Education — Topics

5 Oct 2022

In-house Programmes in MOE Kindergartens for Special Needs Children

Currently, about 8% of children in MOE Kindergartens, or around 600 students, have developmental needs and receive support through various in-house and external programmes, with educators trained to identify and assist diverse learners.
MOE Kindergartens collaborate with early intervention services and educational psychologists to prepare special needs children for mainstream primary schools, while also referring some to Special Education schools based on individual assessments.
The ministry acknowledges calls for more resources and trained staff to handle special needs students, emphasising a holistic ecosystem that includes other preschools and early intervention centres, though specific waitlist data for MOE Kindergartens is not immediately available.

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5 Oct 2022

Sharing of Counselling Information when Primary School Students Transition to Secondary School and Beyond

Mr Darryl David asked about the trend in mental health counselling referrals for Primary school students and how their support is managed during the transition to Secondary school and beyond.
The Minister of State for Education confirmed that the number of Primary school students referred for mental health issues has been stable over the past five years, with about 16 per 1,000 students requiring support in the last year.
Counselling support is extended to Secondary schools through coordination with parents, and with consent, sensitive information is shared on a need-to-know basis to ensure continuity of care.
Mr David further inquired about the sharing of such information beyond MOE, such as with MINDEF for National Service, and the Minister of State responded that inter-agency discussions are ongoing to ensure continuous care while respecting confidentiality and individual wishes.
The Ministry is engaged with the inter-agency task force on mental health to address the continuity of support across different stages of a student’s life.

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5 Oct 2022

Aligning Schedules at Institutes of Higher Learning with Pre-employment Programmes and School Holidays

Dr Wan Rizal asked whether polytechnic semester breaks could be aligned with primary and secondary school holidays and if pre-employment and continuing education training schedules at institutes of higher learning could be synchronized.
The Minister for Education explained that polytechnic academic calendars are designed to support student learning and life, with no plans to align them with school holidays, though some overlaps already exist; longer CET programmes are broadly aligned with PET programmes, but short modular courses offer flexibility for adult learners.
Dr Wan Rizal highlighted concerns for academic staff and students, noting that December exams and assignments limit family time for PET students, while CET students have lessons throughout December, urging the Ministry to remove mid-semester assessments in December and block off the holiday period for rest and family time.
The Minister acknowledged the importance of family time but emphasized that different segments of society have varying needs, and aligning all calendars may not be feasible or wise due to differing learning requirements, internship opportunities, and the flexibility needed for adult learners.

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5 Oct 2022

Review of Salary and Benefits for Educators and Staff in Mainstream Schools, Preschools and Special Education Schools

The Minister for Education outlined how salary reviews are periodically conducted for educators and staff across mainstream, preschool, and special education schools, with adjustments made to keep packages market competitive, including recent increases for Education Officers, Allied Educators, and MOE Kindergarten Educators effective October 2022.
Early Childhood Development Agency is reviewing salaries for preschool educators in government-supported preschools, with changes expected to be implemented from 2023, while special education school salaries are managed by Social Service Agencies with support from MOE through funding and guidelines.
Denise Phua suggested that MOE consider announcing salary changes in a more inclusive manner to avoid creating disparities across sectors and to share the philosophy behind salary computation with Social Service Agencies to ensure competitiveness for recruiting from the same talent pool.
Leong Mun Wai raised questions about attracting top talent to preschool and special education sectors and aligning salaries with competencies, with the Minister responding that talent is distributed across public service and compensation is based on skills and contributions rather than credentials alone.
The Minister confirmed ongoing efforts to share methodologies openly with Social Service Agencies and to ensure fair remuneration through holistic assessments, including career development and working environment, not just salary.

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4 Oct 2022

Enrolment in Nursing Programmes in ITE, Polytechnics and Universities in Past Five Years

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the number of students who enrolled in nursing programmes at ITE, polytechnics, and universities each year over the past five years, and the number and percentage of nursing graduates who went on to practise nursing.
Ong Ye Kung responded that nursing intake numbers across Institutes of Higher Learning remained relatively stable between 2017 and 2021, with about 2,100 students admitted annually into pre-registration nursing courses at ITE, Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and National University of Singapore.
He noted that employment outcomes for nursing graduates were strong, with 83% in full-time permanent employment within six months of graduation, and 90% of those employed working as nurses.
The response highlighted that nursing intake had grown by around 20% in the five years before 2017, but stabilized thereafter.
The data provided covers the past five years up to 2021, based on the annual Graduate Employment Survey conducted by the IHLs.

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4 Oct 2022

Requiring Preschools to Set Aside Minimum Mandatory Rest Areas for Teachers and Staff

The Minister responded that while preschools are required to have an office area and rest space for staff, no specific minimum area is mandated.
In 2021, the Early Childhood Development Agency released findings recommending dedicated rest areas and adult-friendly furniture, and worked with an association to offer ergonomic furniture with discounts.
Other recommendations to improve educator well-being include managing workload through digital tools and wellness programmes.
The agency will continue encouraging preschools to adopt these recommendations to enhance the working environment for educators.

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4 Oct 2022

Publishing Full National Education Curriculum Content for All Students

Gerald Giam asked the Ministry of Education to publish the full National Education curriculum for all student levels and make it publicly accessible.
Chan Chun Sing explained that National Education is part of Character and Citizenship Education and is also delivered through subjects like Social Studies and History, as well as commemorative activities and learning journeys.
The Ministry has made the syllabus documents for primary, secondary, and pre-university levels available online on the MOE website, along with general information on National Education.

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4 Oct 2022

Facilitating Greater Access to Reading Resources for Children and Adolescents from Lower-income Families

Schools support lower-income students by linking their library systems to the National Library Board's catalogue and offering curated e-books, along with programs like kidsREAD that provide books and volunteer readings for younger children.
The Ministry of Education partners with organizations to provide reading materials, including digital news in Mother Tongue languages for secondary students and online access to The Straits Times for pre-university students.
Teachers guide students on selecting reading materials and accessing e-resources, and schools receive information on NLB apps to help students utilize free reading resources.

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4 Oct 2022

Inclusion of Emerging and Contemporary Policy Issues, Constitution and Workings of Parliamentary Democracy in National Education Syllabus

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim queried the Ministry of Education on current efforts to include emerging and contemporary policy issues as well as Singapore's Constitution and parliamentary democracy in the National Education syllabus.
Chan Chun Sing responded that students already discuss contemporary issues in subjects like Social Studies, General Paper, and Character and Citizenship Education, covering topics such as sociocultural diversity, global conflicts, and racism.
The Ministry highlighted that Social Studies and History teach students about Singapore's Constitution, the organs of state, and the workings of parliamentary democracy, including the principles of governance and citizen roles.

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4 Oct 2022

Pupil-Teacher Ratio for Primary and Secondary School Examinable Subjects

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim inquired about the current pupil-teacher ratios for primary and secondary levels, specifically differentiating between examinable subjects like languages, math, and science, and non-examinable subjects such as physical education, social studies, and art or music.
Chan Chun Sing responded that the Ministry of Education uses the OECD’s definition of pupil-teacher ratio, calculated as total student enrolment divided by total teachers, and noted improvements over the past decade from 19 to 15 for primary and 15 to 12 for secondary levels, aligning with OECD averages.
He explained that calculating ratios by subject is not feasible or meaningful due to teachers often teaching multiple subjects, and emphasized that both examinable and non-examinable subjects are valued in a holistic education approach.

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4 Oct 2022

Outcome Since Introduction of Student-initiated Learning

More than eight in 10 Secondary schools and pre-University institutions had implemented Student-Initiated Learning (SIL) as part of Home-Based Learning days by May 2022.
Schools implement SIL flexibly, such as grouping students by shared interests or providing initial resources that are gradually reduced to support self-directed learning.
Students have responded positively by pursuing interests like learning languages, music, programming, cooking, or community service, and preliminary feedback shows schools and students value the initiative.
The Ministry will evaluate the outcomes when the initiative is fully implemented.

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4 Oct 2022

Protecting Young People and Jobseekers from Overseas Job Scams and Human Trafficking Syndicates

The Minister for Home Affairs highlighted that public awareness is key, with an annual anti-scam campaign and collaborations with schools and higher learning institutions to educate young people on identifying overseas job scams and trafficking risks.
Singapore is actively engaged in regional cooperation through ASEAN platforms like the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime and its Working Group on Trafficking in Persons to tackle these syndicates collectively.
The Minister emphasized the importance of vigilance against unsolicited job offers promising high salaries, as part of broader efforts to protect Singaporeans both domestically and overseas from such threats.

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4 Oct 2022

Mental or Emotional Stress Cited as Reason for Leaving Education Service in Last Five Years

In the last five years, fewer than one in 20 teachers who resigned cited job-related stress or workload as their reason for leaving.
The Ministry of Education emphasized its commitment to supporting teachers' well-being in collaboration with school leaders and stakeholders.
The response highlighted the ongoing efforts to ensure teachers can continue to provide quality education to students.

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4 Oct 2022

Foreign Students Who Did Not Fully Serve Out Bonds after Receiving Tuition Fee Grants or Scholarships

Leong Mun Wai asked the Ministry of Education for data on foreign students who did not fully serve their bonds after receiving tuition fee grants or scholarships over the past decade, including numbers of defaulters and exemptions.
Chan Chun Sing responded that the default rate has been about 4% over the past 10 years, with exemptions granted only for serious medical conditions or death.
The majority of students are serving or have completed their bonds, while some have applied for deferments for postgraduate studies.

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4 Oct 2022

Proportion of Time that Teachers Allocate to Teaching versus Non-teaching Administrative Duties

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked about the proportion of time teachers spend on teaching versus non-teaching duties and the budget for hiring administrative staff to assist teachers.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing explained that it is difficult to clearly separate teaching from non-teaching duties as teachers also nurture students' holistic development and provide guidance.
Surveys show that less than 10% of teachers' weekly hours are spent on general administrative work, with MOE streamlining processes and using technology to reduce this burden.
Schools now have more administrative staff—averaging eight to nine per school compared to six a decade ago—and flexibility to hire additional supplementary staff or external vendors.
MOE has also increased investments in teacher resourcing, improving pupil-teacher ratios and hiring more Special Educational Needs Officers and student welfare officers to support teachers.

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4 Oct 2022

Impact of Change in Primary 1 Registration Framework on Number and Proportion of Students Obtaining Places in Schools within One and Two Kilometres of Residence

The Ministry of Education doubled reserved places for Phase 2C from 20 to 40 in the 2022 Primary 1 Registration to help more children enroll in schools near their homes.
For oversubscribed schools, about 1,300 more students within one kilometer and 1,100 more within two kilometers were admitted in 2022 compared to 2021.
The proportion of students getting places within one kilometer increased by 7%, and within two kilometers by 6% following the framework change.
The government considers the change effective, with about 98% of registrants in both 2021 and 2022 obtaining a place within two kilometers or in a school of choice.

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4 Oct 2022

Foreign Students who Receive Tuition Fee Grants or Scholarships and Subsequently Become Singapore Citizens

Leong Mun Wai asked the Ministry of Education for data on how many foreign students who received tuition fee grants or scholarships later became Singapore citizens and performed full-time National Service.
Chan Chun Sing stated that among university graduates from 2014 to 2016, about 75% of scholarship holders and 60% of tuition grant recipients became Permanent Residents within five years, with 10% to 15% converting to Singapore citizenship in the same period.
He noted that National Service eligibility follows national policies and that the Ministry of Education does not track whether these individuals perform National Service.

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4 Oct 2022

Safeguarding Singapore's National and Elite Athletes from Misuse of Drugs

The Government established Anti-Doping Singapore (ADS) in 2010 to oversee a national framework that includes education and testing to prevent the misuse of both recreational and performance-enhancing drugs among elite athletes.
Education is delivered through National Sports Associations, ADS-led programmes, mandatory e-learning modules, and a database for checking prohibited substances, while detection involves a robust testing regime with in-competition and out-of-competition tests.
Sanctions for violations range from temporary to lifetime bans, and additional support suspensions or rehabilitative counselling may be imposed to deter future offenses.
A parliamentary question highlighted the need to extend drug education further upstream to younger athletes, with the Senior Parliamentary Secretary acknowledging the importance of values-based coaching and potential collaboration with schools.

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4 Oct 2022

Levels of Proficiency of Seniors who Have Gone Through Seniors Go Digital Programme

Over 190,000 seniors have been engaged and trained under the Seniors Go Digital programme, with about nine in 10 continuing to use the digital skills in their daily lives.
Targeted anti-scam initiatives like the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme have engaged more than 45,000 seniors, alongside broader public education campaigns to raise awareness of online scams.
The government maintains a flexible, tiered approach to digital training, allowing seniors to learn at their own pace while keeping non-digital options available and encouraging community and private-sector partnerships.

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3 Oct 2022

Ratio of School Mental Health Professionals to Students

Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Education about the current ratio of mental health professionals to students in primary, secondary, and tertiary schools.
Chan Chun Sing responded that all schools have at least one to two counsellors, polytechnics and ITE colleges average six counsellors, and autonomous universities vary counsellor numbers based on enrolment and student profiles.
Schools and institutes of higher learning also provide support from teacher- and para-counsellors, community resources, and peer support networks.
The government plans to continue enhancing these support systems.

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