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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“Our students learn financial literacy through various subjects from primary school to pre-university level. For example, Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) teaches students to differentiate between needs and wants, the value of thrift and the importance of accumulating savings. About five hours of CCE lesson time at primary level is allocated to financial literacy. Beyond CCE, Mathematics teaches "money" as a topic at the primary level and the concepts of interest, profit and loss at the secondary level. Through Food and Consumer Education at the lower secondary level, students learn financial values and behaviour, such as living within one's means, using credit responsibly and to be responsible and discerning consumers. The Ministry of Education and MoneySense, our national financial education programme, carry out surveys and studies to monitor our students' and youths' levels of financial literacy. Internal 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. Students also take part in financial literacy programmes organised by MoneySense and partners which complement the curriculum. For example, the Institute for Financial Literacy conducts seminars for Junior College students, focusing on concepts and skills in investment management.”
“As part of our ongoing review of these issues, we will not close off any possibilities. We will review all suggestions and ideas, including the Member's.”
“The number of peer-to-peer sexual misconduct cases involving primary and secondary students reported to the Ministry of Education has remained low in the past five years. When there are reported incidents of sexual misconduct, schools manage the cases holistically. This can include taking disciplinary measures, reporting to the authorities, strengthening support for victims and reinforcing education of the students involved. School counsellors are trained to guide and support the students involved, including addressing social-emotional and other underlying issues. When parents decline support from school counsellors, schools will explore alternatives, including referring the students to social service agencies for specialised support. Schools are committed to engaging the parents to ensure their child receives the appropriate guidance and intervention.”
“As mentioned in an earlier reply on 23 September 2025, schools have various measures to detect bullying incidents, such as self-reporting, peer reporting and teacher observations. Reporting channels for students include online platforms, such as emails or online forms and during regular check-in conversations with their teachers. When bullying is reported, school personnel use information gathered from different sources during the fact-finding process. These sources include visible marks on the body, eyewitness testimony and students' written accounts. These are not affected by the restriction of smartphone use in schools. As student-taken or student-provided videos can provide a one-sided account from a particular perspective, they are not taken as the sole form of evidence. The Ministry of Education does not track the number of bullying cases which were reported via student-provided videos.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) regularly reviews the provisions of the MOE Special Educational Needs (SEN) Fund to ensure that it can meet student support needs. The $5,000 cap for students with learning and behavioural disabilities has been sufficient based on utilisation patterns thus far. The revised income criteria for Government bursaries were announced in October 2025 and take effect from academic year 2026, which commenced in January 2026 for the Institute of Technical Education and will commence in April 2026 for polytechnics. As students may apply for the SEN Fund and Government bursaries at different points throughout the academic year and the new academic year has not yet started for most institutions, there is no data yet on the number of students who receive both the SEN Fund and Government bursaries under the revised income criteria.”
“As of end-2025, the overall SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) utilisation rate was about 46%. The SFC utilisation rates for different age groups are in the table below.”
“The Ministry of Education has introduced Cyber Wellness lessons in Character and Citizenship Education for primary to pre-university students in our schools to teach them the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of online and offline activities and to be discerning users of technology. This includes learning to manage their use of social media and online games, recognise risks in the digital space and manage negative influences. School programmes, such as the annual "Safer Internet Day", also encourage screen-free time, emphasising the importance of balanced and safe use of technology. From 2026, all primary and secondary schools have disallowed the use of smartphones and smartwatches during school hours, including during Co-Curricular Activities. From our internal reviews, students in our schools have been able to learn relevant skills through Cyber Wellness lessons and school programmes. However, these students are at an age where they are still learning to manage their time and resist the extended use of social media and online games. Hence, efforts to teach our young requires a whole-of-society effort, including from parents and the community. Schools will continue to work with parents by sharing resources, expert insights and strategies to help them guide their child in the use of technology and devices.”
“SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) subsidises a wide range of training courses to meet the learning needs of Singaporeans. This includes courses that support licensed occupations, as well as courses targeted at workers from Progressive Wage Model (PWM) sectors with licensing requirements. For courses that support workers in licensed or regulated occupations, training providers must provide evidence of support from the relevant Government agencies for the course when applying for SSG funding support. Learners can refer to the specific licensing requirements from the relevant licensing bodies and identify suitable courses through a search on the MySkillsFuture portal for courses relevant to specific occupations or industries, or by the PWM tag for courses specially curated for PWM sectors.”
“About 200 polytechnic and ITE students have switched courses annually, over the last five years. The key reason for switching courses is that the student feels they are better suited to the new course. Requests by students for a course transfer are assessed holistically. Beyond academic readiness, the institutions consider the student's reason for transfer and provide the necessary Education and Career Guidance to help students to make an informed decision. This is important as switching courses mid-way typically means that students will take a longer time to graduate. The duration of tuition fee subsidies is typically long enough for students to complete their course, including those who need slightly more time than the normal course duration. Students requiring additional financial assistance for their fees can approach their institutions who will assess how best to assist them.”
“This response addresses Oral Question No 74 and the related written question filed by Ms Gho Sze Kee for the subsequent Sitting regarding the contract awarding process for school bus services for Special Education (SPED) schools [Please refer to "Bus Services Fare Hike at Pathlight School and Analysis of Participants in Tender Exercise", Official Report, 4 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 16, Written Answers to Questions section.]. Social Service Agencies (SSAs) that operate SPED schools conduct their own competitive bidding exercises. They select operators based on factors including fare competitiveness, fleet capacity, ability to meet SPED students' complex transportation needs and geographical coverage. The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not oversee individual SSA tender processes, stipulate bidding mechanisms or track the number of bids submitted to the SSAs. However, to support the SPED schools and to enable broader market access, MOE has extended its Public School Bus Advertisement website portal to SSAs/SPED schools since 2024, enabling them to invite bids from a wider pool of school bus operators in Singapore during tender exercises. SSAs/SPED schools that used the portal received several bids for their school bus contracts, and we will continue to encourage more SSAs or schools to use it.”
“The Government provided a one-off SkillsFuture Credit top-up of $500 to all eligible Singaporeans aged 25 and above in 2020. Unlike the Opening Credit of $500 given at age 25 and the Mid-Career Credit of $4,000 given at age 40 that do not expire, this top-up had a validity period of five years and expired by the end of 2025. This was intended to encourage individuals to take active steps in upskilling or picking up a new skill. About 40% of eligible Singaporeans had used their one-off SkillsFuture Credit top-up before expiry. Among those aged 30 to 60, the figure is higher at around 45%. We do not track utilisation by income group. There are various reasons why individuals may have chosen not to use the SkillsFuture Credit top-up. Some could have attended training that was sponsored by their employers and others could have decided that they do not need to attend additional training at this point in their career. The SkillsFuture Credit is just one of many ways that Government supports Singaporeans in their lifelong learning journey. More importantly, our goal is to encourage and support Singaporeans to undergo meaningful and relevant training, whether or not they tap on SkillsFuture Credit to do so.”
“Schools are safe spaces for students to learn to express their views respectfully and constructively. The Ministry of Education provides schools with guidance on ways to build a positive culture that encourages student voice and provide platforms to allow students to discuss issues with School Leaders, teachers, student leaders and their peers. Schools have the autonomy to decide on the appropriate approaches to take. These could include dialogues, focus group discussions and online channels, like surveys or forums. Students will not be discouraged from nor penalised for expressing their views respectfully and constructively.”
“Teachers continue to monitor students' responses to these early interventions, and screenings are conducted for students who show persistent difficulties, including screening for specific learning difficulties and observations for symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. For those who continue to demonstrate learning or behavioural difficulties despite intervention, school personnel can refer students, with parental consent, to MOE Educational Psychologists (EPs). MOE EPs' diagnostic assessment services are prioritised at primary schools to enable early identification and intervention. Assessments are completed within an average of two months, though complex cases may take additional time. Students continue to be supported, including time-bound in-class or pull-out support by SEN officers, while the assessments are ongoing. If needed, MOE EPs may also seek input from medical professionals at the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health. As students with SEN progress to secondary schools, primary schools share transition information with receiving secondary schools. Secondary schools use this information to plan targeted interventions, allocate resources such as assistive technology and coordinate appropriate class allocations. Effective strategies are also shared by teachers to students and parents to facilitate smooth transitions. MOE EPs also work closely with SEN officers at the secondary level to ensure continued support for the child.”
“My response will cover matters raised regarding support for students with special educational needs (SEN), across three questions by Dr Charlene Chen. The Ministry of Education (MOE) supports students in mainstream schools based on their learning needs, even when they do not have a formal SEN diagnosis. Before starting school, with parental consent, transition information about children with developmental needs or SEN are shared with receiving primary schools via hospitals and Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children centres. Such information can also be voluntarily disclosed by parents through school data collection forms. This allows receiving schools to factor in the child's needs when planning school resources, such as class placement and transition support. All teachers are trained with foundational understanding of SEN and provide support for students based on their observed needs. Upon starting primary school, teachers conduct systematic screenings for language, literacy and numeracy at Primary 1 (P1) to identify students who require additional support for foundational skills. We also deploy specialised officers, known as SEN officers, who work with P1 teachers to observe and identify children with social-behavioural difficulties and adjustment issues. These students would then receive support through learning support programmes for literacy and numeracy, or TRANsition Support for InTegration (TRANSIT), in smaller class sizes, based on their identified needs.”
“We can continue to see progress and changes; and I would say three things are on the horizon that will allow us to try to transform education to make Singapore ready for a very uncertain future, one that is still full of opportunity and hope. One, would be the review that we announced recently, the education conversations that we hold across Singapore to allow us to relook at the academic race, the "arms race", so that we focus on deep learning and not academic pursuits through high stakes exams. And in the same vein, we look at holistic education through a review of CCE and CCA, so we see it in totality. That is a major exercise. The other, of course, is the AI in education framework that I mentioned. And it is not just about edtech and tools, but how do we reimagine teaching in an era where AI can do certain things, do more things and how can people remain on top as masters of technology? So, these are the areas that we are looking at. And, of course, more holistic support for children coming from families with greater challenges; how do we better support and integrate with the social services around us? So, these are three of the many ongoing, as well as impending, reviews, including the 2024 Reimagining the Teaching Profession Taskforce recommendations that are still ongoing, in terms of application and implementation, that will require us to relook at how the classroom is like for the future and the kinds of needs that we will have to support our children.”
“And so, it is this combination that makes us focus the resources that we have now on students with greater needs; whether because of their youth, Primary 1, Primary 2; or because they have special education needs, like dyslexia; or because they may have other challenges, for example, they learn at different levels. So, Full Subject-Based Banding does require more resources to help students who may need more support for certain subjects. And to talk about class sizes, if we were to increase the number of teachers, then we need to operate within the constraint of the impact on other important sectors that serve society. We also need to make sure that in hiring many more teachers, our profession reminds us that we must uphold standards and quality of the whole profession. And if we were to increase the number of classes that teachers teach, then, in managing overall workload and impact, we will then have to recalibrate and reimagine what teachers do on a day-to-day basis. In some countries teachers teach many more classes, partially because of workload and resourcing. But if in Singapore, if we were to do that, it would probably have to be a combination of three things: one, increasing recruitment; two, increasing the number of classes that teachers teach; and then, recalibrating the other things that teachers do – CCA, CCE, admin, class preparation, marking and so on. And lastly, of course, harnessing technology tools, including AI, to empower teacher to do so much more. The classroom of today is very different from the classroom of our time.”
“Indeed, this is a continuous conversation between our school leaders, who are in touch with the ground, in close contact with their teachers in the classroom, as well as their MOE headquarters (HQ) leadership – our superintendent, zonal directors, director of schools and the HQ in general – to better understand the specific needs of different schools and to be able to allocate resources accordingly. Of course, there is baseline support in terms of teaching, allied resources and admin staff for each school. But there may be needs in particular schools that require us to deploy, say, more counsellors or more student welfare officers or more special educational needs officers. And some of these resources are not just school-based, but also cluster-based, giving flexibility to school leaders to be able to ask and get more resources. But ultimately, whether it is class sizes or other forms of resources, basically, our mission in MOE is this: we have our resources; we also have to operate within constraints, because MOE does not operate our budget independently of other Ministries' needs and Singapore's needs, as well as the opportunities that are presented to us, such as new studies, new pedagogical methods, new methods to impart social-emotional learning. How do we optimise between our resources, operate within constraints and the opportunities we seize? How do we optimise between these three in order to achieve the goal of holistic development of our children and helping the most instrumental group – our teachers and our allied educators – to be able to manage their workload to work with meaning and impact, so that they can again help us to achieve holistic development of the next generation?”
“I think the Member makes a very good observation. I thank him for supporting the move to augment our teaching force with allied educators, particularly in the form of school counsellors, special educational needs officers, as well as the outdoor education allied educators. The shift from the existing scheme to one where we focus on these allied educator professions, enables us to specialise the support that we give to our children. The Member is also absolutely right that edtech is important. Edtech allows for some degree of customisation. Edtech, including AI in the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS), for instance, allows our children to get extra scaffolding and support in class and outside the class; in school and outside the school. But there is no substitute for human-based teaching, for the human touch, for the teacher in the classroom to be able to coach a child, to be able to teach the class; not just subject matter, but also demonstrate values and social-emotional skills that are very important in day-to-day life. In that regard, edtech is never a substitute for the human touch, and I would like to thank the Member for being so supportive.”
“I thank the Member for recognising that social-emotional skills and competencies are important, not just now, but for a future, such as one where AI presents both opportunity, as well as uncertainty and disruption. Indeed, in our AI in education framework, we want to teach our children what is AI, how to use AI, how to learn with AI and most importantly, how to learn beyond AI. And so, through the 21st Century Competencies Framework, which was recently enhanced, we seek to provide support and strengthen our children's learning of these important values and skills through a combination of weaving through academic subjects through co-curricular activities (CCA), Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) and other forms of support in school. And this means that teaching is not just academic teaching of subjects, but also more holistic teaching of a child and empowering them with 21st century competencies and social-emotional learning through activities like CCA. So, with this in mind, we continue to see how best to support our children, and by putting more resources for students with greater needs, we ensure that they get more holistic support – not just through teaching support, but also support of Special Educational Needs Officers and counselling support.”
“Additionally, schools may deploy two form teachers for classes on a needs basis where school resourcing allows. Sir, class sizes are not the only way we support students with diverse learning needs. Schools also have school counsellors to strengthen the social-emotional skills of our students and the special education needs officers to provide learning and behavioural support for our students who need it. We have grown the number of trained school counsellors and special education needs officers in schools from around 800 to 1,300 over the past decade. We will continue to study the effectiveness of our approach, including on class sizes and are prepared to adjust our strategies where necessary to create conducive learning environments for our students.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for her question. The Ministry of Education's (MOE's) approach for class sizes is guided by the learning needs of our students. More teaching resources are deployed for students with greater needs and hence, smaller class sizes for such students because they need more support and scaffolding. Let me give you a few examples. Primary 1 and 2 students learn in class sizes of around 30. Why? Because they have just started their educational journey and we want to be able to better support in that transition. TRANsition Support for InTegration (TRANSIT) classes, conducted in even smaller class sizes of up to 10. Why? Because TRANSIT classes help our Primary 1 students who are identified with social and behavioural needs to develop foundational self-management skills when they start schools. In fact, recently, I sat in one of these TRANSIT classes to see how they carry out the approach, pedagogical as well as socio-emotional learning. Another example is the Learning Support Programme, conducted in pull-out classes of around eight to 10. Why? Because this is a specialised early intervention programme in our schools for lower primary students who need additional help with the English language. School-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme, conducted in classes of four to six students. Why? Because with these special education needs, we want to better support them, because overcoming some of these challenges or managing these challenges, like dyslexia, allows them to access support for many other subjects. With Full Subject-Based Banding, our secondary school students attend different subject classes of between 20 and 40 students, depending on their learning needs and the nature of the subject.”
“Each year, a small percentage of parents and students appeal to change schools after the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise. Most appeal directly to the school, whilst some write to the Ministry of Education (MOE). MOE does not have data on the number who appeal directly to the schools, as schools are not required to report them to MOE. Following the 2025 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, MOE received about 150 appeals. These appeals typically request for a school closer to home or which have certain offerings, such as specific co-curricular activities.”
“Under the Central Kitchen Meal Model, meals are pre-ordered and prepared at a central kitchen before delivery to schools. This demand-driven approach aligns meal production with actual demand, thereby reducing over-preparation and hence, food wastage. The central kitchen model ensures food safety through standardised food preparation processes. Nutritional quality of meals is also assured through professionally developed menus aligned with the Health Promotion Board's Healthy Meals in Schools Programme guidelines.”
“Schools have official channels that adequately support parent-teacher communication. These include Parents Gateway, which is a mobile app for communications between schools and parents, school email and designated school phone lines during office hours. Teachers are not expected to communicate with parents outside of school hours. In situations where teachers need to contact parents urgently during school activities conducted outside school premises, schools put in place practical arrangements, including providing school-owned mobile phones, especially for overseas trips, or facilitating communication through the school general office. In the event of an emergency where other channels are not immediately available, teachers may use their personal mobile phones. Hence, there is no need for teachers to purchase work-related mobile phones or mobile phone lines for parent-teacher communication.”
“This question has been addressed as part of the Ministry of Education's oral reply to Question No 13 on 13 January 2026. [Please refer to "Emergency Communications between Parents and their Children given Smartphone Ban in Secondary Schools", Official Report, 13 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 13, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“So, take primary school, for instance, from practicality, so Phase 1, you have a sibling, so you go in, makes it easier for the family, more practical. Phase 2A, to recognise long-standing ties and links, for an "old boy", "old girl" to see their own child go into their old school, I think, strengthens school identity and also strengthens parent-child bonding, in terms of saying, "Well, my child has gone to my old school." And I do not just say this for the popular schools, so to speak, but also all schools where there is an affinity and affiliation link. There is also the element of distance, because when it comes to schools, particularly primary schools, we would like to also support proximity, convenience, easy for the children to go to school and come back home. And so, that is where Phase 2C comes in, where a certain number of places is ring-fenced for children, regardless of whether they have any links or affiliation to the school or not, premise on the basis of proximity. But I recognise the Member's concern that in some places where the neighbourhood's constitution of housing is of a particular nature, that may not necessarily result in Phase 2C conducing to the diversity that we aspire to in Singapore, in our schools. But we, as I have said, we continue to study our policies and see how we can further improve those policies and improve our processes to enable our children to have that holistic exposure to the diversity of Singapore.”
“It solves a practical challenge, so we have these three schools, on their own, not able to form a team, but coming together, they form a formidable team. So, Boon Lay Secondary School, Methodist Girls' School, as well as Westwood Secondary School. And so, they come together on a regular basis, and they form a team, same identity, same sports gear, same competitor – and I think that creates opportunities. We also have other school programmes. For example, Raffles Institution (RI) has a RI boarding programme and I have a list here. It is an opportunity for RI students, together with students from Guangyang Secondary School, Pierce Secondary, Whitley Secondary School, Deyi Secondary School, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, Sengkang Secondary School, Bowen Secondary School, and a few others – students will come together, spend a period of time together, mixing, mingling, learning from one another, doing things together. And of course, there are other CCAs as well, where you see different schools coming together, forming mixed teams, forming mixed CCAs, not just in sports, but also in the performing arts. You have the Singapore Youth Festival, where students come together to put up their best in terms of the performing arts, and they mix and mingle as a result of that process. We also have cluster-based CCAs, so not mixed schools, but in a cluster, they come together and they are not school-based, but at the cluster, they come together and pursue their interests together. We have competitions and other opportunities where students mix and mingle. Of course, the Member spoke about Phase 2C. Schools' admissions, both in the primary and secondary school level are efforts to achieve a number of purposes when it comes to school admissions.”
“I thank the Member for his three very thoughtful questions. Indeed, social mixing in our schools creates the environment as well as the opportunity with the diversity of students' backgrounds, to enable holistic development of our children. It helps with the social emotional learning. It also supports our students in terms of picking up important 21st century competencies, for example, compassion, understanding, cross-cultural communication skills, collaboration and so on and so forth, and it prepares them not just for the real world in Singapore, but for the world out there after school. At the same time, in as much as we want diversity and social mixing to help open up our children's horizons, our schools are also not just mirrors that reflect the state of society or of the neighbourhoods in which our schools are located, but also active platforms to enable inclusion, community building, national identity building and in that regard, nation building as well. The Member spoke about the, I believe, the MOE-OBS Challenge. So, Secondary 3 students across different schools, living together, coming together over a period of time to explore the outdoors, out of their comfort zone, a great opportunity for them to mix, to mingle, to make friends and to build connections, but also for them to overcome challenges together. And I think that is one opportunity for mixing in the great outdoors. But there are also other ways in which our schools seek to bring children, from different schools and different backgrounds, together. For instance, we have a combined school co-curricular activities (CCAs). The Member may have heard of BMW. It is not a car. It is a girls' football team.”
“Mr Speaker, in planning for schools across Singapore, the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) main objective is to ensure that national as well as localised demand for school places are met. We take into account several factors, including current and projected school-going populations in each residential area, as well as the supply of places provided by the schools in the vicinity. When the demand for school places falls or is projected to fall in a particular area, we will consider relocating schools in that area, including popular schools, to areas with higher demand. These are usually areas where significant new housing is being developed and the schools will then serve the new residents moving into those areas. MOE will continue to review our school admissions policies so that our schools continue to remain accessible to children from all backgrounds.”
“Research has shown that many inter-dependent factors, both in and outside schools, can influence student learning1. It is not possible to conclusively partition educational outcomes into distinct parts attributable to different contributing sources.”
“A similar question was answered in this House in October 2025 relating to cases where students abused or assaulted teachers or school staff. The member may wish to refer to the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) reply to Question No 30 for Oral Answer on the Order Paper for 14 October 2025. [Please refer to "Cases where Students Physically Assaulted Teachers or School Staff", Official Report, 14 October 2025, Vol 96, Issue 7, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] The number of cases of teachers being abused by parents remains low. Nonetheless, as part of our efforts to further support our teachers in schools, we have refreshed the Guidelines for School-Home Partnership in 2024. These guidelines include respectful communication between parents and teachers and positive role-modelling. MOE's Engagement Charter also makes clear that firm action will be taken against parents who engage in such behaviour, including warnings and Police assistance where necessary. For egregious cases, criminal and legal action will be taken, including action under the Protection from Harassment Act.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) employs various measures to ensure the safety and well-being of students in all primary schools. School personnel are trained to identify signs of distress in our students, check in on their well-being and report suspected abuse to School Leaders. From Primary 1, students are taught about personal safety and boundaries and the different forms of abuse. They are taught to protect themselves in physical and online spaces and how to report their concerns and seek help from trusted adults. Classroom doors are kept open and air-conditioned rooms have viewing windows. Coaches and instructors are also briefed on the expectations of professional conduct, which include maintaining clear instructor-student boundaries and refraining from being alone in an enclosed room or secluded space with a student. When looking into incidents of suspected abuse, schools review available CCTV footage, but it is not practical for schools to regularly review CCTV footage to try to pick up potential abuse as CCTVs tend to be installed in high-traffic areas. MOE will continue to review safety measures in schools to ensure that they remain effective and relevant.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE), like the rest of the Civil Service, adopts a system of relative performance ranking for all staff, including teachers. Their performance grade for the year will be based on how they have performed in relation to their peers in the same substantive grade. Schools are given guidelines to assess if the bottom 5% of the ranking pool should be assigned C-, D and E grades. These are broad guidelines and deviation is allowed, taking into consideration the school's context and specific circumstances of teachers. Performance grades of teachers are assigned by a ranking panel after careful consideration of each teacher's performance. D grades are only given to officers with poor performance compared to others within the same substantive grade and not to compensate when the C- performance guidelines are not met. Most schools are able to abide by the performance grade guidelines with a few schools deviating based on strong justifications.”
“All schools have dedicated administrative teams that help with administrative tasks, like collection of money and logistical aspects of organising events. Schools also use technology for tasks, like management of consent forms from parents. Schools are expected to tap on such support to reduce administrative workload for teachers. Given differing school operating contexts, the Ministry of Education does not mandate which specific administrative duties in a school needs to be transferred. This is to allow individual school leaders, who best understand the needs of the school and the capabilities of his colleagues, to have the flexibility in balancing workload across different colleagues.”
“Primary schools proactively identify students who would benefit most from after-school care, such as those without conducive home environments or adult supervision, and encourage their parents to enrol them in school-based Student Care Centres (SCCs). During school holidays, SCCs organise programmes, such as academic coaching, reading support and mentoring. They also offer activities in sports, arts, music and other programmes like coding classes. In addition, primary and secondary schools partner community agencies or engage vendors to conduct holiday programmes. These include industry exposure programmes, interest-based activities and drop-in centres with mentoring support and age-appropriate activities. Students can access such holiday programmes in their respective schools. The Ministry of Education (MOE) does not track the proportion of students who used SCC or school-based holiday programmes in any given year. MOE will continue to resource schools adequately to support students with additional needs and work with community partners to develop students holistically during both the school terms and school holidays.”
“The Central Kitchen Meal Model (CKMM) was piloted at Yusof Ishak Secondary School from 2022. The school had just moved into its new campus and did not have existing canteen stallholders. The Ministry of Education (MOE) had assessed the pilot on four key criteria – operational efficiency, food quality, cost-effectiveness and student satisfaction. The pilot demonstrated that this model could streamline meal preparation and distribution while meeting nutritional standards and food safety guidelines. The Individual Stallholder System remains MOE's primary and predominant operating model for school canteens, and MOE will continue to support schools and stallholders to operate this model. The CKMM serves as an alternative solution for schools facing challenges in finding enough stallholders for their canteens. This was the basis that the model was expanded to 13 more schools in January 2026. The aim was to allow students in these schools to continue to have access to healthy and affordable meals.”
“The SkillsFuture Credit utilisation data for end-2025 will be available in February 2026.”
“The four madrasahs are designated schools under the Compulsory Education Act. They are required to meet the PSLE benchmark at least twice within each three-year assessment period. This requirement, which remains relevant, ensures that children in madrasahs have a firm academic foundation. Since 2011, the four madrasahs have met this requirement.”
“To support appropriate pedagogical use of these materials, teachers will receive guidance through two channels: updated teaching guides for the respective subjects and workshops focusing on deepening teachers' understanding and competency in handling historical sources, evidence and interpretations.”
“Students learn about Singapore's separation from Malaysia in Social Studies and History. In primary Social Studies, students learn about key developments in Singapore's history, including Singapore's merger with Malaysia, and the separation. In lower secondary History, students build on this foundation with a more detailed study of Singapore’s road to independence from 1945 to 1965. Updates to the history curriculum and textbooks occur periodically as new evidence-based historical interpretations or accounts emerge and as more historians reach a consensus. The Ministry of Education works with academics, public agencies and organisations to develop the syllabuses, textbooks and resources for History, Social Studies and Character and Citizenship Education as part of our regular reviews. Even before the declassification of the Albatross File, the release of new sources and academic works since the late 1990s had already led to the incorporation of the negotiated separation into the history textbooks. Hence, our students have already been learning that leaders from both Singapore and Malaysia played a part in making the separation happen. As part of the learning of history, our teachers help students understand that valid historical interpretations require substantiation by sound reasoning and evidence and may be updated in the light of newly discovered historical sources. The perspectives and source materials of the recently declassified Albatross File will be incorporated into our syllabuses and teaching resources in an age-appropriate manner. This will enrich students' inquiry, enhance their understanding of different perspectives, and enable them to reach a more nuanced conclusion about Singapore's separation from Malaysia.”
“The potential harms of social media on youth have been studied by many researchers. For example, researchers have identified that excessive use and unhealthy or developmentally inappropriate content on social media can affect one's mental well-being. Through Cyber Wellness lessons in primary and secondary schools, students are taught to maintain a healthy balance of online and offline activities, including managing the use of social media. Students also learn skills to recognise risks in the digital space, identify and discern negative influences, and to be a positive peer influence. In addition, the Positive Use Guide on Technology and Social Media, which was recently released by the Government, provides youths with practical tips on building healthy and balanced relationships with technology, and relevant portions have been incorporated in Cyber Wellness lessons. Beyond the classroom, parents play a key role in guiding and monitoring their child's online activities. Schools will continue to work with parents by sharing resources, expert insights and strategies through relevant platforms, including Parents Gateway, to help parents guide their child in the use of technology and devices.”
“The SkillsFuture Credit encourages Singaporeans to take individual ownership of their lifelong learning and skills development, to support their learning needs across different stages of their career and life. From January 2016, Singaporeans aged 25 and above are provided with the opening SkillsFuture Credit of $500 to pursue skills-related training. Since May 2024, we have provided a $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up to Singaporeans aged 40 and above to support substantive training. As of December 2024, more than one in three eligible Singaporeans have utilised their SkillsFuture Credit. The average utilised amount in the base tier is approximately $330. The average utilised amount in the mid-career tier is approximately $420. Data for December 2025 will be available in February 2026. As the SkillsFuture Credit is intended to support Singaporeans to take ownership of their own lifelong learning journey, unused credits are not transferable between individuals, including immediate family members. Those who have used up their SkillsFuture Credit can continue to benefit from the generous course fee subsidies of up to 90% for SSG-supported programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) takes a serious view towards parents who intentionally falsify address information for the purpose of Primary 1 (P1) registration, as this undermines the integrity of the P1 Registration Framework. The address used for P1 registration should be the official address of the registering parent as reflected in his or her NRIC at the time of registration and declared by the parent to be true and correct. The parent and child are expected to reside at the declared address. Parents are also allowed to use the address of a yet-to-be completed property where the family must move in within two years of the child's entry into P1, resale property where the family must reside from the start of the child's P1 school term or the address of a caregiver. Parents have to declare these addresses accordingly during P1 registration. Cases of false address information are detected through regular school checks on addresses, and also reports from members of the public. MOE will investigate such cases rigorously. We are also continually strengthening our detection and investigation capabilities. Where there is evidence of wrongdoing, MOE will transfer the child to another school with available vacancies based on the family's actual residential address. Our schools will help the child to settle into the receiving school. Giving false information to a public servant is a criminal offence punishable under the Penal Code. Where there is reason to believe that false information has been given, MOE will refer the case to the Police for their investigation and action.”
“All teachers are equipped with basic counselling skills as part of teacher preparation. This includes conducting supportive conversations with students as well as understanding confidentiality limits and escalation processes. When students disclose social-emotional or mental health challenges to their teachers, teachers will attend to their needs and emotions and refer them for further support where necessary. Teachers will explain to the students, the rationale if additional support is required and confidentiality limits. Where there are safety concerns, such as abuse, self-harm or harm to others, teachers are obligated to inform their school leaders, who will activate additional support, such as the school counsellor, community mental health services or parents, as appropriate. The Ministry of Health has also convened an expert group to study the issue of parental consent and will release guidelines for the youth services sector in due course. Where the guidelines could be relevant and applicable to our schools, the Ministry of Education will study them accordingly.”
“All Singaporean children who participated in the 2025 Primary 1 (P1) Registration Exercise have secured a place in a national primary school for P1 in 2026. There are about 2,880 Singaporean children who did not participate in the 2025 P1 Registration Exercise. Most of these children are either residing overseas, seeking exemption from compulsory education or are in the process of applying for or have received placement in special education schools.”
“As part of the hiring process, the Ministry of Education (MOE) conducts pre-employment background checks on all prospective employees being considered for teaching and non-teaching positions to ensure student safety and uphold the professional conduct expected of MOE staff. These checks include screening applicants for past criminal records with the Police, conducting reference checks with their previous employers or referees and performing credit screening for those applying for finance-related positions.”
“Part (a) of this question has been answered as part of Ministry of Education's written reply to Parliamentary Question No 44 and part (b) as part of Ministry of Digital Development and Information's oral reply to Parliamentary Question No 68 on 12 January 2026. Members may refer to the transcripts for the reply. [Please refer to "Possible Revisions to History and Social Studies Syllabuses in light of Declassification of Albatross Files", Official Report, 12 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 12, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section; and "Incorporating Declassified Albatross File Materials into Educational Curricula, Its Timeline and Teachers' Training", Official Report, 12 January 2026, Vol 96, Issue 12, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“This question has been addressed in my response on the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 findings and management of teachers' workload and well-being at the Parliamentary Sitting on 4 November 2025, which is available on MOE's website. [Please refer to "Addressing Teachers' Stress Levels and Supporting Their Mental Well-being", Official Report, 4 November 2025, Vol 96, Issue 9, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“From 2022 to 2024, around 500 persons with disabilities benefitted each year from a range of training support offered by SG Enable and SkillsFuture Singapore. These measures include course fee subsidies of up to 95%, training allowance for placement programmes, and the SkillsFuture credits for Singaporeans to further defray their out-of-pocket fees after training subsidies are applied. In addition, SG Enable's Capability Development Grant supports training providers in adapting their training programmes to meet varied disability needs, using assistive devices and software. SG Enable and SkillsFuture Singapore will work with more training providers and actively reach out to more persons with disabilities, so that more can benefit from training. Training providers can submit their courses, including those designed to be more accessible to persons with disabilities, for consideration to be eligible for the SkillsFuture credit, which will increase the range of SkillsFuture Credit-eligible options for persons with disabilities.”
“For the last three years, on average, $10 million per annum has been disbursed from the Opportunity Fund to the General Education schools. Students on the Ministry of Education Financial Assistance Scheme (MOE FAS) and School-based Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) are automatically provided with the Opportunity Fund grants. They do not need to apply. For students not on MOE FAS and SBFAS, schools will inform the parents to approach the schools for assessment if they need financial assistance. On average, about 50,000 students benefit from the Opportunity Fund each year.”