Alternative educational pathways for secondary school students dropouts

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Murali Pillai, Bukit Batok SMC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) over the past five years, how many secondary school students have been asked to leave school after having been retained too many times; and (b) whether such students can be offered pathways in Institutes of Technical Education even though they may not have sat for GCE “N” or “O” Level exams with a view to retaining them within the education system.

Response

1. On average over the past five years, five secondary school students left school each year, due to them being retained multiple times.
2. These students can enrol in General Education courses offered by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), which lead to the GCE N- or O-Level qualifications. They can also take up ITE Skills Certificate courses, which provide foundational training in industry-relevant skillsets, and prepare students to access further upgrading.