Annual Rates of DSA-Sec Talent Area Release Requests, Approval Rates, and School Transfer or CCA Change Outcomes Over Past Decade

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament

Question

To ask the Minister for Education for each year in the past decade (a) how many Direct School Admission for secondary schools (DSA-Sec) students requested release from their committed talent area; (b) how many requests were approved; and (c) how many were allowed to change co-curricular activity within the same school versus those required to transfer schools.

Response

1. 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 (PSLE). Students who accept a DSA-Sec place commit to participating in the relevant Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) or talent development programme in the school, and are expected to honour their commitment.
2. Schools may consider requests from students to be released from their DSA-Sec commitment on a case-by-case basis where there are valid reasons, such as injury, medical conditions or other extenuating circumstances. Depending on the circumstances, the school may allow the student to take up another suitable CCA or programme within the school, or facilitate a transfer to another school.
3. MOE does not track the number of such cases, as these requests are assessed and managed by individual schools.