31 May 2021

Students interested in applying to polytechnics here through the early admissions exercise (EAE) can get tips at Nanyang Polytechnic’s virtual EAE Festival on submitting a good admissions portfolio.

The event will feature workshops on EAE applications, and discuss topics like how to prepare an ideal submission.

In addition, the festival will also include workshops where students can take part in introductory programmes like creating an app, building aircraft lighting systems, and spending a day in the life of a healthcare worker. The aim of these activities is to allow students to get a taste of the programmes they might be applying to.

Applications under EAE to the polytechnics for final-year ITE students open on June 10 and close on June 16. O-level students can apply from June 24 to June 30. Working adults have from June 7 to July 4. The Ministry of Education has said that the bulk of the process will take place online with virtual interviews and e-mailed portfolio submissions.

31 May 2021

Singapore’s autonomous universities will admit more students this year to accommodate those who can no longer pursue their education overseas.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said the local universities will be given wider flexibility in admissions, but admission criteria will not be made easier.

The Education Ministry said that it is working closely with the six autonomous universities to determine the appropriate number of places that will be opened up to undergraduates this year. This will be done by monitoring the quality of the applicants as well as student demand in the ongoing admissions exercise.

31 May 2021

Students are better prepared for home-based learning compared to a year ago.

In HBL, virtual lessons are conducted. They include the regular curriculum as well as some post-examination activities.

The Education ministry has provided schools with guidelines on planning full HBL, learning resources for various subjects, as well as resources to support the well-being of students.

16 May 2021

Last week, the five polytechnics and the Singapore University of Social Sciences held their convocation ceremonies.

In his speech at a Temasek Polytechnic ceremony on May 3, Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman highlighted TP’s Campus Care Network Special Crisis Fund, which was set up in April last year to support students whose families were in financial difficulty.

A large number of mature students also graduated this year.

Republic Polytechnic, for example, saw its largest batch of 790 Continuing Education and Training (CET) graduates.

At Singapore Polytechnic’s ceremony, principal and chief executive officer Soh Wai Wah congratulated the 6,054 graduates and spoke of a commitment his institution was making to them to be part of their education for life. “Your graduation today is but the beginning of a new long-term relationship with SP,” he said. “We want to be your partner in your lifelong learning journey.”

10 May 2021

Starting next year, 16 Institute of Technical Education courses will transition to a curriculum structure that will see students go straight through to Higher Nitec courses and earn the certification in three years.

The new curriculum structure will replace the current system of two years at the Nitec level followed by another two years for the Higher Nitec.

The 16 courses form the first phase of a transition that will see all courses moving to the three-year Higher Nitec programme by 2026. The programmes picked comprise eight Nitec courses and eight Higher Nitec courses.

10 May 2021

The Direct School Admission exercise received 30,500 applications last year. The exercise resulted in 3,600 students being admitted through DSA.

The DSA students were posted to almost all secondary schools. About 33 per cent were admitted to the Integrated Programme (IP) schools, and 67 per cent to non-IP schools.

The DSA scheme, introduced in 2004, provides pupils with the opportunity to seek admission to a secondary school based on a diverse range of specific academic and non-academic achievements and talents that they can demonstrate beyond the Primary School Leaving Examination.

If shortlisted, pupils may have to attend interviews and auditions or trials.