Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Yip Hon Weng, Yio Chu Kang SMC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the considerations when selecting (i) primary schools for relocation to new towns and (ii) single sex schools to become co-ed schools respectively; and (b) how far in advance will such decisions be made known to parents so that they can plan ahead for Primary One admissions for their children.
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song, Aljunied GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has plans to relocate schools other than Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) that are currently located in higher income neighbourhoods like Bukit Timah to the HDB heartlands; and (b) what are the Ministry's consideration in deciding to relocate schools.
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song, Aljunied GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has plans to convert more single sex primary and secondary schools to co-educational schools; and (b) if so, what are the considerations for doing so.
Response
1. When planning the locations for new schools and reviewing the distribution of schools across Singapore including possible relocations, MOE takes into account current and projected residential populations, to meet educational needs both at the national and at the local levels. In deciding whether or which school to relocate, we are also mindful that each relocation case and its circumstances are unique.
2. In general, all new schools that MOE opens are co-ed, as is the case of schools opening in recent years in Punggol or those slated to be opened in Tengah. This is to ensure that these new schools meet the local demand for school places for both boys and girls, especially since home-school proximity is an important consideration at the primary school level.
3. In the specific case of ACS (Primary) School, ACS Board of Governors had discussed with MOE on a possible move of one of their two primary schools in the Bukit Timah area to the heartlands to serve a different community and to inject more diversity into their student profile. In the course of these discussions, MOE offered a Tengah school site to the ACS Board of Governors (BOG), but explained that it would not be tenable for the school not to take in girls at its Tengah location as that would constrain school options for families in the area. MOE was glad that the ACS Board was open to this request, and subsequently, ACS Board informed MOE that ACS (Primary) School would be the re-locating school.
4. MOE does not have a plan to proactively convert existing single-gender schools to co-ed schools, but we have had several such cases over the decades. As the circumstances for each case are different, MOE takes a customised approach and discusses with key decision-makers in each school to facilitate the transition and provide the necessary support.
5. Where there are major changes for schools, including relocation and turning co-ed, MOE will give advance notice as far ahead as possible once plans are firmed up, and will work with the schools on transition arrangements to minimise impact and inconvenience for existing students and their families.