Higher mother tongue languages in secondary schools

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education for students who have performed well in their mother tongue languages and wanting to take higher mother tongue languages in secondary schools, what is the justification for requiring the student to attain an overall PSLE score of 14 or below.

Response

1. The Higher Mother Tongue Language (HMTL) curriculum is designed to stretch students who have a strong interest and aptitude in the language. Students offering HMTL will bear a heavier curriculum and learning load, as the subject covers additional content knowledge and skills compared to Mother Tongue Language (MTL) as a second language taken at the Express level (or G3 under Full Subject-Based Banding). The eligibility criteria ensures that students possess the necessary academic ability to cope with the heavier learning load, so that the learning of HMTL will not come at the expense of other subjects.
2. Nevertheless, students who do not meet the eligibility criteria still have the opportunity to take HMTL. Secondary schools have the flexibility to offer HMTL to students who are assessed to have strong ability and interest in MTL and are able to handle the additional workload without affecting their performance in other subjects.