Proportion of Secondary School Students Admitted Through Direct School Admission Across Various Domains, and Complaints Received Regarding Selection Process
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the distribution of Direct School Admission for secondary schools (DSA-Sec) across various talent domains and feedback regarding selection processes. Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked about admission proportions across domains over the past three exercises and the volume and nature of complaints received. Minister Desmond Lee replied that application and admission proportions have been comparable over the past three years, noting that for the 2026 exercise, about four in 10 applications were for Sports and Games, two in 10 for STEM, and two in 10 for Performing Arts. The remaining applications were distributed across Leadership and Uniformed Groups, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Language and Humanities, and Visual Arts, Design and Media. Minister Desmond Lee added that an average of about nine pieces of feedback were received annually mainly concerning selection processes, which Ministry of Education reviews found to be conducted rigorously, objectively, and professionally.
Transcript
32 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Education (a) for each of the past three admission exercises, what proportion of students admitted through Direct School Admission (DSA) to secondary schools were for talents in (i) sports, (ii) performing arts, (iii) leadership and uniformed groups, (iv) languages, humanities, mathematics or science and (v) other domains; (b) how many complaints relating to DSA selection processes were received each year; and (c) what were the principal complaints.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Direct School Admission for secondary schools (DSA-Sec) provides a pathway for students to gain admission to secondary schools based on their interests, aptitude and potential, beyond their performance at the Primary School Leaving Examination.
The proportions of applications and admissions have been comparable in the past three years. For the 2026 DSA-Sec Exercise, about four in 10 applications were for Sports and Games, two in 10 for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and two in 10 for Performing Arts. The rest were spread across Leadership and Uniformed Groups, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Language and Humanities, and Visual Arts, Design and Media.
Over the past three years, an average of about nine pieces of feedback per year was received. The main concern was on schools' selection processes. Based on the Ministry of Education's review of each case, we have found the schools to have conducted their selection processes rigorously, objectively and professionally.