Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)

Head K (cont) –

Resumption of Debate on Question [2 March 2026],

"That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Estimates be reduced by $100." – [Mr Darryl David].

Question again proposed.

The Chairman: Minister Desmond Lee.

10.31 am

The Minister for Education (Mr Desmond Lee): Mr Chairman, as a small nation without natural resources or hinterland, Singapore's success has always depended on our people. Education has been a core engine that equips Singaporeans with what they need to take on new challenges.

In the post-Independence years when survival was priority, we focused on basic education. In the 1970s, we shifted away from a one-size-fits-all approach and improved educational outcomes through streaming and differentiated pathways. From the late 1990s, we broadened our definition of success by recognising diverse strengths and abilities.

Since the 2010s, we have increased emphasis on students' holistic development and strengthened lifelong learning. During the Budget and Committee of Supply debates, Members spoke about the uncertainty and challenges brought about by the geopolitical paradigm shift, artificial intelligence (AI) and the existential threat of climate change, and proposed many ways to better prepare Singaporeans, through education, for the future.

I thank Members for your suggestions, which we will study carefully.

In our next bound of education reform, we want to support every Singaporean to learn and reach their full potential, regardless of their starting point, and to seize opportunities in a fast-changing world. In line with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's call for a "we first" society, we will "Learn For Life, Together".

Today, I will speak about how we will refresh our education system in three ways.

First, we will learn together. Students of different strengths and needs will be developed to their full potential. We will also uplift disadvantaged students and support those with Special Educational Needs.

Second, we will grow together. To prepare students for the future, we will further strengthen our focus on holistic development, where students develop core values and critical life skills, and learn to interact and build bridges across differences, instead of just chasing after academic grades.

We will also encourage and equip our students to be innovative and enterprising, to pursue deep learning in an AI-transformed world and support them in their journey towards lifelong learning.

Lastly, let us work together, educators, parents as well as industry and community partners, to build a stronger education ecosystem.

My colleagues will share in greater detail how we will achieve some of these efforts. Senior Minister of State David Neo will speak about creating a student-centric education system. Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will explain how we support lifelong learning beyond schools. Minister of State Jasmin Lau will share how we are preparing Singaporeans for an AI-transformed future. And Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun will set out our efforts supporting students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and strengthening bilingualism.

Let me turn to the first theme of learning together. Our education system serves a broad spectrum of learners. Through Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB), students can build on their strengths in different subjects and learn at their own pace. We stretch those with academic strengths and talents, while providing additional support to disadvantaged students.

Let me share the progress we have made so far. Over the years, we have made moves to customise education. Notably, FSBB allows secondary school students to take subjects at different levels based on their strengths, interests and learning needs. The first cohort of students under FSBB will be sitting for the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examination in 2027 and will progress to post-secondary education in the following year.

This common examination gives us the opportunity to streamline several admissions exercises into a single Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise for admissions to junior colleges, Millennia Institute, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) in the year 2028, which will improve students' user experience and decision making. My colleague Senior Minister of State David Neo will provide more details later.

Another move we implemented this year is to allow students who did well in Mother Tongue at the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) to take up Higher Mother Tongue from Secondary 1, regardless of their overall PSLE score. This will give around 2,500 more students the opportunity to pursue their passion for their Mother Tongue language. It is part of our broader effort to recognise and nurture the students' strengths as well as interests.

Mr Darryl David and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim asked for smaller class sizes to better customise education. Ms Denise Phua called for a flexible class size model, right-sized and fit for students' needs.

This proposal has been raised over the years by Members from both sides of the House. We agree that having smaller class sizes can improve teaching and learning, as teachers can better cater to the learning needs of their students especially those who need more support. That is precisely why we have smaller class sizes for students with greater needs. We deploy more teachers and allied educators to support and scaffold their learning and channel more of our resources to help them learn.

The average form class size for primary and secondary schools is 34 and 33 today, respectively. In upper primary, foundation subjects are taught in smaller classes, which in most instances can be 10 to 20. For the Learning Support Programme, its class sizes are of about eight to 10. And in FSBB, different subjects range between 20 and 40 students, based on students' learning needs and the nature of the subject.

We are learning from our experience, over the last few years, with smaller class sizes for students with greater needs, and are studying how best to calibrate class size to bring about engaging and effective learning environments for our students, while managing teacher workload.

Assoc Prof Lim asked why we cannot simply hire more teachers to bring class sizes down. He took issue with the Ministry of Education's (MOE's) explanation that it is not easy to hire many more teachers and that quality may suffer. But these are not trivial challenges.

We have already ramped up teacher recruitment significantly – from 700 the year previously, to a current target of over 1,000 new teachers a year. That is already a 40% increase. And last year, we recruited over 1,300 teachers. But we would need to increase this much further to achieve across the board class size reductions.

At the same time, we are contending with a tight labour market, especially for those we want to recruit as teachers. We need to select not just for those with qualifications, but also the aptitude to teach and the heart to nurture future generations. Yet our local workforce growth is slowing and Singaporeans have many attractive career options in the public and private sector. So, this is hardly a simple fix.

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim also suggested hiring more allied educators. In fact, as I shared in November, we have doubled the number of allied educators in priority areas, such as counselling and special education needs across all schools, over the last 10 years, from about 800 to 1,600.

The number of administrative support staff in each school has also increased, from around six to around nine in the same period, to help teachers offload some of their administrative workload.

In expanding our allied educator pool, we are focused on the high priority, more specialised support functions that our schools and teachers need the most, such as school counsellors and SEN officers. They play important complementary roles alongside our teachers in supporting students of different strengths and needs.

To achieve this, with the limited manpower available, we have been progressively scaling back the deployment of allied educators in teaching and learning and helping them to transition into roles of greater need over the past nine years, through work attachments and training. This was reported in the media in 2016, a Parliamentary Question by Nominated Member of Parliament Yip Pin Xiu in 2019, a Parliamentary Question by Member of Parliament Leon Perera in 2020 and a Parliamentary Question by Assoc Prof Jamus Lim in 2025.

So, contrary to the Member's claim, this was not a new shift announced in tandem with the increase in teacher recruitment. I thought to set the record straight to soothe the "sucker punch" that the Member said he felt and to make clear that the Ministry had not been disingenuous.

Assoc Prof Lim also suggested that co-curricular activities (CCAs) and Learning Journeys are secondary to classroom instruction and can thus be outsourced to free up teachers' time so that they can teach more academic classes.

While MOE has indeed been bringing in more coaches, instructors and administrators to help relief teacher workload by running CCAs, let us be clear. CCAs are an important part of holistic development and our teachers' role in CCAs are not merely administrative. They help nurture our students to develop critical social, emotional competencies.

So, if we were to reduce class sizes by restructuring teachers' duties and ask them to teach more academic classes, we would need to weigh the possible impact on students' holistic development and teachers' overall working hours.

As you can see, the considerations underlying class sizes are not simple and straightforward. But Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, Mr Darryl David and Ms Denise Phua can be assured that we are studying them carefully to better support our teachers and students in a sustainable way for the long term.

Next, as announced in 2024, we will refresh how we support students with academic strengths and talents, and discontinue the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) in its current form. We are ready to share some of our implementation details.

Today, all primary schools already offer school-based programmes beyond the curriculum to stretch and challenge students who have strengths and talents in English, Mathematics and Science.

Take Blangah Rise Primary for instance. They have debate competitions and Excellence 2000 (E2K) math and science. As the Prime Minister had shared at the 2024 National Day Rally, we will broaden access to such school-based programmes, from around 7% of the cohort today to 10%.

On Ms Elysa Chen's queries, these students will be taught by trained educators. Today, almost all primary schools have at least five teachers trained to teach such students. Where needed, MOE will provide additional teacher resourcing to schools. Teachers and school counsellors will also be given training, curriculum resources and professional development.

Through these, schools can better support their students, encouraging exploration, creativity and personal ownership of learning. Students who can benefit from further stretch can choose to attend centre-based advanced modules after school, at a nearby school centre. They will no longer need to leave their school and transfer to another school that hosts the GEP for daily learning. Instead, they will remain in their own schools and continue to learn with their friends.

Besides English, Mathematics and Science, there will be interdisciplinary modules inspired by real-world problems. To be clear, these modules are not intended to give students a leg up in examinations. Rather, they are designed to further cultivate curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.

Take, for example, the interdisciplinary module on "Playgrounds". Students will explore them as community systems, integrating social studies, science and mathematics to tackle real world design challenges. They will study how to make such spaces safe, investigate the science of movement, and through empathy exercises, design inclusive playgrounds for diverse users.

Last year, we conducted a trial of these modules, which was well-received. Compared to the current GEP cohort, at least double the number of students will be able to take these centre-based modules, which cater to students with strengths in both specific as well as multiple domains. As a start, there will be 15 centres hosted by primary schools across Singapore, such as Palm View Primary and Yew Tee Primary. These schools have good geographical spread and are accessible via public transport. The centre locations will be reviewed periodically.

The first batch of Primary 3 students will participate in a standardised one-stage identification exercise this August, instead of the current two-stage process. Schools can also identify students using additional resources of information, such as teacher observations and students' work. Rather than having a single entry point at Primary 4, students can also join at the end of each semester at Primary 4 and Primary 5, making this more porous.

Next, let me speak about how we are helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

10.45 am

Education has helped spur social mobility in Singapore. We want our children to know that as long as they are prepared to put in effort, they can do well in life regardless of their starting point.

We would like to assure Mr David Hoe and Mr Abdul Muhaimin that MOE provides additional support for disadvantaged students in their education journey and that financial barriers will not impede their educational aspirations and progression.

From Academic Year 2026, we raised the income eligibility criteria and financial assistance amount for Singaporean students to benefit 31,000 more students from lower- to middle-income households. In total, about 133,000 students will benefit annually. In addition, students from lower-income households can tap on the MOE Opportunity Fund for co-curricular activities, learning experiences and personal learning devices.

Mr David Hoe will be glad to hear that we also have measures to support these students' aspirations. Today, about 100 primary and secondary schools, with a higher proportion of students from lower-income households, receive additional resourcing for after-school programmes. These include mentoring, interest-based activities and learning journeys, which broaden students' perspectives and develop their aspirations.

The Centennial Fund Award also supports polytechnics and ITE students from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing mentorship to guide them on their career and life goals. Let me share with you Sally's journey. Sally, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, is a Primary 6 student at Naval Base Primary School. She was anxious in school and lacked confidence in her studies because of her challenging home environment and her burden of having to care for her younger brother after school each day.

Sally's teachers encouraged her to join the school's Beacon for Life programme, which is an after-school programme supported by MOE, which offers academic support as well as activities that build teamwork, resilience and emotional well-being. The school also worked with community partners to customise support for Sally and Sally's family also received Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) ComCare and assistance from a Family Service Centre.

The wraparound care and support given to Sally helped build her confidence in school and social interactions. Today, Sally participates actively during lessons and her CCA. Sally's journey illustrates what we can achieve when schools and communities collaborate closely to uplift our students and their families. MOE will strengthen our support for disadvantaged students like Sally and schools' partnership with the community in support of ComLink+.

Existing initiatives, such as Uplifting Pupils in Life and Inspiring Families Taskforce (UPLIFT) Enhanced School Resourcing and Guiding and Empowering students for Affiliation and Resilience to Unlock their Potential (GEAR-UP), which respectively provide additional resourcing and school support, such as afterschool programmes, will be streamlined into one single support package, which we will further enhance.

From this year 2026, we will devote even more resources to schools, expanding the number of schools with additional manpower and funding, from 100 to 157. Our schools will provide customised support to students, by strengthening partnerships with community stakeholders, such as self-help groups and others.

We will also provide stronger and more timely wraparound support for students and their families by tightening coordination between schools and key agencies, such as Social Service Offices (SSOs) and Family Service Centres. Our goal is clear: we want every child in our schools to achieve his or her full potential, regardless of background. But that would mean all of us have to work even more closely together.

Next, we have made significant progress over the years in supporting students with moderate-to-severe SEN, who attend Special Education (SPED) schools. This includes enhanced curriculum quality through a National SPED Curriculum; strengthening partnerships between General Education and SPED schools; and professionalising SPED educators.

We thank families, social service agencies (SSAs) and other Government agencies, who partner us in the broader SPED ecosystem. Through our collective efforts, we help students live independently; learn for life; participate meaningfully in the community; and sustain meaningful employment for those who can access work. We will work with SSAs to build more SPED schools and provide more SPED school places amidst rising demand, while continuing to support students with SEN in our mainstream schools. My colleague, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun will share more details later.

Let me now turn to our efforts to help our students develop holistically. Our education system has long been recognised for its academic rigour and excellence. While these remain important, they have never been our only focus.

As our world rapidly transforms, we do not want our students to simply be good at aceing exams today. We want them to be trailblazers for tomorrow. This calls for a reimagining of education – a reform and refresh of how we prepare our students to be resilient, well-rounded and thoughtful.

To achieve this, one challenge we must first confront honestly is the education arms race. Many parents still regard the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and Direct Schools Admissions (DSA) as measures of success, which is perfectly understandable. If we were to look deeper, these perceptions stem from the belief that getting into popular schools will help their children do well in life. The fixation on grades and achievements and the excessive competition it generates, draws us away from what really matters. It diminishes the joy of learning, it takes time away from character building and it pits our children against one another.

We know it takes more than just academic grades to do well in life and in the workplace. Preparing for the future, especially one that is so uncertain, means anchoring our education system in holistic development.

To reduce the over-emphasis on academic grades, we have, in recent years: replaced PSLE T-scores with broader Achievement Levels; reduced the number of subjects required for junior college admission from six to five from 2028; and allowed students to offer one "Best" subject at minimally G2 level – or Normal (Academic) level equivalent – for polytechnic admission from 2028. We will build on this momentum and study moves to further break away from the education "arms race" in favour of more holistic development.

Ms Denise Phua, Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh and Ms Eileen Chong share our intent to reduce the stakes of our assessment milestones. We are not closed off to any ideas and will consult widely. For example, we are prepared to review how we conduct milestone exams and how the difficulty of such examinations should be calibrated; how DSA can be enhanced to strengthen student development, selection and its accessibility, so that it continues to meet its objectives; and how we post students to secondary schools, including the viability of through-train options, as discussed and suggested by Ms Denise Phua, amongst other areas.

Over the years, many Members of Parliament (MPs), and most recently Mr Foo Cexiang at the Budget debate, have raised questions about why there is a need to set challenging questions at PSLE for secondary school selection. Ms Eileen Chong had also asked to remove the competitive grading element in PSLE.

To address these questions, we must first consider what the role of PSLE is. The PSLE serves as a checkpoint to assess students' understanding of core concepts and skills in the primary school curriculum. It helps guide students into appropriate secondary school subjects and pathways that will best support their learning aspirations and needs. To do this, we need a fair and consistent benchmark across all primary schools in Singapore and for students across all backgrounds.

The PSLE today has a range of questions of varying difficulties, to help us identify students who might need more support with building up their foundations, as well as students who can benefit from further stretch in their next stage of learning. As such, every PSLE paper has a carefully calibrated balance of questions to cater to students of different abilities – 85% are easy and moderate, with 15% challenging questions.

For challenging questions, Members may like to know that students are provided with scaffolding support to help them apply the concepts and skills that they have learned in less familiar contexts. With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I ask the Clerks to distribute a mathematics question?

The Chairman: Please proceed. I hope it is an easy one. [A handout was distributed to hon Members.]

Mr Desmond Lee: There is a pen/pencil on the left side of your seat. You may use your calculators on your mobile phones. But AI is not permitted. [Laughter.]

We will give you a few minutes to do page one. Look at page one and not page two, so that I can demonstrate to you what I have just said. Page one shows two rectangular containers, X and Y. Ray poured one-fifth of the water from X into Y to fill it completely, and then, Sarah poured all the water from Y in X, and 120 cm³ of water overflowed from X. What was the height of X? In the spirit of collaboration, you can consult your neighbours, across Party lines is fine.

This problem assesses problem-solving skills, by testing how students apply mathematics in less familiar situations. In this case, the overflow of water, with real-world applications in future, such as engineering. As you can see, this question is a bit more challenging. I will give you a few more minutes. Put your name and your seat number, and we will collect it later. [Laughter.]

All ready? Yes? Turn over the sheet and compare this with the question on the next page. This is essentially the same question, but structured, meaning that the question has two parts: (a), two marks; and then, (b), three marks, versus the first question, that dives straight in, five marks at one go.

Part (a), if you look at it, is included to guide students to first find the volume of water in container X, which is the first step to solving the problem. Most students can solve part (a) and this is considered easy. Part (b) is more demanding, because when water was poured back from Y to X, some water overflowed. This assesses students' critical thinking to account for this change. But this is all based on the primary school syllabus and does not require knowledge beyond the syllabus.

The difference between the two questions, on page one and page two, is clear; and the second question, on page two that you are looking at, was a maths question from PSLE back in 2022. To help our students, challenging questions are often structured with scaffolding to help students attempt them progressively.

On this note, we agree with Ms Eileen Chong that examinations, such as the PSLE, should not define students' self-worth. We also agree with Ms Denise Phua and Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh that our schools should not just focus on academic results, and they indeed do not.

Because we recognise that ultimately, while grades might be the boat that gets you out to sea, it is resilience that keeps you afloat when storms hit; it is adaptability that helps you navigate changing currents; it is creativity that helps you spot new horizons; and it is interpersonal skills that will bring others with you in your journey.

And therefore, our schools seek to nurture students for life, and we broadly do it in two ways.

Members can continue working on the questions; we can cross-reference the answers later.

So, what are these two ways? First, we place a lot of emphasis on holistic development. At the primary, secondary and junior college levels, students develop 21st Century Competencies, such as adaptive and inventive thinking and civic literacy through the learning of subjects, Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum, CCAs and school-based programmes. Our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) also build on schools' efforts by infusing Life Skills, such as interpersonal skills and innovation into curriculum.

Second, we cultivate students' aspirations. When I visit our schools, I like to ask our students what they dream of becoming when they grow up. Some enjoy coding and say they want to work in IT or AI. Some are inspired by their teachers and want to become educators themselves. I also recall an enterprising student who told me that he dreams of starting his own business.

It is good that our young ones are full of hope and aspirations. Every child should dare to dream. But our children also need to learn that for dreams to become reality, they need to take active steps and be resilient in dealing with challenges and setbacks along the way. We also need to consider those who might not yet be sure about what they want to do when they grow up.

We are therefore aligned with Mr David Hoe and Mr Shawn Huang in providing our students exposure to the next stage of their school or work life. For example, some secondary schools offer Applied Learning Programmes (ALP) in areas, such as Business and Entrepreneurship, to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences. Our polytechnic and ITE students are required to complete internships and can participate in career fairs, mentorship programmes and industry visits. These give our students exposure to different careers and industries to allow them to make more informed decisions on future pathways.

11.00 am

Today, I have shared some of the moves we are exploring in Government. But no one has a monopoly on good ideas. That is why, in continuation of our efforts from Forward Singapore, we will start a series of Education Conversations. We intend to engage and consult educators, parents, researchers, students and the community. We will review your ideas and suggestions. And we will study other countries and learn from their best practices. Together, we will seek to create solutions that will ensure that our education system continues to meet our current and future needs, in particular with the changing and uncertain environment ahead of us. More details will be shared when ready.

Next, we also want our schools to be active platforms that bring together students from different backgrounds. After all, it is in our classrooms, school halls and sports arenas, where friendships are formed. And when students share their love of sports, music or mathematics, they discover that they are more similar than different. These interactions allow our students to bridge differences and develop social emotional skills.

Our schools intentionally bring together students from different schools and different backgrounds. For instance, we have combined school CCAs or cluster-based CCAs where students from different schools and backgrounds come together to learn and train on a regular basis.

Over the years, we have also made changes to the Primary 1 Registration Framework to expand access for students with no prior connections to enter our primary schools. We had reserved 20 places at Phase 2C in 2014, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. This was further increased from 20 to 40 in 2022. This has ensured open access to all primary schools via Phase 2C. Today, many of our schools have a good mix of students from families of different socio-economic statuses (SES).

Nevertheless, there are still some schools that are overrepresented by students from higher-SES families. Some of these schools are located in neighbourhoods that comprise mostly private housing, with fewer public housing. If the school is popular with parents, it might be filled first by those living nearest in private housing, because of the home-school distance priority.

Schools cannot just passively reflect the neighbourhoods around them, but they must also actively create diverse environments for our students to mix and mingle and to learn from one another. We have received many suggestions on the Primary 1 Registration Framework. Mr David Hoe, Ms Lee Hui Ying and others have suggested removing the priority phases for children and siblings of alumni, including the affiliation advantage at Secondary 1 posting, as they feel that this is unfair and exclusionary. Others have said the same of children whose parents volunteer for the school and community, because not every parent has the time and resources to do the same. Others support keeping things as they are, believing these connections help build school culture and shared values across generations.

On proximity, we have also heard equally diverse views. Some parents feel that proximity should be the most important consideration, so that students do not spend too much time traveling to and from school. Others want to widen or even remove the home-school distance bands altogether, so that parents who can afford to buy or rent property near their preferred school do not get an unfair advantage.

Some have suggested that the same Primary 1 framework should not be rigidly applied to all schools, especially if the school's neighbourhood comprises mostly some types of housing over others. And some have suggested that others from slightly further away be given some access. For such schools, alumni priority could draw in diverse students from a wider geographical range, instead of only students from the nearby private estate.

These are all well-meaning suggestions and what I have just said is not exhaustive. And we take every one of them seriously. But at the end of the day, we have to find the right balance between these competing views and needs, because there are only a finite number of places in each school and every change we contemplate would affect different groups in different ways. And as society evolves, we need to adjust this balance over time.

Let me assure Members that MOE is reviewing the Primary 1 Registration Framework so that our primary schools remain open to students from different backgrounds. We will announce more details when ready.

Let me talk briefly about AI. The rise of AI has changed the world as we knew it. AI can increasingly accomplish more complex tasks and what once took us hours or days, AI can now accomplish in minutes or even seconds. However, for all its capabilities, and they are growing, AI is not infallible, nor can it totally replace the humans' spirit.

To prepare our workforce for an AI-transformed future, our schools and IHLs will equip our students to harness AI through the four "Learns".

First, learn about AI. Students will learn what AI is, how it works, what its impact is and what the limitations are.

Second, learn to use AI. Students will learn how to harness AI tools effectively and responsibly, in partnership with the industry.

Third, learn with AI. Educators will use AI in teaching and learning to enhance students' learning outcomes.

And fourth, perhaps the most important, learn beyond AI. Educators will help students develop other critical skills, so that they can add human value and use AI to amplify their impact.

My colleague, Minister of State Jasmin Lau will provide further details about MOE's AI-related moves and you must see them in the context of the overall national moves and national strategy on AI.

Next, since we started the SkillsFuture movement in 2015, training participation from both individuals and employers has significantly increased. We have provided significant financial support to empower individuals to take charge of their learning. In 2024, we introduced the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme to further lower their opportunity costs of training for mid-career workers. We will continue to strengthen accessibility of a larger range of courses for mid-career workers to upskill. My colleague, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, will share more later.

While we have done well, we can, must do more and do better, to support Singaporeans in navigating an increasingly complex economic landscape and one that is changing in an ever faster clip.

At Budget 2026, Prime Minister announced that SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) would be reorganised into a new Statutory Board, jointly overseen by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and MOE. The new agency will integrate SSG's training and skills development capabilities, and WSG's employment facilitation ecosystem to provide stronger end-to-end support for Singaporeans in bridging skills to jobs. My colleague, Minister Tan See Leng, will share more details at MOM's Committee of Supply debate.

MOE will continue to steer the SkillsFuture movement together with MOM and the new agency and work with our IHLs, to provide high-quality, industry-relevant and accessible training for Singaporeans to upskill.

Finally, let me talk about working together for a stronger education system. The plans that I have outlined today cannot be achieved by MOE and our schools alone. Everyone has a part to play. Let me thank some of our key partners, in addition to the community partners and social service agencies whom I had mentioned earlier.

We are grateful to our industry partners who closely collaborate with our IHLs to provide our learners with industry-relevant curriculum and real-world experiences that prepare our students for the future. We also appreciate our parent and school volunteers who plan engaging activities that strengthen student support and build stronger parent-child relationships.

And in particular, I would like to recognise and affirm our educators for the important and hard work that they do day in, day out. To our school leaders and teachers, you are the core of our education system. You nurture our students and support their learning – from lessons to remedials, from CCAs to camps, from building trust to journeying with students through difficulties and so much more. We will continue to ensure that our teachers are fairly recognised for their hard work and dedication. MOE is reviewing the salaries of our educators, including our allied educators and MOE Kindergarten Educators and will share more when ready.

We also recognise that all the things you do for our students take time, effort and sacrifices. It is therefore important that our teachers' workload remains manageable and sustainable and we have had extensive debates in this House before. I have been sharing at length on our commitment in this front and we are making steady headway. For instance, by leveraging technology and AI, alongside the Reimagining the Teaching Profession Taskforce's recommendations, we will continue to help recalibrate what teachers do.

These include streamlining administrative processes, increasing support structures and protecting after-work hours, so that our teachers can better balance their professional responsibilities with their personal well-being. We will continue to listen to our teachers and do more to support you. Mr Chairman, I will now speak in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): Colleagues, first, I want to wish everyone a Happy Lantern Festival and good health in the Year of Horse.

The various initiatives that we are sharing today aim to support Singaporeans' learning needs and aspirations. Regardless of our student's starting point, we will ensure everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential, as we build a “We First” society. We will do our best to cater to students with different strengths and needs, and uplift those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Currently, all primary schools offer school-based programmes to develop and challenge students who have strengths and talents in English, Mathematics and Science. We will broaden access to existing school-based programmes. With this, around 10% of the cohort will benefit, up from 7% today.

Students who can benefit from further stretch can choose to attend designated centres after school to participate in advanced modules. This way, students can continue studying at their original primary school without having to transfer.

These centres will also offer interdisciplinary modules. These modules guide students to approach and solve real-life problems by making connections across different subjects. Whether students have strengths in a specific area or multiple areas, they can choose to participate in interdisciplinary modules during school holidays.

This year's Primary 3 students are the first cohort to participate in the refreshed identification process. They will take a standardised test in August. Even if they are not selected the first time, students can still join the programme in Primary 4 and 5 if they are identified through other sources of information, such as teacher observations and their daily work. This allows students to develop their strengths at their own pace.

Education is an important driver of social equality. Regardless of their family background, our education system must give every child the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and achieve upward social mobility.

From this year, we will devote more resources to support schools' after-school activities, providing mentoring, interest-based activities and learning journeys for students from low-income families to broaden their horizons and cultivate their aspirations. Schools receiving these additional resources will increase from the current 100 to 157.

Schools will work closely with community stakeholders to provide more timely and comprehensive support for disadvantaged students and their families. We will strengthen coordination and collaboration between schools, Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres.

Next, we will increase special education school places and establish new schools to support more students with moderate to severe special educational needs.

In an increasingly fragmented world, bilingualism allows us to serve as a bridge between the East and the West, while helping us stay rooted in our local culture and strengthen our identity as Singaporeans. Therefore, we will increase funding for the Mother Tongue Language Learning and Promotion Committees over the next five years to strengthen bilingualism through a wider range of activities.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun will share details on our efforts for special education and promotion of Mother Tongue languages later.

11.15 am

(In English): Mr Chairman, the collective efforts of Singaporeans have helped to support and strengthen our students' learning experiences. In the spirit of "we first", we will keep working together with Singaporeans to improve our education system and weave a stronger social fabric. This work is more critical and urgent this fast-changing and uncertain world. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State David Neo.

The Senior Minister of State for Education (Mr David Neo): Mr Chairman, this year, MOE's Committee of Supply theme is "We Learn for Life Together". It reflects MOE's commitment to lifelong learning, which is salient given the rapid pace of change in technology in the world today.

But there is also another interpretation – which is apt given the many conversations we have had in this Chamber about AI – that we are nurturing our students to learn to live life the way life was supposed to be lived and to live together as friends, as a community, as one united people.

How do we want to nurture our students to live life? We want to help our students find meaning, purpose and the motivation to pursue growth, so they can thrive. We want our students to not be defined by their pasts but have the courage to make the most of every situation. We want our students to forge and build human connections with their friends.

How do we want to nurture our students to live together? I think there is much for us to learn from our pioneers. We are all very familiar with the Singapore story. We started out as a migrant society. Our forefathers of different races and religions had to learn to live together with each other. Was there friction? Certainly. But our pioneers overcame it, and Singapore flourished as a result. And we need to build on their spirit and values.

We have heard much over this debate about how the world has changed. Against this backdrop, we need to nurture our students to be just as exceptional as our pioneers, if not more, and continue to have the same spirit and value of wanting to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.

While the world builds walls, we must build bridges, starting in our classrooms. When we prioritise our unity, harmony and stability, we create space for every student's holistic growth so that they can achieve their full potential, regardless of their starting point.

Schools are one of the first places where children experience being in a community. Our schools offer shared experiences, which fosters our shared identity as Singaporeans. Our schools also offer the opportunity for students of different interests, talents and backgrounds to come together.

Singaporeans come from many walks of life. Regardless of race, language or religion, we bring with us a diverse range of talents. We must celebrate and nurture this. Under the Forward Singapore agenda, MOE will continue to enhance our education system and schools to help every child reach their full potential and make our system more student centric.

Minister Desmond Lee spoke about plans to refresh, improve and broaden access to different modalities of support. This includes refreshed support for primary school students with strengths in the academic domain, as well as expansion of the Special Education school capacity.

Beyond that, students who need more academic support also receive targeted intervention in schools. Support programmes are delivered in small groups using customised resources and are taught by specially trained teachers. Recent improvements include the extension of the Reading Remediation Programme to Primary 5, as well as the Learning Support for Mathematics programme to Primary 3 and 4. The Primary 3 and 4 Mother Tongue Support Programme will also be refreshed to better engage students and narrow learning gaps.

Another key initiative is Full SBB. Full SBB was implemented in 2024 for secondary schools, as part of MOE's efforts to nurture the joy of learning and develop multiple pathways to cater to the different strengths and interest of our students so they can achieve their full potential.

Under Full SBB, we have done away with separate Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) courses, and our students get to learn, grow and work together. Students have flexibility to customise their learning of individual subjects in their secondary school journey. They do so based on their individual strengths, interests and learning needs instead of keeping to a single subject level for all subjects.

At the lower secondary levels, students are placed in mixed form classes to interact with classmates of different profiles and strengths. They spend about a third of their curriculum time in their mixed form classes and learn together for subjects such as art, physical education, design and technology.

The Full SBB pilot has shown encouraging outcomes. Students are forming friendships and they display more positive attitudes towards peers from different backgrounds. They also have a stronger sense of belonging to their schools. Teachers also observe students taking greater ownership of their own learning. Students demonstrate stronger motivation to overcome challenges and break through limiting mindsets to pursue subjects at more demanding levels.

Take Samuel, for example. He started at one of the Full SBB pilot schools, St Andrew's School, entering through Posting Group 1. He was originally disheartened because none of his friends were in the same posting group. But under Full SBB, Samuel's starting point did not define him or how he would finish. He was offered the opportunity to take English, Mathematics and Sciences at G2 level at Secondary 1, and he had the flexibility to continue his other subjects at G1 level.

Even as he juggled a more demanding academic load alongside rugby training, Samuel remained consistent. When he felt ready, he took on all subjects at G3, the most academically demanding subject level. With Full SBB, Samuel could learn at his own pace, and he could take ownership of his learning journey. He was not defined by labels, but he carved out his own path, on his own terms.

With the right support system, every student can achieve their full potential. Samuel did well for his GCE "O" Level in 2025 and is now pursuing his studies at Temasek Polytechnic.

The first Full SBB cohort will be sitting for the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examination in 2027. As students take more diverse subject combinations, MOE has also reviewed the admissions criteria for post-secondary pathways, as announced at MOE's Committee of Supply in previous years. We will update our posting system from 2028 and implement a new Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE).

Today, GCE "N" and "O" Level graduates have to navigate multiple admissions processes. There are different application portals and timelines for various educational pathways, such as the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) Admissions Exercise and Institute of Technical Education Joint Intake Exercise (ITE JIE). As a result, students need to keep track of different application processes and timelines, which may create more uncertainty regarding their posting choices.

The new PSE will transform the JAE, PFP, ITE JIE, just to provide a single admissions process for graduates to apply for admission to junior colleges (JC), Millenia Institute (MI), Polytechnics and ITE.

All pathways and courses are available for selection on a single platform. Students can see all the courses that they are eligible for, and they can select and rank their choices based on their preference. Students will no longer need to keep track of various admissions exercises.

To encourage students to prioritise schools and courses based on their strengths and interests, choice order will be introduced as a posting tie-breaker for the PSE in this order: citizenship, choice order, gross aggregate score and computerised balloting. Tie-breakers will be applied when two students with the same net aggregate score are vying for the last available vacancy in the course.

The 2027 SEC cohort will receive their SEC results in January 2028 and apply for their post-secondary course options through this new PSE. The posting outcomes will be released by early February of the same year. We hope that this more student-centric approach will allow all our students to reach their full potential.

Beyond enabling students to reach their full potential based on their unique strengths, Full SBB has also created opportunities for students to foster meaningful connections.

Adam from Bendemeer Secondary School took subjects across G1 to G3 levels which gave him more opportunities to make friends from different classes. This supported his growth as a Student Leader, as he became more comfortable and confident when interacting with others. Today, Adam is in his school's student council executive committee.

By providing students with opportunities to interact with a wider group of peers, Full SBB also helps us dissolve perceived boundaries between "them" and "us". Fahrin from Fuhua Secondary School discovered the joy of meeting new people. Through these expanded connections, he now has formed a larger and more diverse network that he can draw support from.

Many of us in this House have spoken about the importance of nurturing a "we first" society, and we can start from our schools. This is where our students learn to embrace diversity and contribute in different ways. It is where our students learn to grow, understand and empathise with one another. It is where our children are instilled with our shared values.

In this regard, grounding our students in core values and 21st Century Competencies is critical. Values like resilience, respect and harmony, and civic, global and cross-cultural competencies. This forms the basis for openness, so we can know, understand and empathise with one another. These values and competencies need to be lived, embodied and experienced.

To Mr Shawn Huang's suggestions, MOE has implemented moves to free up space for holistic development, while reducing an over-emphasis of academic results. We want to teach less and learn more. This provides greater room for students to conduct student-led, self-directed exploration.

When mid-year exams were removed, teachers from Fuchun Primary School did not use the opportunity to cover more curriculum. Instead, teachers thoughtfully designed lessons to weave in the development of 21st Century Competencies into students' learning experiences.

Under the school's signature Home Skills Programme, Primary 3 students worked together to make a healthy fruit salad by applying financial literacy concepts to plan within a budget, health education principles to understand the nutritional value of fruits, and adaptive thinking to design a salad that meets the needs of their grandparents or family members.

Such authentic learning experiences transform subject knowledge into purposeful application. Students used the time freed up from preparing for mid-year exams to deal with real-world problems in groups. This provided the opportunity to strengthen the 21st Century Competencies of our Primary 3 children, including adaptive thinking and practicing responsible decision-making both at school and at home.

Beyond that, secondary schools and pre-university institutions have implemented Student-Initiated Learning (SIL), as a component of Home-Based Learning days. Under SIL, time is set aside for students to pursue their interests and learn outside the curriculum. The intention is to encourage students to be more curious and self-directed in their learning.

As part of students' holistic development, schools develop students as active contributors and concerned citizens. Schools encourage students to speak up and provide them with age-appropriate ways to participate in decision-making. For example, some schools create official channels for students to suggest ways to better support their disadvantaged peers. Others also organise forums and townhalls where older students can discuss issues and ideas directly with the school management.

11.30 am

Over eight in 10 youths find “contributing to society” and “helping the less fortunate” to be important life goals. To support this, students are encouraged to start their own Values-in-Action projects. Instead of just participating in school-planned community service, they design and they carry out their own projects to benefit the community. Besides developing their planning and project management skills, such projects also help build active citizenship, empathy and leadership skills in our students.

Mr Azhar Othman suggested for primary and secondary schools to offer a non-examinable subject on entrepreneurship, to cultivate students who are innovative and creative. We agree that as part of a holistic education, it is important to develop an enterprising spirit and innovating mindset. Whether our students choose to become entrepreneurs or not, these qualities will help them to navigate their careers and life.

This is why MOE prioritises the development of the 21st Century Competencies like critical, adaptive and inventive thinking skills. They are built through different subjects and school programmes such as Values-in-Action projects. The Applied Learning Programmes also help develop these competencies, particularly those that are focused on innovation, business and entrepreneurship. Students who want to develop specific business skillsets may also pursue subjects such as Elements of Business Skills and Principles of Accounts at upper secondary level.

Beyond initiatives to build up students’ 21st Century Competencies, CCAs offer a regular platform for students to discover their interests, develop their talents, and build strong character. In support of this, the Strategic Partnership CCA (SP-CCA) programme offers centralised, non-school-based CCAs to enable secondary school students to pursue activities beyond what their individual schools can provide. Students from different schools can come together, build friendships and support each other through the ups and downs of sporting experiences.

Let me share about Shankarii from Zhenghua Secondary School. Through SP-CCA Athletics, she found herself training alongside Xavier from Fairfield Methodist School, and twins Jairus and Jayden from Woodlands Secondary School. What started as polite interactions during training blossomed into a supportive friendship. They began meeting for lunch, did self-study together and supported each other in their sporting and academic pursuits. Their coaches shared that their friendship has brought positive energy to every training session.

When we bring students together across school boundaries, we are not just developing athletic talent. We are bringing Singaporeans together to bond over shared experiences and interests, and to learn, grow and work together. In doing so, we are nurturing relationships that will strengthen our society.

We will continue to do more in this space by offering and expanding SP-CCA opportunities. Last year, we added Canoeing to the list. This year, we are introducing Hockey. MOE and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) are committed to providing more avenues for our students to pursue their sporting passions. This is in line with MOE’s efforts to ensure that students can benefit from regular physical activity and are supported from a well-being perspective.

Mr Gerald Giam suggested to increase minimum Physical Education (PE) curriculum time in primary schools to five hours weekly, and Mr Dennis Tan proposed later school start times to prioritise students’ sleep health. Mr Kenneth Tiong also suggested for school classrooms to have indoor temperature standards and mixed-mode air-conditioning to facilitate learning. I will first share about MOE's current efforts in these areas, before addressing Members’ suggestions.

Today, MOE schools adopt a holistic approach to encourage active and healthy lifestyles, as well as good sleep health. Primary 3 to 6 students have 2.5 hours of PE classes per week. This is comparable to most other systems internationally. Through PE lessons, students learn about healthy eating, how to exercise and the importance of cultivating good sleep habits. Beyond that, primary school students have opportunities to be active in school through the Programme for Active Learning for those in Primary 1 and 2, and CCAs from Primary 3 onwards, as well as inter-class games, unstructured play during recess and school camps.

Heat mitigation measures are also adopted to tackle rising temperatures and improve thermal comfort in schools. MOE has been studying the impact of rising temperatures on learning, believe it or not, since 1989, when then-Member of Parliament Mr Chandra Das first asked if MOE would air-condition our classrooms, and the implementation timelines. Over the years, we have been careful not to rush into air-conditioning as the technology was not as energy efficient. Instead, we have relied on passive cooling solutions and we designed our schools for maximum natural ventilation and for classroom windows to be north-south facing to minimise heat transmission.

As temperatures have continued to rise, and as technology evolved in recent years, we have added more, faster and quieter fans to all classrooms, coated school building exteriors with solar-reflective cool paint, and we adopted uniforms with moisture-wicking or breathable materials to combat heat and humidity. We have also implemented mixed mode cooling in school halls with a target temperature. But we are not stopping there.

That is why we commissioned the study in 2020, which Mr Tiong cited, precisely to determine how best to apply mixed-mode cooling to bring about optimal thermal comfort conditions including temperatures in classrooms, while balancing other considerations such as long-term heat resilience and acclimatisation, energy consumption and impact on the environment. We are thus committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of which school they attend, have access to conducive learning environments. This includes exploring mixed mode cooling for classrooms as the science becomes clearer.

I thank all the Members for their very well-intentioned suggestions. But like the trade-offs for mixed mode cooling, there are also trade-offs in our other suggestions. Members, many of us in this House have spoken about students’ and teachers’ workload and stress, and we want our students to sleep more. But we also want to double the number of PE hours, introduce entrepreneurship and inter-faith classes, and have white space Fridays.

At MOE, we are very protective of our students and teachers and are always looking to lower their workload and stress levels. Let us instead take a leaf from Fuchun Primary's book and give our students the space to experience the joy of learning, growing and working together and not be in a rush to fill the curriculum with more and more things. MOE will continue to study different ways of providing a conducive learning environment to our students, while actively managing all these trade-offs.

A common appreciation and love for arts and culture can also provide a common platform for Singaporeans to bond. Since 2018, as part of the formal art curriculum, Primary 4 students have the opportunity to visit art museums through our Museum-based Learning Experience. Students are exposed to Singapore’s artistic heritage, which helps them to understand our shared cultural story.

When Amanda from Yew Tee Primary visited the National Gallery, she was introduced to Liu Kang's “Life By The River”. She observed that “the people in the painting lived in wooden huts but today we live in HDB flats”. In seeing how far we have come as a society, Amanda was not just looking at art, but she was connecting the dots across generations.

MOE’s Performing Arts-based Learning experience, developed in partnership with the National Arts Council, builds upon students’ holistic education. Live music performances by local performing arts groups are curated for lower secondary schools as part of their music education. Students across different schools attend performances by local artists and appreciate local works at professional arts venue such as the Esplanade and the Victoria Concert Hall.

Secondary 3 student Ghufayrah from Yishun Town Secondary School particularly enjoyed "Rasa Sayang" reimagined by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. When students from different backgrounds share these cultural experiences together, they discover what unites us as Singaporeans.

MOE schools serve as important shared spaces that provide a safe environment for students to learn respect and harmony. Students can build positive relationships with one another, regardless of race or religion. Ms Diana Pang suggested deepening interfaith education in schools. MOE agrees that it is important to support mutual understanding amongst students. This is why our schools offer balanced and age-appropriate exposure to all major religions in Singapore, through CCE and Social Studies lessons.

For example, primary school students are introduced to the concept of dietary requirements, whether for health or religious reasons, by engaging in classroom activities such as planning a birthday party that is socially inclusive. Students also participate in learning journeys to heritage sites, and celebrations of cultural festivals to develop respect and sensitivity to racial and religious issues. In doing so, MOE seeks to cultivate a deeper appreciation and understanding of Singapore’s multicultural and multi-religious society amongst our students.

Mr Chairman, I would like to thank all the Members once again for their very thoughtful suggestions. Much of the discussion in this debate has been about AI. And in this AI age where algorithms shape choices and technology drives us into echo chambers that pull us apart, education is one of our most human acts of connection.

It teaches us empathy, critical thought, and our shared values that make us one united people. Let us work together to shape an education system that will not just make our students smarter, but also more human and more connected. A student-centric education system where we learn for life together, so we can nurture every Singaporean to achieve their full potential. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary.

The Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary): Chair, since we launched SkillsFuture in 2015, our mission has been to provide Singaporeans with the opportunity to develop to their full potential throughout life, regardless of background. As a small, open economy, we continually invest in our people and empower them to grow skills, adapt to the changing work environment and seize new career opportunities.

The SkillsFuture movement has made significant progress. In 2025, more than 600,000 individuals attended MOE and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)-supported training, up from 370,000 in 2015. Employers are also taking a more active role in upskilling their workforce. The number of employers who sent their employees for SSG-supported training has nearly doubled, from around 12,000 in 2015 to over 23,000 in 2025. The training sector has matured in both breadth and scale. We now have a range of training providers, from IHLs to specialist providers, offering diverse training across domains, closely guided by industry needs.

As we look ahead, SkillsFuture must continue to evolve to better support Singaporeans in pursuing lifelong learning throughout their careers. With accelerating technological change and increasingly complex labour market demands, strengthening support for all Singaporeans has become even more critical.

The merger of SSG and Workforce Singapore (WSG) into a new Statutory Board, jointly overseen by MOM and MOE, ensures that the SkillsFuture movement remains agile and responsive to our evolving needs. As Minister Desmond Lee has explained, the new agency will build on the strengths of both agencies: SSG's expertise in training and skills development, combined with WSG's employment facilitation ecosystem. This integration will enable us to connect skills development more closely with employment opportunities and career advancements, in line with the Economic Strategy Review’s recommendation.

We will continue to support individual aspirations in upgrading, empower employers to take charge of their training needs, and develop a vibrant continuous education and training (CET) ecosystem.

We have empowered all Singaporeans to take charge of their own learning and upskilling journeys. The SkillsFuture Credit was one of our very first initiatives. Every Singaporean aged 25 and above received an initial $500 credit for skills-related training programmes. This supports adults to take that important first step in embracing lifelong learning, to improve their employment prospects or acquire new skills to pursue their interests and aspirations.

Over time, we have introduced new programmes to strengthen support. The SkillsFuture Level Up Programme (SFLP) was introduced in 2024 to support mid-career Singaporeans aged 40 and above to meaningfully upgrade their skills. This group faces particular vulnerabilities. Many have been away from formal education for years and face competing priorities that make it challenging to take time off work for training. Without targeted support, they risk being left behind as their skills may become obsolete.

11.45 am

The SFLP includes a SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up of $4,000 usable for about 7,500 courses, and the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance that provides up to $3,000 per month for those pursuing full-time training. This year, we have also extended the Training Allowance to part-time training, with trainees receiving a fixed $300 monthly allowance.

We are encouraged by the response to the SFLP so far. Since its launch in May 2024, over 60,000 individuals have used their SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career). The SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance has benefited over 5,000 individuals since it was first introduced in March 2025.

We will further enhance the SFLP to provide learners with more options to reskill and upskill. We will expand the course catalogue to include Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) full qualification courses.

As part of a national skills credentialling system, such WSQ-accredited courses impart skills needed to perform various work tasks in line with industry manpower needs. The inclusion of these courses ensures that SFLP learners can choose from a wider range of industry-relevant courses.

Around 200 WSQ courses are expected to qualify for the SFLP from 4Q 2026, across a wide range of sectors, such as Healthcare, Information and Communication, Engineering, Media and Early Childhood. One example would be the WSQ Specialist Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health offered by the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC) LearningHub. This course trains participants in skills, such as safety and risk management and emergency response. Upon completion, participants can apply to become a registered Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Officer under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.

More details on the eligible WSQs will be released at a later date.

As we continue to expand upskilling options, we also want to better support learners in navigating and making informed choices about their options.

We will take a key step by enhancing the digital experience for learners, to help them better navigate the various training offerings. Today, many Singaporeans are familiar with the MySkillsFuture portal, which they use to search for training courses. SSG will revamp the MySkillsFuture portal, with two major improvements.

SSG will launch a new course search experience that includes curated recommendations for in-demand skill areas, such as AI, occupation-based course exploration tools and an AI-powered chatbot for personalised guidance. Let me explain these three buckets: (i) the curated recommendations for in-demand skills areas – for those who know that they have a certain set of skills but are not entirely sure which occupation or career pathway to progress to; (ii) the occupation-based course exploration tools – for those who know what career they are in, what trajectory they want, which in a particular industry, but want to know which skills or certifications to acquire for further progress; (iii) and then, for those really not sure of which of these categories they fall in to or what they would like, we have a chatbot to be able to then understand their needs and to provide them with further guidance.

SSG will also improve the course enrolment process. Starting with selected training providers, individuals will be able to enrol directly in courses on MySkillsFuture using the pre-filled SingPass information, instead of having to navigate to the training provider's website to submit a separate application. This will make it easier for individuals to apply for courses immediately after having discovered them through the various search functions that I have just described and, hence, reduce the administrative burden both on the individuals as potential learners and on training providers.

Overall, SSG's enhancements will make it easier for individuals to identify courses that are aligned with their career aspirations and reduce information asymmetry, as raised by Mr David Hoe. Mr Hoe also suggested that training providers offer "taster" or trial overview lessons and that job shadowing and short learning journeys be introduced under SkillsFuture.

Some of our IHLs already provide information sessions for prospective learners to better understand the course content and objectives before signing up. For longer programmes, which require greater commitment, such as diplomas and degrees, learners can consider enrolling in stackable modules. This provides flexibility for learners to take the course without committing to the full programme upfront.

There is also the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) where trainees benefit from career advisory and assistance in job searches and may undergo project work with companies, beyond classroom training.

Miss Rachel Ong asked how we are enhancing accessibility for persons with disabilities, so that they can better identify and take up courses.

SSG and SG Enable will continue to work with community partners to raise training providers' capabilities to deliver inclusive training, including in areas, like AI. They conduct regular workshops on inclusive training methodologies and accommodations and have worked with the Institute for Adult Learning to develop courses for adult educators, so that they can better design and deliver inclusive training.

SG Enable also provides a Capability Development Grant to help training providers who customise courses to meet the needs of persons with different disabilities and is working with SSG to explore ways to scale up the delivery of inclusive training by leveraging technology.

Ms Hany Soh asked how our polytechnics and ITE can support Singaporeans to pursue different lifelong learning pathways.

Today, the polytechnics and ITE offer a range of pathways for lifelong learning, to meet the upskilling needs and career aspirations of different learners. This includes regularly reviewing course offerings and vacancies based on industry needs, employment outcomes and student interests. Learners looking for more substantive upskilling or career switches can take up full qualifications, offered in both full-time and part-time modules. The IHLs have admissions pathways which recognise competencies gained in the workplace, instead of focusing narrowly on academic competencies. Learners who are looking for "just-in-time" upskilling can take up shorter modular micro-credentials, which offer bite-sized skills top-ups. These micro-credentials can also be stacked to full qualifications, to allow learners to learn at their own pace.

We have also rolled out the ITE Progression Award to support ITE graduates aged 30 and below to upskill to a diploma and to secure more progression prospects in their chosen professions.

We also recognise the important role that companies and employers play in skills development and training. Employers are well-placed to know what skills are relevant, and guide workers' upskilling decisions. Both employers and workers can benefit when workers apply their newly acquired skills at the workplace.

Over the last decade, we have increased opportunities for employers to play a stronger role in the training of workers. One example is the SkillsFuture Work-Study Programme, which we launched in 2015, along with the broader SkillsFuture movement. The programme moved beyond classroom learning, to a model in which institutions and employers work together to help trainees learn in both the classroom and the workplace.

Under this model, polytechnic and ITE students spend part of their time in structured learning environments and part of their time gaining hands-on experience in workplaces, earning a salary while they learn. Employers play a crucial role as co-developers of the curriculum, ensuring that the skills taught directly address industry needs.

An example is the ITE Work-Study Diploma which we introduced in 2018 and which has become an important upgrading pathway for ITE Nitec and Higher Nitec graduates. The programme has grown significantly from a pioneer cohort of four courses and 100 trainees in 2018 to 45 courses and 1,600 trainees in 2025.

More importantly, the programme has achieved good graduate outcomes. Around nine in 10 Work-Study Diploma graduates secured full-time employment upon completion, with the graduates from the 2024 cohort earning a median monthly starting salary of $2,975, comparable to polytechnic diploma graduates, and significantly above their initial median salary of $2,000.

This success reflects the efforts of MOE and ITE and the commitment of more than 700 industry partners. They have been instrumental in teaching technical skills and providing tangible work experience for our trainees, allowing them to gain important life skills that they will carry with them throughout their careers.

We are glad that these employers see the value of the Work-Study Diploma programme in helping them develop their talent pipelines. Around seven in 10 graduates continued with the employers who hired and trained them during the programme.

One such employer that exemplifies this commitment is STMicroelectronics, a semiconductor manufacturing company. STMicroelectronics has worked closely with ITE to co-develop Work-Study programmes, together with other semiconductor industry partners. The company has been expanding its Work-Study placements across programmes in exciting fields, including microelectronics, electronics and computer engineering and automation engineering. Many graduates have chosen to build their careers with the company after completing their programmes.

An example is Nur'Iman, who joined STMicroelectronics as a technician on the Work-Study Diploma programme in 2022. He was able to deepen his technical expertise through the programme, where he shadowed other technicians and engineers to build specialist knowledge. In 2024, he was promoted to Assistant Maintenance Engineer, while also working on his final-year project, an AI computer vision solution for wafer defect detection. He graduated as the top student of his cohort in 2024 and continues to work for STMicroelectronics.

We are encouraged by the positive outcomes of the ITE Work-Study Diploma Programme and want to better recognise the efforts and commitment of our employer partners. This is in line with the Economic Strategy Review Committees' recommendations to support more flexible pathways that blend training and work to develop industry-relevant skills.

Dr Hamid Razak also asked how we will strengthen the Work-Study Diploma pathway. We will continue to work with employers to provide meaningful training opportunities for ITE students. MOE and SSG will enhance the employer incentives for the ITE Work-Study Diploma for new cohorts from April 2026. This will be done in two ways.

We will increase the quantum of the incentive provided to Work-Study Diploma employer partners from $15,000 to $20,000, for each trainee that employers hire and train. We will also simplify the process for disbursing these incentives.

Today, the $15,000 incentive is paid out to companies as reimbursement upon the completion of specific qualifying activities. Depending on the amount claimed and the activities completed, not all employers access the full $15,000. The new $20,000 incentive will be fully disbursed at several milestones throughout the course duration. This means an employer who sponsors an eligible trainee through the full Work-Study programme will receive the full amount. This will also make it easier for employers to claim these incentives by reducing the administrative processes required to access the funding.

We hope that these enhancements will encourage more employers to come forward and build their talent pipelines, by offering meaningful training opportunities for our ITE graduates.

We will continue to strengthen our support for companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to identify their skills needs and access appropriate training for their employees. For example, SSG introduced the SkillsFuture Queen Bee programme, where industry-leading companies provide skills advisory to SMEs in their networks, to help them identify and acquire skills needed to transform their operations.

Grab is one such SkillsFuture Queen Bee and has provided short masterclasses to SMEs and their employees, on topics, like the Progressive Wage Model framework, and relevant skills training. These initiatives are useful in uplifting the industry. We hope more companies will come forward as SkillsFuture Queen Bees.

SSG has also introduced digital workforce planning tools to support enterprises in workforce development. This includes TalentTrack, which employers can use to get insights on in-demand skills in their industries and identify suitable training programmes.

To support companies in navigating and adapting to rapidly advancing technologies, such as AI, SSG will roll out the SME AI Skills Launchpad Initiative progressively from March 2026 to help workers in SMEs improve their AI awareness and to facilitate the adoption of AI solutions. This initiative comprises two key components.

First, SSG will create a comprehensive resource page of AI resources offered by SSG and its partners to make it easier for employers to identify resources for their AI transformation. Companies in all sectors will be able to access curated course recommendations to help them transform their business processes and to upskill their workers in AI.

12.00 pm

Secondly, companies looking for more curated offerings in their sectors can also tap on the support offered by SkillsFuture Queen Bees. All SkillsFuture Queen Bees will deliver free AI masterclasses and advisory services for SMEs in their sectors and value chains. This initiative is expected to benefit about 2,000 employers over the next three years.

These efforts will provide a good foundation that the new Statutory Board can build on to help companies, especially SMEs, continuously upskill their workforce to meet evolving industry demands and to seize new opportunities.

Lastly, we will continue to build a vibrant CET ecosystem.

Today, our CET ecosystem includes more than 700 training providers, including our IHLs, as well as industry and union partners that offer a wide range of high-quality, market-responsive programmes. Over the last 10 years, our IHLs have become key players in the CET landscape. They have significantly scaled up CET offerings and developed innovative upskilling pathways for adult learners.

With the merger of SSG and WSG, MOE will continue to work with our IHLs to provide high-quality, industry-relevant and accessible training that leads to tangible career outcomes for Singaporeans. Our IHLs are well-placed to deliver innovative and industry-relevant CET programmes.

They have deep research capabilities. This places them at the nexus between education and research. So, the IHLs can tap on these capabilities to translate frontier knowledge and new industry applications of technology into curricular. IHLs also draw upon industry networks to ensure that both their faculty and their programmes remain updated on industry developments. For example, it is common for IHL faculty to work directly with companies on industry projects.

Mr Andre Low asked about how we would accredit high-quality micro-credentials such that they ensure tangible labour market value. Stackable micro-credentials are a key IHL innovation to improve accessibility in learning for adult workers. Each micro-credential is a discrete unit of learning, with clear learning outcomes, assessment and certification. Learners can earn academic credits which then stack to a CET full qualification.

These micro-credentials can already be reflected on the Career and Skills Passport. One example is the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). SIT's competency-based CET degrees are delivered through stackable micro-credentials. SIT has engaged the industry to design each micro-credential around competencies and skillsets required for specific job roles. SIT continually collects feedback from learners and their employers, ensuring that the competencies can be applied directly at work.

Specifically on the recognition of micro-credentials across IHLs, we have piloted micro-credential pathways that are built upon courses from multiple IHLs, such as the Institution of Engineers Singapore's Chartered Engineer (Singapore) in Sustainability certification. We have done this in close partnership with industry partners, to ensure that these micro-credential pathways are industry-recognised.

Mr Andre Low also asked about overseas micro-credentials.

Where there is a clear industry need, like in cloud software solutions, we have worked with employers, via the Singapore Computer Society, to recognise well-recognised overseas certifications for SkillsFuture support. In general, our focus would be to develop the local CET ecosystem to ensure rigorous quality assurance and alignment with Singapore's priorities.

Core to our effort in developing a vibrant CET ecosystem are our adult educators.

Assoc Prof Terence Ho asked if we could do more to recognise excellence within the adult educator profession. We agree this is important. Over the last decade, we have embarked on a journey to professionalise the adult educator sector.

In 2021, SSG introduced a requirement for training providers to ensure that at least 80% of their trainers have the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP). This equips adult educators with the core principles and skills for teaching adult learners.

Last year, we took another critical step by introducing the Training and Adult Educator Professionalisation Pathway (TAEPP). Under the TAEPP, adult educators must attain at least 80 practice hours and 40 continuing professional development hours every two years, to ensure that their skills stay up to date.

The TAEPP will also be tiered by levels, to better differentiate and recognise adult educators with more years of experience and capabilities. For example, more experienced and skilled adult educators can register as Professional or Senior Professional adult educators.

This will help to create meaningful progression for those looking to hone their skills and in turn enable training to be more effective. We are open to considering suggestions on how we can further recognise the work of exemplary adult educators and to showcase the important work they are doing to further uplift the sector.

Dr Choo Pei Ling spoke about ensuring that training leads to better outcomes for Singaporeans. We agree that this is important. For training to yield results, the training and workforce ecosystem must continue to work together to provide high-quality training, enable proactive employer involvement to steer training and recognise skills, and empower individuals to make thoughtful career and training choices.

Since the start of our SkillsFuture journey in 2015, we have supported individual aspirations in upgrading, empowered employers to take charge of their training needs and developed a vibrant CET ecosystem. The work continues. The merger of SSG and WSG will allow us to connect skills development even more closely with employment and career opportunities, it will allow us to respond more nimbly to new needs and will allow us to better support Singaporeans in their aspirations. The Ministry of Manpower will share more about this.

Chair, we will continue to put Singaporeans at the centre of our efforts and ensure that no one is left behind in our journey towards a more skilled and resilient workforce.

The Chairman: Minister of State Jasmin Lau.

The Minister of State for Education (Ms Jasmin Lau): Mr Chairman, AI is no longer a distant concept debated by experts. It is already in our classrooms, in our workplaces and increasingly, in our homes.

In my Budget debate speech, I said that AI is not something that will arrive in a few years' time. It is already reshaping how we learn, how we grow and how we work. And it forces us to confront a deeper question. If AI can perform tasks that once required human cognition – writing, analysing, even coding – then what should humans focus on mastering? What makes us distinct? What gives us purpose and confidence?

The rise of AI compels us to recalibrate not just our economy, but our understanding of human value. What makes us human? What should humans learn and grow in, when AI can do some of our work? What do we find meaning in, when some of our time is freed up from work? What do we want value and purpose to look like for ourselves and, better yet, for our children?

In my speech, I will focus on the ways through which we are reshaping our education system, to prepare Singaporeans for a world transformed by AI: from our primary school to our pre-university students, to the graduates of our IHLs, to our workers on their lifelong journey of learning and upskilling.

We must provide opportunities for everyone to learn how to harness AI to its full potential, at all points of their lifelong learning journey. Mr Darryl David spoke at length about the need for our education system to establish a strong foundation of skills in an AI-pervasive world.

MOE's approach is simple, but deliberate. We want every student to learn about AI, to learn how to use AI, to learn with AI and, most importantly, to learn beyond AI.

These are not slogans. They reflect four important ways to think about how we understand technology, use technology, collaborate with technology and transcend it. By the time our students enter IHLs, every one of them will have foundational AI literacy. They will understand what AI is, how it works and what its risks and possibilities are.

But we will introduce this thoughtfully and integrate AI literacy into our school programming. We are mindful that not all students come from homes with the same level of digital familiarity. Our approach ensures that AI literacy is built within schools in a structured and calibrated manner, so that access and guidance do not depend solely on family background. No student should be disadvantaged in this new era because of circumstance.

Younger students will have lower exposure and closer supervision. They must build strong foundations and fundamentals in literacy, numeracy, reasoning as well as self-discipline to use AI wisely. We agree with Mr Alex Yam that students at a younger age should still learn their core foundational knowledge and skills and not use AI as a shortcut to their learning.

Mr Yam also asked how AI literacy is being strengthened for our students, while ensuring that we address ethics, academic integrity, bias and over-reliance. Let me illustrate. When we say students will learn about AI, they may learn in their Cyber Wellness classes how to identify deepfakes. Not just as a technical skill, but as a defence against misinformation in a world where not everything we see or hear is real.

When we say students will learn to use AI, they will use AI tools in the updated "Code for Fun" programme that the Minister of State Rahayu had mentioned, and in subjects, like Design and Technology or General Paper, to generate ideas, refine arguments or compare sources. But they will also be guided to evaluate what the AI produces, check its accuracy and include their personal voice and opinions instead of just accepting what AI generates.

When we say students will learn with AI, they may use AI as a learning partner. Using AI tools, like the Learning Assistant (LEA) in the Singapore Student Learning Space, they can develop multiple perspectives about an issue through discussion with LEA. This will prompt them to think deeper about their views and suggests alternative perspectives that they may have failed to consider.

And when we say students will learn beyond AI, it means they engage in real-world problem solving, developing human qualities, like empathy and 21st Century Competencies, like inventive thinking. For example, in Applied Learning Programmes, students may be asked to consider ways to reduce food waste in schools. They can use AI to generate multiple suggestions within seconds. But students will need to evaluate feasibility of these solutions, for example, cost, resourcing and their peers' preferences. They will also have to survey and test out with real users before deciding which solution fits best their context.

We will ensure that our assessment approaches remain fit-for-purpose in an age where AI tools are widely available. This includes retaining the emphasis on in-person assessments making greater use of oral explanations and the demonstration of process, not just final output when it comes to assessments where AI tools can be used.

Technology will evolve, but integrity must remain non-negotiable.

MOE-developed AI tools will undergo appropriate review to ensure that they meet standards of data protection, safety and fairness. We will work closely with relevant agencies to ensure responsible adoption aligned with national AI governance principles.

12.15 pm

AI is already performing tasks we once thought required uniquely human cognition. Analysing data, drafting reports, even writing code. And while we can guide students' exposure within the schools, we cannot control what they encounter outside of schools. So, the real question is not how students use AI, it is who they become in an age shaped by AI.

This is why the most important "learn", is for our students to "learn beyond AI". If AI can generate answers in seconds, then our students must learn how to ask better questions. If AI can process vast amounts of data, then our students must develop judgement. And if AI can imitate language, then our students must cultivate character.

Our education system must nurture purpose, resilience, ethical conviction and the will to act for the good of others. We are strengthening CCE and we have recently refreshed our 21st Century Competencies framework to more strongly develop civic literacy, adaptive thinking and moral courage to stand up for what is right. We will ensure every student masters strong fundamentals of literacy and numeracy while cultivating curiosity and a lifelong learning mindset so that no matter how the world changes, they can continue learning, unlearning and relearning throughout life.

There is no better time than now to reflect on what gives humans value. Perhaps, it lies in our conscience. The ability to choose what is right, not just what is efficient. Perhaps it lies in our compassion, the ability to connect, to comfort and to inspire. Perhaps it lies in our courage, the courage to shape a better future, even if it requires more effort than in the present. But whatever it is, we have to recognize and build on these values with urgency so that what makes us human will continue to be what is most valued in our society.

Our education system cannot simply train our children to chase the latest AI qualification. It must equip them to interpret the world critically, empathise deeply and build lives of meaning. Mr Ng Chee Meng asked how our IHLs can better design curriculum to ensure our graduates remain employable in an AI transformed future.

Today, full-time undergraduates in our universities and students in our polytechnics and ITE already learn about AI. But in this new era, exposure alone is not enough. What matters is depth, adaptability and relevance.

Our IHLs work with sector agencies and industry partners to continually refresh their curriculum so that what students learn keeps pace with technological change. This is done through partnerships with industries, sector-specific task forces, curriculum advisory committees and direct feedback from employers.

But just as in our schools, IHL students cannot stop at learning about AI, using AI or even collaborating with AI. They must also learn beyond AI to sharpen what makes them distinctly human in an age of intelligent machines.

Beyond technical expertise, our IHLs are strengthening innovation, critical thinking, communication and engagement skills through the updated LifeSkills framework. Because in the future, it will not be enough to know how to deploy AI tools. Graduates must be able to define problems clearly, work across disciplines and persuade others to act.

We also ensure that students apply what they learn in real-world challenges. At the recent Manus AI for All Hackathon, I witnessed how students worked alongside SMEs and freelancers to solve actual business problems in just a few hours. Some built tools to optimise logistics processes. Others built AI-powered marketing assistants for small food and beverage (F&B) businesses. One team developed a platform for a debate coach to help competitive debaters practise live argumentation. These were not classroom simulations. These were real clients, real constraints and real stakes.

Similarly, through the SME@AITE centre, which is a partnership between the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and ITE, students work directly with SMEs to develop AI solutions for sectors, such as F&B and retail.

These experiences will help our graduates translate knowledge into economic value. But more importantly, they will help students discover their human value before they even enter the workforce, in their ability to frame problems, exercise judgement under uncertainty, recover from failure and persuade fellow humans to try something new. Mr Chairman, allow me to say a few words in Mandarin.

(In Mandarin): With the rapid pace of technological advancement, it is more important than ever for our education system to prepare our students for a world transformed by AI.

MOE's approach is simple but deliberate. We want every student to learn about AI, learn to use AI, learn with AI and, most importantly, learn beyond AI. These are not just slogans. They reflect four important ways to think about how we understand technology, use it, collaborate with it and transcend it.

AI is already performing tasks we once thought required uniquely human cognition – analysing data, drafting reports and even writing code. And while we can guide students' exposure within school, we cannot control what they encounter outside of it. So, the real question is not how students use AI; it is who they become in an age shaped by AI.

Hence, beyond technical skills that will help them create economic value, it is even more critical for students to discern their human value in this new era. Ultimately, no matter how quickly technology evolves, it is our human skills and cherished values, such as empathy, resilience and hard work, which will stand the test of time and serve the next generation well in a turbulent world.

Rather than just teaching students how to use AI, we are nurturing individuals with the competencies and will to act for the good of society from primary school to our IHLs. Before graduating, we will ensure that students have opportunities to gain real-world exposure and understand their human value proposition as they enter the workforce.

(In English): As Ms Lee Hui Ying pointed out, our educators have an important role to play to help our students prepare for the AI-enabled world. Our educators are modelling how to think, question and act responsibly in an AI-enabled world.

To support them, we are strengthening professional learning opportunities through MOE and NIE, so that educators can use AI tools meaningfully and thoughtfully. We recognise that this transition will require adjustment. We will phase the changes thoughtfully, provide clear guidelines and ensure that our educators are supported as they adapt their pedagogy in an AI-enabled environment.

Educators can also tap on centrally provisioned AI tools through the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS), as well as tools that streamline administrative tasks and free up time to focus on what matters most, which is their students.

Ultimately, AI should empower our educators to focus on the deeply human aspects of education – guidance, mentorship and connection. No algorithm can replace the instinct of an educator who senses when a student is discouraged or is facing family challenges. No algorithm can replace an educator who inspires her students to rise above their circumstances. Technology may assist instruction. But inspiration remains human.

The same applies to our educators in our IHLs. As Mr Terence Ho mentioned, they too must be equipped to guide students in navigating AI not just as an educational tool, but as a transformative force across industries. Our IHLs are deepening staff capabilities in adopting AI for both teaching and assessment.

All new educators undergo structured training within their first two years, with many courses incorporating AI-enabled teaching and assessment approaches. Existing educators are also provided with training and support to build confidence and proficiency in using AI responsibly and effectively.

Our IHLs are also deploying AI tools that enhance learning and assessment. These tools augment classroom learning and help educators monitor student progress and customise their interventions.

For example, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has AI Learning Assistants that are customised generative AI tutoring chatbots that personalise learning for large classes. Meanwhile, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has a tool called ScholAIstic that enables educators to design structured AI interactions where students can practice real-world conversations in a safe environment. This works for social work client interviews and courtroom cross-examinations. Republic Polytechnic's Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science also incorporates the use of an AI-based simulation platform for students to practice clinical skills in safe, customisable medical care scenarios.

Mr Ho also asked how we can facilitate sharing across IHLs. Our institutions have established platforms for educators to exchange best practices in tech-enabled teaching through communities of practice, staff-led forums and conferences. For example, the biennial National Technology-Enhanced Learning Conference brings educators together to explore emerging trends in educational technology and AI, and to translate these into better learning outcomes for students.

As AI continues to evolve, our schools and IHLs will continue to evolve with it. We will update not only what we teach, but how we teach. We will work closely with students, educators and industry partners so that our graduates are prepared not just for today's jobs, but for tomorrow's uncertainties.

But AI education does not end at graduation. As the Prime Minister noted in his Budget speech, our workers will also need new skills. Senior Minister of State Janil spoke about supporting SMEs in upskilling their workers. Beyond that, we must also empower individual workers to take ownership of their own learning journeys.

In an AI-transformed world, lifelong learning is no longer optional. It is essential. In the coming years, AI literacy will not be a specialised skill. It will be as fundamental as digital literacy is today. Every worker, regardless of sector or job role, should understand what AI can and cannot do.

12.30 pm

Of course, literacy alone is not enough. Workers must develop fluency, which is the ability to apply AI meaningfully within their own domain, solve real problems and create value in their organisations.

Mr Alex Yam asked how MOE is working with our partners to expand accessible and practical AI upskilling pathways. Let me outline three ways we will strengthen this. First, we will help individuals understand their current level of AI readiness. Because effective upskilling begins with self-awareness.

SkillsFuture Singapore has partnered the Singapore Institute of Technology to develop a simple self-diagnostic tool. Through a short set of questions, individuals will be grouped into archetypes reflecting their readiness level, and directed towards high-quality, SSG-supported courses suited to their needs. This tool will be available on the revamped mySkillsFuture portal by the second quarter of this year.

Second, we will make it easier for individuals to navigate the wide range of AI-related training options. Today, there are around 1,600 AI-related courses on the mySkillsFuture portal. These range from full qualifications for career transitions, to shorter modules for skills upgrading within existing roles. There are full time courses, or shorter courses for those looking for a skills-top up. Choice is good, but it can sometimes be overwhelming.

To address this, SSG will better curate and signpost high-quality courses, tagging them according to AI worker archetypes and highlighting those with strong training outcomes and employer support. We will also monitor take-up rates, completion outcomes, and work relevance of such courses, to ensure that these programmes translate into real skills and real opportunities. Upskilling must lead to tangible progress for our workers. Together with SSG’s existing course fee subsidies and SkillsFuture Credits, these enhancements will make AI upskilling more accessible, affordable and targeted.

Third, learning continues beyond graduation. From the second half of 2026, all IHLs will offer selected AI-related courses at significant discounts for all alumni, for a period of one year. We hope alumni will use these opportunities not only to deepen their skills, but to reconnect with their institutions and their professional networks, reinforcing a culture of lifelong learning. The IHLs will release more details soon.

Through all of these moves, we are equipping our workers with the tools to adapt in an AI-transformed landscape. But beyond mastering AI as a tool, we must not lose sight of the qualities that set us apart. Leadership and accountability. Communication and persuasion. Connection and caregiving. These deeply human capabilities cannot be automated. As AI becomes more powerful, these capabilities will become more valuable.

Mr Chairman, we are living through a period of rapid change. It is understandable that some may feel uncertain or anxious, about what lies ahead. But uncertainty does not mean helplessness.

Our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning stand ready. Not just to help Singaporeans stay competitive in a global economy, but to help them navigate complexity with confidence. We will update what we teach and how we teach. If AI can generate answers, our people must ask better questions. If AI can optimise systems, our people must uphold values. If AI can accelerate progress, our people must decide its direction. By deepening what makes us human, our students, our workers, and our country, can flourish in the age of AI. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi): Chairman, what do we mean when we say we want to “Learn for Life Together”? Meaningful and effective learning requires an active connection with others. It comes alive through dialogue, through inquiry and through social engagement. Whether in the classroom or beyond its walls, reciprocal learning occurs between learners together: the child and parent, the student and teacher, or even between students and colleagues.

Learning can occur in school, in our homes, on the field, in the marketplace or in our community hubs. Learning has no age limits. Importantly, everyone learns differently. Success in education, therefore, best emerges from strong partnerships between schools, parents, and the community.

Today, I will share about how we are deepening this commitment through enhanced support for our Mother Tongue Languages, expanded provisions for students with SEN, and stronger foundations for students’ social and emotional well-being.

We have come a long way since the introduction of our bilingual policy in our early years. In 1980, only 31% of our population had literacy in more than one language. The rest could read in only one language or not at all. By 2020, that figure had risen to 72%. This policy has served us well. The English language has facilitated inter-ethnic communication, social cohesion and participation in the global economy. Simultaneously, our Mother Tongue Languages anchor us to our cultural heritage, history and values, while allowing Singaporeans to gain a competitive edge internationally.

In nurturing our students’ mother tongue proficiency, we know that there is no one-size-fits-all. For stronger students, Higher Mother Tongue and the Language Elective Programmes allow deeper engagement with language, literature and culture. For other students who may need more time to develop their proficiency with the language, they are supported via the Mother Tongue Support Programme and Foundation Mother Tongue in primary school, and G1 and G2 Mother Tongue in secondary school.

These are key features of our Mother Tongue curriculum. However, As Ms Lee Hui Ying notes, strengthening Mother Tongue learning requires continual refinement to enable every student to learn their MTL to as high a level as possible. At the primary level, we have introduced more varied learning approaches, such as the MTL SOAR programme to cultivate MTL reading from young. At the secondary level, we have reviewed the Higher MTL eligibility criteria to expand access to our MTLs.

Importantly, as Mr Hamid Razak noted, language learning does not end in the classroom. Languages must be allowed to come alive through speech, through practice, and using them actively to communicate with others. To learn and to use our MTLs for life together.

Since 2005, we established the Mother Tongue Languages Learning and Promotion Committees (MTLLPCs) to help our students experience their MTLs as living languages through partnerships with the community, and by exploring creative and innovative ways of learning.

For example, many students might find it difficult to remember and recite a five-minute long passage in their Mother Tongue, but when stitched into a tune or a song, it becomes easier. Last year, in partnership with Mediacorp, the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee organised Katapella 2025, Singapore's first national-level Malay choral recitation competition. Mila Eliza, from Opera Estate Primary School, was one of the participants. Mila had always been a soft-spoken student, particularly in Malay. In class, she would often answer her Cikgu's questions hesitantly in English. But through Katapella, Mila grew into her voice. Rehearsal by rehearsal, the habit of projecting and speaking up in Malay grew increasingly natural for her. These days, when her Cikgu asks her questions, she is more confident of answering loudly and clearly in Malay. Experiences like Katapella bring language learning to life and give students a chance to explore the beauty of their MTL and build confidence in its use.

In support of the work of MTLLPCs, MOE will increase their funding from FY2026 to FY2030. The MTLLPCs will receive $33 million in this tranche of funding, an increase from the $30 million in the earlier tranche. The increased funding will support a wider range of activities and programmes for students and parents. These include songwriting, radio broadcasting, debate and digital content creation, all in our students’ mother tongue languages.

In this coming tranche, we are keen to also give particular attention to supporting parents in their children’s early childhood years. As the Tamil saying goes, “ஐந்தில் வளையாதது ஐம்பதில் வளையுமா?”, or “If it doesn't bend at five, will it bend at 50?” The early childhood years are critical for language development. We hope that consistent exposure in these years will create a strong foundation and appreciation of MTL.

Many young parents are hesitant to speak to their children in their mother tongue. They say: “I’m not good at it myself, what if I teach them the wrong thing?”. As we tell our children, just try. Learning a MTL is not necessarily about perfection. It is about sharing, in its first-hand language, our stories, our roots, our heritage, and our culture with our children and the next generation.

In the spirit of trying, recently, I learnt a Chinese saying, "一寸光阴, 一寸金,寸金难买寸光阴". Some of you might remember your parents or teachers reciting this to you as a child. It is a beautiful way to inculcate values – that an inch of time is worth an inch of gold and we cannot buy time even with gold. It is a poignant reminder that time is precious and, indeed, our MTLs have a special ability to bring out the true depth and value of such messages.

From June this year, the MTLLPCs will work with our Community Centres to offer free workshops led by mother tongue preschool teachers, to help parents naturally integrate their mother tongue into daily communication with their child. I encourage parents of young children to sign up and take these baby steps towards learning for life, alongside their children, with us. It is also an opportunity for them to build close and nurturing relationships with their young children at an early age.

Bilingualism is a cornerstone of our education system and, indeed, our Singapore society. With differentiated support in schools and further grounding in the community, we intend to strengthen Mother Tongue Languages as a vibrant anchor of our society.

Another area where close partnership of school and community support is important is in our support for students with SEN. Today, about 80% of students with SEN are supported in mainstream schools. Prof Kenneth Poon asked about how support for such students considers their varied access to external resources.

For each of these students, schools provide support based on their specific learning needs. Schools provide a range of interventions for learning. For example, the TRANSIT programme, which stands for TRANsition Support for InTegration for Primary 1 students, focuses on behaviour management, while the School-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme supports students’ literacy skills. Where students require medical or therapy support unavailable in MOE or our schools, our schools will then facilitate referrals to external resources. As we continue to strengthen our school-based provisions, we will be able to support every student with mild SEN in mainstream schools, regardless of background.

For students with moderate-to-severe SEN however, we support them in Special Education (SPED) schools, with specialised support and customised teaching and learning approaches. As Ms Denise Phua shared, demand for SPED schools has risen in recent years, driven by an increasing number of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Intellectual Disability (ASD-ID).

12.45 pm

I am heartened to share that, to better support such students, we will be working with the SSAs to expand SPED school capacity. We will do so from the second half of 2026 through the early 2030s in three ways.

First, we will partner MINDS to establish additional campuses for the three MINDS schools. These will operate from interim sites in the East and Central regions progressively from the second half of 2026. Second, we will relocate MINDS Woodlands Gardens School to a larger interim site with increased capacity in the North region from 2027. Third, we will partner three SSAs – APSN Education Services Ltd, Autism Association (Singapore) and St Andrew's Mission Hospital – to set up three new schools across the island. One of the schools, run by APSN Education Services Ltd, will operate from the second half of 2026 at an interim site in the North-East region and we will share more details soon.

These new and expanded schools will allow us to serve more children with ASD-ID, while also benefiting some existing MINDS students by shortening their daily school commutes.

By the 2030s, we will have a total of 30 Government and community-funded SPED schools, including some with additional campuses, up from 26 today. This includes three new schools and Pathlight School 3, which will open in Punggol in the early 2030s. We will be able to serve around 30% more students, from 9,000 students today to about 12,000 in the early 2030s.

There are also other ongoing efforts to set up permanent sites for existing SPED schools that cater to various disability types, including the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (West), Grace Orchard School and Maitri School.

Through this expansion, we seek to deepen our commitment to supporting every child in learning for life together. In doing so, we will ensure that every child has a community where they belong, where their needs are supported and where they can grow.

We are conscious that programmes and spaces cannot be effective without dedicated educators. As Dr Charlene Chen has noted, support for educators ensures sustainable outcomes for our students with SEN.

In mainstream schools, we adopt a tiered approach. All educators have a baseline understanding of inclusive classroom practices, so that students with SEN can learn alongside their peers. On top of this, Teachers Trained in Special Needs and SEN Officers provide deeper expertise and support other colleagues to nurture an inclusive education landscape.

To ensure adequate support capacity, we review schools' resourcing needs regularly and adjust provisions accordingly. For example, all primary schools have a minimum of two SEN Officers, while those with higher and more complex needs may have up to four SEN Officers. We will continue to work with our schools to build up this capability and capacity.

In SPED schools, structured training allows our educators to develop deep expertise. From 2025, we have enhanced access to baseline training by increasing the number of places for the National Institute of Education's (NIE's) Diploma in Special Education, from 150 to 180 per year.

MOE has also been working with SSAs and SPED schools to deepen disability knowledge through Communities of Practice (COP) on specific disability profiles. Platforms like COPs allow SPED educators to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to meet students' complex learning needs.

Over the next decade, we recognise that recruitment and retention of SPED educators will be critical to support the sector's expansion. In 2024, we had improved the attractiveness of a SPED career, by working with the SSAs to enhance salaries for SPED teachers and teacher aides. This followed earlier efforts to strengthen professionalism by introducing career tracks, roles profiles and competency frameworks.

With the strong support of the SSAs, SPED schools have since adopted the recommended salary ranges and made progress to implement stronger performance-based remuneration. We have also introduced the SPED Leadership Development Programme to nurture SPED educator leaders. We will continue to coordinate sector-level recruitment efforts and work with SSAs to develop SPED into a promising and viable career option.

Our schools and teachers certainly cannot do this work alone. Our communities, our families and our homes are anchors for many aspects of our lives and their significance is particularly salient for our students with SEN.

Home is where our students apply their learning from school to everyday life.

In our primary schools, parents of children with dyslexia can read aloud daily with their children to reinforce literacy skills at home. Likewise, in delivering the National SPED curriculum, teachers emphasise family involvement to help students practise and use daily living skills taught in SPED schools.

We agree with Ms Denise Phua that, for students with SEN to flourish, it takes a village. We must work closely and sustainably for the long term, with families and community partners.

In General Education schools, MOE's national advisory council, COMmunity and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS) comprises stakeholders, such as parents, industry and self-help groups. COMPASS has initiated different efforts for parents and community partners to cultivate meaningful school-home partnerships.

One such COMPASS initiative is the set-up of the Parents-for-Parents (P4P) network, to deepen support for parents of children with SEN. Based on their own experiences, COMPASS members recognised a need for peer support to better navigate the challenges of supporting children with special educational needs. The P4P network was started to address this gap.

P4P connects parents of children with SEN with each other, to provide valuable peer support when navigating uncertainty, key decisions and transitions. P4P also extends school and system-level support when needed. Currently, over 30 schools are rolling out this initiative, with expansion planned to approximately 60 schools from 2026 to 2027. This is an example of how organic, parent-driven support can scale effectively for the benefit of our schools and our students.

This commitment to partnership extends to our SPED schools. In collaboration with CaringSG, we will pilot the Parent Peer Support Programme in some SPED schools. These schools will develop a deeper understanding of parents' perspectives and needs to provide more focused support for parents with children of higher needs.

Partnerships between our schools, parents and the community make a real difference in our students' lives. While undergoing baking training at Metta School, Rachel Tan learnt that the path to the right career is paved with detours and self-discovery. Through an internship arranged by Metta School and industry partners, Rachel realised, despite her technical skills, the day-to-day of the baking industry was not ideal for her. To figure out her next steps, Metta School, Rachel, and her family leaned into her natural strengths. Airport housekeeping was an unexpected match. Today, with her keen eye for detail and gift for genuine connection, Rachel thrives as a Housekeeping Officer at Changi Airport where she brightens many a traveller's stressful day. In 2025, Rachel won the Changi Service G.E.M Programme for her exceptional service. In the right environment, she has blossomed.

Rachel's success demonstrates the power of strong partnerships between schools and families to help our students reach their potential. To enable such partnerships, we are extending MOE's digital solutions to SPED schools to make communication more seamless.

Parents Gateway, which provides parents and caregivers access to school announcements and digital submissions of consent forms and medical certificates, has been well-received in mainstream schools. We will extend it to all 26 SPED schools from the second half of 2026, allowing all families with school-going children to access the same communication platform. This will also reduce the administrative burden, freeing up teachers' time for teaching and improve student outcomes.

These partnerships in schools are just the beginning. Recognising that our students require support beyond the schooling years, we are committed, as a government, to supporting our students along this journey. As part of the inter-agency Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities, MOE is reviewing education support for SPED graduates transitioning into employment or post-secondary education. I look forward to sharing our recommendations when ready.

Across these areas, we see that meaningful educational outcomes require a community of support. Dr Charlene Chen asked about our support for our students' well-being.

Our children develop resilience and socio-emotional well-being in community. Through the CCE curriculum, MOE equips students with developmentally appropriate skills for emotional regulation, peer support and help-seeking. Beyond the classroom, each school's ecosystem of support includes proactive monitoring, trained peer support leaders and access to school counsellors and community mental health resources when needed.

Over the years, we have also explored innovative methods to support our students' well-being. Like Ms Elysa Chen, MOE recognises the potential of the arts in this area. International research indicates that sustained emphasis in arts education is more effective than one-off activities for students' well-being and social-emotional development.

All our students learn music and art for eight years taught by specialised teachers. The activities and tasks are designed for students to learn social-emotional competencies at the same time. All our lower secondary school students learn English Literature where they explore emotions, human interactions and identities through different genres.

Schools too can customise their own programmes and curate student-led activities. Where there are effective best practices, school leaders have platforms to share these practices with other schools, so that students can benefit.

At its core, MOE recognises that the work of supporting our children takes many hands coming together and never alone. Indeed, we can all learn for life together. Mr Chairman, allow me to say a few words in Malay.

(In Malay): Bilingualism is a cornerstone of our education system. Mother Tongue Language learning transcends the classroom – because languages come alive when they are regularly spoken and shared with others and developed together within the community.

In this spirit, we established the Mother Tongue Languages Learning and Promotion Committees (MTLLPCs) in 2005 to help students develop an interest in and deepen understanding of their Mother Tongue through collaboration with community partners.

In support of MTLLPCs, MOE will increase their funding from FY2026 to FY2030. The MTLLPCs will receive $33 million in this tranche of funding, an increase from $30 million in the earlier tranche. The increased funding will support a wider range of activities and programmes for students and parents. These include supporting creative approaches in Mother Tongue, including songwriting, radio broadcasting, debate and digital content creation.

We will pay particular attention to supporting parents during their child’s early years. As the Malay saying goes, “Bend the bamboo when it is still a shoot”. The early childhood years are critical for language development and consistent exposure will create a strong foundation for Mother Tongue appreciation.

Many young parents may be hesitant and lack the confidence to talk to their children in Mother Tongue. Just as we tell our students in school, we encourage parents to be confident and try speaking Mother Tongue at home. Learning a language is not necessarily about achieving perfection. On the contrary, see it as an opportunity to share stories that convey values, heritage and culture to our children.

From June this year, the MTLLPCs will work with our Community Centres to offer free workshops to help parents integrate Mother Tongue into daily communication with their children as a common routine at home.

I encourage parents with young children to take advantage of these measures to further reinforce the use of Mother Tongue in the home and family environment.

Education and learning are lifelong endeavours. Like planting seeds that bear fruit, the outcomes of changes to the education system will take time and should be viewed from a long-term perspective. In fact, we are increasingly seeing success and progress in this regard.

To Mr Abdul Muhaimin’s query, I am pleased to share that the Malay community has shown good progress and performance in educational achievement over the years, with higher percentages obtaining post-secondary and university qualifications. For example, the number of Malay students taking degree programmes in local autonomous universities has almost doubled from 600 students in 2011 to over 1,000 students in 2020, while the total cohort of students increased by approximately 50% over the same period. Last year, in 2025, a record number of 119 students received the MENDAKI Excellence Award for first-class honours at university, an increase of 35% compared to 2024, the previous year.

We are proud of our students’ achievements. We work together with relevant agencies and community partners to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity to pursue higher education due to financial difficulties. For example, Yayasan MENDAKI offers the Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy as well as other financial assistance schemes, study loans and scholarships.

We will continue to strengthen this partnership with schools, teachers and community partners to ensure that our students continue to thrive regardless of their background.

1.00 pm

(In English): Allow me to conclude by sharing another saying, “Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing”. We share the heavy burdens and carry the light loads together. Whether we are taking small steps to speak in our Mother Tongue Languages to our children, forging close partnerships to support our students with SEN, or strengthening the well-being of our students, MOE recognises that we are not, and cannot be, alone on this shared educational journey to mould the future of our nation.

By learning for life together, we will build a Singapore where every child can reach their fullest potential, and where our rich tapestry of languages and abilities continues to be a source of collective strength for our society and generations to come.

The Chairman: We have about 35 minutes for clarifications. There are 25 of you who have filed cuts. I will prioritise those who have filed longer cuts first. Mr Darryl David.

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Three clarifications, please. The first for the Minister. I suggested in my cut, Minister, about the possibility of using AI to create avatar teachers to to minimise or to positively impact the teacher-student ratio. Can the Minister share if MOE is willing to consider this?

However, even as we create a better teacher-student ratio, I would like to also go to my second clarification, which is to ensure that the direction we have taken towards reducing class sizes continues, not so much for an absolute number, Minister, but perhaps for the appropriate class size to suit the needs of the students that are taking that particular subject.

And the third clarification, Sir, is regarding the centre-based advanced learning modules for students in primary schools, I would like to ask Minister if MOE is prepared to consider extending this programme into the secondary school sector, perhaps to cater to some of those students who are a little bit of late bloomers, so that they also have opportunities and options for this programme in secondary school.

Mr Desmond Lee: For the first question, we certainly will study the use of technology to help augment classroom management, and learning and teaching in the classrooms. Already in the SLS, which is used not just at home, but also in the classroom to accompany teaching and pedagogy, students already have recourse to online material, as well as the use of AI tools, for example, the learning feedback assistant.

So, we will continue to look at the ways as technology improves to leverage it, in order to augment teaching and learning.

Second on the direction of class sizes, as I said, if you compare our class sizes to say, a few decades ago, we have been actively moving, prioritising resources to students that need more support and scaffolding. And I have given many examples previously. So, that is the direction we are heading. But as I said earlier, there are non-trivial considerations and we have to study this very carefully.

Third, on the centre-based advanced modules, this is in relation to the new framework and approach for students with talents and strengths in certain domains, this is for primary school. So, we have a school-based programme and a centre-based advanced module. In secondary schools, there are already schools, including some of the Integrated Programme (IP) schools, and in fact, all secondary schools have programmes as well as experienced teachers to help to stretch students who are more inquisitive, have talents in certain domains. But at the MOE level we also have MOE electives and programmes to empower some of these students. At the school level and national level, we have Olympiad for maths and science. These also allow some of these students to be stretched as well.

The Chairman: Mr David Hoe.

Mr David Hoe (Jurong East-Bukit Batok): Thank you, Chairman. I have three clusters of questions. The first is regarding on supporting students from disadvantaged background. I understand that students can tap on the Opportunity Fund. And in a 2026 reply to Mr Gerald Giam, MOE shared that about 50,000 students benefit from it annually. I would like to ask, first and foremost, has MOE studied whether students themselves are aware of the support and how they can utilise it, instead of teacher enrolling for them? Second, what proportion of this 50,000 represent the total number of disadvantaged students? And third, more broadly, while more additional resources are given to supporting students from disadvantaged background, I also understand that not all schools start from the same baseline. Some have a stronger alumni network that they can tap on or community resources. I wonder whether would MOE ensure a stronger baseline across all schools so that students from disadvantaged background, regardless of which school they are in, will have equitable access to opportunities.

Second cluster is about GEP module centre. I understand that students can take public transport to GEP centres. However, if the younger students are in Primary 3, about nine years old, do we have a guideline in terms of the reasonable commute time?

The third one is on teacher recruitment. MOE also earlier shared about the challenges on teachers recruitment about, including competition between private and public sectors. I wonder whether MOE has thought about the occupational mobility as a factor. Because I have heard from many who say that if you join teaching, you cannot really see a career switch. So, I wonder, can MOE share its perspective on this narrative and perhaps, more importantly, assure prospective teachers that teaching also equips them with transferable skills that allows them to be valuable across different sectors?

The Chairman: Minister Lee, you have my sympathies.

Mr Desmond Lee: I will try, Chairman. But we all bear your admonition.

First, the Opportunity Fund, whether students know about it. Our schools reach out to students. Our schools have data of the students who are more disadvantaged and who may need more support, whether they are from a lower SES family or because they face more complex challenges. This information is shared with students as well as parents, but certainly we will see what more we can do.

In terms of the base, 50,000 students, I mentioned earlier that with our enhanced the bursary criteria, about 133,000 students will benefit. Whether that is the right base, well, it is debatable. But certainly, we can check. Each school will have a sense of the students that will benefit from the Opportunity Fund, and encourage them and work through the barriers to enable them to benefit.

My handwriting is not legible now! Something about GEP centres. Those are not GEP centres. Those are centres which run the centre-based advanced modules. And we have selected the sites the first round so that they have a geographical spread along across the island and have public transport accessibility. We think that for students from the surrounding schools to travel to that school should ideally through public transport, take less than half an hour. But we allow schools to decide for themselves how best to enable their students to access these centre-based advanced modules. Suffice to say that schools will have resources so that no child will be deprived of access to this centre-based advanced module because they cannot afford it.

The Member also asked a question about recruitment. I have not been able to follow that train, Mr Chairman.

The Chairman: Mr Hoe.

Mr David Hoe: I will attempt to speak slowly. The earlier question is one on students from disadvantaged background. I wonder whether there will be a stronger baseline baseline for support for all schools. Because for some schools they do have resources in terms of alumni networks and community resources. So, would we be able to consider a stronger baseline so that every child, regardless of which school they are at, if they come from disadvantaged background, they have access to equitable resources.

The third one is on teachers' recruitment. One of the feedback that is often heard is that if you join teaching, you cannot really move to other sectors. I wonder what MOE's view is on this narrative, and whether for prospective teachers that are coming in, maybe it is about highlighting the different skillsets that they have that allows them to be able to move between sectors as well.

Mr Desmond Lee: On the stronger baseline of support, we provide the schools with resources from HQ. Schools also have the school advisory committees, where not just alumni, but also very well-meaning individuals who join the school advisory committees contribute resources, but also contribute networks for the schools.

But certainly, through ComLink+, as I mentioned earlier, integrating more intensively with our schools, with our school student welfare officers, with our school leaders, we want to provide not just resources, but a network of social service agencies and resources to empower the schools to help these children. Because the problems are not always with the children in school, but sometimes, in their families.

The next question is about recruitment. The role of a teacher is multi-faceted and complex. It is not just teaching. They also help run CCAs. They do CCE. They come up with projects to improve school operations and teaching. So, they pick up lots of skills which are valuable in of its own right. And I think our teachers know it. We also send our teachers for teacher work attachments so that they can see what is happening in other sectors – not just to benefit teaching, but also to give them a sense of the kinds of skillsets that are out there that are needed in industry broadly.

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Terence Ho.

Assoc Prof Terence Ho (Nominated Member): Sir, I have two follow-up questions, please. The first is regarding the four "Learns" for AI. May I know if MOE has set out guidelines on how AI should be incorporated into pedagogy and assessment at different education levels, since students at different levels may need to engage differently with AI tools to optimise learning that's appropriate for their stage of development.

The second question is that while I note the Minister of State mentioned the role of performing arts and literature, does the Ministry see an even larger role for the humanities to foster critical thinking and ethical judgement in the AI age?

1.15 pm

Ms Jasmin Lau: I thank Mr Terence Ho for the clarification questions. So, yes, the four "Learns", the guidelines have been put out across Singapore to all schools and teachers will be able to access them.

On the second question on subjects, I think AI should and can be used across many, many different subjects and we will strive to work towards a system where teachers, regardless of the subjects they teach, are able to think about how AI can be best used.

The Chairman: Ms Denise Phua.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Mr Chairman, for noticing my hand. A few clarifications.

Number one is on the DSA arms race. We know that applications are surging and I hear that there is a lot more interest in this space as well. So, how does the MOE intend to reduce the preparation advantage, increase more authentic school-based nominations and reduce all this portfolio-gaming?

The second one is on yet another arms race. I did not raise it in my speech, but it is about internship arms race. I know of some residents, they are from more slightly disadvantaged backgrounds. They shared with me that when it comes to internships, they have very little connections and network, and they lose out to some of their classmates who sometimes have four or five options, and even have internships stacked upon one another. How do we address that so that they get more equal access?

The third one is on the PSLE pilot through-train. I heard that the Minister said that he will consider. So, I was just wondering, is this kind of a "yes", "no" or "maybe" response, because this has been spoken about for quite a long time. So, just checking your views on this.

And the last one is on SPED schools for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary. Physical capacity is definitely needed, but I think very importantly, and I volunteer in special schools, so, a lot of the constraints is not in the physical capacity. A lot is in the manpower capacity. So, I want to ask MOE on what it will do in the manpower space so that it is not just business as usual. How can we tap on, for example, specialist manpower to address this gap.

Number two is, I think the Senior Parliamentary Secretary has mentioned that there is a review of salaries of educators and teacher aids. But the SPED schools are run by a lot of the other professionals as well such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, coaches and so forth. And I ask for MOE, as it always looks at SPED educators, to also focus on this other very important group; because retention is capacity.

And the last one is on making sure that the poaching from SPED mainstream schools and sometimes MOE, the Ministry of Health does not recur.

The Chairman: Ms Phua, you might want to get to your last clarification.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: And how do we intend to grow the pie to address this manpower challenge?

Mr David Neo: Chairman, I will just address the first one on DSA. The DSA was really introduced to make sure that we offer our students more pathways. Those with different talents to have the pathway to get into the school that they want, and we are able to develop the potential for the interest that they have. And I think it is something we acknowledge, it can always constantly be improved in terms of the selection process, how we identify potential to make sure it does not escalate into an arms race.

MOE continually reviews this. We have done quite a number of significant efforts in the past couple years. For example, we have uplifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds to discover and nurture their interests and talents in these areas. We talked about the Opportunity Fund. It allows them access, once again.

But one of the key things that we are doing is also to change the way of selection, so, it is not so much premised on the performance at that point in time, which then requires a lot of preparation; but really to identify potential and especially, sporting potential. For example, in the Sports School now, you have multi-sport athletes and selection is based on their displayed potential to specialise subsequently in one particular sport. And then, that helps to take away that desire to overprepare and then the desire to escalate it into an arms race.

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi: I thank the Member for her passion in the SPED space. It really is the case that beyond increasing the capacity, she is right that the attending challenges must be addressed with regard to manpower.

In light of that, the work has already started. Since 2024, we had the enhanced journeys of excellence package, wherein we worked on strengthening the quality as well as professionalism of the SPED teaching profession. Since then we have reviewed and enhanced the salary guidelines with salary enhancements from 2024 to 2026.

On top of that, I hear the Member's concern about how it can be quite challenging to tap on the same pool with regard to manpower, and the concern is that if you go into the SPED teaching industry, does it mean it is an opportunity cost for teachers or psychologists, vice versa? And that is something that we, in terms of hiring, we are doing quite a fair bit, including organising the SPED teachers career fair, as well as working with SPED schools to have representation in the career fair of our autonomous universities as well. So, we are working hard at it and we are also having engagements with the SSAs to see where the challenges are in terms of hiring, as well as retention of manpower. Those who come into the SPED industry are really those who care for the children and care for the needs of the SPED students, and that is something that we want to be able to retain, as part of the wider fraternity.

Mr Desmond Lee: Chairman, I will deal with the other two questions that Ms Denise Phua raised. The first is on internships arms race. Well, we have a PSLE arms race, DSA arms race, internships arms race – and earlier I mentioned, even previously for the GEP, there were some hot housing in order to push children through, not always to the benefit of the children. It can be detrimental. Sometimes, the children push themselves without realising that they are putting themselves through undue stress.

But aspiration and motivation on the one side, and stress and pressure on the other side are two faces of a coin. We need to manage this carefully.

So, the internship arms race came about when we speak to IHLs, we speak to companies, we speak to students. Not just IHL students, by the way, even your upper secondary school students. It is a reflection of how some employers are saying, "Well, your students who apply, applicants are all so good, the results are all great, almost all similar. So, I distinguish by looking at their character, their leadership, their empathy, whether they are toxic or whether they are empathetic. And we think an internship will allow us to get a feel of them", and there, you create a certain pathway.

So, taken to extremes, motivation and drive can become unhealthy not just for the individual and the family, but for society as a whole. And when we fine tune and calibrate or reform a system, we have to be mindful that it is not just one exam or the exam itself. It could be what the exam results are being used for, whether it is a PSLE exam result, A-level exam results and so on. And so, this is a very large system issue that we need to tackle carefully and thoughtfully.

On PSLE and through-train, as I said in coming up with the Education Conversations, no suggestion will be off the table. We will not close off to any idea. But every idea, including what I mentioned in the speech, comes with its tensions and trade-offs, and for every idea raised, there will be people in opposition to that idea. For instance, through-train, then who will through-train to some of the more popular secondary schools? Will it cause the race to be brought down from PSLE to before Primary 1 admission? All these are considerations, but we will start this conversation with a very broad open mind.

The Chairman: Dr Charlene Chen.

Dr Charlene Chen (Tampines): Chairman, I acknowledge that many initiatives already exist. Does MOE set benchmarks to ensure fidelity and consistency of implementation across schools? Otherwise, how does the Ministry detect when resilience building is weaker in certain schools? Can the Ministry assure this House that students' access to structured resilience education, timely counsellor support, for example, does not vary meaningfully from school to school? That is my first set of questions.

My second question on special needs and behavioural issues among students in mainstream schools. Could the Ministry share whether it tracks how long it takes on average from first observation to deployment of additional support in Primary 1? And whether the Ministry has studied whether incorporating a short structured executive function baseline into the existing Primary 1 framework could shorten the window and enable earlier manpower calibration at the cohort level, especially when support density is higher in certain classes?

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi: I thank the Member for her clarifications. The first on benchmarks and fidelity, we do have certain guidelines with regard to how access to mental health needs, as well as the accessibility to counsellors, and the variety of support structures within the schools. As to the level of access in terms of the variety, I do not have the number at this point of time to answer the Member's question. If it were possible, she could also file a Parliamentary Question for that particular specific question.

That being said, I just wish to reassure the Member that at its baseline, all teachers undergo preservice SEN training and therefore, since 2020 they have in-service training as part of their SEN professional development roadmap. They do have an acute awareness of some of the conditions or the difficulty that students may have. And at a moment's notice, if let us say they find that a child is struggling, for which it may invite additional resource, say, for example, our teachers trained in special needs, or even our SEN officers, this can be given within the organic school resource.

Beyond which, as we have already mentioned, in terms of any specific interventions under transit, in terms of the students in Primary 1 specifically, transitioning into Primary 1, as well as the school-based dyslexia remediation, these are available as well.

The question on SEN, that in terms of the timeline, if I understood the question? I understand. So, with regard to the identification and deployment of resources, with regard to the timeline from which it is first identified to the time where it is being intervened, I will invite the Member to also ask another Parliamentary Question. And whether we track it as well, we do track it, but I will just have to defer to a Parliamentary Question so that we can answer and give a considered response for the Member.

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Chair, let me start by thanking Minister Desmond Lee for his explanation about challenges in the modern classroom, including this very challenging question. My issue here is just that why is it only five marks? Although that is not my question.

I appreciate that CCAs are an integral part of a student's educational journey. As someone who has taken part in three CCAs in my time in secondary school, including one which we shared, I could not agree more. That said, my point is that there is a clear opportunity cost when already overburdened teachers are asked to take on yet more duties, and as explained in my cut, to the detriment of teaching functions. This then robs our students of more teacher attention. So, in this context, my questions are twofold. Does the Minister agree that even in the age of AI, sustaining human instruction in our classrooms, especially in primary, but also SPED schools, remains paramount? We have received substantial ground feedback that staff turnover has led to teaching assistants being tasked with covering for some of these departures.

If so, my second question is whether the Ministry will consider that even as it faces the very real constraints that Minister Lee shared about ramping up the teaching core quickly, will they expand allied educators specifically in Teaching and Learning as an interim stop-gap measure?

Mr Desmond Lee: I thank the Member. The answer to the first part of the question I responded by Parliamentary Question the last time. The answer is yes, more details in the Hansard. In (b), expanding allied educators. Teaching and Learning (T&L) has been sunset; we announced it quite a number of years ago, about nine years ago. We are dedicating our resource to allied education in areas which benefit the students and the teachers, such as SEN, counselling for children's wellness as well as student welfare.

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh.

1.30 pm

Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh (Nominated Member): Thank you, Chair, for letting me through the clarification questions "arms race". First, I have four questions.

First for the vulnerable students, was wondering if the Minister could elaborate on how collaboration between schools and social service agencies will be structured to assist students with higher needs? For example, is there a formal framework that encourages and incentivises partnership between these different agencies?

Second question is on the DSA, just following up on Acting Minister's response. Competition can be constructive if it supports both individual development and the long term talent pipeline, I think the issue here is early specialising, which distorts the talent market in favour of those with resources rather than those with talent and potential. So, are there plans for MOE to collaborate more closely with relevant domain experts and agencies in the area of sports? For example, it could be with the High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI) and the national sports associations, to develop clearer national criteria or progression frameworks for early talent identification in sports. This could be an adoption of some of the criteria that the Sports School already uses and to apply that for other schools.

My third question is on the demand for Primary 1 places. I was wondering if MOE has studied the feasibility of expanding the footprint or intake of highly sought after primary schools to ease concentrated demand?

Final question, Sir, is on continuing education. Senior Minister of State had mentioned that the IHLs are the nexus between education and research, and I agree. However, in practice, the teaching communities, including the adjunct and external faculty and the research communities, they often operate in parallel. Is there a structured approach to better integrate academic research, industry expertise and the delivery of lifelong learning? Are there plans to review the incentive structures to better support faculty in such integration?

Mr Desmond Lee: I will deal with the question on working with agencies, social service agencies and Primary 1 places. Senior Minister of State Janil with CET; and then Senior Minister of State David on DSA and early specialisation.

On schools working with social service agencies, the answer is the ComLink Alliance Working Group as well as internally between the schools and headquarters (HQ) through Uplift. But ComLink is the national flagship to build relationships between schools and our SSAs and partners to better support our students from the perspective of the schools.

On Primary 1 places, if we were to, as I said, we are reviewing the Primary 1 admission framework to achieve the broad goal I mentioned earlier. There are various ideas that have been raised. Indeed, some have suggested expanding the places for certain schools where they are very popular and hope to then have more diversity. The downside is, of course, that it may cause other schools to hollow out and you know that schools have had to merge over the years and with falling cohort sizes and with more mergers, if we were to do as the Member had suggested, there is a risk that there will be even more mergers, affecting accessibility in terms of proximity for families.

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, the short answer is yes, but I suspect the Member is asking whether the structured approach is common across our IHL landscape. In truth, the autonomous universities and the IHLs need to look at the issue of how they integrate practice, research, education and other pastoral duties, for example, as fit for their student population, the courses that they deliver, the industries that they serve and the sort of faculty that they bring in.

Some of our IHLs are very research intensive and some of our IHLs are far more focused on practice professorships, for example. So, the promotion and tenure communities, the way in which the senior governance within the IHLs look at these things for their faculty and for their outcomes, it is customised for their campus, if you like. We have oversight from MOE for how they develop these frameworks, but the frameworks that they have for each campus is suitable for their needs.

Mr David Neo: Sir, I thank the Member for his question and also thank him for his support that we really do not want our students to be specialising too early, but instead what we want to do is really to nurture the love and the interest in the sport and to discover their potential, because it is really like we discussed in this House about nurturing our students to achieve their full potential.

I also wonder whether my Committee of Supply speech for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has somehow been leaked, so the short answer to the Member's question is yes, there is room for MOE to work more closely together with HPSI, all the national sports associations when it comes to nurturing that love and to be able to collaborate well, use some of the existing criteria and promotion frameworks to really do more for our student athletes. So, I do not want to let the cat out of the bag too soon, but I will be elaborating a lot more at my MCCY Committee of Supply speech, but the short answer is, yes, we will work closer to make sure that our students get better benefits.

The Chairman: Ms Hany Soh.

Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Thank you, Chairman. I have two clarifications. One is pertaining to what Senior Minister of State Janil has shared about MySkillsFuture Portal, revamping it. Can we explore to actually allow the functions for the users to actually navigate through the portal based on locations wise, so that it allows the users to benefit from it. This is aligned to my earlier cuts in relation to supporting people, for example, like stay home mothers, people with mobility issues to get closer to enhance and embrace lifelong learning.

The second clarification is to the Minister. This is in relation to, also back to my cuts about exploring to have ITE or lifelong learning centre in the north. This is actually a very practical suggestion, especially since we have existing infrastructures available once the sports school moves out and moves to Kallang, so this is something that I really hope that MOE can consider.

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, we can certainly explore the possibility of a location filter in the portal search facility. Currently, users can filter on the basis of training provider, which may be a proxy for location as well, but I take the Member's point that perhaps this is another way in which we can improve the search experience and I thank her for her suggestion.

Mr Desmond Lee: We will consider the Member's request.

The Chairman: Ms Lee Hui Ying.

Ms Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon): Thank you, Chair. I have two short sets of clarifications. First for Senior Parliamentary Secretary Dr Syed Harun. I hear from him that from June onwards, the MTLLPC will be introducing and working with communities for parent workshop. Can I ask on the number of locations identified? How were they identified and whether Nee Soon South will be considered, because it also has a relatively high proportion of young family population?

My second question, on a serious note, I would like to ask the teacher, Minister, for clarification on my answer to his PSLE question. My cortisol levels are spiking and overflowing, so I hope to get an answer from him as well.

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi: I thank the Member for her clarification question. With regard to the details as to where in the different communities we will be engaging, I think it is still being developed in terms of the details, but certainly if Nee Soon South is keen to be able to engage MOE to develop programmes in keeping with the development of the Mother Tongue languages, we can discuss that in further detail. Further details will be shared soon.

The Chairman: Minister Lee, do you want to reveal the answer?

Mr Desmond Lee: For (a), it is 7,200 cubic centimetres; for (b), it is 32 centimetres. It is really to demonstrate that with scaffolding, it helps to build on the students' understanding of basic concepts and then stretch and apply it in an environment and in a situation that they may not be familiar with.

The Chairman: Mr Alex Yam.

Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): First, I would like to thank the Minister for my five marks.

For Minister of State Jasmin on AI, I welcome the framework of the four “Learns”, but if I could seek some clarity, I understand that she had earlier shared that the guidelines have been sent to all schools and for teachers to introduce it. Could the Minister of State share the staging and the levels by which, even if broadly, when students would be encouraged or be introduced to AI? Because beyond the four “Learns”, I think there is, to me, another factor. And that is learning before AI, so that students have a firm basis in knowledge, in mastery of gathering information before AI comes into play.

The second related question is that now that we have engaged the teaching community in schools, as well as introducing to students, there is another important group of stakeholders, and that is parents. Because just now we keep mentioning arms race, and I think as parents ourselves, sometimes it is prone that when we are worried that something new is introduced, we would want to enter an AI tools arms race and end up spurring another round of worry for students' ability to cope as well as a differentiation in between different levels of students – those who have more and those who have less.

Ms Jasmin Lau: I thank the Member for the questions. Just to give a sense, at the primary level, the focus will remain firmly on fundamentals, like I mentioned, literacy, numeracy, reasoning and character, so any exposure to AI will be very light touch. They may learn about what is AI and some of the risks involved. But we do not expect them to use AI tools for their work.

At the secondary level, I think that is where students must move on from awareness to responsible use, so they will be exposed to the tools and learn how to use them to generate ideas, compare perspectives or refine their arguments and, of course, at the post-secondary and the IHL level, they will have to learn how AI tools can be applied to their own discipline, their domain of work and also understand how these translate into real world skills that they will then use when they enter the workforce.

The Chairman: One last clarification, Dr Hamid Razak, for your two cuts and four minutes.

Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West): First, I would like to ask the Minister, I welcome the move to move away from GEP to the 15 centres for advanced modules, whether the Ministry has assessed whether this will then portray these centres as the more choicier schools to parents, and how the communication should be better informed so that the parents know the intent of these centres providing the advanced modules?

To Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun, I do agree that there is no one-size-fits approach for Mother Tongue. I have heard some feedback from NIE trainee teachers in taking Tamil that the curriculum needs review, whether the Ministry will consider teaching training curriculum review in a bid to make the teaching of Mother Tongue more accessible?

Mr Desmond Lee: We are mindful of that risk. So, basically the school-based provisions, the school-based programmes mean that every school will cater up to 10% of their school cohort who can benefit from greater stretch and challenge and, the schools, all schools will have some teachers who are trained to manage the cognitive as well as the effective requirements of supporting these students who are more inquisitive, who can be challenged further.

Then the centre-based advanced modules are those who have either single or multiple domain strengths and opt to go for these modules. The teachers will be pooled from different schools, including some former GEP teachers, centrally held in MOE HQ, and then deployed to teach at various centres. So, these schools provide the infrastructure for these centres to run the modules. The centres will be reviewed from time to time for geographical spread as well as convenience and access to transport.

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi: I thank the Member for his clarification question. Indeed, we do want our Mother Tongue languages to be as accessible as possible, especially to our students who may have different inclinations as well as different abilities in the Mother Tongue languages.

So, at the level of primary school I mentioned there is a foundation Mother Tongue language for those who may find themselves a bit weaker. We also have G1, G2 Mother Tongue languages in secondary school, but at the other end, we also want to be able to stretch those who have the potential and ability in Mother Tongue. So, there is also Higher Mother Tongue languages in secondary school. But noting that there might be some who see Mother Tongue languages as a strength, you can actually take Higher Mother Tongue languages now, regardless of your PSLE AL score. For those who want to further their studies, they can also go on to the language elective programme.

So, to answer the Member's question, we do have different types of curricula to be able to allow for different abilities in our students and the intent is for them to be able to appreciate and learn to love the language of their own Mother Tongue at depth and to as high level as possible.

The Chairman: I would like to thank Members from both sides of the House for being very succinct in their clarifications and responses. It allowed 11 Members to ask their clarifications. Having said that, being succinct does not mean speaking at a breakneck speed. It is tough for the Minister to understand, and it is also tough for our interpreters to do their translations.

Can I invite Mr Darryl David if you would like to withdraw the amendment?

1.45 pm

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): I ask for leave to withdraw my cut.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $15,473,381,200 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $1,185,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.