PREMATURE SCHOOL LETTERS (Introduction of compulsory training)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Liew Kok Pun asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (a) what was the number of premature school leavers by age group and educational level in 1983; (b) how many of them failed to enrol for vocational and technical classes in VITB institutes under its automatic registration scheme; and (c) whether his Ministry will reconsider the need to introduce compulsory training for all premature school leavers to ensure that entrants into the labour market are adequately prepared for further skill upgrading in industry.

The Minister of State of Education (Dr Tay Eng Soon) (for the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of premature school leavers at both primary and secondary school levels in 1983 is similar to that in the year before. There were 2,027 premature primary school leavers in 1983. Compared with 8,900 in 1978, the year before streaming was introduced, the dropout rate has gone down by nearly 41/2 times.

At secondary level, 2,281 pupils dropped out of school last year. Compared with the rate in 1980, the year before streaming was introduced at secondary level, the reduction is nearly four-fold. The overall saving has been 13,600 pupils who would otherwise have dropped out. At this rate, the result of our streaming policy is that nearly one-third of a cohort is saved from dropping out each year.

Last year, the automatic registration scheme was tried out on a big scale for the first time for the pupils who failed the PSLE and had to leave school. Out of the 2,030 pupils posted to VITB, 75.6% of them have enrolled in VITB courses. The scheme is being extended to pupils who drop out of school at other levels. For comparison, the success rate in attracting premature school leavers to VITB a few years ago was only 20%. VITB has taken follow-up action to contact the 25% who failed to enrol at VITB. The main reason why many did not enrol is that they have found employment.

I do not think there is any need at the moment to introduce compulsory training for all premature school leavers.