Utilisation of Lifetime Cohort Participation Rate Against 60% Allowance and Ensuring Continued University Access for Fresh School Leavers and Adult Learners

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng, Jalan Besar GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) to provide an update on the Lifetime Cohort Participation Rate for publicly funded university degree places, including how the latest utilisation compares with the 60% allowance announced previously; and (b) what is the Ministry doing to ensure that both fresh school leavers and adult learners continue to have suitable opportunities to pursue a university education.

Response

1. We want to support Singaporeans to learn and upgrade throughout life. One way we do so is by ensuring that publicly-funded university education remains accessible to both fresh school leavers as well as adult learners who may wish to pursue a degree later in life.
2. In 2023, MOE announced that the Lifetime Cohort Participation Rate (LCPR) would be increased from 50% to 60% by 2025. The LCPR is the share of a cohort that gets a place in a publicly-funded degree programme, measured over their lifetime and not just when they finish junior colleges or polytechnics.
3. The 60% LCPR is the planned capacity of publicly-funded degree places. It is not an intake target. It comprises a capacity of 45% for fresh school leavers and 15% for adult learners. The separate category for adult learners provides opportunities for Singaporeans to pursue a degree later in life as some Singaporeans may choose to enter the workforce first, and pursue a degree later to support their career plans and aspirations. It also recognises that those from earlier cohorts had fewer opportunities to attend university when they were younger.
4. Based on preliminary estimates, the LCPR for Academic Year 2025 is around 54%, of which about 44%-points were fresh school leavers who entered full-time degree programmes, and around 10%-points were adult learners who mostly enrolled in part-time undergraduate degree programmes. The participation rate for fresh school leavers is a preliminary estimate, and is expected to be revised upwards as more of the cohort, e.g. males now serving national service, progress to university in the coming years.
5. Beyond the LCPR, we recognise that adult learners can face a range of challenges when returning to education. A survey of students who withdrew from their courses found that work commitments were the top reason for withdrawal. To address this, MOE has been working with the Autonomous Universities (AUs) to make their programmes more accessible to adult learners at different life and career stages. For example, the AUs have introduced part-time undergraduate degree programmes that are designed around the needs of working adults, with modular and applied pathways that allow learners to balance study with work and family commitments. Employers also have an important role to play, by supporting their employees to make time for training, and fostering a workplace environment that encourages continual skills upgrading.
6. Ultimately, a degree is one of many ways to continue learning. Depending on their needs, Singaporeans can pursue other forms of skills upgrading and training throughout their careers. Our aim is to provide Singaporeans with meaningful opportunities to keep learning, develop their skills, and remain resilient through different stages of work and life.