Chan Chun Sing
Singapore
“Since 2002, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has worked with the autonomous universities (AUs) to establish arrangements that minimise disruption to National Servicemen (NSmen) who are pursuing full-time studies up to the undergraduate level, while meeting the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) operational and training needs.”
“Secondments help to build up the range of competencies and work experiences of public officers to strengthen their longer-term employment relevance and resilience. The Public Service Division's guideline to agencies is to support public officers even while they are on secondment.”
“The priority of our National Servicemen must be their military duties and operational training, to meet the Singapore Armed Forces's (SAF's) operational requirements.”
“In January 2026, I had informed this House that the Government had convened an independent committee to conduct a review of the political salary framework that was laid out in 2012. The Committee has completed the review and submitted its recommendations to the Government in April.”
“All countries seek to develop mutually beneficial partnerships, and the United States-Indonesia Major Defence Cooperation Partnership is one such example.”
“Since the Singapore Armed Forces Volunteer Corps (SAFVC) was established in 2014, over 1,500 men and women have completed training and served as SAFVC Volunteers (SVs). Presently, there are about 1,100 in-service SVs, comprising 52% male and 48% female. About seven in 10 of our in-service SVs are new Citizens or Permanent Residents.”
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“That they should be allowed to provide recommendations without the fear that every change to the electoral boundaries will be politicised, if viewed unfavourably by certain political parties or individuals, no matter how minor those recommendations may be. Sir, there is no secret formula. And frankly, I do not think any amount of explanation is going to satisfy any political party, be they incumbent or opposition, and they may be unhappy with the boundary changes. They are unhappy not because of the process but because of the outcome – they think they have lost out, that the map disadvantages them politically. And there is nothing that the EBRC can say about its process that will satisfy any political party because, as I have said, the EBRC does not take political interests into account. Indeed, when the EBRC reviews the boundaries, it does so holistically – not only to take into account population shifts as mentioned, but also to balance the need for some continuity in community formation, as well as the objective of allowing the elected MP to serve the constituencies effectively. This is an established process, which has worked and served us well. Setting some fixed formula for the review or involving other persons who do not have the relevant expertise and knowledge to do the work, as suggested by Ms Hazel Poa, may instead undermine the effectiveness of the EBRC in carrying out its work. And the most important point is that, the involvement of political parties will also certainly politicise the process. And I think it will bring us backwards. Ms Poa spoke about the need for the electors' votes to carry the same weight; she also suggested narrowing the range of voters per MP, and she cited the UK and Australia as examples.”
“Taken together, these two factors alone will add to a not insignificant churn of the respective constituencies' electoral roll, which calls into question any suggestion of the efficacy of attempts at gerrymandering. Maybe I should put this in context: 200,000 electors every year and our electoral roll is about 2.7 million. I should also point out that changes to the electoral boundaries have a greater impact on the incumbent parties and their MPs, given the substantial investment of time and effort by the MPs and their volunteers to engage and serve the residents, only to see them subsequently reassigned to another electoral division due to electoral boundary changes. Members may want to speak to Mr Sitoh Yih Pin on this after the debate. Taking a step back, what we have heard from Ms Poa and others, and what they are really saying when she raises the point about gerrymandering comes down to this: we almost won this constituency, we think we can take it the next time, so do not touch it because we want to try again. Paradoxically, if indeed the EBRC really takes these political considerations into account, then this would certainly qualify as gerrymandering. Let me now address Ms Poa's and other speakers' points about explaining boundary changes. Sir, at the end of the day, any boundary change is the result of the EBRC applying the principles and considerations that I have set out. Those principles and considerations are not different from what has been articulated in this House in the past. We know and all of us want more explanations from the EBRC. But we also have to strike a practical balance, so that our public officers are given the space to do their work independently and objectively, without fear or favour.”
“What is required is political neutrality, integrity and objectivity, which I trust all my Public Service officers have, whether they are in the EBRC or not, for them to discharge their duties without fear and favour. Second, let us look at Singapore's context. The term "gerrymander" is almost as old as electoral politics. It originated in the US more than 200 years ago, in 1812. Such allegations still persist, including in mature democracies, but the circumstances in Singapore are very different and should cause us to pause and ask ourselves, if indeed such "suspicions" and the "potential" of gerrymandering, as said, really exist and are possible. Let me explain. In other countries, gerrymandering happens when political parties manipulate boundaries to favour their supporters in specific areas. This could be voters in urban or rural areas, or in specific ethnic enclaves. The political parties assume that these voters, whom they consider their base, largely remain in the same areas, and therefore can have greater influence in the election outcomes. But in Singapore, every electoral division is more or less a microcosm of our nation. This is a result of our urban planning, where we do not want to have racial or religious enclaves in Singapore, nor do we have a rural-urban divide. Our voter base is also fluid. The voters in a given area are not always the same in every election, because they move around the whole island. For those Members who have studied our electoral data, you would know. Some 200,000 electors change their residential addresses annually. Then there are many new first-time voters every electoral cycle.”
“First, let me touch on the EBRC's process and composition, which has allowed the committee to do its job independently and objectively. First, the EBRC does not have access to voting information and hence, does not make its recommendations based on voting patterns. The EBRC does not consult the PAP or any other political party. Party politics do not come into this exercise. The EBRC comprises senior civil servants with no party allegiances. Therefore, unlike other countries where political parties are involved in the boundary drawing process, EBRC’s composition and processes are insulated from party politics. Hence, we do not have the horse-trading and gerrymandering that have taken place in other countries. And I must say, if we get all political parties involved, present or future, it will politicise the whole process and not bring us forward, but bring us backwards. Ms Hazel Poa suggested that the EBRC be chaired by a High Court Judge – and so did Mr Pritam Singh and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim – to enhance the independence of the EBRC. We have thought about this carefully and we have looked at the experiences of other countries, and we do not think that this will resolve the concern about political interference. Other jurisdictions that have done so continue to face allegations and doubts concerning the independence of their electoral boundary delineation process. Their debate, instead, sinks into questions on who appoints the judge and whether the judge has any political leanings or bias. The judiciary ends up getting drawn into the political debate and the judiciary is politicised. Besides, there are no legal issues in the EBRC's work which require a judicial officer to weigh in.”
“The delineation of boundaries of electoral divisions comes down to a balance between the population and the geographical size of each electoral division. Over time, with the movement of people and the development of new estates and towns, population densities in different areas will change. The EBRC reviews the boundaries holistically, by taking into account such population shifts and housing developments while making sure that the boundaries make practical sense. A constituency must be an area that its MP or MPs can effectively represent and serve. At the same time, we strive to have some continuity and minimise the changes that could disrupt existing communities. The EBRC's work is data driven. It is centred on the interests of voters and not the interests of political parties or candidates. The Government also gives reasonable notice of boundary changes. The past few GEs were called some one to three months after the release of EBRC's report. And as we have said before, we will seek to have sufficient time between the release of EBRC's report and the dissolution of Parliament, so that all political parties and candidates can make the necessary preparations. To answer Ms Poa's question, the Prime Minister has not convened the EBRC. ELD has been responding to Parliamentary and media queries on whether the Prime Minister has convened the EBRC for the coming GE. It will continue with this practice and will inform the public when the EBRC is convened. I will now address some other points raised by Ms Hazel Poa, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Mr Pritam Singh. Ms Hazel Poa and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim have spoken about "suspicions of gerrymandering" and "reducing the potential for gerrymandering" and used the word "gerrymandering" quite a few times. Let me address this directly.”
“Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, Sir. First, let me say that I would like to thank all the Members who have spoken on this and given your various suggestions and comments. I listened to them very carefully. For Ms Hazel Poa, who has submitted her speech prior to ELD, we have also examined her suggestions very carefully. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Government will continually seek to improve our electoral system to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans. The recent move to improve voter access for overseas Singaporeans is one such example. However, we cannot agree with the premise of this Motion. First, the Motion suggests that the current electoral boundary review process is not transparent and not fair. Second, the Motion seeks to review the electoral boundary review process in the interests of political parties. This is a fundamentally wrong premise. Electoral boundaries are drawn so that the electorate is best served by their MPs. This process is meant to serve the interests of Singaporeans and not the interests of political parties. Sir, the process of delineating electoral boundaries is well known and has been discussed in this House previously on various occasions. Let me reiterate the key points. The review is conducted by the EBRC, tapping on the specific expertise of its members, who include qualified senior civil servants with domain knowledge in the technical areas required for boundary delineation. The EBRC works independently and objectively. Since 1958, the Prime Minister's terms of reference to the EBRC and its predecessors have been published. The recommended delineation is presented to Parliament as a White Paper and this has been so since 1967. All this is on public record.”
“All Personal Learning Devices are pre-installed with a Device Management Application (DMA). DMA blocks students' access to undesirable Internet content, such as pornography, gambling and violence. Schools also have website filtering systems to restrict access via school network to inappropriate websites and content to ensure a safe online environment for students. Through Cyber Wellness lessons, schools equip students with the values and skills to use technology safely, such as to recognise risks in the digital space and to be discerning of negative influences and inappropriate websites. Parents play a key role in guiding and monitoring their child's leisure online activities. They can tap on resources, expert insights and strategies shared by MOE and schools.”
“Ten Junior Colleges (JCs), known as Integrated Programme (IP) JCs, take in students progressing from the IP and those with O-level qualifications, while eight JCs only take in students with O-level qualifications. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, students with O-level qualifications made up about 40% of students in IP JCs. This percentage is stable. There are sufficient places in our JCs for all O-level holders who meet the JC admission criteria and wish to enrol in a JC.”
“Given the varied learning needs of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), it is more practical to take a targeted approach to help PwD learners access the training programmes that they wish to attend. Where practicable, training providers will make the needed accommodations and can tap on SG Enable's Capability Development Grant for funding support. PwD learners who are not able to access particular courses can approach SG Enable for assistance.”
“This question has been addressed by written answer to Parliamentary Question No 81 during the Sitting on 2 July 2024. [Please refer to "Bell Curves to Determine Final Grade or Grade Point Average for Students in ITEs, Polytechnics and Autonomous Universities", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“There are currently 10 Permanent Secretaries serving on the boards of private sector companies, in sectors, such as finance, utilities and maritime. Having public officers on private sector boards and, likewise, private sector individuals on public sector boards, encourages greater diversity in perspectives and helps strengthen the understanding between the public and private sectors. Like all civil servants, Permanent Secretaries are required to seek the necessary approvals prior to accepting requests to serve as board directors of private sector companies. There are checks in place to ensure that there is no conflict of interest and that their ability to carry out their primary duties are not compromised.”
“Ultimately, as a society, we must help our children discover and hone their strengths and interests. We should provide a nurturing environment for them to develop holistically and form healthy relationships. Then they will grow into confident adults capable of contributing their talents to the community.”
“My response will also cover the matters raised in another question by Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim which is scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. [Please refer to "Collection of Data on Causal Links between Academic Stress and Suicide Attempts by Students", Official Report, 7 August 2024, Vol 95, Issue 139, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] Students may encounter some academic stress in the course of learning, as they attempt to understand concepts, solve problems, work with peers on projects, meet deadlines and take assessments and so on. By learning to manage and overcome such stresses, students grow in resilience and become more equipped to cope with other stressors in life and work. Educators monitor and provide timely support to help students overcome their challenges. However, academic stress can also be driven by unrealistic expectations of academic performance that stem from self and others or the desire to outperform others. If such stresses become excessive and are left unmanaged, they can adversely affect the students’ mental well-being. Student mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are typically not caused by academic stress alone, but are compounded by other factors, such as low self-esteem, relationship issues with parents and peers, or challenging life circumstances. Similarly, the underlying causes of suicide are complex, typically involving multiple stressors and are not attributable to a single cause. The Ministry of Education, schools and our Institutes of Higher Learning will continue to work closely with parents as we continue our efforts to strengthen students’ mental well-being and resilience and support those students who need more help.”
“The Public Service Re-employment Guidelines are aligned to the Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Employees. In the Public Service, re-employed officers generally enjoy the same benefits as pre-retirement officers. Key benefits, such as medical and dental treatment benefits, are not differentiated by years in service. Re-employed officers will have their past years of service considered for their vacation leave entitlement and are eligible for the Special Appreciation Award which recognises their continuous service in re-employment, in lieu of the Long Service Award.”
“This question has been addressed by written answer to Question No 96 on 2 July 2024. [Please refer to "Updating Framework for 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“The Compulsory Education Act requires all Singaporean children above the age of six and below the age of 15 who are residing in Singapore to regularly attend a national primary school, unless they are exempted from doing so. When a child is not registered for Primary 1, the Ministry of Education (MOE) takes steps to locate the child and engage the child’s parents or legal guardians to provide advice and guidance on schooling matters, including facilitating the child’s placement into a suitable school. Where needed, MOE works with other Government agencies, such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development and social service organisations, such as the Family Service Centres, to support the child and the family. MOE may escalate the case to the Compulsory Education Board, which is empowered to summon the parents and child for a formal hearing. Legal action may also be taken against uncooperative parents. Over the years, MOE has enhanced processes to more quickly contact parents who have not registered their child for Primary 1, as well as to support families in placing their child in a suitable school.”
“Through Cyber Wellness lessons in Character and Citizenship Education, students are taught to maintain a healthy balance of online and offline activities, including managing use of social media. Students are taught skills to recognise risks in the digital space, identify and discern negative influences, and avoid excessive use of social media as these have an impact on their mental, social and emotional well-being. School Counsellors are trained to render appropriate support to students who are at risk of excessive social media use, including working with their parents and making referrals to community resources for more specialised intervention. Parents play a key role in guiding and monitoring their child’s leisure online activities. Schools work closely with parents by sharing resources, expert insights and strategies that help parents guide their child in the use of technology and devices.”
“MOE has reminded schools to ensure that their DSA processes are in line with the guidelines, including that the school leadership team should be involved in the final decision-making. MOE reviews our selection guidelines regularly to take on board observations and feedback from the previous DSA exercise and engages schools on the updated guidelines. We will continue to update these guidelines to strengthen the process and address gaps. However, no system is perfect and the DSA selection process, ultimately, depends on the integrity and professionalism of individuals involved. MOE takes a serious view of allegations of wrongdoing in the DSA selection process and will investigate every case. If there are allegations of any wrongdoing, we will refer them to the relevant authorities for investigation. Let me assure Members that we will take firm action against the parties involved, both the giver and taker, if there is evidence of wrongdoing, to ensure the integrity and fairness of the DSA selection process.”
“My response will also cover the matters raised in the questions by Dr Wan Rizal and Mr Patrick Tay, which are scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. The Direct School Admission, or DSA, seeks to broaden the recognition of talents and achievements of our students beyond academic grades. This has provided many students with an alternative pathway to enroll in secondary schools or junior colleges, matching their talents and potentials with schools that have niches in those areas. The DSA selection process is undergirded by the principles of transparency, objectivity, inclusiveness and student-centricity. While schools have autonomy in their selection, schools are required to abide by a set of guidelines from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to ensure that the selection goes beyond manifested skills to include whole person qualities as well as potential, among others. For example, the guidelines stipulate that the school leadership team is required to lead DSA selection panels and oversee the selection process. Non-school staff, including coaches and instructors, may be invited to join the selection process and provide inputs. MOE also requires all individuals involved in the DSA selection process to declare any potential conflict of interest and to recuse themselves from the process, if there are any. Schools are also required to inform coaches and instructors that if they market their services by implying that they can influence or determine DSA outcomes, they may be de-registered from MOE. Arising from the allegations of wrongdoing involving a basketball coach, the coach has been de-registered and is no longer working in any MOE school, while his membership in the National Registry of Coaches has been suspended.”
“Science Centre Singapore does not plan to organise a replacement event on the topic of gender and sex. It has already lined up the next few sessions of Science Café to discuss other topics in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.”
“Schools are resourced with one or two trained school counsellors, depending on need. Schools can also deploy flexi-adjunct school counsellors or teacher-counsellors to augment the support for their students. Since 2020, about one-third of schools have two school counsellors. During the same period, an average of 1.5% of the students have approached their school counsellors for help in each year.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) will allow the grade-skipping of an exceptionally gifted student in the MOE school system, if he or she is assessed to be ready, both academically and socio-emotionally, for the higher grade level. For exceptionally gifted students who apply for early admission to our local autonomous universities (AUs), their applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In the last five years, no exceptionally gifted students skipped a grade in our schools. One exceptionally gifted student gained early admission to an AU.”
“The annual resignation rate of teachers has remained stable at around 2% per year since 2018. The average resignation rate in the first five years of service is 2.5%. The resignation rate among teachers with three to five years of service, the period when the bonds end, is around 4%. Workload or burnout is not a commonly cited reason for teachers leaving the service.”
“International students on scholarships make up less than 1% of pre-tertiary and tertiary students. The average nominal value of the scholarships depends on their level and course of study. We do not offer scholarships for international students to study at the polytechnics. About half of undergraduate international students pay fees net of a tuition grant, while a quarter receive both tuition grant and scholarship. The remaining pay full fees as international students. All students who receive the tuition grant are required to work in Singapore for at least three years upon graduation.”
“On a per student basis, the Ministry of Education spends much more on Singapore Citizen students compared to permanent resident and international students. This is reflected in the fees payable by students, with fees for international students being the highest. Overall, total spending on Singapore Citizen students is much higher than for permanent resident students, which is, in turn, higher than for international students.”
“Based on the latest revised Registers of Electors, as of 1 June 2024, there are 2,713,051 electors. This is an increase of 3,644 electors from the number of electors at the Presidential Election 2023. The largest electoral division is Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC), which had a decrease of 1,076 electors. The smallest electoral division is Yuhua Single Member Constituency (SMC), which had a decrease of 468 electors. The difference in the number of electors for each GRC and SMC is shown in the table below.”
“The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, or EBRC in short, has not been convened. When EBRC is convened, the Prime Minister will set out the Terms of Reference for the committee. Based on the Terms of Reference for past committees, EBRC will review the electoral boundaries and recommend the size and the number of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and Single Member Constituencies (SMCs). In its review, the EBRC should consider significant changes in the number of electors in each electoral division as a result of population shifts and housing developments since the last boundary delineation exercise. For the last three General Elections, the Prime Minister also directed EBRC to reduce the size of GRCs and to create more SMCs.”
“With the introduction of the Framework for 21st Century Competencies, or 21CC for short, in 2010, the Ministry of Education has placed greater emphasis on 21CC development in the design of our curriculum. This ensures that important traits, such as being creative and collaborative, are developed more strongly in our students. For example, in English language lessons, students get to work in groups, brainstorm ideas and write their stories creatively based on a given theme. In Project Work, applied learning programmes and co-curricular activities, students collaborate in teams to explore their interests, overcome real-world challenges and achieve group goals. Our efforts have been worthwhile. International benchmarking studies, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment, have consistently found that our students perform well relative to their peers overseas in 21CC like reasoning, problem solving, global competence and creative thinking. The 21CC Framework was last reviewed and updated in 2023. Over the next few years, guided by the updated framework, schools will progressively embark on a journey to strengthen their 21CC development efforts. We will continue to review our efforts regularly to ensure that our students will possess the necessary values and competencies to thrive and learn for life.”
“The Judges Remuneration Act 1994 falls under the responsibility of the Minister-in-charge of the Public Service and not the Minister for Law. It sets out the framework for the salaries, allowances and privileges accorded to Supreme Court Judges as a class. The Chief Justice determines the salary and bonuses to be paid to each Supreme Court Judge within this framework. Neither the Minister-in-charge of the Public Service nor any Minister determines the payment to be made to specific judges. The salaries of Judicial Appointment Holders take reference from a number of salary data sources, including market surveys by compensation specialists. This is similar to how the salaries of other public officers are determined, based on the size of the job and benchmarking with relevant talent pools in the private sector, to ensure that the Public Service is able to attract and retain our fair share of talent.”
“The intent of graded assessments and examinations at the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) is to evaluate students’ mastery of a topic. Grading also enables IHLs to provide feedback to students on their learning so that they can build up the necessary skills and academic foundation to join the workforce or continue their studies at a more advanced level. In this regard, our IHLs use a grading approach that is largely standards-referenced and do not "force-fit" grades into a bell curve.”
“Graduates from Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic’s Diploma in Human Resource (HR) Management with Psychology, as well as from Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma in Business can automatically qualify for the Institute for Human Resource Professionals’ Certified Associate (IHRP-CA) certification if they take the required modules. Students from nine Degree and Diploma programmes are partially exempted from the certification assessment, which substantially reduces the assessment cost by more than 85%. Beyond IHRP-CA, IHRP’s higher-level certifications require at least three years of HR-related working experience. The Ministry of Manpower provides subsidies for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents to attain these certifications.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) work collaboratively to manage suspected cases of domestic child abuse and to support the affected children. As schools are only one of the sources of reporting, cases surfaced by the schools could also be reported to MSF by community partners or members of the public. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of suspected domestic child abuse cases reported by schools to either the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) or MSF’s Child Protective Service (CPS) remained consistent, averaging about 600 cases annually. About 30% of these cases were taken up by CPS for investigation. Less serious cases were referred by NAVH or CPS to community agencies, such as the Child Protection Specialist Centres, Protection Specialist Centres or Family Service Centres for follow-up intervention.”
“The number of places set aside for courses at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics is determined by taking into account factors such as manpower needs of the different sectors and students’ interests. Between 2018 and 2023, about 500 places were set aside for the Nitec in Nursing at the ITE each year, with all places filled. About 900 students per year applied to the course as their first choice, with about half of these applicants admitted. There is no available data for the Higher Nitec in Nursing, as the course was newly introduced in 2024. Over the same period, about 1,400 places were set aside for the Diploma in Nursing at Nanyang Polytechnic and Ngee Ann Polytechnic, with about 1,300 students admitted to these courses each year. Half of these were applicants who met the admission requirements and placed nursing as their first choice.”
“The Primary school curriculum focuses on providing children with a strong foundation in the early fundamentals of learning, particularly in literacy, numeracy and social-emotional competencies. All Primary 1 and 2 students participate in the Programme for Active Learning during curriculum time, which has a Drama module to help students develop social-emotional competencies through role-play. While drama is not part of the primary school curriculum beyond lower primary levels, it is one of the pedagogical tools that teachers across subjects can adopt to enhance learning. For example, speech and drama activities can be employed to develop communication skills in English and Mother Tongue Languages. Some schools also offer Drama as a Co-Curricular Activity or as an enrichment programme. The Ministry of Education will continue to review how Drama can be used in schools to support the holistic development of students.”
“The Ministry of Education currently employs around 1,900 Art and Music teachers in schools. Around 1,100 teach in primary schools, while the remainder teach in secondary schools and junior colleges. Most of them teach Art or Music as their main subject. Their resignation rate has been comparable to that of the overall teaching workforce, at around 2% to 3% per year over the past five years.”
“This question has been addressed by the answer to Parliamentary Question Nos 28 to 31 for the Parliamentary Sitting on 7 May 2024. [Please refer to "Probe into Recent Mobile Guardian Data Breach Incident and Impact on Cybersecurity Measures for School Apps", Official Report, 7 May 2024, Vol 95, Issue 135, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Civil servants and political officeholders must not ask for gifts or favours, especially when they are in a position to influence or affect any decision involving the other party. If it is not possible or it is impractical to decline gifts or meals, officers should declare and account for it according to established processes. For gifts that are less than $50, the officer may be allowed to retain the gift without payment after taking into account considerations, such as conflict of interest. For gifts that are $50 or more, an officer may be allowed to retain the gift if he pays its value to the Government. In 2023, there were about 3,450 gift declarations made by civil servants and political officeholders. Of these, officers were allowed to retain 60%. About 14% of the declarations were for gifts valued $50 or more. We do not collect data on meal invitations centrally.”
“For Primary 1 registration, the Ministry of Education requires both parents of every child to give consent to the school choice as both would typically have legal responsibility for the child. Where one parent is registering on behalf of both parents, the registering parent can make an online declaration that the agreement of the other parent has been obtained for the school choice. In instances where one parent has full custody, as might be the case for an unwed or divorced parent, there is no need for such a declaration or undertaking to be obtained by the registering parent.”
“The Government takes a strong stance against malicious manipulated media content and online falsehoods. If such content is published online and is against the public interest, action may be taken under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) to issue corrections, and require the correct facts to be published. Disabling directions can be issued if the content poses serious harm. Individuals may also be liable for offences under POFMA if they are found to have knowingly communicated online falsehoods. During an election period, candidates and political parties who are the subject of manipulated media content or online falsehoods published during the campaigning period should publicly clarify the matter if the content is false. If candidates or political parties believe that a criminal offence has been committed, they may report it to the Police. Candidates may also consider legal recourse under the Protection from Harassment Act. If the content is circulating on social media, candidates and political parties may also report the content to social media platforms, many of which have established community guidelines prohibiting misinformation and/or misleading manipulated media. On Cooling-off Day and Polling Day, the ban on publishing online election advertising will be in place. The Returning Officer can issue Corrective Directions to take down any online election advertising published during this period, including those which include manipulated media content or misinformation. Candidates and political parties are not precluded during this period from debunking false content as long as their clarifications do not constitute online election advertising.”
“To ensure our graduates are equipped with the necessary critical core skills and competencies as they enter the workforce, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have jointly developed a LifeSkills framework. Implemented since 2022, the LifeSkills framework builds on the 21st century competencies taught to our students when they are in primary and secondary schools. The LifeSkills framework consists of 10 key competencies which include curiosity and independent learning, self-awareness and mental resilience, and interpersonal and collaboration skills. IHLs have the flexibility to customise delivery of LifeSkills modules based on their students’ needs and profiles, through a whole-school and experiential learning approach. The academic curriculum, co-curricular activities and internships all serve as platforms for nurturing LifeSkills competencies. To gauge the effectiveness of the LifeSkills curriculum, IHLs have incorporated students’ Lifeskills proficiencies as part of the internship assessment by employers. Graduates are also asked about how well the IHLs have equipped them with LifeSkills competencies as part of the annual Graduate Employment survey. MOE and IHLs will continue to ensure that our graduates are prepared for the future of work.”
“Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning prepare students for a wide range of careers across all sectors. Students, including those from less-privileged families, have opportunities to attend industry immersion programmes, learning journeys and career talks, to learn more about the different career pathways available. Information on career opportunities in the various sectors is also available on the MyCareersFuture portal. Whilst we have an interest to steer more students towards courses that prepare them for in-demand careers, such as those in the Ministry of Manpower's Shortage Occupation List, we need to understand and respect that students have their personal considerations and preferences in choosing their course of study.”
“The upgrading works to the permanent site of Yishun Innova Junior College at 21 Champions Way are scheduled to complete in 2027. The school will operate from its permanent site from January 2028, one year later than previously announced, as more time was needed to finalise the design and other parameters for the upgrading works.”
“The level of subsidy is tiered, with higher subsidies for programmes that deliver stronger manpower outcomes. Currently, we have no plans to raise the levels of these subsidies. There is no need to lower the age criteria, as there is no minimum qualifying age to tap on the subsidies. We will continue to use SDF prudently and work with other Government agencies and the industry to support meaningful lifelong learning and upskilling of Singaporeans.”
“The Skills Development Fund (SDF) is a consolidated fund that supports local workforce development. It is made up of the Skills Development Levy (SDL) contributions from employers and top-ups by the Government from time to time. On average, over the past three years from FY2020 to FY2022, around $290 million SDL contributions have been collected from employers annually. The SDF is one of the sources of funds for Government spending on upskilling and reskilling of Singaporeans. From FY2020 to FY2022, the Government spent an average of around $1.02 billion annually, including $370 million from the SDF, to support workforce upskilling in grants to institutions, training providers and companies. Besides the SDF, the Government draws from funding from the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund (LLEF), the National Productivity Fund (NPF), as well Ministries' budgets, for instance for sector-specific investments, such as the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), for the tech sector. SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) administers the SDF and works closely with other Government agencies to support upskilling of the local workforce across all sectors. It is not meaningful to compare SDF utilisation across sectors, which have different manpower and skills needs. Many of the courses that the SDF supports are also not sector-specific. For instance, courses on Critical Core Skills and digital adoption are relevant across multiple sectors. We do not differentiate applicants based on employment status and do not collect data on whether the learner is a full-time, part-time or casual worker. Today, SSG's course fee subsidies go up to 70% of course fees for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents below the age of 40; and up to 90% for Singaporeans aged 40 and above.”
“The Ministry of Education does not track such statistics as parents can apply for different school types in different phases of the Primary 1 Registration Exercise.”
“These comprised about 67,000 parents and 22,000 school staff across 127 schools. These are parents who had signed up to manage the DMA functions in their child's personal learning device at home; and school staff who use the DMA to manage students' personal learning devices in schools. MOE sent an email to all of them on the evening of 19 April. In the email, we explained to them what the leaked information could be used for so that they can be more prepared if they encounter phishing or scam attempts. We also lodged a police report on this incident. MOE takes a serious view of this incident. Our IT service providers are contractually obligated to take reasonable measures to protect personal data against loss and unauthorised access. MOE has registered our deep dissatisfaction with MG over this incident. We have asked MG to appoint a forensic investigator to evaluate its systems and processes and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Investigations are ongoing. Appropriate actions will be taken should there be breaches of contractual obligations. To safeguard our IT systems, MOE conducts independent audits and regular cybersecurity testing. We will continue to place emphasis on user education and ongoing vigilance to ensure that our IT systems remain secure.”
“On 12 April, MG received an email that an unauthorised individual had gained access to MG's management portal. This email was considered a phishing email, until MG received a subsequent email on 16 April. In the second email, the individual showed evidence of access to MG's management portal and attempted to solicit money in exchange for keeping silent that the individual had been able to access MG's management portal. MG acted on this second alert and worked to establish the extent of access and customers affected. This included suspending all administrative accounts that could be used to access MG's management portal. MOE was notified by MG on 17 April late night of this incident, as well as the enhanced security measures implemented by MG on its management portal. MOE learned from MG's preliminary investigations that an unauthorised individual had gained access to a support account on MG's management portal. MG's assessment was that the unauthorised individual could have used the compromised account to view the information of customers based in the United States and the Asia Pacific region, including Singapore. The Cyber Security Agency and GovTech supported MOE in the investigation of the incident. MG had assessed that the compromised support account was primarily attributed to poor password management practice and not the result of the unauthorised individual exploiting vulnerabilities in MG's systems. Nevertheless, MOE conducted security checks and found no suspicious activity on MOE's DMA portal nor any indications that MOE's DMA had been compromised. As a proactive measure, MOE decided to communicate with all users whose names and email addresses can be accessed by the MG management portal.”
“This response addresses Parliamentary Questions for Oral Answer Nos 25 to 27 and Questions for Written Answer Nos 28 to 31, filed for 7 May 2024 Parliament Sitting. Members have asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) about the data breach incident caused by unauthorised access to Mobile Guardian's management portal, how MOE has supported affected parties and the steps MOE has taken since the incident. Let me first provide some information on Mobile Guardian. Mobile Guardian (MG), is one of two companies engaged by MOE to provide Device Management Application (DMA) solutions on Personal Learning Devices used by students. The DMA helps schools and parents manage students' device use. For example, parents can use the DMA to set screen time limits on their child's personal learning device. The use of MG's DMA for Chromebooks and iPads was decided through an open tender in 2020. The company holds the ISO27001 certification, an internationally recognised standard for information security management systems and is engaged by over 2,500 schools in over 50 countries worldwide. Let me now talk about MG's management portal, which experienced an incident of unauthorised access. The management portal is used for administrative purposes, such as account licensing and providing technical support. The management portal has access to the following information: name of user; email address; time zone; school name; and the user role – that is, whether the user is a parent or school staff. MG's management portal does not have the ability to change any configuration on students' personal learning devices. It is also not connected to any MOE or Government IT systems. Hence, MOE and Government IT systems have not been compromised.”
“The Indoor Sports Hall at North View Primary School is expected to be available for public booking under ActiveSG in the third quarter of 2024, after works for a dedicated public access route are completed.”
“Through Sexuality Education, Primary 5 students learn about the physiological changes that occur during puberty, such as menstruation. Students are also educated on human reproduction and issues related to menstrual health in Lower Secondary Science and Upper Secondary Biology.”