Education — Topics

2 Mar 2023

Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges

Leon Perera questioned the number of frontline police officers trained to handle persons with mental health challenges, the indicators used to measure training effectiveness, the frequency of refresher courses, and whether Standard Operating Procedures are based on diagnostic guidelines like DSM-5.
K Shanmugam stated that over 3,000 officers have undergone mental health awareness training with assessments to evaluate their competencies.
He clarified that Standard Operating Procedures do not include diagnostic guidelines, as officers are not trained to diagnose but to identify signs and refer individuals, such as those with suicidal tendencies, to professional teams like the Institute of Mental Health’s crisis response.

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1 Mar 2023

Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)

The Minister for Education outlined major reforms including the full implementation of Subject-Based Banding (FSBB) to replace streaming, the removal of mid-year exams from primary to junior college, and changes to A-Level curriculum to reduce grade pressure and promote holistic development.
Significant resources and initiatives were highlighted to support diverse student needs, including expanding preschool access, enhancing support for students with special educational needs and from disadvantaged backgrounds through the UPLIFT taskforce, and increasing lifelong learning opportunities with a higher lifetime cohort participation rate for university degrees.
The debate addressed key concerns such as the Primary 1 registration framework, the role of PSLE, and school affiliation, with the Minister emphasising the need for mindset shifts and the balance between preserving school culture and ensuring social mixing and accessibility.

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1 Mar 2023

Further Roll-out of Mental Health Support Teams in Schools

The Ministry of Health has established mental health services for youth, including the REACH program in schools, which collaborates with families and schools to provide interventions for issues like depression and anxiety.
MOH plans to continue working with hospitals to ensure the REACH teams have adequate resources to meet school demands, focusing on early intervention and support.
In the community, services such as CREST-Youth, YITs, and CHAT are active, providing mental health screening, assessments, and support to at-risk youth through partnerships with schools and higher learning institutions.

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28 Feb 2023

Eligible Secondary School Students Using Edusave to Purchase Personal Learning Devices

Leon Perera asked about the percentage of eligible secondary school students who have used Edusave to purchase personal learning devices since the National Digital Literacy Programme began.
Chan Chun Sing responded that approximately 95% of Singapore Citizen students in secondary schools have used their Edusave accounts for this purpose under the programme.
The high uptake rate indicates strong participation in the digital literacy initiative among eligible students.
The debate focused on tracking the programme's impact through student usage of Edusave funds for learning devices.
This information reflects the government's efforts to support digital learning accessibility in schools.

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28 Feb 2023

Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)

Several Members of Parliament advocated for enhanced career guidance, better access to continuing education and training (CET), and greater employer recognition of skills over academic qualifications to prepare Singaporeans for a dynamic future economy, with suggestions including using SkillsFuture Credit for career coaching and mandating training leave.
Reforms to the education system were proposed, such as piloting through-train programs to bypass the PSLE, adjusting school sizes for inclusivity, making Student Initiated Learning optional, and extending support for students with special educational needs, including longer schooling until age 21 in SPED schools.
Members highlighted the need for more inclusive and equitable education policies, including revising the Primary 1 admission scheme to prioritize home-school distance, extending financial assistance to madrasah students and Permanent Residents, and ensuring SkillsFuture courses are accessible to persons with disabilities.
The Minister of State for Education outlined ongoing efforts to support lifelong learning, including workplace learning initiatives, Jobs-Skills Integrators for key sectors, and outcomes-based funding for SkillsFuture courses, while committing to study suggestions like training leave and using SkillsFuture Credit for career coaching.

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28 Feb 2023

Considerations for Converting Single-sex Schools to Co-ed Schools and for Relocating Schools

MOE evaluates school relocations and conversions based on population needs, with new schools typically being co-ed to serve both genders, while single-sex schools may transition only through customized discussions with stakeholders.
Advance notice will be given to parents once plans are finalized to help them plan for Primary One admissions, though consultation is challenging for future residents not yet in the area.
The relocation of ACS (Primary) to Tengah involved MOE and the school board balancing community diversity and local demand, resulting in the school becoming co-ed to better serve the new town's needs.

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23 Feb 2023

Discretion for Primary Schools to Admit Primary One Students Directly and Ahead of Balloting

A member of parliament asked if primary schools have discretion to admit students directly ahead of balloting when registrants exceed vacancies, and if so, what the circumstances are and how many such students were admitted in the last five years.
The Minister for Education clarified that schools do not have discretion to directly admit Primary 1 students before or during the annual registration exercise.
The Ministry of Education administers the P1 registration process centrally, and no direct admissions are permitted outside this framework.

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23 Feb 2023

Support for Elderly and Unskilled Workers At Risk of Being Replaced by Automation

The Ministry of Manpower, with sector agencies, has launched Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) to detail how technology affects jobs and guide upskilling, with 10 JTMs completed and eight more in development.
Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) provide salary support for employers to reskill at-risk workers and redeploy them, with higher support for mature workers aged 40 and above, and the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme offers attachments for mid-career switches.
The Progressive Wage Model and Workfare Skills Support Scheme help lower-wage workers upskill and progress, while the Senior Employment Credit and Part-time Re-employment Grant support hiring older workers and flexible work arrangements.
The Government collaborates with tripartite partners like NTUC and employer federations to set up Company Training Committees and access grants for business transformation and job redesign.
The approach emphasizes enterprise and workforce transformation moving together, with workers prepared through upskilling to take on higher-value tasks as automation reshapes jobs.

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23 Feb 2023

Performance and Training of Managers in Singapore

Leon Perera asked whether the Ministry for Trade and Industry has studied the performance of Singapore managers relative to other countries using the World Management Survey (WMS) and if it plans to improve managerial training ecosystems to boost corporate performance and economic value-add.
The Minister of State responded that while the WMS has limitations, the government tracks firm performance and competitiveness through other data points and supports managerial skills training via sector agencies, initiatives like the Asian Financial Leaders Scheme, and programmes such as Enterprise Leadership for Transformation.
Perera followed up by suggesting the use of the WMS and other surveys to identify training gaps from top-performing countries, linking this to Singapore’s total factor productivity gap, while the Minister highlighted alternative indicators like the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook and detailed existing schemes to enhance leadership and managerial capabilities across sectors.

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22 Feb 2023

Proposal for Basic Child Care Subsidy to be Tiered with Increased Subsidies for Second and Third Children

Christopher de Souza proposed that the Basic Child Care Subsidy be tiered to offer higher subsidies for second and third children.
Masagos Zulkifli explained that current measures include means-tested Additional Subsidies for families with working mothers and incomes up to $12,000, with income assessed per capita for larger families to qualify for higher subsidies.
He also noted that Child Development Account funds can be used for preschool fees, with government co-matching capped higher for second and third children.
The current Basic Subsidy remains constant regardless of birth order, but existing policies already provide additional support for families with multiple children.
The debate highlights existing financial mechanisms to assist larger families rather than implementing a tiered Basic Subsidy.

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22 Feb 2023

Review of Basic Child Care Subsidy in Light of Increased Cost of Living

Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Basic Child Care Subsidy will be reviewed due to the increased cost of living.
The Minister highlighted that the government has already enhanced preschool affordability by raising the income ceiling for means-tested Additional Subsidies and increasing subsidy amounts in 2020.
The government also keeps fees affordable by imposing fee caps on Anchor and Partner Operators, with recent reductions of up to $40 in monthly childcare fees, which the Minister argued is more effective than increasing the Basic Subsidy.

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22 Feb 2023

Data on Percentage of Students in UPLIFT Community Network and Enhanced STEP-UP Programmes Who Live in Public Rental Flats

Mr. Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Ministry of Education for the percentage of students in the UPLIFT Community Network and Enhanced STEP-UP Programmes living in public rental flats since their establishment, and if data is unavailable, whether the Ministry will collect it.
The UPLIFT Community Network was piloted from 2020 to 2021 and officially started in 2022, with about 900 students enrolled in 2022, half of whom lived in public rental housing.
From 2018 to 2022, the Enhanced STEP-UP programme had an average of 450 students enrolled annually, with about a third living in public rental housing.

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22 Feb 2023

Tracking Vacancies, Number of Applicants and Wait Time for Places in Special Education Schools

MOE tracks available vacancies and applicant waitlists for Special Education schools, with most applicants placed within three months, though some cases may take up to six months due to required assessments.
There are currently 22 SPED schools, and MOE plans to add six more by the 2030s to meet growing demand, including one additional school in the South West district to bring the total there to five.
Some families opt to waitlist for specific schools due to parental choice or proximity, but MOE engages them to consider interim placements at other suitable schools.

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22 Feb 2023

Impact of Relocating Bukit View Primary School

Murali Pillai argued that the relocation of Bukit View Primary School was announced without prior consultation with stakeholders, causing hardship for families who had relied on the school's presence and the earlier plan to establish an MOE kindergarten there.
The Minister of State for Education explained that the relocation is part of a broader review to address shifting demographic trends, with demand for primary school places declining in Bukit Batok East and increasing in Bukit Batok West and Tengah.
MOE will use a "lift and shift" method to relocate the school by 2027, providing shuttle services and other support to minimize disruption for affected students and families.

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22 Feb 2023

Help for Firms to Boost Productivity with Progressive Wage Model's Approach to Wage Increases

The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) requires wages to grow with productivity, supported by government and tripartite initiatives such as upskilling, Industry Transformation Maps, and grants like the Productivity Solutions Grant and NTUC CTC Grant.
To ease cost pressures during the transition, the government provides schemes like the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS), which co-funds wage increases for lower-wage workers, and the Workfare Skills Support Scheme, which offers training support and absentee payroll funding.
All PWM sectors have potential for productivity improvements, with each supported by their respective Industry Transformation Maps; the approach emphasizes simultaneous transformation of workers, businesses, and industries to achieve sustainable wage growth and efficiency.

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14 Feb 2023

Tracking Number of Students in Lift and Escalator-related Courses

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked if BCA will track the number and percentage of students from lift and escalator-related courses who join the industry after graduation.
The Minister for National Development responded that BCA plans to track this for the Nitec in Built Environment (Vertical Transportation) course.
BCA will also study the feasibility of extending similar tracking to other relevant mechanical and electrical engineering courses.

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14 Feb 2023

Cases where Older Workers in PWM Sectors Suffer Demotion and Salary Cuts for Failing to Pass Required Tests due to Language Literacy Gaps

The Ministry of Manpower noted that the Progressive Wage Model provides career and wage progression based on skills, with employers required to pay wages corresponding to the job performed, not just training completion.
To address language or literacy barriers, training can be supplemented with visual aids or assessment-only pathways, and tripartite partners aim to prevent disadvantaging workers through training requirements.
No feedback has been received by the Ministry or sector agencies about demotions or salary cuts due to failing training tests, and workers facing issues can seek assistance from unions, MOM, or SkillsFuture Singapore.

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7 Feb 2023

Sufficiency of Manpower and Specialised Skills in Government Hospitals and Measures to Attract Quality Professionals

The Ministry of Health projects a need to grow healthcare manpower by approximately 3,000 nurses, allied health professionals, and support staff, along with 700 junior doctors annually to meet rising demand from an ageing population.
Ongoing initiatives include nurturing healthcare workers through education institutions, training and developing staff within public healthcare institutions, and offering mid-career conversion programmes.
The Ministry continues to redesign care models and job responsibilities, actively recruit foreign healthcare workers to complement the local workforce, and regularly review salaries to ensure competitiveness.

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7 Feb 2023

Number of Students with Chronic Absenteeism Helped through Enhanced Step-Up Programme

Louis Ng asked for annual numbers of referrals to the Enhanced Step-Up Programme and cases not proceeding due to lack of parental consent since its introduction.
Masagos Zulkifli reported that schools referred about 2,200 cases from 2018 to 2022, averaging 450 per year.
He confirmed that parental consent is required before any case is referred to the programme.
The response did not specify how many cases did not proceed due to missing parental consent.

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7 Feb 2023

Plans to Leverage of Artificial Intelligence Technology to Support Learning for Students

Miss Rachel Ong inquired about leveraging AI like ChatGPT to support students lacking tutoring access or to complement the education system.
Chan Chun Sing highlighted existing support structures such as learning programs and the Singapore Student Learning Space, noting AI tools can aid learning but must be used critically and not replace teacher guidance.
The Ministry of Education will guide teachers on appropriate technology use and equip students with digital literacy to confidently and effectively harness tools like AI.

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