Release of Ministries’ Addenda to the President’s Address by MOE, MOM

“A Broader, More Open, and More Inclusive Meritocracy”

1.At the opening of the Second Session of the 14th Parliament on 10 April 2023, President Halimah Yacob spoke about the importance of growing our economy in a changing world, and expanding opportunities throughout life for every Singaporean, regardless of their starting point. At the same time, the fruits of our progress must be shared fairly, so that no one is left behind.

2.As we refresh our social compact, we must be mindful of how unequal opportunities across society risk some groups gaining entrenched advantages that can persist over generations. We must ensure a broader, more open, and more inclusive meritocracy that works well for all Singaporeans. This Government will prioritise providing everyone with access to a good education, and chances in life to learn and improve. As a society, we can also change our mindsets to recognise a diversity of skills and talents, as well as the full range of pathways to success.

3.Relevant Ministries have outlined the following key thrusts:

1. Broaden our definition of success, by recognising and rewarding different skills, talents, and professions.
2. Equip our people to be future-ready at every stage of life, so they can seize opportunities for upward mobility.
3. Strengthen assurance for workers, to enable them to bounce back from setbacks, and ensure they are not left to fend for themselves.

4.Media may wish to note the following Ministry initiatives in your reporting:

Broadening our definition of success

Ministry of Education

• Diversify education pathways to recognise different strengths, interests, and learning needs.
• Implement Full Subject-Based Banding in secondary schools, as well as expand admission routes to schools and Institutes of Higher Learning.
• Support schools in partnering stakeholders to offer niche areas of excellence and inspire their students in diverse fields.
• Provide opportunities for learners of different backgrounds to interact, empathise, and support one another.

Ministry of Manpower

• Professionalise skilled trades, by working with NTUC to offer better salaries, chart clearer progression ladders, and improve the image and attractiveness of these jobs.

Equipping our students and workers to be future-ready at every stage of life

Ministry of Education

• Better support lifelong upskilling and reskilling, by making training offerings accessible for adult learners, developing new andragogical approaches, partnering industry to closely align business needs and workers’ skills, and reducing the opportunity cost for training.
• Strengthen the educational experience for students with Special Educational Needs in mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools, and work with Social Service Agencies to improve career prospects in the sector, which will in turn improve the quality of SPED.
• Leverage technology to better customise teaching and learning for students of differing abilities to bring out the best in each child.

Ministry of Manpower

• Empower workers to take charge of their careers, including by helping them better plan their career moves through a CareersFinder feature on the MyCareersFuture portal.
• Support workers to expand their career horizons and take on higher productivity and value-added jobs, strengthen our local pipeline for corporate leadership positions, and help displaced workers bounce back stronger.

Strengthening assurance for workers

Ministry of Manpower

• Uplift lower-wage workers by expanding the coverage of Progressive Wages and the Workfare Income Supplement scheme.
• Support seniors who want to continue working by extending the Senior Employment Credit and Part-time Re-employment Grant, to provide employers with wage offsets until 2025.
• Improve protections for workers providing services such as deliveries and vehicle rides via digital platforms, including work injury compensation, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, and enabling formal representation.
• Undertake a fundamental review of retirement adequacy policies, to assure Singaporeans that they will be able to meet their basic retirement needs, as long as they work and contribute consistently to their CPF.
• Enact workplace fairness legislation to provide stronger protection against workplace discrimination and enable workers to seek redress for harm done.