Ministry of Education Committee of Supply Debate 2023

Catch MOE's latest updates in four minutes, from Minister Chan Chun Sing's speech at the Committee of Supply Debate 2023.

Preschool

We start by ensuring that every child has a good start in life.

Improve quality of preschool education

Develop our Early Childhood teaching force by increasing salaries for educators in MOE Kindergartens by up to 10%, and educators in anchor operator preschools by up to 30%
Revised Nurturing Early Learners Framework to provide updated guidelines for quality teaching and learning
- This includes stronger emphasis on developing children’s values, social and emotional competencies, and learning dispositions

Enhance accessibility of preschool education

60 MOE Kindergartens by 2027, up from 50 today, to provide parents with more preschool choices
Income ceiling for priority admission to MKs raised to $4500 for gross household income, or $1125 per capita income, to ensure MKs remain accessible to lower-income households

Primary to Secondary

Full SBB: Greater customisation and flexibility in learning

From the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, Full SBB will be implemented across secondary schools
Streaming will be phased out and students will start Sec 1 in one of three Posting Groups – Posting Group 1, 2, and 3
- Posting Groups will only be used for the purposes of facilitating entry into secondary school and to guide the subject levels students offer at the start of Secondary 1
Students will be in mixed form classes comprising students from different Posting Groups
- This gives students more opportunities to interact with peers of different backgrounds, strengths, and interests
Under Full SBB, students will also have greater flexibility to customise their learning suited to their strengths, interests and learning needs
- They can adjust their subject levels across their secondary school journey, based on their subject-specific strengths and learning needs
From 2024, more subjects, like Humanities subjects, can be taken at a more demanding level. Students may also offer some subjects at a less demanding level, including elective subjects at the upper secondary level
As part of the shift to Full SBB, MOE will also provide more opportunities for students to take up subjects and programmes that are stream-based today
No more N-Level and O-Level certs: From 2027 graduating cohort, students will instead sit for a common Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate
The existing JC admission criteria remains relevant and will be retained
Option of fifth year for students who wish to offer G3 subjects in fifth year to pace learning remains

More meaningful partnerships between mainstream and SPED schools

Deepen partnerships between all SPED schools and selected mainstream schools under the School Partnership model
- This will be done by providing social interaction opportunities for students through joint CCAs, recess, workshops, and camps
These partnerships help to nurture inclusivity and support SPED students in integrating into society

Improving quality of SPED education

Two new SPED Teaching and Learning Syllabuses to teach communication and social-emotional skills
To help students live independently, learn continuously, and work productively after they leave school

Post-Secondary

With Full SBB, students will study a more diverse combination of subjects at different subject levels by the time they complete secondary school

We have thus reviewed the admissions criteria for post-secondary pathways to recognise a wider profile of learners and provide students with more options, while ensuring they continue to have strong fundamentals and can thrive in their chosen pathway.

More paths, and more porosity in between

Polytechnics to be more accessible to a wider profile of students
Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) no longer limited to N(A) students.
From AY2028, more students, including those taking G3 subjects or a mix of G3 and G2 subjects can join the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP)
PFP students can choose a cluster of interest instead of a specific diploma, from 2026

A-Level curriculum to be revised

From 2026, only 3 H2 content-based subjects will count towards the University Admission Score (UAS) by default. Fourth content-based subject included only if it improves score
No more mid-year exams for JCs and Millennia Institute progressively, starting with the cohort entering in 2024
Project Work will be a Pass/Fail subject
From 2024, all JC1 students will be required to study General Paper (GP), which will be delinked from Knowledge & Inquiry (KI)
KI remains a H2 contrasting subject for both Arts and Science

Increased opportunities for ITE grads to deepen skills and competencies

Transition of ITE’s 3-year Higher Nitec structure is under way, and will be completed by the 2026 ITE intake
ITE’s Work-Study Diplomas (WSDips), Technical Diplomas (TDs) and Technical Engineer Diplomas (TEDs) will be expanded

Adulthood

MOE is committed to building a culture of lifelong learning and equipping Singaporeans with the skills they need to thrive in school and at work.

To this end, we need to build on partnerships with the industry, unions, community and parents.

More adult learners in university

The “Lifetime Cohort Participation Rate” will increase to 60% for publicly-funded university degrees by 2025, up from 50% today, for fresh school leavers and adult learners
The increase of the “Lifetime Cohort Participation Rate” marks a shift away from the idea that education must be frontloaded
More Singaporeans can study in university or upgrade their skills at a stage in their life that is most suitable to them
The Autonomous Universities are developing new degree pathways and innovating the design and delivery of Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes
More subsidised places for adults to do pre-employment training and CET programmes

Matchmaking jobs with skilled jobseekers

To better address job-skills mismatches and pair jobseekers with job vacancies in sectors that face more acute training and placement challenges, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), together with Workforce Singapore (WSG), Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and Economic Development Board (EDB), will pilot the Jobs-Skills Integrator (JSIT)
3 sectors to have Jobs-Skills Integrator pilots: Precision engineering, retail, and wholesale trade
So IHLs, training providers, and employers can create training opportunities and find good employer-employee matches
SSG, the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning (NACE), and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will also jointly launch the Workplace Skills Recognition (WPSR) Programme
Enterprises under this programme will have the opportunity to obtain the new Workplace Learning:READY (WPL:READY) mark, which ensures they have robust processes to enable effective on-the-job learning and help their workers gain formal recognition of the skills they have developed at the workplace

Parents & Partners

We need strong partnerships with all stakeholders, including parents, community partners and agencies.

Partnering parents for the child’s well-being

We will partner parents as they seek to strengthen relationships with their children
Increase students’ exposure to workplaces through parents as links between schools and industry
We will partner with Parent Support Groups, COMmunity and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS) council, agencies, community partners, subject matter experts and experienced parents to sustain existing efforts and create new resources to support our students’ well-being based on their education journey and life stages

Support disadvantaged students

Nationwide roll-out of UPLIFT Community Network, schools and community partners to coordinate resources to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds
In collaboration with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the UCN aims to benefit around 1,300 students in 110 schools, up from 900 students in 89 schools last year