Desmond Lee
Singapore
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives.”
“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022.”
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“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%. At the school level, all the resulting vacancies were filled with newly posted or recruited teachers, as well as teachers who left the service but continued to serve in an adjunct capacity as they prefer a more flexible working arrangement. The Ministry of Education closely monitors resignation and retirement trends and has increased teacher recruitment since 2025 to prepare for more retirements as the teaching workforce ages, in line with national workforce trends.”
“For national examinations, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board approves Access Arrangements (AA) to help students with physical or learning disabilities demonstrate their knowledge and skills without compromising assessment objectives. In the last five years, a total of about 6,000 to 7,000 AA applications were submitted for the Primary School Leaving Examinations, and the General Certificate of Education "N", "O" and "A" level examinations each year, of which 99% were approved. All AA applications for national examinations are submitted through the schools and require supporting documents, such as medical documents from qualified professionals. When evaluating these applications, the primary considerations are the student's diagnosed conditions and the school's understanding of how the student typically learns and functions in the classroom. The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not track the number of AA applications for school-based assessments. Schools decide on these applications based on their understanding of students' educational needs and the nature of the assessment. For accommodations in non-assessment context, such as the use of assistive devices in learning or the modification of activities during Co-Curricular Activities, they are determined at the school level and are not referred to as AA. MOE does not track these accommodations.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools. However, beyond numbers, we also consider the complexity of cases and the range of needs of students with SEN. To better support schools and students with SEN, the number of SEN officers in mainstream schools has increased significantly, from around 450 in 2017 to around 820 as at December 2025. Beyond SEN officers, all teachers in mainstream schools are trained in basic support strategies. All schools also have Teachers Trained in Special Needs to share best practices and strengthen teacher capability.”
“Schools refer students to the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) for students requiring mental health services. Over the past five years, REACH has received an average of 1,300 referrals per year from the Ministry of Education's schools for specialised support. The referral rates are similar across age groups, at about 0.3% at both primary and secondary school levels, and 0.2% at pre-university levels.”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to oral Question No 91 on 7 July 2026. [Please refer to "Reports of Harmful Supervisory Conduct by School Leaders", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“In deciding which languages to offer as Third Language, the Ministry of Education considers factors, such as strategic needs, student demand and the availability of instructional and assessment expertise in Singapore. Students who are interested in learning dialects can explore classes organised by the community, such as clan associations, or learn them online. For example, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan and Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan run such courses.”
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes. This framework already recognises student involvement in inter-school tournaments beyond the National School Games, including those organised by the National Sports Associations (NSAs). The Ministry of Education (MOE) will continue to review if further enhancements should be made to such recognition arrangements. In addition, we welcome NSAs to partner MOE in co-organising the National School Games. As the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth had announced during the Ministry's Committee of Supply debate this year, MOE and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth will work with ready, able and willing NSAs to introduce more sports into the National School Games.”
“Among those who entered primary school in 2008, 23% of students from the lowest 20% by socio-economic status (SES), which takes into account parents' education level and housing type, had progressed to publicly-funded full-time degree programmes by the age of 24 (in 2025). This is compared to the progression rate of 15% from a decade ago for the same SES tier. Similarly, progression for the overall cohort had increased to 42%, compared to 28% from a decade ago. The improvement in progression to publicly-funded full-time degree programmes by the age of 24 is seen across all ethnicities for all SES. The figures do not include students who pursue non-publicly funded university programmes, part-time degree programmes and those who worked for some time and progressed to publicly-funded programmes after the age of 24. Besides attending university, there are also other upgrading pathways. The Ministry of Education will continue to help students from different backgrounds access opportunities. This includes providing financial support for students from lower-income households so that financial barriers do not impede their educational aspirations and progression; and working with other agencies to expand mentoring opportunities to support students to navigate transitions through education and work more confidently.”
“My response covers both questions raised by Dr Wan Rizal on channels available for teachers to report harmful conduct by school leaders. [Please refer to "Adequacy and Safety of Whistleblowing Channels for Teachers on School Leader Misconduct, Safeguards Against Repercussions and Reporting Data in Past Three Years", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Written Answers to Questions section.] Staff have multiple channels to provide feedback, raise workplace concerns and report any harmful or wrongful practices, including those involving supervisors or school leaders. These channels include "Let Us Listen" on the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) Intranet; "Contact human resource (HR)" via MOE's HR Online portal; or direct reporting to MOE Headquarters, including to the Permanent Secretary or HR Director. Staff may also approach their supervisors, school leaders or unions. MOE takes such reports seriously and information shared will remain strictly confidential. Officers who report in good faith will not be penalised, if the allegation is not substantiated after investigation. It will also not affect their appraisal, posting and career progression. Over the past three years, the number of reports concerning school leaders has remained low. MOE regularly gathers staff feedback through engagement platforms, such as dialogue sessions and employee engagement surveys. These surveys are voluntary and anonymous, and we continue to see strong participation from staff. MOE closely monitors feedback from such channels and takes prompt action to address the concerns if needed.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives. There are no specific measures targeted at recruiting or retaining male teachers in primary schools nor have we assessed the impact of teacher gender diversity on student development or school environment. What matters most is the quality of teaching and care for students, and our teachers' ability to nurture every child holistically.”
“The Ministry of Education and SEAB have, thus far, not received reports of discrimination arising from the annotation. We will continue to gather feedback and review this practice regularly to ensure it achieves the intent.”
“Access Arrangements (AA) are granted to students with physical or learning disabilities to support them in sitting national examinations without compromising assessment objectives. National examinations are administered under standardised conditions to ensure a fair examination. Where AA require significant modification of these conditions, such as extra time, exemption from certain examination components or use of external assistance. The student's certificate would be annotated to reflect this. Annotations are not a reflection of the student's ability or potential. In the last five years, a total of about 4,500, or around 5%, of the Primary School leaving Examination, GCE "N", "O" and "A" level examination certificates were annotated due to AA per year. The AA annotation is displayed as a typographical symbol beside the subject on the examination certificate. Details of the AA provisions and any medical conditions are not indicated on the certificate and would not be shared by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). School postings and access to educational programmes and opportunities do not take this annotation into account. Employers are expected to abide by the fair employment principles set out by the Ministry of Manpower and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, which provide assurance that annotations are not used inappropriately to discriminate against students. The annotation policy reflects a balanced approach that supports students who require different examination arrangements for them to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and understanding, while preserving the fairness and integrity for all.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022. As announced earlier this year, MOE is reviewing the Primary 1 Registration Framework to further strengthen open access and to support a good social mix in our schools. We will share more details when the review is completed.”
“My response will address the Parliamentary Question raised by Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik on the reduction of Primary 1 places set down for today, as well as a related question raised by Assoc Prof Jamus Lim for a subsequent Sitting. The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the provision of Primary 1 places, taking into account factors including demographic trends and upcoming housing developments. While demand varies across schools depending on parents' preferences, MOE ensures that there are sufficient Primary 1 places for our children at both the national and regional levels. The adjustment to the Primary 1 intake for the upcoming Primary 1 Registration Exercise reflects the smaller cohort entering Primary 1 in 2027 and in the years ahead. This is also part of MOE's broader effort to manage the impact of falling school enrolment, minimising the need for school mergers, while maintaining a geographical spread of schools across Singapore. The adjustments help to ensure that our schools have sufficient student enrolment to offer a meaningful range of learning opportunities and programmes for their students. For Sengkang in particular, four of the 12 schools in Sengkang saw balloting at Phase 2C in last year's P1 Registration Exercise. However, the other eight schools in Sengkang had more than 650 places available during Phase 2C Supplementary. This was more than double the number of applicants who did not get a place in the four schools that balloted at Phase 2C. So, we expect there to be more than sufficient P1 places in Sengkang for the upcoming P1 Registration Exercise, even though some schools will continue to see balloting at Phase 2C.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised. Outdoor matches are scheduled during the cooler parts of the day as far as possible. During matches, water and rest breaks are provided, and teachers and coaches look out for signs of heat illness in student-athletes. MOE has included additional precautionary measures for periods of hotter weather. These include additional or longer water and rest breaks, and delaying or postponing the game, should the area's heat stress level be indicated as "High" on the National Environment Authority's myENV app.”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to oral Parliamentary Question Nos 2 to 5 on 6 May 2026. [Please refer to "Monitoring AI Use by Primary School Students", Official Report, 6 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 30, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's written answer to Oral Parliamentary Question No 88 on 5 May 2026. [Please refer to "Criteria for Inclusion of Sports in National School Games", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to Oral Parliamentary Question Nos 2 to 5 on 6 May 2026. [Please refer to "Monitoring AI Use by Primary School Students", Official Report, 6 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 30, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to Oral Parliamentary Question Nos 7 to 29 and Written Parliamentary Question Nos 41 to 49 on 5 May 2026. [Please refer to "Implementation of Guidelines from Comprehensive Action Review Against Bullying", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Oral Answers to Questions section; and "Disciplinary Framework Against Bullying in Schools", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“Singaporean students from lower- and middle-income families pursuing an undergraduate degree in our autonomous universities may apply for a Government bursary, which covers up to 75% of the subsidised tuition fees for general degree courses. The bursaries are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are adequate. In October 2025, we announced that the income eligibility threshold will be raised from Academic Year 2026, from the gross monthly household income of $10,000, to $12,000; and gross monthly household per capita income from $2,500, to $3,000. The autonomous universities also offer other financial assistance, on top of the Government bursaries provided. MENDAKI’s Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy complements broader national financial assistance schemes by providing additional means-tested subsidies for Malay students from lower- and middle-income households. There are no plans for other self-help groups to offer a similar scheme. The Government continues to welcome private organisations and individuals, social service agencies and self-help groups to provide additional assistance to meet the needs of specific communities or groups of students in their pursuit of higher education.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has shared guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education with all institutes of higher learning (IHLs). These guidelines cover the use of AI in teaching and assessment, as well as how AI use should be aligned with learning outcomes. For details on these guidelines, Members may refer to the response to Question Nos 41 and 42 for oral answer in the 24 September 2025 Order Paper. [Please refer to "Guidelines Encouraging Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools", Official Report, 24 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 4, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] In line with MOE's guidelines, the IHLs use AI for assessment in a careful and calibrated manner. Before being deployed, AI grading tools are validated for reliability to ensure that the assessment outcomes reflect the intended mastery by students. More importantly, educators retain responsibility for the final grading decision by remaining in-the-loop during the assessment process and reviewing individual assessment outcomes. Educators must also inform their students when AI is used in assessments and communicate the grading criteria clearly. In line with prevailing Government guidelines for data governance, all IHLs have institutional safeguards to protect the confidentiality of student data. For instance, only institutionally approved AI platforms are used for AI-assisted assessment, and all personal identifiers are removed from student work before it is processed by AI grading systems.”
“Government-supported preschools, such as the Ministry of Education (MOE) Kindergartens (MKs), anchor operators and partner operators provide preschoolers with access to affordable and quality early childhood education. As part of the Early Childhood Development Agency's (ECDA's) planning for preschool places across Singapore, MOE regularly reviews our plans for MKs with ECDA. When planning where to site MKs, MOE and ECDA consider various factors, including projected resident birth cohort, existing supply of preschool places and enrolment trends in each area. MOE and ECDA will continue to monitor preschool needs to enable access to affordable and quality preschools, and welcome feedback from parents and caregivers on the location of MKs.”
“The sports ecosystem caters to students of different ability levels. Students can pursue their sporting interests and development through a variety of competition platforms – from inter-class games in school, the School Sports Fiesta and competitions organised by ActiveSG and National Sports Associations, to the National School Games (NSG). These platforms offer students varied opportunities to compete, grow and excel in sport. Between 2019 and 2024, the NSG's competition and event formats were refined at the primary and lower secondary levels to be more developmentally appropriate and to reduce emphasis on rankings. For example, students in the youngest age division no longer compete for divisional championships. For primary and lower secondary students, teams compete against others of similar ability in their respective leagues, thus encouraging broader participation. The Ministry of Education (MOE) resources schools equitably and gives them the autonomy to shape their programmes based on their student profiles and interests. Some schools may channel more resources to certain sports while others may have other priorities. Differences in sporting performance across schools are to be expected, given the differences in student enrolment and programming priorities at the school level. MOE will work with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth to strengthen various sporting platforms to benefit students across all levels of ability and interest.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has conducted a comprehensive review to ensure that our educators' overall salary package remains market competitive. The salary adjustments of 2% to 9%, which we announced in March 2026, are determined based on the gap between the salary and the corresponding market benchmark at each grade. MOE will continue to conduct periodic salary reviews to keep educator compensation competitive. Beyond salary adjustments, MOE has broadened recruitment outreach to fresh graduates and mid-careerists, and continues to offer teaching scholarships and awards. MOE and the National Institute of Education are also shortening the Postgraduate Diploma in Education from 16 to 12 months from 2027, enabling faster entry into the classroom without compromising quality. Together, these efforts have contributed to recruiting more than 1,300 teachers in 2025, up from 600 in 2023.”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's written answer to oral Parliamentary Question No 88 on 5 May 2026. [Please refer to "Criteria for Inclusion of Sports in National School Games", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has not observed any significant increase in online content that mocks or rates educators. The occurrence of such content is generally low. MOE takes all forms of harassment against our educators and staff seriously. This includes online harassment. When our educators and staff encounter harassment whilst carrying out their duties, they should inform their school leaders or MOE for advice and support. MOE maintains a zero-tolerance stance against such behaviours and will act to address them. When our educators or staff face sustained or malicious harassment, MOE and the school may seek police assistance and pursue legal action to protect them. This includes invoking the Protection from Harassment Act and Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act in the case of harmful or sustained online harassment. Beyond these protective measures, we will continue to promote respectful communication and positive role-modelling within the school community. Our schools will also continue to teach how to express respect in person and online, including discernment in following trends. Creating a safe and supportive environment for our educators and staff requires collective effort from all stakeholders.”
“The Ministry of Education and the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) are reviewing the SSSC Colours Award Framework and will consider how student-athletes from Government and community-funded special education schools who represent Singapore at key sports events can be recognised.”
“The Graduate Employment Survey (GES) tracks the proportion of graduates employed in jobs related to their field of study. From 2017 to 2024, this proportion has gradually increased and remained high, with about eight in 10 graduates in full-time permanent employment reporting they were in jobs related to their field of study. The pilot conducted by the polytechnics in 2019 polled graduates from the polytechnic class of 2014. The results suggest that they were doing well in the labour market, with more than nine in 10 of those in the labour force being employed. Sixty-four percent of graduates in full-time permanent employment were in jobs related to their course of study. Among those in full-time permanent jobs unrelated to their original course of study, 14 percentage points had completed further studies in a different field. Furthermore, the median salaries of those in full-time permanent employment had risen from $2,100 in 2014 to $3,300 five years after graduation. Similar tracer surveys have been extended to the autonomous universities and the Institute of Technical Education.”
“The financial literacy study is one of several optional instruments in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most PISA-participating systems, including Singapore, do not opt for it. We are mindful in our choice of PISA options to avoid overloading our schools and students with international benchmarking studies. The Ministry of Education and MoneySense, our national financial education programme, regularly monitor our students' and youths' financial literacy levels. Our surveys show that most secondary school students have age-appropriate financial literacy, such as knowing the difference between needs and wants, understanding concepts like compound interest and inflation and appreciating the importance of saving and budgeting.”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to oral Parliamentary Question Nos 7 to 29 and written Parliamentary Question Nos 41 to 49 on 5 May 2026. [Please refer to "Implementation of Guidelines from Comprehensive Action Review Against Bullying", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Oral Answers to Questions section; and "Disciplinary Framework Against Bullying in Schools", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to oral Parliamentary Question on 12 November 2024. [Please refer to "Assistance for School Canteen Vendors to Offset Rising Costs", Official Report, 12 November 2024, Vol 95, Issue 146, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“This question has been addressed by the Ministry of Education's answer to oral Parliamentary Question Nos 7 to 29 and written Parliamentary Question Nos 41 to 49 on 5 May 2026. [Please refer to "Implementation of Guidelines from Comprehensive Action Review Against Bullying", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Oral Answers to Questions section; and "Disciplinary Framework Against Bullying in Schools", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“The Engineering and Tech Programme Scholarship (ETPS) develops and encourages pre-university students to pursue engineering and technology courses and careers. In evaluating the ETPS, the Ministry of Education (MOE) reviews the progression of scholars into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related university courses, as well as the impact of the ETPS on their interest in STEM-related careers. There are early indications of the positive impact of the ETPS. The first batch of scholars graduated at the end of 2024. Among those who have accepted a university course, about 90% chose STEM-related university courses. We will continue to monitor the outcomes of subsequent cohorts of scholars. Since its introduction, around 600 students have applied for the ETPS each year, with about 200 applicants awarded annually. MOE will continue to review the ETPS, including the number of scholarships to be awarded.”
“When a student sustains an injury, school staff will administer first aid and promptly contact the student's parents. For emergency cases, where there are visible signs of serious injury, such as breathlessness, wounds with profuse bleeding or head injury, school staff will call for the Singapore Civil Defence Force emergency ambulance immediately and notify parents promptly. For non-emergency cases, where there are no visible signs of serious injury, schools may arrange for the student to be brought to a doctor at a nearby clinic or be conveyed to a hospital. Such decisions will be made in consultation with the student's parents.”
“Approximately 70% of secondary schools and 10% of primary schools start later than 7.30 am on at least one day per week. The Ministry of Education gives our schools the autonomy to decide on their start time, no earlier than 7.30 am. Schools consider various factors when determining their start times. These include student profiles, after-school and inter-school programmes, transport provisions and local transport situations. Where feasible in a school's context, the school may adopt a later start time. The Member may wish to also refer to past replies to Parliamentary Questions related to school start time.”
“Thank you, Speaker. In my earlier answer to Ms Eileen Chong when she raised a supplementary question on AI in school, I mentioned in my response that AI tools on SLS are used only in the classroom and not at home. That is the case for the younger ones in primary school. But for secondary schools, some SLS assignments can involve the direct use of AI by students. The rest of my answer still holds. Thank you.”
“Certainly, at the primary school level and lower secondary, the use of AI tools are MOE-developed and used in the context of SLS. Of course, we have, through iCON for upper secondary school students, NotebookLM, which is available to upper secondary school students and for which we are monitoring its usage. But through the MOE-developed tools, we are mindful of its safety, its quality of output, its fitness for pedagogical use and of course, in making sure that we avoid infringements of IP and other IP rights. But ultimately, because some of the more general purpose tools, or for that matter, educational AI tools that are outside the SLS, are trained on a wider universe of knowledge and information; that the AI literacy that is taught to our children all the way till when they are young adults and all the way through the institutes of higher learning, this element of prompting, prompt engineering or usage of the tool in a way that respects IP rights that does not cause offence and that does not infringe the law. All these are things that we need to build in as part of AI literacy all through life.”
“I think MDDI, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and MOE had given some recommendations and guidelines in 2025 on digital usage and use of technology at home and with children. Some of that will be a useful reference for all of us as parents and as a community. But indeed, having that conversation early with your child about what AI is – because it can be embedded in your toys, online, it is available if the children have access to it at home and in the community. So, that conversation has to start early. In fact, while we start using AI for learning and allow our children to use AI tools in SLS under supervision from Primary 4, but for AI literacy from MOE's perspective, we start from Primary 1. I just came back from China last week and previously, I went to Estonia to see their AI leap in action. And in China, for instance, they start at age six, AI literacy as well as basic awareness of its growing pervasiveness throughout, like in toys and other things, so that there is literacy and understanding, and it is done in an age-appropriate way. And I think, as parents, I know it is a lot on our plate, but we want to be able to do our best for our children and guide them as they interact with all these things at home and in their toys and so on. So, I think that is a conversation that is best started as young as possible.”
“So, that is a partnership we must tap on and continue to build, particularly when it comes to supporting them on appropriate AI use.”
“That is an argument or that is a point that is evergreen. It is not just about AI. It is about the children in less privileged backgrounds not having the same amount of scaffolding and support at home and outside school on a whole range of issues. We have different approaches to handling that – the MOE Opportunity Fund, we have ComLink, we have Gift-A-Family, we have many other schemes that involve deep partnership with the community. And so, I mentioned in school how we have supervision or teacher-supervised usage of AI tools, and that applies to all the students, particularly younger ones. As they leave school and go home and start using some of these tools – because SLS can only be used in the classroom when it comes to AI tools – then, the risks of them using other tools that are free-for-use on the Internet and how do we ensure that outside the classroom, there is supervision and support? So, the AI literacy that we build in all through a student's learning journey, guides them and helps to build in them that consciousness about appropriate AI usage. We hope, of course, that that is the best defence – that the child imbibes it, understands it, regardless of their socioeconomic status, they learn about it and then outside the school environment, and all through life, they are mindful of its appropriate usage. But then for the younger ones in the community and at home, partnership with parents is important, regardless of background. But we endeavour to work closely with the community. And so, we have homework support in different community groups, we have self-help groups that come in to provide support for children over and beyond what is available in school; and many other groups that come in to support our children.”
“I thank the Member. On his first point, he raised an example in The Straits Times article; and we will do better to make sure that in close partnership with our educators, we apply these AI usage principles and guidelines more effectively and consistently. Because some of these general purpose tools are not appropriate for children at particular age. There are terms of usage for the tool itself, not to mention our own requirements on the use of AI to scaffold learning, rather than impact it negatively. That is one. Second, I think the Member mentioned that some AI tools have age restrictions and if a teacher wants to use the tool in classroom, but the child is below age, we need parental consent. If the tool has an age restriction, then we will not use it for children below that age. Simple as that. Third, to let parents try out MOE's AI tools, like the Learning Feedback Assistant and so on. Let us take it back to see how we can do it in a meaningful way and scalable manner.”
“Because ultimately in higher learning and in the workplace, these tools will become ubiquitous. And so, we need to prepare our children well and not take an approach that lacks discrimination. So, that is key. And third on opting out, it depends. If it is an SLS enabled tool and is used in classroom learning, it is part of teaching and learning. It is part of teachers' blended approach and I think that will enable our teachers to be able to help our children learn the cognitive aspects, the foundational knowledge more deeply. If there are specific tools that are externally brought in where there is a parental consent element that we will then bring to the parents, then we will not allow the children to use those AI tools. But, so far, the use of AI in general teaching, blended approaches. It is like saying, I do not want my children to have a white board, I want a black board; I want print, but I do not want an overhead projector like in the past, or PowerPoint to be used. I think we must enable our teachers to be able to perform their role and this, of course, is subject to MOE guidance and good teaching or Singapore teaching practice.”
“So, that is a struggle that we all have to address as a whole of society approach; not just here in Singapore, but across the world. The Member's second question is about the Swedish reversal, to reverse their digital stance and to take away all these devices that they have given to the children – I believe at the age of five. A couple of years ago, they gave it out at the age of five. And they are reversing that, going back to analog. Some people say it is going back to analog. Our approach is blended. As I have said, we continue to have physical textbooks, we continue to have didactic teaching. We have a classroom phenomenon-based learning, experiential learning, learning journeys – very teacher-centric. And AI, as I said just now and I showed you that document, is a tool to enable learning. And so for us, we are mindful that if we do not draw the distinction between general AI tools versus specifically designed learning tools, or educational AI, then it might cause us to take a wrong policy approach in Singapore and not use AI at all. I think that would be a mistake. Because of the changes that are happening in the world, we should make use of AI to help our students learn, because they are going to use it anyway. Whether you supervise them or not, they will use it. It is available on the Internet, in your search engines they are there. You cannot switch it off; in some instances, in your general search tools. And it is far better to start AI literacy young and start getting our kids to use AI for learning in a highly scaffolded teacher supervised and of course, parents supervised way, and then as they grow older, when they start using these tools independently, that they have the principles and foundation to be able to build on it.”
“I think on the first point, we are ad idem. We want to make sure that in using AI tools, our children do not cognitively offload – and that is shorthand for saying that they rely on the AI as a crutch to deliver the answer, but not learn deeply, so they do not develop cognitively. And that is why in my earlier reply, I mentioned that the MOE tools that are used in SLS are teacher-supervised and the tools are structured in a way that they do not allow children to ask for spoon-fed answers. For example, the LEA mathematics. You try the SLS Mathematics question, guided by LEA Mathematics, it will not spoon-feed you the answer. Whereas general purpose AI tools, will. But these are not used in the MOE space in SLS, and it will then remind you to say, "No, this approach is wrong". It will prompt you. Some say it is a Socratic style, but it prompts you so that it causes you to go back and revisit the principle you have learnt and it will not spoon-feed you. So, that is the key. Of course, our concern for parents is that the children may use tools outside SLS at home, use general purpose tools to take shortcuts. And that is why the home-school partnership is so important. The partnership between parents and school, so that we both, parents and teachers, are educators of our children and can help guide our children in the use of AI for their homework. In school, we will guide, we will have AI literacy, we will teach our students when to use AI and when not to use AI. In our teaching approaches through SLS, we have used the AI tools for an educative purpose, but we need to guard against children using general purpose AI tools outside this teaching environment, which may cause them to cognitively offload.”
“That is the sole domain of our educators and our MOE staff. But we use it on the cognitive front to help our children. When it comes to children from more vulnerable families, if there are specific issues that may impact their use of AI in learning, then our schools will specifically support them and scaffold for them,”
“Indeed, the Member is right. We want to make sure that even as our children start to use AI tools for learning, or use AI tools for their schoolwork as they grow older, that it scaffolds and enhances cognitive development and metacognitive development, and not hobble it. So, independent learning, independent ability is an important part of AI in education. And our approach is one that — I have brought this document for everybody to take a look. This is our approach to AI in education and we have, as a guiding principle, number one, students at the centre: "keeping student learning as the goal and maintaining student agency". And principle number two is pedagogy first, which means "good teaching and learning must come first, enabled by skillful use of AI". These are two broad concepts, the heuristics that guide us and beneath that there are guidelines, principles and quick guides that enable us to adjust and adapt the use of AI in the classroom, as well as on SLS. With regard to students with special educational needs (SEN) and mental health, as I have said yesterday and previously, we have SEN officers in school. We have student school counsellors, we have teachers who are given basic foundational knowledge on how to support students with education needs. In the classroom as well as, under teacher supervision, the use of AI-enabled tools in SLS will continue to be under teachers' supervision, and for children with SEN, they will keep an eye out for them. Likewise, for children coming from more vulnerable families – AI in education, AI in SLS, AI in MOE schools is not used for affective or social emotional issues or social emotional learning. We do not use our chatbots or AI tools to check on students' well-being, or to help them build up social emotional skills.”
“Even as we prepare our students to be future ready, I want to assure parents and fellow Singaporeans that the use of AI in education seeks to be balanced and age-appropriate, and applied purposefully to support students' learning and development.”
“Many are already struggling with their children’s excessive screentime on smart phones and devices at home. Through the Parents Gateway and MOE’s social media platforms, we have been sharing with parents how schools use AI and how parents can support their children’s use of AI in their education journey. Some schools even meet parents at the start of the year or at different points in time, to engage them. The recent post titled “We answer: How your primary school child is learning with AI” on MOE social media is one example. Schools also share with parents how AI tools may be used in teaching and learning at the school level and provide avenues for parents to share their views on the use of AI tools. AI has been developing rapidly and is increasingly embedded into everyday systems around us. If we are not mindful, we may lose the consciousness in detecting the presence of, and influence that AI has in our decision making and ways of thinking, simply because it works so seamlessly. So, development of AI literacy is critical and must be timely. Education systems across the world are responding to this differently. Some systems like China, UAE and the United Kingdom (UK) have introduced AI – AI literacy, AI use – from Primary 1. Others like India or states in Australia and the United States (US), start at similar ages to Singapore, or slightly later. MOE has chosen to take a calibrated approach informed by the learning sciences, emerging research and studies conducted by practitioners and academics and ongoing exchanges with various countries. Our approach is therefore a dynamic one. As AI develops and more research is done, we will continue to calibrate and adjust our approach to the use of AI in education.”
“Besides the educational guardrails to ensure good learning, Data from students’ use of MOE-built AI tools is anonymised and not used to train external AI models that power these tools. When schools use commercial-off-the-shelf AI tools, they are required to check that the input data does not contain personal identifiable information and is in compliance with data management guidelines. Our teachers play a central role in harnessing AI effectively for student learning, and we have been equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to do so. For instance, we provide opportunities for our teachers to learn about AI, including the ethical and pedagogical considerations of its use, and its associated risks and limitations. We also facilitate the sharing of good practices on AI use amongst our educators. These include workshops and networked learning communities led by our Master Teachers as well as online sharing platforms. At MOE, we seek to keep up-to-date with international reports and how other systems are approaching the use of AI in education. We also fund projects that study how AI affects children’s development and learning. One example is the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study (SG-LEADS) by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), which will start to collect data in 2027. This research seeks to understand Singapore children’s AI usage patterns and how their AI usage affects their learning and well-being outcomes. But given how quickly AI is developing, we are also working with our schools to conduct short-term research to inform classroom practices in a timely manner. We know that some parents have misgivings about exposing their children at an early age to AI.”
“It is a programme which includes coding, computational thinking and introduction to AI, so that students appreciate AI’s benefits, risks and limitations, and understand how AI uses data to learn. Under Code for Fun, primary schools can also opt for two additional "AI for Fun" modules, each five hours, that delve further into generative AI and computer vision respectively. Schools will also teach students when they should not use AI, so that they do not take short cuts to get answers without actual learning. We want to provide our students with a school environment where they can develop good learning habits and understand the importance of upholding academic integrity. For example, some secondary schools may design tasks which allow students to use AI. In these situations, students must state where they have used AI and cite the sources of information. This helps to prepare them for post-secondary education where they will be expected to use AI far more heavily, in anticipation of what their future workplace might look like. However, if students pass off AI-generated content as their own, they will have to bear the consequences of academic dishonesty. National exams continue to be proctored and use of AI is prohibited. If students use AI as a shortcut for their daily work instead of learning deeply, they will not be able to demonstrate the levels of mastery expected during the exams. In cases where the use of AI is permitted in national exams, such as for coursework, Teacher Supervisors monitor students’ work such that AI use meets the objectives of the assessment. Educational AI tools made available by MOE have in-built safety guardrails to protect learners’ interest, privacy and well-being.”