The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Wednesday that junior college and Millennia Institute (MI) students entering the schools in 2024 will no longer be required to take mid-year examinations.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing stated during the Committee of Supply discussions in Parliament that the changes are part of the ministry's attempts to de-emphasize testing and academic performance.
This follows a similar decision to remove mid-year exams in elementary and secondary schools.
"The time saved from not having to prepare for exams may be used to enhance student engagement and learning through a wider range of activities," he said.
MOE stated in a second news release that the removal of mid-year examinations would not be replaced by more school-based assessments, and that JCs and MIs cannot conduct more than one weighted assessment each term.
Mr. Chan stated that the majority of Singapore's A-Level curricula are already comparable to or narrower than the overseas curricula used as comparative standards.
"It is impossible to further cut curriculum material without affecting overall rigor," he continued.
Beginning in 2024, all JC and MI students will be required to take General Paper in order to improve abilities such as critical thinking via the study of current affairs and contemporary topics.
Knowledge and Inquiry, which focuses on the nature and creation of knowledge, might be taught in place of General Paper or as a "contrasting topic" Instead of taking only humanities or scientific courses, students are expected to take at least one opposing course.
The Ministry of Education has declared that beginning in 2024, Knowledge and Inquiry would only be given as a "contrasting subject."
Project Work will also become a pass or fail topic beginning with the JC and MI intakes of 2024, and pupils will be required to pass the subject in order to apply to universities, according to Mr. Chan.
As a result of the new grading scheme for Project Work, the formula for calculating students' university entrance scores will also change.
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