Annual Number of Students Placed in Time Out Programme and Its Effectiveness
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the statistics and effectiveness of the Time Out Programme for disengaged students, as raised by Ms See Jinli Jean. Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing stated that the programme ceased in 2019 to rechannel resources into broader support, including after-school mentoring and interest-based activities. He identified family circumstances and peer influence as key disengagement factors, which are now addressed by Student Welfare Officers through targeted student and parent engagement. These officers focus on reintegrating students with irregular attendance, while schools collaborate with Social Service Offices to manage underlying home-based issues. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance students' connection to their schools and provide customised support for at-risk individuals and their families.
Transcript
4 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Education (a) over the last five years, what is the annual number of students placed in the Time Out Programme; (b) what is the main reason for their disengagement from schools; (c) whether the programme is effective in addressing students' disengagement; and (d) what are the adjustments to the programme to provide customised support to the students and their families.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Secondary schools organised the Time Out Programmes to strengthen sense of belonging to school, improve student attendance, and raise at-risk students' confidence in learning.
Disengaged students face various challenges, including challenging family circumstances, negative peer influence and lack of direction.
MOE ceased the Time Out Programme in 2019 to rechannel the resources for schools to provide support for a broader spectrum of at-risk students, including those who are disengaged. For example, schools have after-school programmes, which focus on befriending and mentoring, strengthening peer relationships and self-management skills and interest-based activities, to strengthen students' connection to their schools. MOE has also deployed Student Welfare Officers (SWOs) in schools to engage students with irregular school attendance and to work with parents and school staff to reintegrate these students back to school.
Beyond school-based support, schools also work with community partners, such as the Social Service Offices or Family Service Centres to address issues that the student may be facing at home.