Number of Students with Chronic Absenteeism Helped through Enhanced Step-Up Programme

32 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in each year since the Enhanced Step-Up Programme (ESU) was introduced to provide support to students with chronic absenteeism to remain in school (a) how many cases have been referred by schools for the ESU; and (b) of these referrals, how many cases have not proceeded with the ESU because parental consent has not been obtained.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Over the past five years from 2018 to 2022, schools referred about 2,200 cases to the Enhanced STEP-UP programme, or an average of 450 cases per year.

Parental consent is required before any case is referred to the ESU programme.