Difference in Requirements for European Third Language Versus Asian Third Language Options Offered to Secondary 1 Students

17 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Minister for Education (a) what considerations determine the significantly more stringent eligibility thresholds for Japanese, French, German and Spanish as third languages offered to Secondary 1 students, compared to Chinese, Malay and Bahasa Indonesia; and (b) whether this differential is due to resource constraints, curriculum intensity or a deliberate policy decision.

Mr Desmond Lee: Under the Foreign Language programme, students can learn French, German, Japanese and Spanish as a third language. The programme aims to nurture a pool of Singaporeans who can tap into opportunities in economies which use these languages. It is designed so that students can have the foundation to access undergraduate courses conducted in these languages. The curriculum is intensive and places a high demand on students. Hence, it is offered to students who demonstrate the ability to cope well with their core subjects.

The Ministry of Education also offers Malay, Chinese, Arabic and Bahasa Indonesia as a third language. The objective is to enable students to understand the language and cultural heritage of communities in Singapore and of the region. These programmes focus on language skills for day-to-day interactions, which is less intensive. This is why the eligibility criteria for these third languages is relatively lower.