Proposal to Review Format of GCE "A" Levels to Cater to Broader-based Educational Requirements
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Associate Professor Jamus Jerome Lim's inquiry into reviewing the GCE A-Level format for broader-based requirements and the continued suitability of separate academic and vocational tracks. Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing replied that existing pathways like junior colleges, polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education remain relevant for catering to students' diverse strengths. He stated that the Ministry of Education is enhancing porosity between these pathways, including semester exemptions for A-Level graduates entering polytechnics and increased university opportunities for polytechnic graduates. The Minister emphasized that regular reviews ensure a holistic education system that focuses on 21st Century Competencies such as adaptive thinking, communication, and civic literacy. He concluded that while junior colleges continue to provide academic skills for further education, the overall system is evolving to prepare students for future technological and global developments.
Transcript
15 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education in light of the UK's decision to replace the A- and T-levels with a single Advanced British Standard qualification (a) whether the Ministry plans to review the format of the GCE A-levels to better cater to broader-based educational requirements; (b) whether there are plans to evolve the A-level syllabus away from meeting university entrance requirements toward non-academic subjects; and (c) whether the separate A-levels, polytechnic diploma and NITEC tracks remain the most suitable for the Singapore context.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Our education system offers multiple pathways to cater to our students' diverse strengths, interests and learning needs. At the post-Secondary level, junior colleges and the Millenia Institute equip students with the necessary academic skills and knowledge through the A-Level syllabus as required for further education, particularly at the universities. On the other hand, polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education provide more industry-based and applied learning that prepares students for the workforce. These different pathways continue to be relevant today.
We will continue to offer multiple post-Secondary pathways, even as we enhance porosity between the pathways. For example, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has increased the opportunities for polytechnic graduates to further their studies at the universities, especially with more applied university programmes. Since 2020, A-Level graduates have also been able to take polytechnic diploma courses with exemptions of up to two semesters.
We regularly review and make adjustments across all our pathways to ensure that our students receive a holistic education beyond academic preparation, and that our education system prepares them well for the future. For example, to keep pace with technological and global developments, MOE has announced that we will be enhancing the 21st Century Competencies (21CC) framework, with a greater emphasis on adaptive and inventive thinking, communication and civic literacy.