Education — Topics

28 Nov 2022

Slots for Sporting Co-curricular Activities in Schools for All Applicants

Miss Rachel Ong questioned if schools have enough slots in sporting CCAs for all applicants beyond school teams and why if not.
Chan Chun Sing stated that schools provide a range of CCAs, including recreational sports teams and Sports Education Programmes, to cater to diverse interests.
He explained that most students get a CCA choice but popular ones may have limited slots due to facility, coach, or scheduling constraints.

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28 Nov 2022

Teachers for Character and Citizenship Education Classes

Leong Mun Wai asked whether non-citizen or non-permanent resident teachers are allowed to teach Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) classes, in which year this began, and what measures ensure they understand and impart Singaporean values.
Chan Chun Sing responded that all teachers are responsible for imparting values and may be deployed to teach CCE, noting that less than 1% of teachers are neither Singapore Citizens nor Permanent Residents.
He added that schools identify teachers with the necessary skills and dispositions for CCE and provide them with professional development and guidance on topics like cyber wellness and mental health.

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28 Nov 2022

Efforts to Deter Use of Cannabis in Singapore

Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs what additional measures can be taken to deter cannabis use and prevalence in Singapore.
The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) is enhancing public education, especially for youths, through explainer videos, news stories, and resources shared via its website and social media platforms.
CNB is increasing collaboration with the education sector to engage students directly on drug matters and working with youth advocates to correct misinformation about cannabis and encourage anti-drug stances.
Enforcement efforts continue, including cracking down on Telegram channels that facilitate drug transactions.

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28 Nov 2022

Effect of Announced Fee and Salary Adjustments on Private Preschool Operators' Sustainability

Darryl David inquired whether the Government considered the impact of fee reductions and salary enhancements for anchor and partner preschool operators on private preschool operators and if there are plans to support their sustainability.
Masagos Zulkifli clarified that the measures are part of a long-term strategy to provide affordable, quality preschools, noting that anchor and partner operators are private sector entities following fee caps and quality requirements.
He explained that private preschools not on these schemes can offer niche programs and price higher, but face competitive pressure from other sectors for skilled manpower, which the Government aims to mitigate through continued support.
Masagos assured that all preschool operators, including those not on anchor or partner schemes, benefit from various ECDA schemes, funding, and sector-wide initiatives to enhance productivity, training, and career development.
The Minister emphasized that the recent moves support families and educators, expand affordable preschool capacity, and maintain a vibrant, competitive sector that meets diverse family needs through innovation.

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28 Nov 2022

Encouraging Singaporean Medical Students to Specialise as Family Doctors

Dennis Tan asked if MOH has engaged local and overseas medical students to encourage more to specialise as family doctors, and if not, whether it would consider doing so.
MOH has increased family medicine topics in local medical school curricula and runs outreach activities to raise awareness among students.
MOH Holdings conducts recruitment drives to engage Singaporeans studying overseas, updating them on developments like Healthier SG and the role of family physicians.
MOH is working with healthcare institutions and professional bodies to expand training pathways and places for family medicine.

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28 Nov 2022

Effectiveness of Customer Service Training Provided to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital's Patient Care Officers

Louis Ng inquired about the Ministry of Health's study on the effectiveness of Singapore Airlines' customer service training for Khoo Teck Puat Hospital's Patient Care Officers and whether it would be expanded.
Ong Ye Kung stated that healthcare institutions manage their own staff training, but acknowledged SIA's renowned customer service and noted MOH's ongoing work to develop relevant training programs.
The Ministry has been coordinating with healthcare clusters to review and evolve training programs in areas like effective communication and customer service, but has not specifically studied the SIA training's effectiveness.

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28 Nov 2022

More Places in Direct School Admission Programme and Mainstream Avenues for Students to Pursue Interests

Dr Wan Rizal asked if more spaces will be provided in the Direct School Admission for Secondary Schools (DSA-Sec) programme given the increase in applications.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked if the Ministry is considering more mainstream avenues for students with sports and humanities abilities to pursue their interests.
The Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing responded that DSA-Sec has expanded since 2018, with schools able to admit up to 20% of their Secondary 1 intake, and in 2022 about 10% of the cohort received offers.
He stated that there are sufficient DSA places and MOE has no plans to expand the number of places further.
The Minister highlighted that MOE will continue to support diverse talents through Co-Curricular Activities, art, music and PE curriculum, and Applied Learning Programmes, ensuring avenues for all students regardless of DSA participation.

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28 Nov 2022

Fostering a Stronger Voice for Students and Staff at Institutes of Higher Learning in Policy-making

Leon Perera proposed enhancing accountability and transparency in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) by giving students and staff greater voice in decision-making, citing incidents like hall allocation issues at NTU and the Yale-NUS merger at NUS, and suggested measures such as representation on governing boards, petition thresholds, and simplified interest group setups.
Minister Chan Chun Sing agreed on the need for accountability but emphasized that it must consider the diverse and long-term interests of all stakeholders, not just specific groups, and cautioned against using isolated incidents or surveys to generalize about IHL performance.
The government highlighted existing mechanisms for stakeholder feedback, noted that not all decisions require broad consultation, and committed to sharing best practices among IHLs while balancing leadership responsibility with inclusive participation.

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28 Nov 2022

Skills Development Levy (Amendment) Bill

The Minister of State for Education, Ms Gan Siow Huang, presented the Skills Development Levy (Amendment) Bill to amend the Skills Development Levy Act 1979 on behalf of the Minister for Education.
The bill was read for the first time and scheduled for a second reading at the next available Parliament sitting, with the proceedings to be printed.
The debate focused on legislative updates to the existing Skills Development Levy framework to support workforce training and development.
The amendment aims to enhance the levy's effectiveness in funding skills development programs for employees in Singapore.
The bill was introduced as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the skills and employability of the local workforce through structured levy mechanisms.

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28 Nov 2022

SkillsFuture Singapore Agency (Amendment) Bill

The amendment to the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Act aims to update the agency’s powers and functions to better support adult learning and workforce development.
The bill facilitates stronger coordination between SkillsFuture Singapore and other agencies to address evolving skills needs and promote lifelong learning.
It enhances the agency’s flexibility to adapt to future changes in the skills landscape, ensuring Singapore remains competitive.
The proposed changes are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the national continuing education and training framework.

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28 Nov 2022

Measures to Prevent Examination Paper Leaks at Institutes of Higher Learning

The Minister of State confirmed that NTU's exam paper leak was due to an administrative error where a digital test paper was not password-protected, and she outlined general measures IHLs use such as password protection, secure storage, and controlled e-assessment platforms.
NTU has taken remedial action including a retest with reduced topics and counselling support for affected students, while the Minister noted there have been five similar isolated incidents in the past three years and IHLs provide support through lecturers and para-counsellors for students facing retakes.
Dr Wan Rizal suggested that the Ministry issue standard guidelines for all IHLs on a fixed preparation time for make-up exams and sought assurance that lecturers would not have to prepare excessive alternative papers.
The Minister responded that a fixed preparation time is impractical due to varying exam formats across disciplines, and stressed that IHLs work as a team with flexibility to handle contingencies rather than relying on individual staff.
Dr Tan Wu Meng asked whether there are deeper safeguards to intercept human errors, such as encryption requirements, and the Minister confirmed NTU is still investigating and considering further safeguards to prevent future incidents.

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9 Nov 2022

Enrolment in Enhanced School Resourcing Programme

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education about the number of students enrolled in the Enhanced School Resourcing programme and their attendance improvement rates over the past three years.
Chan Chun Sing responded that the programme provided additional teacher posts to support disadvantaged students, with around 2,600 students supported annually in 23 pilot schools.
Attendance improved, with the percentage of students absent for more than 10% of school days decreasing from 3.2% in 2019 to 2.8% in 2021 in pilot schools.
The minister noted that improved student learning outcomes would take more time to achieve.

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9 Nov 2022

Subsidies and Accreditation for Singapore International Schools Sited Outside Singapore

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked whether the Ministry of Education provides subsidies and accreditation to Singapore international schools located abroad, and the Minister of State replied that MOE provides funding and support specifically to the Singapore International School in Hong Kong (SISHK).
The subsidy for Singaporean students at SISHK is an absolute quantum used to offset part of their school fees, and the support is directed specifically to reducing fees for Singaporeans rather than providing aggregate support to the school.
The strategic reason for supporting SISHK is historical demand from Singaporean expatriates in Hong Kong since the 1990s, with consideration given to parental preferences, student numbers, and available resources, though not all overseas Singaporeans have similar needs or access to such schools.

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8 Nov 2022

Streaming of Students in Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families' Taskforce Programme at PSLE

Louis Ng asked for the percentage of students in the UPLIFT programme streamed into Normal Technical, Normal Academic, or Express after PSLE over the past three years, and whether MOE would collect this data if unavailable.
Chan Chun Sing explained that UPLIFT provides wraparound support for underperforming students from disadvantaged backgrounds, piloted from 2020 and expanded to about 900 students by 2022.
For the 45 Primary 6 students who took PSLE in 2020 and 2021 under UPLIFT, 11% qualified for Express, 20% for Normal Academic, 63% for Normal Technical, and 6% repeated Primary 6.
85% of these students took at least one Foundation subject, indicating a focus on foundational learning within the programme.

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8 Nov 2022

Allowing More Students with Moderate-to-severe Hearing Loss to Learn Alongside Those With No Hearing Loss

Christopher de Souza asked if more students with moderate-to-severe hearing loss can learn alongside peers without hearing loss to promote inclusivity.
Over 90% of students with hearing loss, including those with moderate-to-severe cases, are already enrolled in mainstream schools as of May 2022.
Mainstream learning is supported by Frequency Modulation systems, itinerant services from the Singapore Association for the Deaf, and designated schools with trained staff for students using oracy or Singapore Sign Language.
A small number of students needing additional support attend Special Education schools like Lighthouse or Canossian, where some lessons are integrated with peers from Canossa Catholic Primary School.

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8 Nov 2022

Upstream Preventive Strategies to Counter Misperceptions of Vaping

The Health Sciences Authority enforces Singapore’s ban on e-cigarettes by removing illegal online listings, prosecuting peddlers, and intercepting border imports, with a public reporting channel for offences.
The Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board will launch a digital campaign in early 2023 to educate the public on vaping’s health risks and counter misconceptions, alongside media outreach.
Schools work with the Ministry of Education to address vaping among youths through awareness programs and disciplinary actions, including suspension or caning for students caught using e-cigarettes.

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8 Nov 2022

Preparing Trainee Teachers for Changing Demands of Education

NIE prepares trainee teachers by combining research-backed theory with practical experience, focusing on building professionalism, strengthening teaching skills, broadening pedagogies like technology-based learning, and developing community partnerships.
The curriculum includes preparing teachers for new roles such as content curators and life coaches, using tools like augmented reality, AI, and learning analytics to create inclusive and customized learning experiences.
Continuous professional development and in-service training are emphasized to ensure teachers keep evolving their skills, with partnerships among schools, families, and industries.
Resources are allocated to ensure high-quality teaching is supported by technology, enabling personalized learning and the ability to address diverse student needs.
Feedback mechanisms such as surveys and assessments are used regularly to review and refine the training programs, ensuring they remain relevant for future demands.

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7 Nov 2022

Enrolment in Sustainability-related Fields in Institutes of Higher Learning to Meet Demands of Green Economy

The Ministry of Education reported that in 2022, over 800 full-time pre-employment training students enrolled in sustainability-related programmes across Singapore's Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), with new sustainability modules and second majors being added to other courses.
IHLs offer more than 250 continuing education and training courses in sustainability, which have seen over 19,000 enrolments by October 2022, covering areas like green finance, sustainable engineering, and carbon footprint management.
MOE will continue to support IHLs in expanding and refreshing their sustainability-related course offerings to build a talent pipeline that meets the demands of the emerging green economy.

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7 Nov 2022

Special Needs Training Given to Primary and Secondary School Teachers and Other Specialised Support Required

All trainee teachers undergo up to 36 hours of compulsory special needs modules during training, and in-service teachers can access up to six hours of bite-sized online modules on SEN support, with options for further courses.
Each school designates five to 10 Teachers Trained in Special Needs (TSNs) who complete a 130-hour certificate to support colleagues and participate in Case Management Teams for SEN students.
The Ministry of Education has increased SEN officers in schools from around 450 in 2017 to over 700 in 2021, with each primary school having two and each secondary school having one as a baseline, plus additional officers for higher-needs schools.

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7 Nov 2022

Singaporeans and Permanent Residents Who Have Received SkillsFuture Training and Offered Jobs

SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) reported that about 660,000 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents benefited from supported programmes in 2021, and around 540,000 in 2020.
Over 26,000 participants in the SGUnited Skills and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programmes as of end-March 2022 had 64% of those below 40 and 56% of those 40 and above finding employment within six months, mainly in Information & Communications, Healthcare, and Professional Services.
The SGUnited programmes have transitioned into the steady-state SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme launched in April 2022, with placement data not yet available as courses are ongoing.

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