Education

• Ms. Carrie Tan inquired about the evaluation process for school principals, including the key performance indicators (KPIs) and the last review of the performance evaluation framework.
• The Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, explained that the Ministry uses a Civil Service performance management framework to evaluate principals based on their achievements and competencies.
• Principals are assessed on their holistic leadership impact, which includes both their Key Result Areas and the competencies required for their roles.
• The performance management framework for educators is reviewed regularly alongside the broader Civil Service framework.

• The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Mr. Edwin Tong Chun Fai, addressed the Committee of Supply debate on 10 March 2025.
• He announced the launch of the spexEducation Undergraduate scholarship and CPF top-ups for spexScholars in August 2024.
• A factual correction was made to his previous speech regarding these initiatives.

• The debate focused on the training and certification processes for foreign recruits in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to enhance emergency medical services.
• Foreign-trained paramedics must be accredited by the Ministry of Health's Unit for Pre-hospital Emergency Care, which includes a five-week training course and additional SCDF-specific training.
• After initial training, recruits undergo on-the-job training for up to six months and must pass various certification tests, including the Paramedic Specialist Certification Test and the Ambulance Proficiency Test.
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) must complete recognized courses and pass the SCDF EMT Certification Test, along with an ambulance driving course, before deployment.
• All foreign hires are held to the same rigorous standards as local personnel, requiring annual certification and ongoing education.

• Mr. Yip Hon Weng inquired about specific industries where polytechnic graduates face employment challenges and how the Ministry of Education plans to address these through curriculum enhancements and internship opportunities.
• Minister Chan Chun Sing responded that employment rates for polytechnic graduates are influenced by various factors, including economic cycles and sector-specific trends, with arts, design, media, engineering, and IT graduates facing more challenges in securing jobs.
• The Ministry encourages graduates to consider adjacent job sectors and emphasizes the importance of equipping students with industry-relevant skills through updated curricula and internship opportunities.
• Polytechnic graduates can also participate in Work-Study Post-Diploma Programmes to gain on-the-job training while enhancing their skills.
• The Ministry is committed to monitoring employment trends and working with industry partners to improve the employability of polytechnic graduates by recognizing skills beyond formal credentials.

• Pritam Singh raised concerns about the increasing difficulty university graduates face in securing jobs within six months of graduation, referencing the upcoming 2024 Graduate Employment Survey.
• Chan Chun Sing indicated that this issue was previously addressed in a parliamentary session on March 7, 2025, where the Minister for Education provided insights on the employment trends for fresh graduates.
• The discussion highlighted the need for ongoing monitoring and measures to improve employment outcomes for recent graduates.

• The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) emphasizes the importance of strong families as the foundation of society and outlines initiatives to support families, including increased access to affordable preschool education and enhanced financial assistance for caregivers.
• Significant progress has been made in preschool enrollment, with a target to provide government-supported places for 80% of preschoolers by 2025, alongside reductions in childcare fees to make them comparable to primary school costs.
• The MSF is committed to empowering lower-income families through programs like ComLink+, which offers tailored support and financial incentives for education and employment, while also addressing the needs of families with members who have disabilities.
• The government is enhancing support for caregivers through increased grants and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of care and financial security for families with special needs, including the introduction of new trust and savings schemes.
• The debate concluded with a call for collective action from all sectors of society to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for families, emphasizing the need for collaboration among government, community, and private sectors.

• The debate focused on the balance between attracting foreign talent and developing the local workforce in Singapore's financial sector amid a talent shortage.
• The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is committed to enhancing local workforce skills while remaining open to foreign talent, with over 80% of the financial sector workforce being local.
• MAS has allocated $400 million from 2021 to 2025 for training local finance professionals, supporting various programs for different career stages, including internships and leadership development.
• Financial institutions are actively involved in local talent development, with initiatives like OCBC Ignite and UBS-SUPER aimed at training and employing local graduates and mid-career professionals.
• The Ministry of Manpower's COMPASS framework encourages firms to prioritize local employment while also recognizing the value of global talent with in-demand skills.

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for increased funding for the Development Support-Plus (DS-Plus) programme, which aids children needing low levels of early intervention support. Masagos Zulkifli B M M explained that the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) funds various Early Intervention programmes, including DS-Plus, which offers support in preschools through professional co-teaching. The Government has been progressively increasing funding for early intervention, expanding placements, and subsidizing fees for these services. ECDA collaborates with sector partners to reach eligible children and promote DS-Plus in their preschools.

Melvin Yong proposed a reduction in the budget for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, emphasizing the need to strengthen Singapore's social compact to support low-income families and address inequality. There were calls for better support for vulnerable populations, including updates on social service agency salaries and funding, as well as initiatives to engage volunteers and promote active citizenship. Concerns about early childhood education standards and teacher shortages were raised, alongside the proposal of a tiered caregiver payment model to recognize family caregiving as essential work. The debate also focused on the need for targeted services for persons with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals, highlighting the importance of inclusive employment and education systems.

Xie Yao Quan inquired about actions taken by Montfort Secondary School regarding a recent bullying incident and urged a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying, including centralized investigations and standardized punishments. Hazel Poa questioned whether an investigation into the incident had been launched and requested updates. Patrick Tay Teck Guan sought information on recourse for victims if bullying persists after formal reporting. The Minister for Education, Dr. Mohamad Maliki, confirmed the ministry's stance against bullying and outlined the procedures followed in investigations while emphasizing the importance of handling cases sensitively and accurately. He highlighted that the ministry aims to educate students through these incidents and ensure a safe learning environment.

Xie Yao Quan questioned the Education Minister about measures to enhance full-time job security for fresh graduates following the 2024 Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey, which revealed a decline in employment rates despite higher salaries. Jessica Tan highlighted the disparity between increased salaries and lower employment rates, asking for insights into the contributing factors and sector-specific variations. Patrick Tay sought clarification on the Ministry's plans to address rising unemployment rates among fresh graduates. The Minister of State for Education, Gan Siow Huang, remarked that while employment rates showed cyclical fluctuations influenced by market conditions, certain sectors continued to demonstrate strong hiring. She emphasized continuous monitoring of graduate employment outcomes and a commitment to ensuring graduates possess relevant skills to meet labor market needs.

Foo Mee Har asked about the success of Singapore's Autonomous Universities in attracting international postgraduate students over the past five years and requested comparisons with international institutes like INSEAD and ESSEC. Chan Chun Sing responded that Autonomous Universities are highly regarded and attract more postgraduate students than Private Education Institutions. He noted that foreign students in Autonomous Universities pursue various disciplines, including science and technology, business and finance, and humanities and social sciences.

Patrick Tay introduced a motion to reduce the budget for the Ministry of Education, highlighting the need for continuous improvement in Singapore's education system to adapt to modern challenges. He emphasized the importance of innovating the continuing education and training ecosystem, integrating support for special education, and ensuring inclusiveness in school admissions. Denise Phua raised concerns about shifting mindsets towards diverse pathways for success and the systemic issues within the current educational framework. Hazel Poa, alongside other members, advocated for alternatives to the PSLE, such as a 10-year through-train system and reducing class sizes to facilitate differentiated learning. The Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, responded by addressing the necessity of redefining success beyond academic metrics and the need to embrace diversity in educational pathways while maintaining a focus on holistic student development and lifelong learning.

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education about the percentage of work hours that teachers spend on teaching and preparation for the years 2022 and 2023. Chan Chun Sing responded that it is more than 50%.

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education about the effectiveness of subject-based banding on social mixing in schools and the Ministry’s plans to study this aspect. Shawn Huang Wei Zhong responded that Full Subject-Based Banding, implemented in 2024, has led to positive early outcomes, including increased peer interaction and a more diverse friend network among students. Ng inquired further about the indicators used to measure social mixing and the additional resources provided to teachers, to which Huang mentioned qualitative indicators and the use of technology to aid scheduling. Dr. Tan Wu Meng suggested that the Ministry consider longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact of social mixing on students’ lives. Huang acknowledged the importance of long-term data and indicated that ongoing reviews would take place.

• The correlation between PSLE scores and socio-economic status (SES) has remained stable over the past three years, with lower-SES students performing well by international standards.
• The Ministry of Education (MOE) is implementing various programs to support lower-SES students, including enhanced preschool accessibility, targeted academic interventions, and wraparound support.
• There is a recognition of the need to identify disadvantaged students early and provide both academic and non-academic support to uplift them.
• Schools are encouraged to proactively reach out to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and collaborate with community partners for additional support.
• The median PSLE scores for lower-income households have remained stable, indicating a consistent performance despite the existing correlation with SES.

Hazel Poa asked about the rate of repeated bullying incidents among students who have previously bullied or assaulted others over the past five years. Chan Chun Sing directed her to a prior response from the Ministry of Education on bullying provided during a Parliament Sitting in October 2024. He highlighted that the overall number of bullying and assault cases is low, and the occurrence of repeat incidents is also low, with no significant trends identified.

Jean See Jinli asked about the utilization rates of SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) across different sectors and enterprise sizes since 2022, and how the Ministry plans to boost usage among employers in sectors with lower-skilled workforces and higher retrenchment rates. Gan Kim Yong reported that over 36,200 enterprises have utilized SFEC, totaling $122 million disbursed, primarily among smaller enterprises in the wholesale trade, manufacturing, and construction sectors. The SFEC has been enhanced multiple times to benefit more enterprises, particularly those employing lower-wage workers. The Government plans to redesign SFEC into an online wallet format to ease cash flow concerns for employers by allowing immediate offset of costs for eligible initiatives.