MOE Committee of Supply Debate 2026 Response by Senior Minister of State for Education David Neo

INTRODUCTION

1. Mr. Chairman, this year, MOE's Committee of Supply theme is We Learn for Life Together.

1. It reflects MOE's commitment to lifelong learning, which is salient given the rapid pace of change of technology in the world today.
2. There is also another interpretation, which is apt given the many conversations we have had in this chamber about AI – that we are nurturing our students to learn to live life – the way life was supposed to be lived, and to live together, as friends, as a community, as one united people.

2. How do we want to nurture our students to live life?

1. We want to help our students find meaning, purpose, and the motivation to pursue growth, so they can thrive.
2. We want our students to not be defined by their pasts, but have the courage to make the most of every situation.
3. We want our students to forge and build human connections with their friends.

3. How do we want to nurture our students to live together?

1. I think there is much for us to learn from our pioneers.
2. We are all very familiar with our Singapore story. We started out as a migrant society. Our forefathers of different races and religions had to learn to live together with each other.
3. Was there friction? Certainly. But our pioneers overcame it, and Singapore flourished as a result.
4. And we need to build on their spirit and values.
5. We have heard much over this debate about how the world has changed. Against this backdrop, we need to nurture our students to be just as exceptional as our pioneers, if not more. And continue to have the same spirit and value of wanting to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.
6. While the world builds walls, we must build bridges – starting in our classrooms. When we prioritise our unity, harmony and stability, we create space for every student's holistic growth, so they can achieve their full potential, regardless of their starting point.

LEARNING TO LIVE LIFE: A STUDENT-CENTRIC EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT EMPOWERS

4. Schools are one of the first places where children experience being in a community.

1. Our schools offer shared experiences, which fosters our shared identity as Singaporeans.
2. Our schools also offer the opportunity for students with different interests, talents, and backgrounds to come together.

5. Singaporeans come from many walks of life. Regardless of race, language or religion, we bring with us a diverse range of talents. We must celebrate and nurture this.

1. Under the ForwardSG agenda, MOE will continue to enhance our education system and schools to help every child reach their full potential and make our system more student-centric.
2. Minister Desmond Lee spoke about plans to refresh, improve and broaden access to different modalities of support. This includes refreshed support for primary school students with strengths in the academic domain, as well as expansion of the Special Education school capacity.
3. Beyond that, students who need more academic support also receive targeted intervention in schools. Support programmes are delivered in small groups using customised resources and are taught by specially trained teachers.
4. Recent improvements include the extension of the Reading Remediation Programme to Primary 5, as well as the Learning Support for Mathematics programme to Primary 3 and 4. The Primary 3 and 4 Mother Tongue Support Programme will also be refreshed to better engage students and narrow learning gaps.

6. Another key initiative is Full Subject-Based Banding or Full SBB. Full SBB was implemented in 2024 for secondary schools, as part of MOE's efforts to nurture the joy of learning and develop multiple pathways to cater to the different strengths and interests of our students, so they can achieve their full potential.

1. Under Full SBB, we have done away with separate Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) courses, and our students get to learn, grow and work together.
2. Students have flexibility to customise their learning of individual subjects in their secondary school journey. They do so based on their individual strengths, interests and learning needs, instead of keeping to a single subject level for all subjects.
3. At the lower secondary levels, students are placed in mixed form classes to interact with classmates of different profiles and strengths. They spend about a third of their curriculum time in their mixed form classes and learn together for subjects such as Art, Physical Education, Design and Technology.
4. The Full SBB pilot has shown encouraging outcomes.
   1. Students are forming friendships and they display more positive attitudes towards peers from different backgrounds. They also have a stronger sense of belonging to their schools.
   2. Teachers also observe students taking greater ownership of their learning. Students demonstrate stronger motivation to overcome challenges and break through limiting mindsets to pursue subjects at more demanding levels.
5. Take Samuel, for example. He started at one of the Full SBB pilot schools, St Andrew's School (Secondary), entering through Posting Group 1. He was originally disheartened because none of his friends were in the same posting group.
6. But under Full SBB, Samuel's starting point did not define him or how he would finish. He was offered the opportunity to take English, Mathematics and Sciences at G2 level at Secondary 1, and had the flexibility to continue his other subjects at G1 level.
7. Even as he juggled a more demanding academic load alongside rugby training, Samuel remained consistent. When he felt ready, he took on all subjects at G3, the most academically demanding subject level. With Full SBB, Samuel could learn at his own pace and take ownership of his learning journey. He was not defined by labels, but he carved out his own path, on his own terms.
8. With the right support system, every student can achieve their full potential. Samuel did well for his GCE 'O'-Level in 2025 and is now pursuing his studies at Temasek Polytechnic.

7. The first Full SBB cohort will be sitting for the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examination in 2027. As students take more diverse subject combinations, MOE has also reviewed the admissions criteria for post-secondary pathways, as announced at MOE's COS in previous years.

8. We will update our posting system from 2028, and implement a new Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE).

1. Today, GCE 'N'- and 'O'-Level graduates have to navigate multiple admissions processes. There are different application portals and timelines for various educational pathways, such as the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) Admissions Exercise and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Joint Intake Exercise (JIE). As a result, students need to keep track of different application processes and timelines, which may create more uncertainty regarding their posting choices.
2. The new PSE will transform the JAE, PFP, ITE JIE, to provide a single admissions process for graduates to apply for admission to Junior Colleges (JC), Millenia Institute (MI), Polytechnics and ITE.
3. All pathways and courses are available for selection on a single platform. Students can see all the courses that they are eligible for, and can select and rank their choices based on their preference. Students will no longer need to keep track of various admissions exercises.
4. To encourage students to prioritise schools and courses based on their strengths and interests, choice order will be introduced as a posting tiebreaker for the PSE in this order: citizenship, choice order, gross aggregate score, and computerised balloting. Tie-breakers will be applied when two students with the same net aggregate score are vying for the last available vacancy in the course.
5. The 2027 SEC cohort will receive their SEC results in January 2028 and apply for their post-secondary course options through this new PSE. The posting outcomes will be released by early February of the same year. We hope that this more student-centric approach will help more students to reach their full potential.

LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER: FORGING FRIENDSHIPS AND STRENGTHENING TIES

9. Beyond enabling students to reach their full potential based on their unique strengths, Full SBB has also created opportunities for students to foster meaningful connections.

1. Adam from Bendemeer Secondary School took subjects across G1 to G3 levels which gave him more opportunities to make friends from different classes. This supported his growth as a Student Leader, as he became more comfortable and confident when interacting with others. Today, Adam is in his school's Student Council EXCO.
2. By providing students with opportunities to interact with a wider group of peers, Full SBB also helps us dissolve perceived boundaries between "them" and "us". Fahrin from Fuhua Secondary School discovered the joy of meeting new people. Through these expanded connections, he has now formed a larger and more diverse network that he can draw support from.

10. Many of us in this house have spoken about the importance of nurturing a We First society, and we can start from our schools.

1. This is where our students learn to embrace diversity and contribute in different ways.
2. It is where our students learn to know, understand, and empathise with one another.
3. It is where our children are instilled our shared values.

11. In this regard, grounding our students in core values and 21st Century Competencies is critical. Values like resilience, respect and harmony, and civic, global and cross-cultural competencies. This forms the basis for openness, so we can know, understand and empathise with one another.

1. These values and competencies need to be lived, embodied, and experienced. To Mr Shawn Huang's suggestions, MOE has implemented moves to free up space for holistic development, while reducing an over-emphasis of academic results. We want to teach less, and learn more. This provides greater room for students to conduct student-led, self-directed exploration.
   1. When mid-year exams were removed, teachers from Fuchun Primary School did not use the opportunity to cover more curriculum. Instead, teachers thoughtfully designed lessons to weave in the development of 21st Century Competencies into students' learning experiences.
   2. Under the school's signature Home Skills Programme, Primary 3 students worked together to make a healthy fruit salad, by applying financial literacy concepts to plan within a budget, health education principles to understand the nutritional value of fruits, and adaptive thinking to design a salad that meets the needs of their grandparents or family members.
   3. Such authentic learning experiences transform subject knowledge into purposeful application. Students used the time freed up from preparing for mid-year exams to deal with real-world problems in groups. This provided the opportunity to strengthen the 21st Century Competencies of our Primary 3 children, including adaptive thinking, and practicing responsible decision-making both in school and at home.
   4. Beyond that, secondary schools and pre-University institutions have implemented Student-Initiated Learning, or SIL, as a component of Home-Based Learning days. Under SIL, time is set aside for students to pursue their interests and learn outside the curriculum. The intention is to encourage students to be more curious and self-directed in their learning.
   5. As part of students' holistic development, schools develop students as active contributors and concerned citizens. Schools encourage students to speak up and provide them with age-appropriate ways to participate in decision-making. For example, some schools create official channels for students to suggest ways to better support their disadvantaged peers; others also organise forums and townhalls where older students can discuss issues and ideas directly with school management.
   6. Over 8 in 10 youths find "contributing to society" and "helping the less fortunate" to be important life goals. To support this, students are encouraged to start their own Values-in-Action projects. Instead of just participating in school-planned community service, they design and carry out their own projects to benefit the community. Besides developing their planning and project management skills, such projects also help build active citizenship, empathy and leadership skills in our students.
2. Mr Azhar Othman suggested for primary and secondary schools to offer a non-examinable subject on entrepreneurship, to cultivate students who are innovative and creative.
   1. We agree that as part of a holistic education, and it is important to develop an enterprising spirit and innovating mindset. Whether our students choose to become entrepreneurs or not, these qualities will help them to navigate their careers and life.
   2. This is why MOE prioritises the development of 21st Century Competencies like critical, adaptive and inventing thinking skills. They are built through different subjects and school programmes such as Values-in-Action projects. The Applied Learning Programmes also help develop these competencies, particularly those that are focussed on innovation, business and entrepreneurship.
   3. Students who want to develop specific business skillsets may also pursue subjects such as Elements of Business Skills and Principles of Accounts at upper secondary level.
3. Beyond initiatives to build up students' 21st Century Competencies, co-curricular activities, or CCAs, offer a regular platform for students to discover their interests, develop their talents, and build strong character.
   1. In support of this, the Strategic Partnership CCA (SP-CCA) programme offers centralised, non-school-based CCAs to enable secondary school students to pursue activities beyond what their individual schools can provide.
   2. Students from different schools can come together, build friendships and support each other through the ups and downs of sporting experiences.
   3. Let me share about Shankarii from Zhenghua Secondary School. Through SP-CCA Athletics, she found herself training alongside Xavier from Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary), and twins Jairus and Jayden from Woodlands Secondary School.
   4. What started as polite interactions during training blossomed into a supportive friendship. They began meeting for lunch, did self-study together, and supported each other in their sporting and academic pursuits. Their coaches shared that their friendship has brought positive energy to every training session.
   5. When we bring students together across school boundaries, we are not just developing athletic talent. We are bringing Singaporeans together to bond over shared experiences and interests, and to learn, grow and work together. In doing so, we are nurturing relationships that will strengthen our society.
   6. We will continue to do more in this space by offering and expanding SP-CCA opportunities. Last year, we added Canoeing to the list. This year, we are introducing Hockey. MOE and MCCY are committed to providing more avenues for our students to pursue their sporting passions.
   7. This is in line with MOE's efforts to ensure that students can benefit from regular physical activity and are supported from a well-being perspective. Mr Gerald Giam suggested to increase minimum Physical Education (PE) curriculum time in primary schools to five hours weekly, and Mr Dennis Tan proposed later school start times to prioritise students' sleep health. Mr Kenneth Tiong also suggested for school classrooms to have indoor temperature standards and mixed-mode air-conditioning to facilitate learning.
      1. I will first share about MOE's current efforts in these areas, before addressing Members' suggestions.
      2. Today, MOE schools adopt a holistic approach to encourage active and healthy lifestyle, as well as good sleep health.
      3. Primary 3 to 6 students have 2.5 hours of PE classes per week. This is comparable to most other systems internationally. Through PE lessons, students learn about healthy eating, how to exercise and the importance of cultivating good sleep habits.
      4. Beyond that, primary school students have opportunities to be active in school through the Programme for Active Learning for those in Primary 1 and 2, and CCAs from Primary 3 onwards, as well as inter-class games, unstructured play during recess and school camps.
      5. Heat mitigation measures are also adopted to tackle rising temperatures and improve thermal comfort in schools. MOE has been studying the impact of rising temperatures on learning since 1989, when then-MP Mr Chandra Das first asked if MOE would air-condition our classrooms, and the implementation timeline. Over the years, we have been careful not to rush into air-conditioning as the technology was not as energy efficient. Instead, we have relied on passive cooling solutions and designed our schools for maximum natural ventilation and for classroom windows to be north-south facing to minimise heat transmission.
      6. As temperatures have continued to rise, and as technology evolved in recent years, we have added more, faster and quieter fans to all classrooms, coated school building exteriors with solar-reflective cool paint and adopted uniforms with moisture-wicking or breathable materials to combat heat and humidity. We have also implemented mixed mode cooling in school halls with a target temperature. But we are not stopping there.
      7. That is why we commissioned the study in 2020, which Mr Tiong cited, precisely to determine how best to apply mixed-mode cooling to bring about optimal thermal comfort conditions including temperature in classrooms, while balancing other considerations such as long-term heat resilience and acclimatisation, energy consumption and impact on the environment. We are thus committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of which school they attend, have access to conducive learning environments. This includes exploring mixed mode cooling for classrooms as the science becomes clearer.
      8. I thank all the members for their well-intentioned suggestions. But like the trade-offs for mixed mode cooling, there are also trade-offs for the other suggestions. Members have spoken about students' and teachers' workload and stress, and we want our students to sleep more. But we also want to double the number of PE hours, introduce entrepreneurship and inter-faith classes, and have white space Fridays.
      9. At MOE, we are very protective of our teachers and students, and are always looking to lower their workload and stress levels. Let us instead take a leaf from Fuchun Primary's book, and give our students the space to experience the joy of learning, growing and working together, and not be in a rush to fill their curriculum with more things. MOE will continue to study different ways of providing conducive learning environment to our students while actively managing all these trade-offs.
4. A common appreciation and love for arts and culture can also provide a common platform for Singaporeans to bond.
   1. Since 2018, as part of the formal art curriculum, Primary 4 students have the opportunity to visit art museums through our Museum-Based Learning experience. Students are exposed to Singapore's artistic heritage, which helps them understand our shared cultural story.
   2. When Amanda from Yew Tee Primary visited the National Gallery, she was introduced to Liu Kang's "Life By The River". She observed that "the people in the painting lived in wooden huts but today we live in HDB flats". In seeing how far we have come as a society, Amanda was not just looking at art, but she was connecting the dots across generations.
   3. MOE's Performing Arts-Based Learning experience, developed in partnership with the National Arts Council, builds upon students' holistic education. Live music performances by local performing arts groups are curated for lower secondary students as part of their music education. Students across different schools attend performances by local artists and appreciate local works at professional arts venue such as the Esplanade and the Victoria Concert Hall.
   4. Secondary 3 student Ghufayrah from Yishun Town Secondary School particularly enjoyed 'Rasa Sayang' reimagined by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. When students from different backgrounds share these cultural experiences together, they discover what unites us as Singaporeans.
5. MOE schools serve as important shared spaces that provide a safe environment for students to learn respect and harmony. Students can build positive relationships with one another, regardless of race or religion. Ms Diana Pang suggested deepening interfaith education in schools.
   1. MOE agrees that it is important to support mutual understanding amongst students. This is why our schools offer balanced and age-appropriate exposure to all major religions in Singapore, through Character and Citizenship Education and Social Studies lessons.
   2. For example, primary school students are introduced to the concept of dietary requirements, whether for health or religious reasons, by engaging in classroom activities such as planning a birthday party that is socially inclusive.
   3. Students also participate in learning journeys to heritage sites, and celebrations of cultural festivals to develop respect and sensitivity to racial and religious issues.
   4. In doing so, MOE seeks to cultivate a deeper appreciation and understanding of Singapore's multicultural and multi-religious society amongst our students.

CONCLUSION

12. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank members once again for their very thoughtful suggestions. Much of the discussion in this debate has been about AI. And in this AI age where algorithms shape choices and technology drives us into echo chambers that pull us apart, education is one of our most human acts of connection.

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13. It teaches us empathy, critical thought, and our shared values that make us one united people. Let us work together to shape an education system that will not just make our students smarter, but also more human and more connected. A student-centric education system where we can learn for life together, so we can nurture every Singaporean to achieve their full potential.