21 January 2020
According to the Ministry of Education, in the past few years, slightly more than half of the secondary school-leaving-age cohort enrolled in polytechnics.
Of the secondary school leaving cohort, about 29 per cent enrolled in JCs and Millennia Institute, which offers a three-year programme leading to the A levels.
The Ministry of Education has planned for 22,000 places to be made available this year in the five polytechnics, namely Ngee Ann, Nanyang, Temasek, Republic and Singapore polytechnics. Of these, 4,400 of the places would go to students who had applied through the Early Admissions Exercise.
School leavers who are keen on the polytechnic route say that the diploma pathway has, in recent years, become more attractive as it offers courses that prepare them for careers in emerging industries and fields where there is a high demand for workers.