MOE Committee of Supply Debate 2026 Response by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun

INTRODUCTION

1. What do we mean when we say we want to "Learn for Life Together"?

2. Meaningful and effective learning requires an active connection with others. It comes alive through dialogue, inquiry and social engagement. Whether in the classroom or beyond its walls, reciprocal learning occurs between learners together; the child and parent, the student and teacher, or even between students or colleagues.

3. Learning can occur in school, in our homes, on the field, in the marketplace or in our community hubs. Learning has no age limits. Importantly, everyone learns differently. Success in education, therefore, best emerges from strong partnerships between schools, parents, and the community.

4. Today, I will share about how we are deepening this commitment through enhanced support for our Mother Tongue Languages (MTLs), expanded provisions for students with Special Educational Needs, or SEN, and stronger foundations for students' social and emotional well-being.

CULTIVATING OUR MOTHER TONGUES AS LIVING LANGUAGES

5. We have come a long way since the introduction of our bilingual policy in our early years.

1. In 1980, only 31% of our population had literacy in more than one language. The rest could read in only one language or not at all. By 2020, that figure had risen to 72%.
2. This policy has served us well. The English language has facilitated inter-ethnic communication, social cohesion and participation in the global economy. Simultaneously, our MTLs anchor us to our cultural heritage, history and values, while allowing Singaporeans to gain a competitive edge internationally.

6. In nurturing our students' mother tongue proficiency, we know that there is no one-size-fits-all.

1. For stronger students, Higher Mother Tongue and the Language Elective Programmes allow deeper engagement with language, literature and culture.
2. For other students who may need more time to develop their proficiency with the language, they are supported via Mother Tongue Support Programmes and Foundation Mother Tongue in primary school, and G1 and G2 Mother Tongue in secondary school.

7. These are key features of our MTL curriculum. However, As Ms Lee Hui Ying notes, strengthening Mother Tongue learning requires continual refinement to enable every student to learn their MTL to as high a level as possible.

1. At the Primary level, we have introduced more varied learning approaches, such as MTL SOAR programme to cultivate MTL reading from young.
2. At the Secondary level, we have reviewed the Higher MTL eligibility criteria to expand access to our MTLs.

8. Importantly, as Mr Hamid Razak noted, language learning does not end in the classroom. Languages must be allowed to come alive through speech, through practice, and using them actively to communicate with others. To learn and use our MTLs for life together.

9. Since 2005, we established the Mother Tongue Languages Learning and Promotion Committees, or the MTLLPCs, to help our students experience their MTLs as living languages through partnerships with the community, and by exploring creative and innovative ways of learning.

10. For example, many students might find it difficult to remember and recite a five-minute long passage in their mother tongue, but when stitched into a tune or a song, it becomes easier.

1. Last year, in partnership with Mediacorp, the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee organised Katapella 2025, Singapore's first national-level Malay choral recitation competition.
2. Mila Eliza, from Opera Estate Primary School was one of the participants. Mila had always been a softspoken student, particularly in Malay. In class, she would often answer her Cikgu's questions hesitantly in English. But through Katapella, Mila grew into her voice. Rehearsal by rehearsal, the habit of projecting and speaking up in Malay grew increasingly natural for her. These days, when her Cikgu asks her questions, she is more confident of answering loudly and clearly in Malay.
3. Experiences like Katapella bring language learning to life and give students a chance to explore the beauty of their MTL and build confidence in its use.

11. In support of the work of MTLLPCs, MOE will increase their funding from FY2026 to FY2030. The MTLLPCs will receive $33 million in this tranche of funding, an increase from $30 million in the earlier tranche. The increased funding will support a wider range of activities and programmes for students and parents. These include songwriting, radio broadcasting, debate and digital content creation, all in our students' MTLs.

12. In this coming tranche, we are keen to also give particular attention to supporting parents in their children's early childhood years. As the Tamil saying goes, "ஐந்தில் வளையாதது ஐம்பதில் வளையுமா?", or "If it doesn't bend at five, will it bend at fifty?" The early childhood years are critical for language development. We hope that consistent exposure in these years will create a strong foundation and appreciation of MTLs.

1. Many young parents are hesitant to speak to their children in their mother tongue. They say: "I'm not good at it myself, what if I teach them the wrong thing?".
2. As we tell our children, just try. Learning a MTL is not necessarily about perfection. It is about sharing, in its first-hand language, our stories, our roots, our heritage, and our culture with our children and next generation.
3. In the spirit of trying, recently I learnt a Chinese saying – 一寸光阴, 一寸金, 寸金难买寸光阴.
4. Some of you might remember your parents or teachers reciting this to you as a child. It is a beautiful way to inculcate values – that an inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and we cannot buy time even with gold. It is a poignant reminder that time is precious, and indeed, our MTLs have a special ability to bring out the true depth and value of such messages.
5. From June this year, the MTLLPCs will work with our Community Centres to offer free workshops led by mother tongue preschool teachers, to help parents naturally integrate their mother tongue into daily communication with their child.
6. I encourage parents of young children to sign up and take these baby steps towards learning for life, alongside their children, with us. It is also an opportunity for them to build close and nurturing relationships with their young children at an early age.

13. Bilingualism is a cornerstone of our education system, and indeed, our Singapore society. With differentiated support in schools and further grounding in the community, we intend to strengthen Mother Tongue Languages as a vibrant anchor of our society.

SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS TOGETHER

14. Another area where close partnership of school and community support is important is in our support for students with SEN.

Support in Mainstream Schools

15. Today, about 80% of students with SEN are supported in mainstream schools. Mr Kenneth Poon asked about how support for such students considers their varied access to external resources.

16. For each of these students, schools provide support based on their specific learning needs. Schools provide a range of interventions for learning.

1. For example, the TRANSIT programme, which stands for TRANsition Support for InTegration, for Primary 1 students focuses on behaviour management, while the School-based Dyslexia Remediation Programme supports students' literacy skills.
2. Where students require medical or therapy support unavailable in MOE or our schools, our schools will then facilitate referrals to external resources.
3. As we continue to strengthen our school-based provisions, we will be able to support every student with mild SEN in mainstream schools, regardless of their backgrounds.

Expansion of Special Education Schools' Capacity

17. For students with moderate-to-severe SEN however, we support them in Special Education (SPED) schools, with specialised support and customised teaching and learning approaches.

18. As Ms Denise Phua shared, demand for SPED schools has risen in recent years, driven by an increasing number of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Intellectual Disability (ASD-ID).

19. I am heartened to share that – to better support such students – we will be working with the Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to expand SPED school capacity. We will do so from the second half of 2026 through the early 2030s in three ways:

1. First, we will partner MINDS to establish additional campuses for the three MINDS schools. These will operate from interim sites in the East and Central regions progressively from the second half of 2026.
2. Second, we will relocate MINDS Woodlands Gardens School to a larger interim site with increased capacity in the North region from 2027.
3. Third, we will partner three SSAs – APSN Education Services Ltd., Autism Association (Singapore), and St. Andrew's Mission Hospital – to set up three new schools across the island.
   1. One of the schools, run by APSN Education Services Ltd., will operate from the second half of 2026 at an interim site in the North-East region. We will share more details soon.

20. These new and expanded schools will allow us to serve more children with ASD-ID, while also benefiting some existing MINDS students by shortening their daily school commutes.

21. By the 2030s, we will have a total of 30 government and community-funded SPED schools, including some with additional campuses, up from 26 today.

1. This includes three new schools and Pathlight School 3, which will open in Punggol in the early 2030s.
2. We will be able to serve around 30% more students, from 9,000 students today to about 12,000 in the early 2030s.

22. There are also other ongoing efforts to set up permanent sites for existing SPED schools that cater to various disability types, including Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (West), Grace Orchard School, and Maitri School.

23. Through this expansion, we seek to deepen our commitment to supporting every child in learning for life together. In doing so, we will ensure that every child has a community where they belong, where their needs are supported, and where they can grow.

Growing our Educators' Capabilities

24. We are conscious that programmes and spaces cannot be effective without dedicated educators. As Ms Charlene Chen has noted, support for educators ensures sustainable outcomes for our students with SEN.

25. In mainstream schools, we adopt a tiered approach:

1. All educators have a baseline understanding of inclusive classroom practices so that students with SEN can learn alongside their peers.
2. On top of this, Teachers Trained in Special Needs and SEN Officers provide deeper expertise and support other colleagues to nurture an inclusive education landscape.
3. To ensure adequate support capacity, we review schools' resourcing needs regularly and adjust provisions accordingly. For example, all primary schools have a minimum of two SEN Officers, while those with higher and more complex needs may have up to four SEN Officers.
4. We will continue to work with our schools to build up this capability and capacity.

26. In SPED schools, structured training allows our educators to develop deep expertise.

1. From 2025, we have enhanced access to baseline training by increasing the number of places for the National Institute of Education (NIE)'s Diploma in Special Education from 150 to 180 per year.
2. MOE has also been working with SSAs and SPED schools to deepen disability knowledge through Communities of Practice on specific disability profiles. Platforms like COPs allow SPED educators to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to meet students' complex learning needs.
3. Over the next decade, we recognise that recruitment and retention of SPED educators will be critical to support the sector's expansion. In 2024, we had improved the attractiveness of a SPED career, by working with the SSAs to enhance salaries for SPED teachers and teacher aides. This followed earlier efforts to strengthen professionalism by introducing career tracks, roles profiles, and competency frameworks. With the strong support of the SSAs, SPED schools have since adopted the recommended salary ranges and made progress to implement stronger performance-based remuneration. We have also introduced the SPED Leadership Development Programme to nurture SPED educator leaders. We will continue to coordinate sector-level recruitment efforts and work with SSAs to develop SPED into a promising and viable career option.

Partnerships with Families and the Community

27. Our schools and teachers certainly cannot do this work alone. Our communities, our families, our homes are anchors for many aspects of our lives, and their significance is particularly salient for our students with SEN.

28. Home is where our students apply their learning from school to everyday life.

1. In our primary schools, parents of children with dyslexia can read aloud daily with their children to reinforce the literacy skills at home.
2. Likewise, in delivering the national SPED curriculum, teachers emphasise family involvement to help students practice and use daily living skills taught in the SPED schools.

29. We agree with Ms Denise Phua that, for students with SEN to flourish, it takes a village. We must work closely, and sustainably for the long-term, with families and community partners.

30. In General Education schools, MOE's national advisory council, COMmunity and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS) comprises stakeholders such as parents, industry, and self-help groups. COMPASS has initiated different efforts for parents and community partners to cultivate meaningful school-home partnerships.

1. One such COMPASS initiative is the set-up of the Parents-for-Parents (P4P) network, to deepen support for parents of children with SEN.
2. Based on their own experiences, COMPASS members recognise a need for peer support to better navigate the challenges of supporting children with SEN. The P4P network was started to address this gap.
3. P4P connects parents of children with SEN with each other, to provide valuable peer support when navigating uncertainty, key decisions, and transitions. P4P also extends school and system-level support when needed.
4. Currently, over 30 schools are rolling out this initiative, with expansion planned to approximately 60 schools from 2026 to 2027. This is an example of how organic, parent-driven support can scale effectively for the benefit of our schools and our students.

31. This commitment to partnership extends to our SPED schools. In collaboration with CaringSG, we will pilot the Parent Peer Support Programme in some SPED schools.

1. These schools will develop a deeper understanding of parents' perspectives and needs to provide for more focused support for parents with children of higher needs.

32. Partnerships between our schools, parents, and the community make a real difference in our students' lives.

1. While undergoing baking training at Metta School, Rachel Tan learnt that the path to the right career is paved with detours and self-discovery.
2. Through an internship arranged by Metta School and industry partners, Rachel realised that – despite her technical skills – the day-to-day of the baking industry was not ideal for her.
3. To figure out her next steps, Metta School, Rachel, and her family leaned into her natural strengths.
4. Airport housekeeping was an unexpected match. Today, with her keen eye for detail and gift for genuine connection, Rachel thrives as a Housekeeping Officer at Changi Airport where she brightens many a traveller's stressful day.
5. In 2025, Rachel won the Changi Service G.E.M Programme for her exceptional service. In the right environment, she has blossomed.

33. Rachel's success demonstrates the power of strong partnerships between schools and families to help our students reach their potential.

1. To enable such partnerships, we are extending MOE's digital solutions to SPED schools to make communication more seamless.
2. Parents Gateway, which provides parents and caregivers access to school announcements and digital submissions of consent forms and medical certificates, has been well received in mainstream schools.
3. We will extend it to all 26 SPED schools from the second half of 2026, allowing all families with school-going children to access the same communication platform. This will also reduce administrative burden, freeing up teachers' time for teaching and improving student outcomes.

34. These partnerships in schools are just the beginning. Recognising that our students require support beyond the schooling years, we are committed as a government to supporting our students along this journey. As part of the inter-agency Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities, MOE is reviewing education support for SPED graduates transitioning into employment or post-secondary education. I look forward to sharing our recommendations when ready.

SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS’ WELL-BEING

35. Across these areas, we see that meaningful educational outcomes require a community of support. Ms Charlene Chen asked about our support for our students' well-being.

36. Our children develop resilience and socio-emotional well-being in community.

1. Through the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum, MOE equips students with developmentally appropriate skills for emotional regulation, peer support, and help-seeking.
2. Beyond the classroom, each school's ecosystem of support includes proactive monitoring, trained peer support leaders, and access to school counsellors and community mental health resources when needed.

37. Over the years, we have also explored innovative methods to support our students' well-being. Like Ms Elysa Chen, MOE recognises the potential of the Arts in this area.

1. International research indicates that sustained emphasis in Arts education is indeed more effective than one-off activities for students' wellbeing and social emotional development.
2. All of our students learn Music and Art for 8 years taught by specialised teachers. The activities and tasks are designed for students to learn social-emotional competencies at the same time. All our lower secondary school students learn English Literature, where they explore emotions, human interactions and identities through different genres.

38. Schools too can customise their own programmes and curate student-led activities. Where there are effective best practices, school leaders have platforms to share these practices with other schools, so that students can benefit.

39. At its core, MOE recognises that the work of supporting our children takes many hands coming together and never alone; indeed, we can all learn for life together.

40. Allow me to say a few words in Malay.

41. Kedwibahasaan merupakan tunjang sistem pendidikan kita. Pembelajaran Bahasa Ibunda harus merentasi bilik darjah – kerana hidupnya bahasa apabila kerap ditutur dan dikongsikan bersama orang lain, dan dikembangnya bersama di masyarakat.

42. Berbekalkan semangat ini, kami menubuhkan Jawatankuasa Pembelajaran dan Penggalakan Penggunaan Bahasa Ibunda atau MTLLPC pada tahun 2005 untuk membantu pelajar memupuk minat dan mendalami bahasa ibunda mereka, melalui usaha bersama rakan-rakan kongsi masyarakat.

43. Sebagai sokongan kepada MTLLPC, MOE akan meningkatkan dana dari Tahun Kewangan 2026 ke Tahun Kewangan 2030. MTLLPC akan menerima peruntukan sebanyak $33 juta bagi tempoh ini, peningkatan daripada $30 juta dalam tempoh yang sebelumnya. Peningkatan dana ini akan menyokong pelbagai aktiviti dan program yang lebih luas untuk penglibatan pelajar mahupun ibu bapa. Ini termasuk menyokong pendekatan-pendekatan kreatif dalam Bahasa ibunda, antaranya penulisan lagu, penyiaran radio, perbahasan dan ciptaan kandungan digital.

44. Kami akan menumpukan sokongan khusus kepada ibu bapa dalam tahun-tahun awal kanak-kanak. Bak pepatah, "melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya." Tahun-tahun awal kanak-kanak amat penting untuk perkembangan bahasa dan pendedahan yang konsisten bagi mewujudkan asas yang kukuh dalam penghayatan Bahasa ibunda.

1. Ramai ibubapa mungkin teragak-agak dan kurang yakin untuk bercakap dengan anak-anak mereka dalam Bahasa Ibunda.
2. Sepertimana yang kita syorkan kepada anak-anak di sekolah, kita juga ingin memberi dorongan kepada golongan ibubapa untuk yakin mencuba bertutur dalam Bahasa Ibunda di rumah. Mempelajari sesuatu bahasa tidak semestinya mencapai tahap kesempurnaan semata. Sebaliknya, lihatlah ia sebagai peluang untuk berkongsi cerita-cerita berinti nilai-nilai, warisan dan budaya kepada anak-anak kita.
3. Mulai bulan Jun tahun ini, MTLLPC akan bekerjasama dengan Kelab-kelab Masyarakat untuk menawarkan bengkel bagi membantu ibubapa menggabungkan Bahasa Ibunda mereka ke dalam komunikasi harian dengan anak-anak mereka sebagai perihal kebiasaan di rumah.

45. Saya menggalakkan ibubapa yang mempunyai anak-anak kecil untuk memanfaatkan bersama langkah-langkah ini demi menghidupkan lagi penggunaan Bahasa ibunda dalam suasana rumah dan keluarga mereka.

46. Pendidikan dan pembelajaran sesuatu usaha sepanjang hayat. Seperti menanam benih yang menghasilkan buahan, penghasilan dari perubahan-perubahan sistem pendidikan mengambil masa dan perlu dilihat dari lensa jangka masa panjang. Malah sudahpun kita kian melihat keberhasilan dan kemajuan dalam hal ini. Berkenaan pertanyaan Encik Abdul Muhaimin, dengan sukacitanya saya ingin berkongsi bahawa masyarakat Melayu telah menunjukkan kemajuan dan prestasi yang baik dalam pencapaian pendidikan sepanjang tahun-tahun ini dengan peratusan yang lebih tinggi memperolehi kelayakan pascamenengah dan universiti.

1. Contohnya, jumlah penuntut Melayu yang menyertai program ijazah yang dibiayi dana awam di Universiti Berautonomi setempat berganda daripada 600 penuntut pada tahun 2011 ke lebih 1,000 penuntut pada tahun 2020, manakala jumlah keseluruhan kohort penuntut meningkat kira-kira 50 peratus dalam tempoh yang sama. Pada tahun 2025, terdapat rekod seramai 119 penuntut menerima Anugerah Cemerlang MENDAKI bagi kepujian kelas pertama di universiti, peningkatan sebanyak 35 peratus berbanding tahun 2024.
2. Kami bangga akan pelajar kami. Kami bekerjasama dengan agensi berkepentingan serta rakan kongsi masyarakat untuk memastikan tiada pelajar yang dinafikan peluang untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke institusi pengajian tinggi disebabkan kesulitan wang. Contohnya, Yayasan MENDAKI menawarkan Subsidi Yuran Pengajian Tinggi serta skim bantuan kewangan yang lain, pinjaman untuk belajar dan biasiswa.
3. Kami akan terus memperkukuh kerjasama ini dengan pihak sekolah, para guru dan rakan kongsi masyarakat bagi memastikan pelajar-pelajar kita terus berkembang maju, tanpa mengira latar belakang mereka.

CLOSING

47. Allow me to conclude by sharing another saying, "berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing" – we share the heavy burdens and carry the lighter loads together. Whether we are taking small steps to speak in our MTLs to our children, forging close partnerships to support our students with SEN, or strengthening the wellbeing of our students, MOE recognises that we are not, and cannot be, alone on this shared educational journey to mould the future of our nation.

48. By learning for life together, we will build a Singapore where every child can reach their fullest potential, and where our rich tapestry of languages and abilities continues to be a source of collective strength for our society and generations to come.