LEARNING SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Column: 300

LEARNING SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: 15.

Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Acting Minister for Education (a) how many primary one school children have been placed on the Learning Support Programme this year; (b) what is their family profile; and (c) if these children have younger siblings will his Ministry consider working with self-help groups

Column: 301

and other grassroots organisations to assist them before entering primary one.

The Acting Minister for Education (Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam): Mr Speaker, all Primary 1 pupils are screened at the start of the year to identify pupils who are weak in language and literacy skills for support in the Learning Support Programme (LSP). If we take last year, based on the screening test and recommendations from teachers, 9,586 Primary 1 pupils (that is about 20% of cohort) received additional support through the Learning Support Programme.

Analysis of the family profiles of the Learning Support Programme pupils showed that 24% of them were from 1 to 3 room HDB flats, 45% from 4-room HDB flats, 24% from 5-room/HUDC/Executive flats; and 7% from private housing. 60% were from Chinese families; 28% from Malay families; 10% from Indian families and 2% from others.

MOE recognises the merits of engaging the self-help groups (SHGs) and the community in complementing the Learning Support Programme in our schools. We have briefed all the self-help groups on the programme, and provided opportunities for them to publicise their services, for example, at the Zonal Meetings that we have for the specialist teachers on the Learning Support Programme, our Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs). Several sessions have in fact been conducted by the self-help groups for the Learning Support Coordinators to raise awareness of what they each provide. These meetings have led to closer working relationships between the self-help groups and the Learning Support Coordinators, which we encourage.

We in fact encourage the Learning Support Coordinators to refer families

Column: 302

who they think are in some difficulty to the self-help groups and the Family Service Centres. These organisations can help to provide support and advice to the families, both in the interests of the Primary 1 child as well as younger siblings, if any. MOE will continue to engage the self-help groups and the community in reaching out to families of students who are underperforming.

Mdm Halimah Yacob: I would like to ask the Acting Minister whether the Ministry has any figures on whether the children on Learning Support Programmes have been attending kindergarten classes or they have not been attending kindergarten classes. How many percent has not been attending? The other question is: would the MOE consider providing information to self-help groups on the siblings of these children who are currently in the Learning Support Programmes so that the self-help groups can take pre-emptive action in reaching out to the siblings from those who are on LSP?

Mr Speaker: You have 1 1/2 minutes, Mr Shanmugaratnam.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Thank you. On the first question, I do not have the data offhand. It is something which we can look into. On the second question, it is a useful suggestion. I think it is best done on a pilot basis. We can choose a few schools and let the coordinators find out from the parents if there are younger siblings and work with the self-help groups on a focused basis.

3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 21(3), Written Answers to Question Nos. 18 and 20-22 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 16-17

Column: 303

and 19 have been postponed to the next sitting of Parliament on 27th February 2004.]

*Cols. 391-6