Education — Topics

4 Oct 2021

Educating Singaporeans on Singapore’s Core National Interests Given Growing Complexity of International Developments

Vivian Balakrishnan stated that MFA engages Singaporeans through schools, institutions, and media to educate them on core national interests and foreign policy, but does not conduct regular public sentiment polling.
He emphasized that domestic consensus on foreign policy is essential for credible diplomacy and that efforts include sessions with retired ambassadors and outreach to various demographic groups.
The government aims to ensure Singaporeans are well-informed about geopolitical developments and the rationale behind the country's foreign policy as a small city-state.

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4 Oct 2021

Centralised Assistance for Youths Not Employed or in Education who Wish to Go Back to School

The Ministry of Education and its partners use an integrated approach to track and support at-risk students, reducing the secondary school attrition rate to under 1% in the past decade.
Schools provide early intervention through form teachers, counsellors, and home visits, while the UPLIFT Community Pilot connects students and families to town-level coordinators for additional support.
Students who drop out can approach MOE or their last school for re-admission and assessment, receiving tailored support to resume and complete their education.

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4 Oct 2021

Mitigating against Unintended Effects of Unsupervised Over-consumption of Digital Content amongst Younger Students

The Ministry of Education enhances the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum to teach safe and healthy online usage through scenario-based learning while encouraging parental collaboration to manage children's device use at home and providing Cyber Wellness resources via platforms like the MOE Parent Kit Website.
Cyber Wellness lessons focus on nurturing responsible digital citizens, teaching students to seek help from trusted adults for issues like cyber bullying and online harassment, and for secondary students, schools can set and customize screen time limits to prevent over-use under the National Digital Literacy Programme.
MOE collaborates with community partners such as TOUCH Community Services to empower parents with digital and parenting skills, promoting a whole-of-society effort to inculcate healthy online habits and mitigate unintended effects of over-consumption.

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4 Oct 2021

Challenges and Support Plans for Students Graduating from Hospitality, Aviation and Aerospace Courses in 2021

Miss Rachel Ong questioned the Minister for Education on the number of students graduating from hospitality, aviation, and aerospace courses in 2021 and the government's support plans for their employment amid pandemic challenges.
The Minister of State for Education stated that around 5,000 graduates from these sectors completed full-time courses between December 2020 and September 2021, and highlighted support measures like the extended SGUnited Traineeships Programme, career guidance from IHLs, WSG, and NTUC, and access to career fairs and free training modules.
These interventions have helped maintain a 90% employment rate for graduates in these sectors, similar to pre-pandemic levels, with 10% of employed graduates participating in traineeships, and the government will continue monitoring the situation as the economy recovers.

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4 Oct 2021

Financial Assistance for School Canteen Operators Given Home-based Learning

The Ministry of Education granted rental waivers to school canteen operators during school closures, with four months in 2020 and two months plus a half-month in 2021 to support them during the pandemic.
There are currently about 2,380 school canteen stallholders across government and government-aided schools, a slight decrease from 2,410 in 2020.
Both canteen operators and their assistants can access the COVID-19 Recovery Grant if they meet the qualifying criteria, addressing concerns about financial assistance for affected staff.

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4 Oct 2021

Timeline for Schools to Return to Normalcy with COVID-19 Endemic Status in Singapore

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is taking a calibrated approach to resume in-person Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) and enrichment activities, with secondary and higher education levels resuming in August under safe management measures before being suspended again in September due to tightened community measures.
For primary school students who are not yet vaccinated, MOE is adopting a more cautious stance, keeping in-person CCAs suspended while monitoring the situation to decide on a safe resumption with stringent measures.
MOE recognizes the importance of CCAs for student development and well-being and aims to resume these activities as soon as possible, aligned with the national posture and COVID-19 testing protocols.

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4 Oct 2021

Impact of Home-Based Learning on Students' Learning and Development

Darryl David and Hazel Poa questioned the impact of home-based learning (HBL) on students and whether it might become a more permanent feature, especially given COVID-19 spikes and exam cohorts.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing emphasized that HBL is not a full substitute for in-person schooling, citing costs to learning, socio-emotional development, and family burden, and noted a targeted approach is now preferred over broad HBL.
The Minister explained that recent HBL for primary schools was a precaution for the PSLE cohort, with schools using technology to maintain learning and well-being, and staying open for high-needs students.
Chan Chun Sing indicated that secondary school HBL is less likely due to higher student vaccination rates, and any extension for primary schools would be announced later in the week after internal preparations.

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14 Sep 2021

Plans to Expand Offering of Non-standard Subjects at Neighbourhood Secondary Schools

The Ministry of Education currently does not offer non-standard subjects like music or third languages in all secondary schools due to low enrollment, instead providing designated centres across Singapore for students from schools without these offerings.
For third languages, specific programmes such as Malay (Special Programme) and Chinese (Special Programme) are available at a limited number of schools and zonal centres, while foreign languages are taught exclusively at two central MOE language centres.
Music is offered as an elective in all lower secondary schools and in over 25% of upper secondary schools; students from other schools can attend at 12 centralised centres, with MOE monitoring accessibility.

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14 Sep 2021

Data on School Counsellors with Formal Training and Counselling Staff to Student Ratio in Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning

Between 2016 and 2020, approximately 190 applicants with counselling qualifications and 1,500 without applied annually to become school counsellors, with those lacking formal training required to complete certification before deployment.
As of the debate, schools have at least one to two full-time counsellors, polytechnics and ITE colleges have five to seven, and autonomous universities have varying numbers, totaling about 550 counsellors across schools and IHLs, supplemented by over 100 Flexi-Adjunct School Counsellors, 700 teacher counsellors (aiming for over 1,000), and about 100 para-counsellors in IHLs.
Around 43% of school counsellors hold a Master’s in Counselling, with the rest having diplomas or other counselling qualifications; MOE is reviewing resourcing for both schools and IHLs to better support student counselling needs.
Schools provide flexibility to reduce teaching or CCA duties for teacher counsellors to manage workload, with enhanced training and ongoing monitoring to ensure their well-being and manageable workloads.

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14 Sep 2021

Update on Resumption of In-person Co-Curricular Activities in Schools

Christopher de Souza requested a status update on the resumption of in-person co-curricular activities in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions.
Chan Chun Sing stated that in-person co-curricular activities have resumed since August 10, 2021, in secondary schools, junior colleges, Millennia Institute, and Institutes of Higher Learning, following safe management measures.
Some activities like choir and wind instruments remain online due to higher risk, while in-person co-curricular activities in primary schools are suspended as most students are unvaccinated.
The Ministry of Education will continue monitoring the situation and assess when in-person activities can safely resume for primary school students.

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14 Sep 2021

Singapore's Model of Tripartism as Module for Graduating Students at Institutes of Higher Learning

Melvin Yong asked if Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) teach graduating students about workplace rights and Singapore's tripartism model, and if the Ministry should review equipping students with this knowledge.
Chan Chun Sing responded that secondary and pre-university students are already exposed to tripartism, and IHLs build on this with modules covering employment rights, unions, labour laws, and tripartism, alongside industry internships and projects.
He added that IHLs also offer extracurricular dialogues with government, industry, and union representatives and will continue reviewing curricula with stakeholders to keep them relevant for future workplaces.

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14 Sep 2021

Annual Household Expenditure on Private Tuition

Member Yip Hon Weng asked for three years of household spending on private tuition and whether the Ministry would consider restrictions like China's to reduce student workload and mental stress.
Minister Chan Chun Sing cited 2017-2018 data showing average monthly tuition spending of $112, but noted excessive tuition is a concern, and said restrictions are unlikely to be effective without addressing underlying demand, citing South Korea's experience.
The Ministry is instead pursuing long-term policy changes under the Learn for Life movement to reduce academic overemphasis and shift mindsets, requiring partnership with parents and the community.

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14 Sep 2021

Mental Well-being of Teachers Given Additional Counselling Roles

The Ministry of Education explained that teachers are trained in basic counselling skills and mental health literacy to support students, while teacher counsellors and school counsellors provide additional support, with workload monitored to ensure teachers are well-supported.
MOE has existing structures, such as counselling services, staff well-being committees, and training programs, to support educators' mental well-being, aligned with tripartite advisories and available through free, confidential in-house and government-wide counselling.
The Ministry commits to continuously refining its efforts to support educators and students, including monitoring teacher workload and enhancing capabilities to address mental health needs in schools and Institutes of Higher Learning.

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13 Sep 2021

Number of Enterprises that Have Adopted the Industry Digital Plans under Industry Transformation Maps and Number of Workers from These Enterprises with Jobs and Skills Upgraded

As of 31 May 2021, over 75,000 small and medium enterprises have adopted digital solutions under the Industry Digital Plans through the SMEs Go Digital programme.
Since 2016, more than 117,000 individuals have been trained in digital skills like AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity under the TechSkills Accelerator initiative aligned with the IDPs.
18 Industry Digital Plans have been launched since 2017 for 16 of the 23 Industry Transformation Maps sectors, with plans to develop IDPs for all sectors in the future.

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13 Sep 2021

Impact on Portfolios of Government Investment Entities as a Result of China's Decision to Ban For-profit Private Tuition and Implications on Anticipated Net Investment Return Contribution

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim questioned whether China’s ban on for-profit private tuition adversely affected Government investment entity portfolios, how such impact compares to historical losses, and if it would affect the Net Investment Return Contribution.
Lawrence Wong declined to comment on specific investment exposures, emphasizing that Temasek and GIC assess performance on an overall, long-term portfolio basis with global diversification across geographies and sectors.
He noted that while Chinese regulatory changes impacted the education sector, such developments are part of investing, and the focus remains on long-term portfolio performance.
The Net Investment Return Contribution is based on long-term expected returns of the investment entities’ total portfolios, not short-term impacts.
Overall, the government views the China tuition ban as a sector-specific event within a diversified portfolio, with no direct implication for the long-term investment return outlook.

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13 Sep 2021

Proposal to Enhance Audit Processes Training and Introduce Harsher Penalties in Light of Public Officers Fabricating or Altering Documents for Audits

Lawrence Wong reported five cases of document irregularities by public officers over the past five years, emphasizing that such misconduct is taken seriously despite being a small fraction of total audit submissions.
Public officers receive continuous training, including the Finance and Procurement Academy and annual Code of Conduct quizzes, with whole-of-government platforms sharing audit findings and best practices.
Penalties for integrity-related misconduct include dismissal and demotion, with police reports filed in serious cases to deter future lapses.

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13 Sep 2021

Expected Expenditure on Creation of New College due to Merger of Yale-NUS College and University Scholars Programme

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Education about the budget for creating the New College from the Yale-NUS College and University Scholars Programme merger and how much will be funded by public money.
Chan Chun Sing stated that NUS has formed a Planning Committee to work out details like curriculum and admissions, with MOE and NUS to discuss funding later based on these plans.
MOE is committed to supporting the New College and expects its cost per student to be lower than Yale-NUS College due to better economies of scale and resource sharing with NUS.

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13 Sep 2021

Proposal to Revise Government Bursary Quantum for Higher Education to Help Low-income Youths who Study Part-time and Work to Support their Family

Dr Shahira Abdullah proposed that the Ministry of Education increase government bursaries to fully cover tuition fees for low-income part-time students who work to support their families.
The Minister highlighted that Singaporean part-time students already receive substantial subsidies and enhanced bursaries since 2020, with fees after aid ranging from $140 to $2,300 annually, payable via Post-Secondary Education Account, SkillsFuture Credit, or government loans.
The government commits to regularly reviewing bursaries to ensure they remain adequate for students' needs.

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13 Sep 2021

Plans to Reduce Stigma against Students Seeking Psychological Help from School Counsellors

The Ministry of Education uses a multi-pronged approach to reduce stigma, including integrating mental health education into the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum to teach students about common issues, seeking help, and empathy.
School counsellors create a private, safe environment and engage students proactively during school activities, conduct talks to raise awareness, and involve parents in sessions to promote well-being.
Anonymous support options are available for students, such as online portals like Tinkle Friend and SOS, and face-to-face help from family service centres or private counselling centres with parental consent for those under 21.

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13 Sep 2021

Measures to Reduce Number of First-time Drug Abusers, Especially Those under 30 Years Old

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) implements preventive drug education (PDE) as its primary strategy, partnering with the Ministry of Education to integrate anti-drug content into school curricula and conducting various engagement activities for students.
CNB collaborates with post-secondary institutions, the military, police, and civil defence forces to reach youths and national servicemen through co-created projects, toolkits, and immersive campaigns like the "Monomania" exhibition.
Social media and community networks, including the United Against Drugs Coalition and Anti-Drug Abuse Advocacy Network, are leveraged to disseminate anti-drug messages and mobilize advocates, with recent videos and partnerships reaching hundreds of thousands.
The Ministry of Home Affairs continuously reviews laws, such as the 2019 amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act, to strengthen protections against drug contamination and safeguard young persons from drug-related harms.

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