23 February 2021

According to Education Minister Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s six local universities offered around 1,000 extra places in the year 2020, in order to accommodate an increased number of local students who are unable to travel abroad for further studies.

Some of the additional places were also allocated to polytechnic diploma holders who opted to further their education instead of having to contend with a weak job market.

Altogether, 17,500 university places were given out last year. This extra enrolment pushed the student participation rate in universities beyond the stated target of 40 per cent for every cohort by 2020 to 42 per cent.

For the 2021 academic year, the Ministry of Education will start by planning for 40 per cent of the age cohort. The MOE is also prepared to offer additional places this year depending on the global situation.

22 February 2021

The Nanyang Technological University has expanded its multi-disciplinary degree programmes to include a new Bachelor of Science degree in economics and data science, amongst 13 others.

There will also be 10 new double major combinations in the arts and humanities, and a second major in entrepreneurship for students in certain disciplines.

Those in the new economics and data science degree programme will study three subjects – economics, mathematics and data science. The four-year programme will give students a strong foundation in economics and prepare them to handle big data.

NTU is also offering new double degree in accountancy and data science and artificial intelligence, a four and a half year course in which students will graduate with two degrees.

Finally, a new second major in entrepreneurship will be offered to students reading accountancy, business, and engineering, as well as those taking a double degree in accountancy and business.

20 February 2021

Singapore students are well known for their high performance in mathematics compared to their global peers.

In the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2019, students from Singapore were ranked second in the world in terms of mathematical ability.

We have also achieved remarkable performance in top notch global math competitions like the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Mathematics is a subject that requires good teachers who can convey abstract ideas in a concrete, relatable manner through the use of well-crafted explanations, illustrations, and examples. We have such good teachers in abundance.

Another possible reason for the success of our students in mathematics is the willingness of parents to seek help, in the form of tuition for example, whenever the student encounters difficulty. Seeking help early for students is of particular importance in mathematics, regardless of the students’ level, whether secondary, JC, or university.

03 February 2021

More GCE O-level school leavers are taking the polytechnic route. According to the Ministry of Education, of the 20,300 candidates posted to a post-secondary educational institution last year via the Joint Admissions Exercise, 52 per cent were posted to the five polytechnics.

38 per cent of last year’s cohort were allocated places in the junior colleges as well as Millennia Institute, and another 10 per cent were posted to the Institute of Technical Education.

Polytechnics require grades for English and four other subjects to not exceed 26 points.

Schools have stepped up education and career counselling so that those going for further education will be able to make more informed decisions. When interviewed, both students and parents said the poly route has also become more appealing, with the Government making more places available to those who want to upgrade their diploma to a degree.

25 January 2021

Education Minister Lawrence Wong has said as that the Government is encouraging Singaporeans to keep learning and upgrading their skills throughout their life, planning for university places based on the cohort participation rate of 40 per cent becomes less relevant.

He says that those aspiring for a degree need not take the traditional four-year route but consider other routes including alternating between work and study.

He said, “We have been talking about SkillsFuture and lifelong learning. So, there’s no need to front-load four years of education before you go out to work. You can have a chance to get a university degree or further education any time through your working life.”

The government will support individuals who want to acquire new skills. But we must ensure that the skills they acquire are relevant to the industry, help them maximise their potential and secure better jobs, better careers.

25 January 2021

Singapore Polytechnic is ramping up industry training for some of its courses.

SP introduced an Industry Now Curriculum pathway last year. Students in this programme worked with companies on real-life industry projects in place of conventional classroom modules. The real-life work projects, along with longer internships, will replace six modules’ worth of classroom learning across the second and third years.

Traditionally, students take modules and are assessed in the classroom with assignments. They then undertake a final-year project to test their ability to apply concepts and do an internship to pick up work skills.

The intention of the new format is to flip the mode of learning, so that work and hands-on projects become a bigger part of school life.

18 January 2021

More adults, including degree holders, are enrolling in the five polytechnics here.

According to the Ministry of Education, in 2019, 5,900 adults, including diploma, degree, master’s and PhD holders, had enrolled in the polytechnics to take up specialised and advanced diplomas.

Secondary school leavers also took advantage of special entry schemes, such as the Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise and Polytechnic Foundation Programme, which afford them multiple admission routes into the polytechnics.

The Early Admissions Exercise is an aptitude-based scheme that allows students to apply for and receive conditional offers prior to receiving their final grades.