Exemption from taking a Mother Tongue Language

Where possible, all students should learn an official MTL. Hence, before applying for MTL exemption, we strongly encourage your child to try taking an official MTL for at least one semester.

Our teachers will provide support and guide your child along in their learning journey. Attempting an official MTL will not prejudice your child's application for MTL exemption.

Find out more about PSLE scoring for MTL-exempt students.

Eligibility

You may apply for MTL exemption for your child at primary school, secondary school, junior college or Millennia Institute if they:

• Are returning from overseas and had no opportunity to learn an official MTL (Chinese Language, Malay Language or Tamil Language), a Non-Tamil Indian Language (NTIL) or an approved Foreign Language or Asian Language for a sustained period of time.
• Have special educational needs, with severe difficulties in coping with overall learning.

How to apply for exemption

You may apply for MTL exemption at your child's school before the first quarter of the year your child sits for national MTL examinations, including the following:

• Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)
• Singapore-Cambridge GCE O/N-Level (before 2027)
• Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) (from 2027)
• Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme

How applications are assessed

Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and evaluated holistically to assess if exemption is in the best educational interest of your child. The school will inform you of the application result.

For a child returning from overseas, we will consider factors such as:

• Duration and location of your child's overseas stay.
• Exposure to an official MTL, an NTIL or an approved Foreign Language or Asian Language while overseas.
• The demand of the MTL curriculum at the level of your child's level of entry.

For a child diagnosed with special educational needs, we will take into account the child's overall learning ability, school level and the school's assessment of their learning.

Taking a Foreign Language or Asian Language

Instead of exemption, you may apply for your child to offer a Foreign Language or Asian Language in lieu of an official MTL if they have:

• Lived overseas for a long period of time.
• Not kept up with the learning of their MTL.
• Had formal learning in the Foreign Language or Asian Language.

Approved Foreign Languages include:

• French
• German
• Japanese

Approved Asian Languages include:

• Arabic
• Burmese
• Thai

For the learning of Foreign Languages and Asian Languages in lieu of an official MTL, you will need to make private study arrangements for your child and ensure that your private education provider can prepare your child for the GCE O/A-Level or SEC examinations where applicable.

There will be MTL requirements for progression to the next level of study. Find out more about the requirements.