Median PSLE Achievement Level Scores by Housing Type

70 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Education (a) for each of the past five PSLE cohorts, what are the median PSLE Achievement Level scores by socioeconomic status proxy measures, such as housing type; (b) what is the Ministry's assessment of any equity implications arising from observed gaps; and (c) whether the Ministry has any planned targeted interventions in response to these gaps.

Mr Desmond Lee: Similar to students around the world, students in Singapore from higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to perform better academically, including at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). However, this correlation has remained stable over the last five years.

More importantly, our students from lower socio-economic backgrounds excel by international standards. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD's) Programme for International Student Assessment 2022 findings, students from the bottom-25% socio-economic status homes in Singapore outperformed the average OECD student across all domains of reading, mathematics, science and creative thinking.

We remain committed to uplift our students, through enhancing preschool accessibility, affordability and quality, providing targeted support to students with higher needs and collaborating with community partners to provide wraparound support. This whole-of-society approach ensures every child can reach their potential regardless of background.