MOE Committee of Supply 2024 Highlights

Singaporeans desire to build a nation where no one gets left behind, where every student has a path to pursue their dreams, no matter their starting point. How do we build such a Singapore? 

At the recent Committee of Supply Debate as part of Budget 2024, the Ministry of Education announced initiatives to lift up those in need, celebrate diversity, and encourage Singaporeans to keep learning for a lifetime.

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To prepare our next generation to learn for life, we must re-envision education as…

1. A continuing journey, where we learn not just in the first 15 years of school, but throughout the next 50 years of our lives;
2. A celebration of strengths, where we appreciate a diversity of talent in society; and
3. A collective effort, where students learn in schools, classrooms and beyond – from the physical community and society to the virtual world.

Here’s an overview of MOE’s latest support measures for Singaporeans this year.

Making more porous pathways with Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB)

Full SBB has been fully implemented since 2024 (visit the Full SBB microsite to find out more).

With the roll-out of Full SBB, students can expect the following changes:

1. Consolidated examination timetable

From 2027, the new Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examination will replace both N- and O-Level examinations.

• Graduating students will sit for the SEC examinations at their respective subject levels (i.e. G1, G2, G3).
• No change to the examination format.
• The SEC examinations will continue to be jointly examined and awarded by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB), MOE, and the Cambridge International Education.

To help students better pace their learning throughout the year, the SEC examination timetable will be consolidated as follows:

Sep	English Language and Mother Tongue Languages (MTL) written papers
Oct – Nov	Written papers for other subjects

 

• There will also only be one written examination sitting for all MTL subject levels (i.e. G1, G2, G3 MTL and G3 Higher MTL).
• The changes will spread out the examination load for students, while allowing teachers to better pace out the MTL curriculum and spend more time on learning.
• All students will receive their SEC examinations results in January the following year.

2. Changes to Polytechnic Year 1 admission criteria

Currently, for admission to Polytechnic Year 1, students must take five G3 (i.e. O-Level equivalent) subjects, which are computed into their ELR2B2.
From the 2028 intake, students can use a G2 subject to compute their ELR2B2 score for admission to Polytechnic Year 1

• Cut-off score will be adjusted from 26 to 22 points, since the last ‘B’ subject will be mapped from G3 to G2.
• Remaining four subjects must continue to be taken at G3 to ensure that students can cope with the academic rigour in polytechnics.

Recognising students’ non-academic achievements

We want to help our students cultivate skills that will equip them for the future, such as adaptive and inventive thinking, communication skills, and civic literacy. 

1. New 21st Century Competency (21CC) domain in the Edusave Award for Achievement, Good Leadership and Service (EAGLES)

• This enhanced EAGLES will recognise students’ exemplary demonstration of competencies, both inside and outside of the classroom, such as:
  1. Critical, Adaptive and Inventive Thinking
  2. Civic, Global and Cross-Cultural Literacy, as well as
  3. Communication, Collaboration and Information Skills
• The EAGLES award quantum for these students remains unchanged.

2. The Edusave Skills Award (ESA) will also be expanded in Crest Secondary School, Spectra Secondary School, Specialised Schools, polytechnics and ITE

• Recognises the more applied and skills-based nature of these institutions’ curriculum.

MOE’s vision for a more inclusive Singapore means empowering every child to fulfil their potential. We want to meet the unique needs of our diverse learners, and provide pathways to support each of them.

More subsidies, lower preschool fees for lower-income families

To improve the accessibility of preschool education to children from lower-income families, MOE Kindergartens will make the following shifts:

• Qualify all lower-income families (who earn up to $6,000 a month), including those with non-working mothers, for Kindergarten Care Additional Subsidy (KCare AS) from Q4 this year.
• This means all families with household income of $3,000 will only need to pay as low as $3 a month for full-day MOE Kindergarten and KCare.
• With this extension, eligible families will see a 51% to 99% reduction in monthly fees.

More support for students with special educational needs

We will work closely with Social Service Agencies to lower fees in nine SPED schools by up to 60% for Singaporean students.

• The nine SPED schools are:
  1. AWWA School @ Napiri
  2. Eden School
  3. Eden School (Campus 2)
  4. Pathlight School
  5. Rainbow Centre Margaret Drive School
  6. Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School
  7. Rainbow Centre Admiral Hill School
  8. St. Andrew’s Autism School
  9. St. Andrew’s Mission School
• Reduced monthly fees for Singaporean students in all SPED schools, from a maximum of $150 to $90.
• More than 50% of Singaporean students will pay $70 or less.
• By mid-2025: About 3,500 students will benefit from these changes.

Increase funding to SPED schools in phases to raise the salaries of SPED teachers and teacher aides (TAs)

• 2024-2026: SPED classroom teachers can receive salary increases of up to 12%, and TAs can receive an increase of up to 15%.
• By 2026: SPED classroom teachers and TAs can expect to receive monthly salaries ranging from $3,000 to $7,000+, and $2,000 to $4,000+, respectively.

More educational leadership courses will be extended to teachers for their professional development

• Targeted resourcing will be provided to SPED schools to drive the dedicated planning and implementation of their professional learning opportunities.

Education is a continuing journey as we find our purpose and calling, discover our strengths and interests, and grow through each season of life. Our first educational qualification is merely a starting point.

ITE Progression Award (IPA) to encourage young ITE graduates to upskill early

1. For Singaporean ITE graduates aged 30 and below:

• Enrol in a diploma issued by MOE-funded institutions and receive a top-up of $5,000 in their Post-Secondary Education Account. This is to help with the upfront costs of obtaining a diploma.
• Upon diploma completion, ITE graduates will receive a top-up of $10,000 in their CPF Ordinary Account. This is to boost their savings for longer-term goals, like buying a house.

2. For Singaporean ITE graduates above 30 and already enrolled in a diploma:

• All Singaporean ITE graduates who are already enrolled in a diploma with MOE-funded institutions as of 1 Mar 2024 will receive a $10,000 top-up to their CPF-OA upon completing their diploma.
• Singaporean ITE graduates aged 31 who enrol in a diploma in 2024 will also receive the IPA.

More support for mature, mid-career Singaporeans to upskill and reskill

The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme (SFLP) will offer mid-career Singaporeans:

1. Support to defray course fees:

• From 1 May 2024: Singaporeans aged 40 and above will receive a SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up of $4,000, which does not expire.
• The top-up can be used to defray out-of-pocket fees for selected courses that support upskilling or reskilling.
• This is in addition to the existing Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES), which offers subsidies of up to 90% of the course fee for MOE/SSG-funded programmes for Singaporeans aged 40 and above.

• From AY2025, mid-career Singaporeans who had previously received MOE subsidy or government sponsorship for a diploma or higher qualification, can also qualify for MCES when taking another publicly funded full-time Diploma.

2. Support during full-time, long-form training:

• From early 2025: Mid-career Singaporeans will also receive a SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance when they enrol in selected full-time, long-form training programmes e.g. in polytechnics, ITE and the Arts Institutions.
• This will partially offset income loss from pursuing full-time training.

For more info, visit www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/cos2024/

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