Education — Topics

15 Jan 2019

Normal Technical Stream Students Transferred to Express Stream by End of Secondary School Education

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for the percentage of Normal Technical students who transferred to the Express stream over the last five years.
Over the past five years, an average of around 530 students, or nearly 10%, moved from Normal Technical to Normal Academic, with about 10 to 20 annually eventually transferring to Express.
Since 2018, Subject-Based Banding has enabled about 60% of Normal Technical students to take selected subjects at higher levels based on their strengths.
Multiple post-secondary pathways exist to support diverse student talents beyond secondary school course mobility.

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15 Jan 2019

Training and Supervision Standards for Private Security Companies

Private security companies must ensure their officers are trained in accordance with the Progressive Wage Model, which is part of their licensing conditions, and failure to comply is an offence punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.
Security agencies undergo an annual grading exercise where inadequate training or regulatory offences can lower their score, and two consecutive unsatisfactory grades will result in licence non-renewal.
Companies can be held accountable if they contribute to their officers’ errant behaviour, in addition to facing penalties for non-compliance with training and supervision requirements.

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15 Jan 2019

Reports of Mental Health Cases in Schools

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Ministry of Education for data on reported mental health cases among students over the past five years, including diagnosed cases and requests for special examination provisions.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary responded that precise numbers are difficult to determine due to confidentiality and lack of disclosure, noted the rise in mental health issues internationally, and highlighted that schools provide support regardless of diagnosis.
The Ministry reported that applications for examination access arrangements for mental health conditions like anxiety and depression are very small, at 0.1% to 0.2% of the cohort over the last five years.
Dr Intan asked if extra time or alternative assessments could be provided for students with diagnosed mental health conditions, similar to provisions for dyslexia.
The Ministry stated it takes a case-by-case approach for access arrangements, works with professionals, and will consider the feedback to help students as much as possible.

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15 Jan 2019

Link Between Size of Endowment Funds and Differences in Student Educational Resources, Expenditure and Opportunities

Assoc Prof Walter Theseira questioned whether the Ministry has studied how larger endowment funds at older autonomous universities affect student resources, expenditure, and opportunities, and asked about measures to help newer universities build endowments and ensure endowment differences do not unduly impact education quality.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary explained that endowment sizes vary due to fundraising ability, investment returns, and institutional age, but government funding remains the primary source, with all Singaporean students receiving around 75% subsidies and additional support like enhanced matching grants for newer universities.
The response emphasized continuous government financial and other support for all autonomous universities to provide the best education, including seed funding and more generous matching grants for newer institutions to build their endowments.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira noted significant endowment disparities, such as NUS's $4 billion versus SUSS's $400 million, and suggested the Ministry monitor how endowments are used for teaching and research, and consider this when granting operating funds to prevent disproportionate access or quality.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary affirmed that the Ministry monitors these issues closely through regular engagement with universities, especially newer ones, to ensure long-term development and equitable educational experiences for all students.

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14 Jan 2019

Measures to Teach Students to Spot Signs and Symptoms of Depression and Seek Help

Joan Pereira asked how the Ministry for Social and Family Development can collaborate with the Ministry of Education to teach students to recognize depression symptoms and seek help for themselves, friends, or family.
Desmond Lee emphasized building social and emotional resilience, with inter-agency collaboration including MSF, MOE, and MOH, and noted initiatives like the NurtureSG Taskforce to improve youth mental well-being.
In schools, the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum raises mental health awareness, reduces stigma, teaches students to spot signs like unexplained injuries or moody online messages, and encourages seeking help from teachers, counsellors, or parents.
The community and Family Service Centres play a role in identifying and supporting students with depression, with social workers coordinating with schools and specialists for holistic interventions.
Measures include training students to support peers, alert authorities if needed, and ensuring referral pathways to mental health professionals for those with psycho-social issues.

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14 Jan 2019

Plans for More Education and Career Guidance Counsellors in Schools

Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked if there are plans to bring more specialized Education and Career Guidance (ECG) counsellors to each school and how schools involve parents in the ECG curriculum.
Ong Ye Kung stated that as of end 2018, 97 ECG counsellors are deployed across secondary and pre-university schools, as well as technical education institutes and polytechnics, with no current plans to expand their numbers.
The Ministry of Education is focused on improving the ECG curriculum and methods, while schools engage parents regularly to discuss educational and career pathways and support their children's decisions.

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14 Jan 2019

Breakdown of Students Taking Third Language Course in Past Five Years

The total number of students taking a third language course has remained stable at about 6,000 annually over the past five years.
Each year, approximately 30% of third language students complete the course and sit for the GCE "O" level examination, with an average pass rate of 96%.
Students often drop third language courses due to the difficulty of managing the additional subject alongside increasing academic and co-curricular commitments.
The Minister for Education provided these statistics in response to a query on student numbers, completion rates, and examination pass rates for third language courses.
The data indicates consistent enrollment but a significant attrition rate before final examinations, primarily attributed to academic workload pressures.

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14 Jan 2019

Percentages of Students Living in HDB Flats under Public Rental Scheme

Louis Ng Kok Kwang requested the Minister for Education to provide the percentages of students living in HDB flats under the Public Rental Scheme who entered the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic), and Express streams over the past five years.
Ong Ye Kung noted that socio-economic status correlates with academic performance, leading to higher representation of public rental scheme students in Normal streams compared to Express streams.
The Ministry of Education is implementing measures like the Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce (UPLIFT) to support students from lower-income families.

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14 Jan 2019

Percentages of Students on Financial Assistance Scheme

Louis Ng asked for the percentages of students receiving MOE Financial Assistance Scheme from the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic), and Express streams over the past five years.
Ong Ye Kung replied that from 2014 to 2018, 28% of assisted students were from Normal (Technical), 41% from Normal (Academic), and 31% from Express streams.
The percentages were noted to be similar across each of the five years.

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14 Jan 2019

Tamil as Third Language, in Addition to Malay and Chinese

Murali Pillai inquired if the Ministry of Education could offer Tamil as a third language for students capable of learning an additional language beyond Malay and Chinese.
The Ministry of Education is open to providing Tamil as a third language if sufficient demand exists, but current demand among non-Tamil students is low and will be reviewed if circumstances change.
The Ministry will continue to support Tamil as a Mother Tongue language in schools by maintaining qualified teachers and quality teaching resources.

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14 Jan 2019

Proportion of SAF Officers Offered Re-employment at Retirement Age

The Minister for Defence explained that SAF officers do not follow the standard retirement age, with most retiring around 50 years old due to limited re-employment options within the force, though military experts may serve until 60, and their shorter careers are compensated by higher remuneration compared to civilian jobs.
SAF has established programmes to prepare personnel for second careers, with 80% securing jobs within six months of retiring, including accredited training in leadership, management, and other competencies developed with external agencies and educational institutions.
The Ministry of Defence set up the Career Transition Resource Centre in 2009 to support retiring personnel, offering funds, time off, and services like career coaching, job referrals, and access to courses, internships, and job interviews to enhance employability.

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14 Jan 2019

Considerations for Award of Contract to School Bus Operators and Proposal for Fee Guideline

Schools select school bus operators through a competitive bidding process, considering factors like fare competitiveness, the operator's track record, and ability to meet school-specific needs such as bus capacity and route coverage.
The Ministry of Education enhances the bidding process to encourage more competitive offers and publishes contracted fares on its website as a reference for schools.
The Ministry does not plan to issue a fee guideline, as school bus services are customized and market-driven; instead, it focuses on measures to help operators lower costs for competitive fares.

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14 Jan 2019

Review of Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation

Mr Terence Ho Wee San asked about a review of the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation and the participation rate and performing standards of past festivals.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that the Ministry of Education regularly reviews the SYF, which has promoted arts in schools since 1966, with the current format introduced in 2012 to enhance students' appreciation and joy of learning in the arts.
Participation in the SYF Arts Presentation has remained steady over the last six years, with rates of 5-6% for primary and junior college/centralised institute drama and 7-8% for secondary and junior college/centralised institute levels across artforms.
Feedback from judges indicates that performance standards across various artforms have been consistently positive, and performing standards have been stable since the current format was introduced.

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14 Jan 2019

Sports and Arts Programmes to Replace Weighted Examinations for P1 and P2 Students

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has removed all weighted assessments and examinations for Primary 1 and 2 students since 2019 to help them adapt to school without early academic pressure.
Sports and arts are core parts of the curriculum, with about a quarter of lower primary curriculum time dedicated to these areas through lessons and the Programme for Active Learning.
The freed-up curriculum time from removing exams will be used for pacing teaching and adopting diverse strategies to enrich learning and build confidence in students.
MOE believes this approach fosters curiosity and prepares students better for lifelong learning, as opposed to being driven by exams and grades from a young age.
The Ministry’s current programmes are designed to help students discover their strengths and interests, which will guide their co-curricular choices in higher primary levels.

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14 Jan 2019

Update on Local Representation in Universities and Effectiveness of Universities’ Talent Grooming Schemes

The Minister stated that Singaporean academics make up about 50% of faculty in local autonomous universities, with targeted schemes like START, NUS PYP, and NTU NAP investing around $11 million annually since 2015 to develop and attract local talent, showing early success in placements and impactful projects.
A focus was noted on strengthening the local core in arts and social sciences due to the need for Singapore-centric understanding, with ongoing discussions to boost representation in under-represented faculties and universities through these schemes and other measures.
The Minister acknowledged the importance of balancing research and teaching missions, emphasizing that high university rankings are beneficial but not pursued blindly, and that efforts are made to elevate teaching professorships alongside tenured research positions to ensure comprehensive educational quality.

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14 Jan 2019

Leveraging SG Arts Plan to Emphasise Importance of Arts Education

Terence Ho Wee San asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth how the SG Arts Plan can emphasize arts education beyond grooming artists to also create future arts ambassadors, audiences, patrons, collectors, and leaders.
The Minister highlighted that the National Arts Council's Our SG Arts Plan strengthens arts education through initiatives like the Artist-in-School Scheme, high participation in the Arts Education Programme, and museum-based learning in schools.
She noted that the School of the Arts and tertiary institutions provide artistic development, with many graduates becoming supporters even if not practitioners, and outlined future efforts to support educators, grow research, increase access, engage schools, and bolster early childhood arts education.

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20 Nov 2018

Average and Median Starting Monthly Salaries for ITE, Polytechnic and University Graduates

The Minister for Manpower provided median gross monthly starting salaries for ITE, polytechnic, and university graduates from 2008 to 2012 based on the Graduate Employment Survey, but did not provide average salaries or salaries five years after graduation.
Data on salaries five years after graduation is not tracked by the Graduate Employment Survey; instead, median gross monthly income for residents aged 25-29 with various post-secondary qualifications is available from the Ministry of Manpower's Comprehensive Labour Force Survey for 2013–2017.
The Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Education are exploring ways to track graduates' salaries by cohort over a longer period to provide more insights into their employment and income outcomes.

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20 Nov 2018

Proposal to Mark Examination Scripts Electronically

Miss Cheng Li Hui raised concerns about whether time saved from not counting physical scripts would be offset by the need to scan and digitise them, and asked about the risks and management of an electronic marking system.
Ong Ye Kung reported that SEAB's pilot trial on electronic marking received positive feedback from markers for improved administrative efficiency and noted benefits seen in the UK and Hong Kong, such as reduced physical movement of scripts and better marking quality.
He acknowledged that changes to examination processes require careful planning, including trials, IT infrastructure investment, marker training, and ensuring the integrity and timely release of examination results.

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20 Nov 2018

Percentage of Students Living in HDB Flats under Public Rental Scheme

Louis Ng asked the Ministry of Education for the percentage of students living in HDB rental flats and the average and median household income of students entering different secondary streams over the past five years.
Ong Ye Kung responded that approximately 2% to 3% of students lived in HDB rental flats in the last five years.
The Ministry of Education does not collect data on the household income of students.

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20 Nov 2018

Number of Courses Accredited by SkillsFuture

Melvin Yong asked the Minister for Education about the number of SkillsFuture-accredited courses, rejected applications, and the reasons for rejection.
Ong Ye Kung responded that over 30,000 courses are currently funded by SkillsFuture Singapore.
Since 2016, more than 4,000 courses have been rejected because they were not work skills-related.

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