27 March 2017
Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng has announced that sporting or artistic talent, or specific academic ability such as in languages or in science, can be used as a basis for admitting students under the Direct School Admission (DSA).
By next year, pupils applying for the DSA will not sit for general academic ability tests. These tests “inadvertently put undue focus on general academic abilities, rather than identifying specific strengths”, said Mr Ng.
Schools can use a range of assessment tools, such as interviews and auditions, to admit students under the DSA.
More pupils whose talents lie beyond academics will have a shot at getting into their secondary school of choice with the expansion of the DSA. From next year, all secondary schools will be able to reserve up to a fifth of their non-Integrated Programme places for pupils entering via the DSA.