PRE-UNIVERSITY COURSES (Phasing out)

Dr Ong Chit Chung asked the Minister for Education whether the three-year pre-university courses in pre-university centres and schools are achieving their aims.

The Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Tay Eng Soon) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the 3-year pre-university course was introduced in 1979 to provide an extra year for non-English medium students to upgrade their proficiency in the English language as well as to offer a longer period of learning for the less able students.

As all schools now use English as the medium of instruction for most of the school subjects, the objective of helping non-English medium students to upgrade their proficiency in the English language is no longer relevant.

As to the second objective, it is pertinent to note that about 19% of the students in the pre-university classes leave the programme before sitting the GCE 'A' level examination each year. Another 45% fail to obtain a full 'A' level certificate, namely, 2As and 2AO levels including General Paper. Only 16% succeed in gaining admission to NUS or NTI.

The Ministry intends to phase out the pre-university classes in the secondary schools and to replace them by four post-secondary institutes which will teach a range of commercial and academic subjects. The post-secondary institutes will complement the junior colleges, VITB institutes and polytechnics. Together they will produce the trained manpower, particularly technicians and commercial staff, which our country needs. They will also give every child the opportunity to be educated and trained in marketable skills up to the age of 18.

Dr Ong Chit Chung (Bukit Batok): Sir, could I ask the Minister to clarify whether the facilities and staff complement in the post-secondary institutes will be as good as the junior colleges?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: The details of the post-secondary institutes are still being worked out. The staff complement will be better than in the present pre-university centres.