144 individuals in 55 companies across 12 sectors by December 2015, with about half of these companies being SMEs.
The ELP provides work-study opportunities, skills deepening, competitive salaries, and career pathways for fresh graduates, and it will expand to more sectors in 2016.
SPRING will collaborate with trade associations, chambers, universities, polytechnics, and ITEs to increase talent flow to the SME sector.

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1 Mar 2016

Students Under Investigation

The Acting Minister for Education outlined eight steps schools follow when students assist in police investigations, emphasizing discretion, student well-being, and parental contact, while noting schools cannot obstruct police work.
The Minister for Home Affairs defended police protocols, stating that urgent investigations are necessary for public safety, and highlighted the success of guidance programs in rehabilitating youth offenders with low recidivism rates.
Both ministers agreed to review current procedures, considering suggestions such as extending the Appropriate Adult scheme to minors and allowing school staff to accompany students to police stations, pending findings from the coroner's inquiry and stakeholder consultations.

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1 Mar 2016

Creating Ethics-based Education System Centred on Character and Not Grades

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has established a framework of six key values—Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Integrity, Care, and Harmony—and allocates 1–2 hours weekly in schools for character and citizenship education, using stories, discussions, and practical activities.
Schools provide broad-based opportunities in PE, CCAs, and team sports to foster values like teamwork and resilience, with a focus on participation rather than just medals or school team standards.
MOE monitors the implementation of character education through allocated curriculum hours across primary, secondary, and pre-university levels, with checks including textbooks, activity books, and school-based programmes.
The ministry recognizes character development in milestone decisions, such as school entries and scholarships, through awards like the Edusave Character Award (ECHA) and holistic assessments by higher education institutions.

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1 Mar 2016

Inclusion of History and Maintenance of Tripartite Relations in School Curriculum

Melvin Yong inquired about including tripartism's history and importance in the secondary social studies curriculum, emphasizing values like mutual respect and collaboration.
The Parliamentary Secretary explained that tripartism is already integrated into History, Social Studies, and Economics subjects across secondary and pre-university levels, focusing on consensus-building and economic growth.
Yong suggested consolidating materials into a dedicated tripartism module, while Patrick Tay highlighted the need to cover recent developments and ensure students understand the term's modern context.
The Ministry agreed to review the suggestion and confirmed ongoing syllabus revisions to incorporate evolving aspects of tripartism, ensuring age-appropriate learning.

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1 Mar 2016

Schools' Procedures for Students Involved in Police Investigations

The Acting Minister for Education (Schools) requested to combine and address two parliamentary questions on schools' procedures for students involved in police investigations through a later ministerial statement.
The questions focused on how schools inform parents of developments in law enforcement cases, monitor compliance with protocols for protecting minors during police interviews, and review these protocols.
The queries also covered ensuring protocol consistency with Singapore's laws and its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Acting Minister sought to address the procedures when police interview students at school and subsequently bring them to the police station for further questioning.
The debate was deferred pending a joint ministerial statement with the Minister for Home Affairs.

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29 Feb 2016

Number of Junior College Students not Proceeding to University after Graduation

For the years 2007 to 2011, about three in ten junior college graduates did not proceed to a full-time programme at a local autonomous university, which translates to approximately 4,400 students per year.
Of those not proceeding to university, around 1,600 per year were male students who had completed their National Service.
The majority of these students pursued alternative paths such as polytechnics, arts institutions, overseas universities, private education institutions, or entered the workforce.

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29 Feb 2016

Availability of Student Care Places

Dennis Tan asked the Minister for Education about the number of student care places available in schools and outside, the average and median waiting list times, and the Ministry’s plans to gauge future demand and supply.
The Ministry of Education noted that school-based student care centres have grown from under 50 to 127 in four years, with enrolment rising from about 3,000 to over 15,000 students.
There are around 300 community-based student care centres with over 12,000 students, complementing school-based centres.
The average and median waitlist for school-based centres is under 10 students, though this varies by school.
MOE will continue working with the Ministry of Social and Family Development to monitor demand and will help schools set up new centres or expand existing ones without compromising quality.

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29 Feb 2016

Criteria for Edusave Merit Award

Mr Zainal Sapari asked about students who met the Edusave Merit Award’s academic criteria in 2015 but were ineligible due to income limits, and whether they could receive certificates to acknowledge their achievements.
About 47,000 students met the academic criterion (top 25% of their level and course) in 2015 but did not apply due to family income exceeding the threshold.
The Ministry issues a Certificate of Academic Achievement to all students eligible for the Edusave Merit Bursary based on academic performance, regardless of income eligibility, when they are informed of their eligibility.
Students who excel academically or in non-academic areas can also be recognized through other Edusave Awards without income criteria, such as the Edusave Scholarship and Edusave Good Progress Award.

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29 Feb 2016

Update on Pilot MOE Kindergarten Project

Dr Lim Wee Kiak requested an update on the MOE Kindergarten pilot project and recruitment of pre-school educators.
The Ministry reported that 15 MOE Kindergartens are now operational, serving nearly 1,700 children with positive parental feedback on student engagement and teacher dedication.
Recruitment has attracted both experienced and new educators, with a partnership with Singapore Polytechnic to train candidates through a Diploma in Kindergarten Education programme.
MOE will continue monitoring the project’s progress and sharing effective practices with the broader pre-school sector.

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29 Feb 2016

Additional Assistance for Retrenched PMETs to Retrain and Upgrade for Reemployment

The Ministry of Manpower supports retrenched PMETs through SkillsFuture grants, subsidies for mid-career workers, and Professional Conversion Programmes with salary support for employers.
Additional initiatives include the P-Max programme for SME job matching and the Career Support Programme providing wage support for hiring mature PMETs seeking employment.
Agencies like WDA and e2i connect job-seekers to employers via portals, job fairs, and events while monitoring the labour market to enhance employment support as needed.

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29 Feb 2016

Supply and Demand for Pilots

Ms Tin Pei Ling inquired about the balance between the supply of trained pilots from local academies and the demand from airlines, and what support exists for job placements.
Khaw Boon Wan noted there are four approved pilot academies, with about 240 graduates over two years, 80% from airlines' cadet programmes and 20% self-sponsored.
Singapore carriers primarily use their own cadet programmes to screen and match pilots to fleet growth, and the Ministry of Transport does not interfere in these recruitment decisions.

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29 Feb 2016

Schools' Assistance to Ensure DSA Students Fulfil Academic Requirements

Schools provide targeted academic support by assigning teacher mentors and class buddies to DSA students, alongside regular discussions and dialogues with parents to understand their needs and adjust programmes accordingly.
DSA students' academic performance is closely monitored through regular tracking and discussions on necessary interventions, with schools also focusing on their socio-emotional well-being in partnership with parents.
Over the past three years (2013–2015), about 80% of DSA students who took the GCE "O" level examinations were eligible for junior colleges, indicating performance comparable to non-DSA peers with similar prior results.

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