Proportion of Students from Lowest Household Income Tier Progressing to University

Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan asked the Minister for Education (a) for each cohort over the past decade, what proportion of students from the lowest household income tier progressed to university studies compared to the overall cohort; and (b) whether the progression rate differs by ethnicity within the same income tier.

Mr Desmond Lee: Among those who entered primary school in 2008, 23% of students from the lowest 20% by socio-economic status (SES), which takes into account parents' education level and housing type, had progressed to publicly-funded full-time degree programmes by the age of 24 (in 2025). This is compared to the progression rate of 15% from a decade ago for the same SES tier. Similarly, progression for the overall cohort had increased to 42%, compared to 28% from a decade ago.

The improvement in progression to publicly-funded full-time degree programmes by the age of 24 is seen across all ethnicities for all SES.

The figures do not include students who pursue non-publicly funded university programmes, part-time degree programmes and those who worked for some time and progressed to publicly-funded programmes after the age of 24. Besides attending university, there are also other upgrading pathways.

The Ministry of Education will continue to help students from different backgrounds access opportunities. This includes providing financial support for students from lower-income households so that financial barriers do not impede their educational aspirations and progression; and working with other agencies to expand mentoring opportunities to support students to navigate transitions through education and work more confidently.