Statistics on PSLE Cohorts and Their Progression to Alternative Qualifications

Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Education (Schools) for the past five years (a) what is the number of students for each PSLE cohort; and (b) what is the percentage of students in each PSLE cohort who go on to take alternative qualifications, such as the Integrated Programme or International Baccalaureate diploma, instead of the GCE "O" Level examinations.

Mr Ng Chee Meng: The number of students who sat for the PSLE from 2012 to 2016 is below.

The Integrated Programme (IP) is a 6-year programme that culminates in the GCE A-Levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science Diploma. Students in IP do not sit for the GCE O-Levels.

MOE has planned the IP intake to be able to cater to about 10% of the PSLE cohort each year, starting in the early years of the IP expansion with a smaller percentage and gradually expanding this to reach about 8% in the 2012 PSLE cohort and 10% in the 2016 PSLE cohort.