Students from Lower-income Households Who Have Secured School Places through DSA and Assessment of Policy Impact

6 Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Education (a) of the current students who have secured places through the Direct School Admission for Secondary Schools, what percentage of them come from lower-income households and are on financial assistance schemes; (b) whether the policy outcome has shifted from its intent of identifying talents to favouring students who can afford enrichment and preparatory programmes; (c) whether the policy now benefits those with access to costly training, such as interview coaching; and (d) how can more opportunities be given to students from lower-income households.

The Minister for Education (Mr Chan Chun Sing): Mr Speaker, Sir, Direct School Admission (DSA) provides students with an alternative pathway to progress to their preferred schools, including through non-academic talents, such as sports and arts. While some families are better able to support their children in developing their strengths and talents, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and our schools have taken active steps to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in DSA.

For example, our primary schools help these students uncover their strengths and interests, and support them through their DSA application. MOE also runs the Junior Sports Academy (JSA) for primary school students who show sporting potential. Selection is based on general motor ability, with no prior sports training needed. A good number of JSA participants go on to apply for DSA.

Our secondary schools take a holistic approach to DSA selection. In addition to demonstrated achievement, schools consider a student's interests, potential and personal qualities, including their drive and resilience.

For the last five years, about 6% of Singaporean students admitted via DSA to a secondary school were recipients of MOE's Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) or the Full Independent School Bursary.

These are students whose monthly gross household income is $3,000 or less, or whose monthly per capita income is $750 or less. There are other lower-income students admitted via DSA who are recipients of school-based financial support, such as school-based FAS and the UPLIFT Scholarship.

MOE is reviewing the DSA scheme across three aspects: development, selection and accessibility.

Development: to ensure that schools focus on providing opportunities that add value to both their DSA and non-DSA students' development, whether in their school programmes, co-curricular activities (CCAs) or academic pursuits.

For selection: notwithstanding the need for schools to weigh different considerations when assessing DSA applicants, we want to strengthen the DSA selection process so that it continues to be undergirded by the principles of transparency, objectivity, inclusiveness and student centricity.

And accessibility: to ensure that DSA remains accessible and students from all backgrounds are recognised not just for their performance, but also their potential in specific talent areas.

MOE will share more details in due course.

Mr Speaker: Mr Sharael Taha.

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for his clarification. It is very much heartening to know that our students from lower-income families have the opportunity to also apply for DSA. In fact, 6% of the students come from FAS. But that being said, a few supplementary questions.

The students from the more affluent families have better access to resources and have been taking up extracurricular activities like private coaching or even training for DSA interviews, while our students from the lower-income families do not have access to such coaching to enhance their capabilities through this expensive training. So, can the Ministry consider providing places in DSA for students from specifically lower-income families so that they have the opportunity to also take part in DSA and also expand their horizon in this space?

In my second supplementary question, some school teams have a significant number of players from DSA, which then limits the opportunities for the late bloomers to come into the team and be part of the sports or the cultural activity. Can the Ministry consider, as the Minister mentioned about providing accessibility, limiting the percentage of team members in the sport or cultural activity taken in via DSA to a certain percentage so that the late bloomers have an opportunity to be part of it also?

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, to answer the first supplementary question, we are keenly aware that better-resourced families will certainly have more opportunities to provide for their children. This is why, in our selection process, we will take into account the opportunities that the students have and the opportunities that the students from less well-endowed families may not have. When we look at the potential of the students, we will have to take into account not just their current performance, but their future potential. That is something we must carefully do.

So, we agree with the Member that we should take into account the background of the students in assessing their performance and potential at a point in time. But I would be careful not to go into a system of setting quotas one way or the other, because that might defeat the purpose of DSA and selection based on merit in terms of potential and performance.

On the second supplementary question that the Member asked, indeed, that is what I said in respect of refining the DSA to focus on development. I have personally given guidance to the MOE staff and schools and they are aware of my views, that when a school wants to build up a team and wants to perform well, they must make sure that they value-add to the development of the children and not just rely on pure selection for the performance of the team.