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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“In the last five years, the proportion of students who are overweight and severely overweight1 across primary, secondary and pre-university levels have gradually dropped from 16% during COVID-19 in 2021 to pre-COVID-19 levels of 13% from 2023. This has remained stable since then. This proportion remains low compared to many other countries. Our schools adopt a holistic health promotion approach to improve the well-being of students and promote active and healthy lifestyles. Through Physical Education (PE) lessons, students are taught good health habits, such as healthy eating, how to exercise and learn a wide range of sports and outdoor activities. Through inter-class games, camps, unstructured play during recess, PE lessons and Co-curricular Activities, students have the opportunity to be active in school and cultivate habits for an active lifestyle. To complement efforts in schools, Grow Well SG, a multi-ministry health promotion strategy, was launched in January 2025. It promotes the formation of healthy habits, such as good nutrition, sleep, screen use and physical activity. Doing these well can help children maintain a healthy weight and, importantly, a healthy lifestyle beyond their time in school. As part of this strategy, every child receives a personalised Health Plan, which provides lifestyle prescriptions to raise awareness and drive behaviour change. The Health Promotion Board guides each child to consider key health behaviours as part of its annual School Health Screening programme and supports parents with resources and practical tips to cultivate good habits in their children. Successful weight management requires gradual and consistent lifestyle modifications.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) invests significant resources to support students from lower-income families to discover and nurture their interests and talents. For instance, MOE provides Opportunity Fund grants to schools for them to subsidise co-curricular development opportunities for students from low-income households. MOE also runs the Junior Sports Academy for primary school students who show sporting potential. Selection is based on general motor ability, with no prior sports training needed. The main objective of these efforts is to help students from lower-income families to discover their strengths and interests, which may lead to them applying for Direct School Admission (DSA), with the support of their schools. However, these efforts are not aimed at preparing them for DSA, as it is not the main pathway for students to gain admission to the next level of education. For DSA, our schools adopt a holistic approach to selection and consider factors such as a student's potential and personal qualities, beyond their demonstrated achievements. This approach recognises that talent can manifest differently depending on a student's background and opportunities.”
“Given that students' access to AI is not just confined to school, MOE has taken steps to develop students' AI literacy, as well as guide students on ethical and responsible use of AI so that they will use AI to benefit their learning. Teachers are trained to design and conduct lessons to help students acquire fundamental knowledge and develop higher order thinking skills. MOE provides in-service professional learning to equip teachers to use AI thoughtfully, grounded in pedagogical principles that enhance student engagement and learning. MOE continues to assess students' mastery of foundational concepts to ensure they can apply them without using AI. For example, proctored examinations that disallow AI use help ensure that students have strong fundamentals. Teachers' interactions with students also give them good knowledge of each student's learning progress to provide support when learning gaps are observed.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) provides guidance to schools to ensure that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) enhances, rather than undermines, teaching and learning, whilst guarding against cognitive atrophy. While MOE does not have Singapore data on correlation of student AI usage to cognitive atrophy, we are currently conducting studies on the impact of AI on students' learning. International research has shown that inappropriate or ill-structured use of AI by students can result in over-reliance, negatively impacting students' basic recall and understanding of simple concepts. This would, in turn, hamper the development of higher order thinking. Teachers therefore hold off the use of AI when our students are in the early stages of acquiring knowledge and skills, so that they develop strong foundations before they are introduced AI to augment their learning. For example, at lower primary levels, students learn best by using multiple senses to engage with real-world objects. Technology is therefore used lightly in the classroom, to prioritise hands-on inquiry, real-life explorations, and outdoor experience. AI is progressively introduced from Primary 4 with teachers' supervision. At the secondary level, students are equipped with personal learning devices and progressively use AI independently for learning. This is done through well-designed learning tasks, which allows students to benefit from the personalisation of learning offered by AI while guarding against cognitive outsourcing. Teachers are provided with MOE-developed AI tools, which are designed to be pedagogically sound and are accompanied by appropriate guardrails. These tools are in the Singapore Student Learning Space so that all students can access them to help empower their learning.”
“The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) was introduced to our mainstream schools as part of the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) effort to provide diversity in the education landscape. Unlike the GCE A-Level programme, the IBDP is not part of our national curricula. The MOE therefore does not review the IBDP curriculum. Nonetheless, we monitor developments in the IBDP and the outcomes of students taking the IBDP to ensure it remains relevant to our students. Students in our mainstream schools offering the IBDP consistently performed better than the global candidature. Almost all were awarded the IB Diploma. Beyond academics, IBDP students also reported positive perceptions of their schools' efforts to develop their 21st century competencies. There are currently no plans to extend the IBDP to more schools, as the GCE A-Level programme remains relevant as our national curriculum.”
“Based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, students from higher socio-economic status (SES) homes do better than peers from lower SES homes on average. This is true for all PISA participating systems, including Singapore, in all previous PISA studies. The statistically significant performance gaps in PISA between students from the bottom- and top-25% SES homes have remained largely stable in Singapore from 2012 to 2022.”
“When developing the Central Kitchen Meal Model (CKMM) for schools, the Ministry of Education (MOE) engaged a range of food operators, including Chang Cheng Group, Neo Group Limited, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Foodfare, SATS Food Services and Wilmar International, to understand their operational capabilities. Some of the operators eventually participated in our open tender exercise for the provision of school meals. MOE also engaged the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to learn from SAF's experience in working with food operators. MOE's CKMM is designed with our students in mind, and our requirements differ from SAF's requirements in some areas. This includes allowing parents and students to independently choose and purchase meals and meeting the dietary and nutritional requirements of children. Where relevant, MOE's CKMM incorporates elements of the SAF's model, where operators are required to design, equip and operate school canteen facilities. MOE will continue to explore different options that best serve our students' needs and continuously refine our CKMM. The intent is not to scale up CKMM to all schools, but to offer it to schools that have severe difficulties of getting stall holders to provide meals at the canteen.”
“The Applied Learning Programme (ALP) in schools provides opportunities for students to develop 21st Century Competencies (21CC) by applying their learning in real-world contexts. Schools may adopt different problem-solving approaches, of which Design Thinking is one. Through the ALP, students develop 21CC, such as civic literacy and interpersonal skills, as they consider diverse users' perspectives and solve real-world problems. As students work in teams to define problems and generate solutions, they also develop collaboration, critical and inventive thinking skills. Schools collaborate with external partners, including industry partners, Institutes of Higher Learning and other external organisations to create authentic learning contexts for students. About a third of them have participated in external-partnered design challenges. As 21CC is developed through different learning experiences, including academic subjects and co-curricular activities, it would be difficult to isolate and evaluate the impact of a single programme. Instead, the Ministry of Education monitors students' 21CC development through avenues, such as internal studies, commissioned research and international benchmarking studies.”
“This question has been addressed by the written answer to oral Parliamentary Question Nos 30 to 31 on 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Stages when Students in Mainstream Schools are Assessed for Special Educational Needs and Support to Help These Students Prepare for School", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Students from primary to pre-university levels attend Cyber Wellness lessons, which are part of the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum. These lessons equip them with age-appropriate skills to be safe and responsible users online. Through Cyber Wellness lessons, students also learn that some online games feature gambling-like elements. At upper primary, they learn about self-control, particularly to resist over-spending on in-game purchases. At the secondary level, students learn to identify and guard against the risks associated with online gaming and gaming mechanics. These topics are core elements of the Cyber Wellness curriculum and are not optional. However, the specific lessons to help students understand the mechanics and risks of loot boxes and how to navigate such risks are currently taught in Secondary 5, and we intend to bring it earlier to lower secondary. Children take time to develop self-management and control. Parents play a key role in guiding and monitoring their child's online activities as well as controlling their on-line purchases. Schools will continue to work with parents to guide their children and protect them from online harms.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not track the proportion of Primary 3 to 6 students receiving private tuition, broken down by subjects. Based on the latest Household Expenditure Survey 2023 by the Department of Statistics, resident households spent on average $104.80 a month on private tuition. MOE does not use these indicators to evaluate the sufficiency of school-based learning, as learning is influenced by multiple factors in and outside of school, and the reasons for taking up tuition vary.”
“In general, training demand reflects the skills that are sought after in the labour market. As at end-2025, the most popular courses using the SkillsFuture Credit were in the areas of Information and Communication, Transportation and Storage, Advertising, Sales and Marketing, and Food and Beverages. We do not track SkillsFuture Credit utilisation by an individual's income or housing type. Our observation is that adult learners prefer courses that are able to accommodate their busy schedules, such as online learning. In addition, we have measures, such as the training allowance, to help mid-careerists acquire skills that require substantive, longer-form training. To help individuals make well-informed training choices that match their job requirements or desired career pathway, SkillsFuture Singapore works with community partners, the Labour Movement and self-help groups to raise awareness of the SkillsFuture movement and how to use SkillsFuture initiatives purposefully, including to individuals who are less digitally savvy. Through these efforts, we aim to better support individuals in taking up relevant training courses, including when using their SkillsFuture Credit.”
“From 2024 to 2025, around 17% of SkillsFuture Credit (Base-Tier) claims were for online subscription-based learning packages. The subscriptions are generally valid for a period of up to one year and learners can access the content at their own pace. SkillsFuture Singapore is in discussion with the online learning providers, on the sharing of information regarding subscribers' usage patterns, to better understand their interests and learning needs. The SkillsFuture Credit is one way that we support Singaporeans in their lifelong learning journey. We encourage individuals to take ownership of their skills development, and to plan and decide how they can use their SkillsFuture Credit meaningfully.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not collect such data. The flexible work arrangements vary in approach, length of time and operational needs of schools. MOE's approach to supporting teacher well-being while prioritising students learning needs is to provide guidelines to all schools and give School Leaders the autonomy to make local decisions that meet both operational needs and the well-being needs of teachers. Notwithstanding this, there are channels for staff to provide feedback on the implementation of flexible work arrangements in their schools. This can be through the regular staff engagements surveys that we conduct or through the unions. MOE encourages School Leaders to support teachers' requests for flexible working arrangements where feasible. This includes reporting later at the start of the school day or leaving earlier before the end of the school day if they have no lessons or duties and flexibility for teachers to attend online meetings at home where feasible. Teachers in most secondary schools, junior colleges and Millenia Institute get to work from home on at least one Home-Based Learning day per term.”
“The Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) are an integral part of a holistic education aimed at developing our students' character, skills and values. The primary schools in the pilot study were able to allocate students to their CCA choices without selection trials. Today, about two-thirds of primary schools do not conduct CCA selection trials. Most of the remaining schools conduct trials only for a few CCAs that are oversubscribed, keeping the enrolment manageable to ensure a quality learning experience for students. Schools customise their CCA offerings to best fit their student profiles and available resources. Many already provide recreational options. Schools also work with SportSG to provide additional recreational sports opportunities, such as the Sports Education Programme and the recently launched School Sports Fiesta, as enrichment beyond regular CCAs. Students also have many opportunities to learn and play a range of sports during Physical Education classes and during unstructured play at recess. We will continue to strengthen our CCA system, to ensure meaningful development opportunities for all students.”
“The Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) is open to all GCE O-level certificate holders, including private candidates, who meet the age requirements and eligibility criteria. Candidates are treated the same under the JAE, based on the prevailing posting framework whether they are school or private candidates. However, those who were previously admitted to a course in Junior College (JC), Millenia Institute, polytechnic or the Institute of Technical Education can only apply for courses in other institution types when they participate in subsequent JAE. We encourage candidates seeking admission to a JC to participate in the JAE. Under the JAE, all candidates who are eligible for JC and select a JC course as their first choice will be posted to a JC with remaining vacancies if they are unsuccessful in all their course choices. Those who meet the JC eligibility criteria but do not participate in the JAE can apply directly to a JC but will be limited to any remaining places after the JAE.”
“I would encourage the Member or all Members who know of these groups to link them up with the ComLink Alliance Working Group in every town where there are rental flats or where there are families supported under ComLink+, there will be an Alliance Working Group. Please link them up so that the alliance of SSAs and Government agencies, including our schools who are represented, can better coordinate these efforts so that nobody works in a silo. The Member's third question is whether the support through UPLIFT in our schools that contribute to for the overall ComLink+ efforts nation-wide, whether they support only academics. I would say they provide support for the holistic development and enrichment of our children in our schools. Some of our after-school support does not just cover academic or homework support. They also provide mentoring, they provide learning journeys, interest-based activities like photography, sports, arts and so on. In that regard, in school as well as outside school, our community partners also provide not just academic support but holistic development.”
“I thank the Member for his questions. The first question he asked is what to make of the data that MSF had put out, which incorporates the enrolment, attendance and the progression outcomes for children from ComLink families who are in school. I would say that it is a result of the efforts to provide holistic wrap-around through integration of support from various agencies and SSAs, as well as community groups and corporates. It is more data driven, there is a family coach, there are colleagues in the schools brought in, such as special education needs officers, student welfare officers and so on, better to support the children, but also link up with the agencies and SSAs supporting the family. Because often the challenges that the student faces is not necessarily just limited in school, but also relate to challenges they face at home and in the community. We, of course, want to keep assessing the impact of our school-based programmes. Each partner in the ComLink Alliance Working Group will need to continuously assess the efficacy of the programmes that they bring to bear into the overall ComLink efforts. For our schools, we look at the impact of the extra resourcing we provide, the support in schools through, say, after-school support, and of course the partners that we bring into the schools through the Opportunity Fund and other programmes in order for them to support our children in school. The second question, if I recall the Member is asking is, that there are community groups that do homework club support and mentoring support, and what more can MOE do to coordinate? Am I right?”
“Mr Speaker, the work of the Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce (UPLIFT) has been scaled up through integration with ComLink+, which is a whole-of-society effort led by the Government to provide comprehensive, convenient and coordinated support for lower-income families with children. According to the latest available data, in 2023 and 2024, about 70% of ComLink+ families with school-going children had all children attending school regularly and progressing to post-secondary education institutions. More detailed data is publicly available in the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF's) “Supporting Lower-Income Households Trends Report”. As ComLink+ was launched recently in 2023, we will need more time to observe trends arising from efforts under ComLink+.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's oral reply to Question Nos 14 to 20 on 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Enhancing Food Safety Measures Following Recent Gastroenteritis Cases at Primary Schools and Incentives for Operators of School Canteens", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) has no plans to set up new international schools with Singaporean curriculum in Southeast Asia. When Singaporeans move abroad, their children can apply for Leave of Absence from their school. While they are overseas, they can access online learning resources to keep abreast with the local curriculum. This can ease their eventual transition back to our education system. When they return to Singapore, they can be readmitted to the school directly. For those who need to apply to the next level of school (for example, secondary school or junior college), MOE also supports their placement into our mainstream schools.”
“The SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance supports mid-career substantive training up to the undergraduate degree level. There are no plans to extend the Training Allowance to postgraduate programmes at this juncture. We will continue to monitor the need for postgraduate upgrading and adjust our level of support accordingly. Mid-career Singaporeans can use their SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) of $4,000 to offset the out-of-pocket training fees for postgraduate programmes offered by the Autonomous Universities. Individuals can also apply for sectoral sponsorships and school-based study awards.”
“The percentages of General Certificate of Education (GCE) "Normal" (Technical) (N(T)) Level students who obtained grade D or better and GCE "Normal" (Academics) (N(A)) Level students who obtained grade 5 or better in the core subjects of English Language (EL), Mother Tongue Language (MTL) and Mathematics have remained consistently high from 2023 to 2025. About nine in 10 GCE N(T) Level students achieved grade D or better in EL and MTL respectively, while about eight in 10 achieved grade D or better in Mathematics. More than nine in 10 GCE N(A) Level students achieved grade 5 or better in EL and Mathematics respectively, while more than eight in 10 achieved grade 5 or better in MTL.”
“The percentages of General Certificate of Education "O" Level students who obtained grade C6 or better in the core subjects of English Language, Mother Tongue Languages and Mathematics have remained consistently high from 2023 to 2025. In each of these subjects, about nine in 10 students achieved grade C6 or better.”
“In our primary school classrooms, English Language teachers adopt a balanced approach of contextualised and explicit teaching of English. Our students learn English through engaging stories and texts, complemented by direct instruction in grammar and vocabulary. Reading and writing are interwoven with oracy activities where students get to speak more extensively than in the past. The shifts in pedagogy over the decades and wider use of English in homes have led to increased confidence in spoken communication and stronger reading literacy among our students. Our Primary 4 students' reading literacy scores in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) have shown steady improvement over the past 20 years. However, enjoyment of reading among our students has declined based on the PIRLS Study between 2016 and 2021. This trend is also observed globally. Reading widely and for enjoyment is important for language development. Broader shifts from reading to other forms of entertainment are challenges to sustaining the reading habit. The Ministry of Education will continue to partner schools, public libraries and parents to sustain the joy of reading in students.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's reply to Oral Question No 74 on 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Number of Bidders for School Bus Service Contracts for SPED Schools", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“These questions have been addressed in my response on the school canteen and Central Kitchen Meal Model at the Parliamentary Sitting on 3 February 2026, which will be made available on the Ministry of Education's website. [Please refer to "Enhancing Food Safety Measures Following Recent Gastroenteritis Cases at Primary Schools and Incentives for Operators of School Canteens", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“Under SkillsFuture, our autonomous universities deliver training programmes with funding from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to meet different upskilling and reskilling needs. These include curated, short training programmes that focus on emerging skills, SkillsFuture Career Transition Programmes, as well as full qualifications and stackable micro-credentials. To tighten the nexus between skills demand and training supply, SkillsFuture Singapore regularly monitors labour market skills needs and provides jobs and skills insights, tools and resources through the Jobs-Skills Portal. SkillsFuture Singapore provides a range of training support, to help Singaporeans develop to their full potential throughout life. At the age of 25, all Singaporeans receive an opening SkillsFuture Credit of $500, which does not expire and can be used for a wide range of skills-based courses. When they reach 40, Singaporeans receive further training support under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, in the form of additional credits and the Training Allowance, to pursue a substantive skills reboot, to help them stay competitive in a rapidly changing economy. This structured approach to training support recognises that learning needs may evolve throughout one's career. The Career and Skills Passport, a joint career health initiative between Ministry of Manpower and MOE/SSG, also serves as a personal skills account for every adult Singaporean to track his acquisition of skills through upskilling and work experience. SSG has started to develop personalised training advisories based on this passport, to provide structured guidance to the individual throughout his working life.”
“Based on the Graduate Employment Survey, the median starting salary for Engineering graduates was $4,400 and $2,800 for autonomous university and polytechnic graduates, respectively, in 2023. This is higher than the median starting salary of $4,295 for autonomous university graduates in general and comparable to the median starting salary of $2,800 for polytechnic graduates in the same year. The Ministry of Education does not track the number of Engineering graduates who entered non-engineering roles within three years of graduation. Remuneration and career progression opportunities in any sector reflect the market demand for specific skillsets. The respective sector agencies will continue to work with industry to build up their talent pipelines and address sector-specific manpower needs. Our institutes of higher learning will work with these agencies and industry to ensure that the curriculum remains industry relevant and support the upskilling initiatives.”
“The polytechnics will continue to support graduates who have difficulties securing employment through the provision of education and career guidance support services, such as career coaching and employment facilitation support. Graduates can also approach Workforce Singapore and National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute career centres for additional assistance. Sectoral initiatives, such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority's TechSkills Accelerator for Institute of Technical Education and Polytechnics Alliance, will also provide graduates with industry-relevant training that will enhance their employability.”
“My response will also address written Question No 49 in the Order paper for the Sitting on 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Rise in Involuntary Part-time or Temporary Employment among Fresh Polytechnic Graduates from 2023 to 2025", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Written Answers to Questions section.] Employment rates are affected by various factors, including economic and labour market conditions. Some fluctuations in employment rates year-on-year are to be expected. In the last ten years, polytechnic graduate outcomes have remained stable, with around nine in 10 graduates securing employment within six months after graduation. The proportion of polytechnic graduates in involuntary part-time or temporary employment has also remained stable at about 3% over the past ten years. That said, 2022-2023 marked a high in the employment rate for polytechnic graduates, in line with a post-pandemic surge in hiring. The number of job vacancies has moderated from the post-pandemic peak, driven by reduced churn and slower hiring and reflects a more cautious hiring sentiment amid broader economic uncertainty and geopolitical developments. While there continue to be entry-level job opportunities for fresh graduates, some outward-oriented sectors, such as information and communications, saw more subdued hiring compared to previous years due to the uncertain global economic environment. In comparison with other course clusters, the information and digital technologies and engineering course clusters had a marginally higher percentage of students who applied for jobs but did not receive any full-time permanent job offers within six months after graduation.”
“The Primary One Registration Framework balances a number of factors, including the convenience of having the younger sibling attend the same school as the older sibling, ties that the parents have to the school, proximity to home and providing access to those without ties to the school. From 2020 to 2024, in schools that balloted at Phase 2B, on average about one-third of their primary one cohort were admitted via Phase 1, one-third via Phase 2A and the remaining one-third via Phases 2B and 2C. As I had shared recently in an interview, Ministry of Education is reviewing the Primary 1 Registration Framework to enhance access to primary schools for students of different backgrounds.”
“Our schools provide common spaces for students of different backgrounds to interact with one another, learn together and forge shared formative experiences. These help to undergird the foundations of a "we first" society in Singapore. While the majority of primary schools have a good distribution of students from different backgrounds, some schools may have a larger proportion of students from similar backgrounds. For some, this could be due to the neighbourhood where the school is located. For others, it might be due to alumni priority of parents under Phase 2A. As a result, children in these schools may have fewer opportunities to interact and learn with children from other backgrounds. To this end, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has been studying ways to support social mixing among students across schools. In a 14 January Parliamentary reply, MOE had shared how we have introduced cluster-based co-curricular activities to bring together students from different schools to pursue common interests. We are also reviewing the Primary 1 Registration Framework to enhance access to our primary schools for students of different backgrounds.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not dictate the proportion of schoolwork to be done in school or at home. Based on the teachers' professional judgement and the students' learning needs, teachers may include class work as part of a lesson or assign work to be done at home to reinforce learning. Schools have homework guidelines to keep homework purposeful and manageable. MOE monitors the implementation of these guidelines at the system level. Based on our findings, all schools have a homework policy which articulates the objectives of homework and how homework load is monitored and regulated. Schools review their homework guidelines regularly to calibrate homework load, with due consideration for student learning and well-being. For pre-schools, the involvement of families in their children's learning is key. As such, home-based activities, such as take-home activity kits, may be provided in preschools. This encourages families to extend their children's learning at home and to foster family bonding and interactions. Our Institutes of Higher Learning also have their respective academic policies and guidelines to ensure that student workload is appropriate and aligned to learning outcomes.”
“The autonomous universities (AUs) are committed to supporting our national athletes in balancing their sporting and academic pursuits. The AUs customise academic support for student athletes based on their specific circumstances. For instance, student athletes can arrange for their examinations to be taken before or after their overseas trainings or competitions, where feasible. Alternative assessment arrangements may also be considered, including online assignments or testing, as well as the use of pre-recorded presentations. These athlete-friendly practices have been set out in a memorandum of understanding signed between the AUs and the Singapore Sports School in April 2025.”
“Mr Speaker, for the first question, the cut-off point, there are two – one is the historical cut-off point, which is the cut-off point from the last balloting exercise, and then the cut-off point for the current exercise, which is dependent on the number of students applying and their scores, and then you look at the last available student going in, and then you derive that cut-off point. It varies, could be varied by one to two points, depends on each year's exercise. So, in a way, each school's balloting rate depends ultimately on school choices and students' decisions, and DSA numbers and the kinds of students and numbers of students they admit each year. Having said that, it is linked to the Member's second point, and the Ministry will certainly study all of these suggestions and more.”
“Mr Speaker, the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise operates on merit, with students achieving a better Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) score receiving priority for their preferred schools. Under the Achievement Levels (AL) scoring system, more students will have identical scores. When two or more students have identical scores and are competing for the last available vacancy at a school, the Ministry of Education (MOE) applies tie-breakers in the following order: the student's citizenship status, then the student's ranking of that school in their choices and finally, computerised balloting if needed. In the 2025 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, around one in 10 students underwent computerised balloting. This has been stable over the last few years. MOE does not track the number of students who were not successful despite meeting the cut-off point for a school, as this number can vary widely for individual schools each year, depending on students' choice. Instead, MOE tracks the percentage of students who were placed in a school amongst their top six choices. Since 2021, more than eight in 10 students were posted to a school within one of their top three choices, and more than nine in 10 to a school within their six choices.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's oral reply to Parliamentary Question Nos 14 to 20 on 3 February 2026.”
“Our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are committed to supporting our national athletes in balancing their sporting and academic pursuits. Student-athletes in schools may apply for Leave of Absence (LOA) if they need extended time away from school to focus on training or competition. School fees are waived but a nominal LOA fee may be imposed to defray the school’s administrative cost. IHLs offer flexible arrangements for athletes, such as LOA, where necessary. Student athletes who apply for an LOA in advance and defer their candidature due to training or competitions will not incur additional fees. Schools and IHLs may provide further financial support for student athletes, if necessary, based on their individual circumstances.”
“Students in Special Education (SPED) schools have moderate-to-severe Special Educational Needs and require specialised support and curriculum customisation to cater to their diverse needs. As the range of needs is broad and diverse in SPED, students in SPED learn essential knowledge, skills and attributes that can help them live independently to the best of their ability. Of the approximately 500 SPED graduates each year from 2022 to 2024, about half were placed into employment in open or supported settings, enrolled in internship programmes or progressed to institutes of higher learning within six months of graduation. Those employed found jobs in sectors, such as retail, horticulture and hospitality. SPED graduates with higher needs may proceed to services, such as sheltered workshops and day activity centres, to develop skills for community living. The Ministry of Education works with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable to study the outcomes and experiences of persons with disabilities, which are reported through publications, such as the Disability Trends Report 2024, which reports holistically on a range of outcomes, including employment. The recently launched inter-agency Taskforce on Assurance for Families with persons with disabilities will study how to better support persons with disabilities, including SPED graduates, to achieve positive and sustained employment outcomes. More information on the Taskforce's findings and recommendations will be shared in due course.”
“In mainstream schools, students receive developmentally appropriate support based on their needs, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis. This includes targeted programmes and interventions, such as TRANsition Support for InTegration (TRANSIT) offered in primary schools. In exceptional cases where a student shows significant difficulties in adapting to their learning environment even with school support, parents may choose to engage a transition aide in consultation with the school to provide in-class assistance as interim support, which the Ministry of Education refers to as Transition Aide Support. Transition Aide Support is a planned, time-bound process with defined targets and roles that helps students develop skills and work habits, adjust to new routines in mainstream learning environments and build independence during specific transition periods. The aide must work closely with teachers to enable the student to participate in the main classroom activities. We do not support the engagement of transition aides for extended periods of time, as students who need such prolonged support will be more appropriately placed and supported in Special Education schools. For families who are unable to engage a transition aide, their children will receive school-based support and other additional measures as necessary, including in-class or pull-out support by Special Educational Needs Officers.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's reply to oral Parliamentary Question Nos 30 and 31 on 3 February 2026.”
“The Ministry of Education will provide an answer to this question, together with other questions which have been filed on this topic, at the next available opportunity.”
“Over the past decade, an average of about 6,000 PhD students have been enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses in the autonomous universities (AUs) annually. The proportion of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents has been stable at around one-third of the PhD student population. About 90% of the STEM PhD students in the AUs are Government-Funded through tuition fee subsidies and stipends. Singapore Citizens receive the highest level of funding to reflect the privileges of citizenship. For example, Singapore Citizens receive $4,300 per month in stipends, compared to $3,900 for Permanent Residents and $3,500 for international students. The PhD students carry out teaching and research supervision duties at the AUs as a service obligation. These students serve out their service obligation during their PhD candidature.”
“Of the approximately 2,880 Singaporean children who did not participate in the 2025 Primary One Registration Exercise, 885 applied for Special Education (SPED) schools. Of this, 864 applicants have been offered places. We are still processing the remaining 21 applications, which were received mostly in November and December 2025. The average time between the application date and the date that the child is offered a place is six months. However, the wait time can be longer if we need to identify an alternative school due to vacancy constraints, or when further professional advice is sought to ensure that the child is placed in a suitable SPED school which meets the child's needs. In particular, as demand for a SPED school children with autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability have grown significantly, children with this profile may face longer wait times. The existing 26 SPED schools have been expanding their capacity to increase student enrolment. We will further expand SPED school capacity and will continue to work closely with social service agencies operating our SPED schools to attract, retain and develop our SPED educators.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's oral reply to Parliamentary Question Nos 14 to 20 on 3 February 2026.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's oral reply to Parliamentary Question Nos 14 to 20 on 3 February 2026.”
“The percentages of students who obtained Achievement Level (AL) 6 or better in the Primary School Leaving Examination standard subjects have remained consistently high from 2023 to 2025, with at least nine in 10 students achieving this standard in each subject.”
“Over the past decade, an average of about 6,000 PhD students have been enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses in the autonomous universities (AUs) annually. The proportion of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents has been stable at around one-third of the PhD student population. About 90% of the STEM PhD students in the AUs are Government-funded through tuition fee subsidies and stipends. Singapore Citizens receive the highest level of funding to reflect the privileges of citizenship. For example, Singapore Citizens receive $4,300 per month in stipends, compared to $3,900 for Permanent Residents and $3,500 for international students. The PhD students carry out teaching and research supervision duties at the AUs as a service obligation. These students serve out their service obligation during their PhD candidature.”
“SkillsFuture Singapore provides generous course fee subsidies of up to 90% to support the training needs of Singaporeans. In 2024, we introduced the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme to further enhance support for Singaporeans aged 40 and above, who face a higher risk of skills obsolescence, in pursuing a substantive skills reboot. Government will continually review how to better support Singaporeans in their skills upgrading, but there are no immediate plans to provide another round of SkillsFuture funding or subsidies.”