Education

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim asked about plans to introduce second or third language subjects in schools focusing on functional literacy without academic credit. Chan Chun Sing responded that Conversational Chinese and Malay programs are already offered as non-examinable enrichment for students. Additionally, a pilot program for modular foreign language learning, including French and German, is being tested at the secondary level, with future scaling dependent on pilot findings. There will also be digital resources for learning conversational Vietnamese available next year, and students have access to online resources for self-directed learning of other languages.

Saktiandi Supaat questioned the Minister for Education about the need for guidelines to ensure sufficient campus transport and food court services in local universities due to recent overcrowding issues. Shawn Huang Wei Zhong responded that autonomous universities have implemented measures to manage visitor access and prioritise services for students and staff, while the Ministry of Education regularly monitors student welfare. Saktiandi raised concerns about bus overcrowding and logistics, to which Huang noted ongoing collaboration with universities to address these issues. The universities are also working with the Singapore Tourism Board to manage tour operators' impact on campus life.

Sharael Taha raised concerns about the Direct School Admission (DSA) process, specifically questioning the percentage of admitted students from lower-income households and the equity of access to preparatory resources. The Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, noted that about 6% of DSA students are from financial assistance schemes and emphasized that the Ministry supports disadvantaged students in the DSA process. Taha suggested that the Ministry consider providing more DSA places for lower-income students and limiting the proportion of DSA students in school teams to allow opportunities for late bloomers. Chan acknowledged the disparities faced by lower-income families but cautioned against implementing quotas, emphasizing a focus on merit and potential in the selection process.

• The Member of Parliament raised concerns about the high rates of severe mental health symptoms among youths and asked whether mental health support in schools and outpatient psychiatric services for youths could be strengthened.
• The Minister acknowledged the study's findings but noted that self-reported symptoms do not equate to clinical diagnoses, and outlined current efforts such as community mental health teams collaborating with schools and public hospitals offering specialist child and adolescent services.
• The Minister highlighted ongoing initiatives to upskill school counsellors and community partners, and mentioned existing community touchpoints providing mental health support, with plans to expand these services to more polyclinics and GP clinics by 2030.

• Syed Harun Alhabsyi asked for the timeline on the formal establishment of the Singapore College of Islamic Studies and when it would be ready for its first student intake.
• Masagos Zulkifli B M M stated that the college aims to develop Islamic religious teachers and scholars to provide relevant guidance in Singapore's multiracial context.
• He noted that more details about the college would be shared in due course, but did not provide specific timelines.

• Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Ministry for Education about resources for students to learn additional Singaporean community languages, why Bahasa Indonesia is offered on Duolingo but not Singaporean Bahasa Melayu, and plans to improve language resources to reflect the local landscape.
• Students can access Conversational Chinese and Malay programmes, online learning packages, Special Programme courses, and third languages at MOE Language Centres.
• Language options on apps like Duolingo are determined by developers, not MOE.
• MOE will continue to enhance teaching and learning resources to support students learning additional languages.

• The Minister confirmed that reframing the SYF Central Judging as the SYF Arts Presentation has largely achieved its aims of deepening holistic development and strengthening students' joy of learning, with over 90% of students surveyed agreeing their arts CCA focused on enjoyment and learning.
• The change from a five-band to a three-band certification structure with a more achievable highest band has reduced excessive competition and allowed schools to focus more on using adjudicator feedback for student improvement and inclusivity.
• Schools have become more inclusive by involving younger or newer members, and SYF Celebrations have broadened performance opportunities through less formal events that connect students with audiences.
• Feedback from schools and surveys indicates the reforms have met their intended purposes, with students continuing to give their best and adjudicators commending the quality of performances.
• The government will continue reviewing the SYF to ensure its relevance and meaningfulness to students, building on its history since 1966 in nation-building and celebrating youth vitality through the arts.

• The Ministry of Education’s training programmes for teachers handling high-ability learners in primary schools are detailed in its oral reply dated 10 September 2024, and the content and duration of such training can be referenced in the official report.
• The Ministry’s approach to ensuring trained teachers effectively identify and nurture high-ability learners across diverse contexts is outlined in the same oral reply, focusing on the Gifted Education Programme’s revamp and strategies.
• The metrics and tools used to assess the effectiveness of teaching strategies for high-ability learners are also addressed in the Ministry’s response, with specifics available in the referenced official report.

• Members of Parliament raised concerns about how students, especially in primary schools, are equipped to handle bullying and whether a confidential whistleblowing channel exists for reporting incidents.
• They also questioned how Character and Citizenship Education is being enhanced to address bullying and whether Peer Support Leaders need more skills to intervene, alongside asking for statistics on student referrals to counsellors and measures for their psychological well-being.
• The Minister for Education's responses to these questions were provided in a previous parliamentary session, with reference to an official report for details.

• The Singapore Tourism Board established the Future of Guiding (FOG) 2.0 Taskforce in 2023 with industry stakeholders to develop a plan for a steady pipeline of skilled tourist guides who can showcase Singapore's story.
• Training for tourist guides has been expanded to include skills like storytelling, independent research, experience curation, and digital marketing to cater to shifting tourist preferences and the rise of self-discovery.
• Regulations are being simplified, such as allowing tourist guides to self-declare language proficiency from June 2024 to guide in additional languages without waiting for biannual tests.
• The Tourism Board conducts regular enforcement checks against unlicensed tourist guides and takes firm action against violators to address competition from unlicensed operators.

• Patrick Tay inquired whether the Ministry of Education will provide translation tools for digital resources like Parent Kits and Parents Gateway to assist parents and caregivers whose first language is not English.
• Chan Chun Sing responded that parents can already use device translation functions and free apps to translate text or scan images, and they can seek help from school staff for support.
• He added that the Ministry will continue exploring ways to make translations more convenient for parents and guardians in its digital resources.

• MOE and COMPASS have refreshed the Guidelines for School-Home Partnership through consultation with parents and teachers to promote respectful communication and support children's development, with plans to raise awareness through schools and Parent Support Groups.
• The Ministry has introduced a new Engagement Charter that outlines firm actions against parents with unreasonable behavior, including warnings, disengagement, and calling the police if staff safety is threatened.
• For the most serious cases of harassment, legal action may be pursued, including under the Protection from Harassment Act, to ensure teachers are protected.

• Manpower Minister Tan See Leng stated that while freelancers lack employer-provided training, government programmes like Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore offer resources such as career guidance, skills frameworks, and subsidies to support their upskilling and career planning.
• He highlighted specific tools available to freelancers, including the MyCareersFuture portal with AI-driven career matching, Polaris personalised coaching, and up to 90% subsidies for approved courses via SkillsFuture Credit.
• The Minister emphasized that these existing services are designed to benefit all Singaporeans, including freelancers, to help them stay relevant amid economic changes without needing to extend the Ministry’s purview specifically for freelancers.

• The Ministry of Education is increasing support for students with Special Educational Needs by growing the number of SEN officers in mainstream schools from 450 in 2017 to about 680 in 2024 and training teachers to better assist these students.
• Students with more severe needs are placed in Special Education schools with enhanced government funding and resources, and MOE collaborates with social service agencies to improve teacher and professional capabilities.
• MOE leverages technology such as assistive devices and AI features in the Singapore Student Learning Space to aid learning for SEN students, with ongoing efforts to adopt useful technological developments.

• Dr Wan Rizal asked about preventive strategies for youth mental health issues like social media use and body image concerns, and how schools are supported to implement them, as well as targeted measures for rising severe symptoms and equitable access for disadvantaged youths.
• Minister Ong Ye Kung outlined upstream efforts, including mental health education in school curricula, student development experiences, and peer support structures, aligned with the study's protective factors like resilience and social support.
• To ensure accessibility, Youth Community Outreach Teams and Youth Integrated Teams provide free mental health services to youths aged 12-25, with plans to expand to 15 teams by 2030 and extend services to all polyclinics and Healthier SG clinics.
• Future measures include a National Mental Health Helpline and Textline service in mid-2025 for psychological first aid, a Positive Use Guide on Technology and Social Media in early 2025, and studies on age assurance to protect youths from inappropriate online content.

• Usha Chandradas inquired about refining the Skills Framework for Arts Education to more precisely define skillsets for professionals in Education and Research Tracks across specific art forms like dance, literary arts, music, theatre, and visual arts.
• Edwin Tong responded that the Framework is designed as a broad, common skills language for the arts education sector, with general competencies tailored to various settings and art forms, such as artform pedagogy for educators and project management for researchers.
• The Ministry emphasized that users should customize the Framework to their specific contexts, supported by real-world examples from the National Arts Council and SkillsFuture Singapore, which are based on studies by the National Institute of Education.
• The National Arts Council and SkillsFuture Singapore will periodically review the Framework to ensure its continued relevance and applicability to the arts industry and practitioners.

• Ms Yeo Wan Ling inquired whether the Ministry had studied CCTV installation costs in preschools and if subsidy support could be considered for the mandatory installation, highlighting concerns from operators about unplanned expenditures.
• The Senior Parliamentary Secretary responded that a 2022 survey showed over 60% of preschools had already installed CCTVs voluntarily, and operators should include this cost in their business plans, noting a one-year lead time before the mandate.
• Ms Yeo raised feedback from childcare operators that CCTV implementation incurs significant unplanned costs, affecting budgets for other expenses, and asked about guidelines for CCTV access and stakeholder communication.
• Mr Eric Chua explained that ECDA communicated the mandate and detailed requirements through a Town Hall and circular, with an advisory approach for the first six months and enforcement starting in 2025.
• The debate concluded with a ministerial statement, and written answers to unreached questions would be provided in the appendix.

• Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim questioned the availability of programmes and resources in early childhood education and schools to identify and support students with adverse childhood experiences.
• The Minister of State for Education outlined that educators are trained to recognise signs of abuse and changes in students, working with parents and social agencies to provide support and referring cases to counsellors and welfare officers.
• Schools collaborate with community partners like REACH teams to offer specialised assistance and aim to help affected students build safe, positive relationships to reduce the impact of their experiences.

• The Ministry of Education highlighted that bullying incidents have remained steady over the past five years, with low rates of online bullying, and emphasized a tiered approach to intervention that focuses on education, discipline, and rehabilitation for both victims and perpetrators.
• MPs raised concerns about teacher training, counsellor ratios, under-reporting, and the need for robust anti-bullying policies, while the Minister stressed the importance of parental partnership and avoiding simplistic or punitive solutions.
• The debate underscored the complexity of modern bullying, including online and offline incidents, and called for careful handling to avoid amplifying harm through social media vigilante actions or doxxing, with an appeal for community collaboration to support student rehabilitation.

Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Education about the usage of SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) for courses at private education institutes (PEIs) in 2023, including the total amount used, the top five PEIs, and the proportion of SFC utilized. Chan Chun Sing explained that PEIs are regulated under the Private Education Act, which is separate from SkillsFuture Credit eligibility. He noted that PEIs qualify as SkillsFuture Singapore-supported training providers, receiving around 35% of total SFC claims, amounting to approximately $67 million.