CHILDREN NOT REGISTERING FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the educational policy for overaged children who are not admitted to normal school; and (b) if his Ministry will create a separate school to help such students who have failed or dropped out and who now wish to make a comeback, or give the mandate to a community agency to start such a school.

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Mr Speaker, Sir, any Singaporean child aged 6 to 17 who wants an education in a mainstream primary or secondary school will be able to have it, so long as they are not more than two years above the correct age for that particular level. This rule is put in place for practical reasons because children who are much older than their classmates often have great difficulty fitting in socially. Nevertheless, applications for admission of pupils who are more than two years above the correct age for the particular level are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Furthermore, at each stage of education, there are different streams available. The Member may wish to suggest different names for them, but there are different streams available to cater to students with different abilities and aptitudes so that they can study at a pace suited to them. For example, those students who are more able to do their `0' levels in four years do it for four years; those who need five years do it in five years. So that also ameliorates the age consideration and the overage issues.

To put matters into perspective, the drop-out rate in our schools is low - 0.4% of a Primary 1 cohort at the primary level, and 3.5% at the secondary level. But then their education does not end there. There continue to be educational opportunities beyond that if they choose to do so. Overaged children can have a second chance for education. They can avail themselves of the different continuing education courses, like BEST (which take them up to PSLE level) and WISE (which take them up to secondary level). Those who have completed Primary 6 can also take up training at the vocational training centres, after which they can progress to the Institute of Technical Education.

Community or private organisations which wish to start a school to cater to overaged children can do so. They need to be registered with the Ministry of Education, to ensure that they meet certain standards. In fact, there are already 3 private schools in Singapore, which offer a curriculum similar to mainstream primary and secondary schools, and these are Our Lady of Lourdes School, St Francis Methodist School and San Yu Adventist School. These schools do take in pupils who are overaged.

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh: I would like to know from the Minister how many overaged students we have now who are not in schools.

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: I do not have the number of overaged students who are not in schools. For the overaged students who are in schools, there are about 500 who are overaged by more than two years at the primary level and about 300 at the secondary level. They are just the total number in the system which we have. I do not have the numbers who are not in school.