Regular Curriculum Reviews and Industry Consultation to Align Students' Skills with Future Economy Needs

33 Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Education (a) how does the Ministry ensure school curricula are regularly updated to equip students with skills relevant to the future economy, particularly in growth areas like digitalisation, sustainability, healthcare, and allied healthcare; (b) how frequently are such reviews conducted in consultation with industry; and (c) how is alignment ensured between education pathways and sectors with strong and emerging manpower demand.

Mr Desmond Lee : The Ministry of Education and our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) regularly review the curriculum in our schools and IHLs to ensure students develop the competencies and skills needed to thrive in the future economy. This is done in consultation with stakeholders, such as sector agencies and industry representatives, to ensure that the curriculum is responsive to latest developments and issues, emerging trends and industry needs. In addition, the IHLs’ academic staff have various opportunities for industry exposure, such as through industry attachments and projects, to maintain their industry currency.

For schools, the curriculum for each subject is typically reviewed around once every six to eight years. However, in cases where there are fast-changing developments, for example, Artificial Intelligence (AI), we have added AI literacy into the development of students' digital literacy and technological skills within the curriculum and co-curriculum. Sustainability is a theme that has been incorporated into subjects, such as the Science and Humanities syllabi, providing students with a strong foundation to access related subjects at a higher level.

As for our IHLs, the Institute of Technical Education and polytechnics conduct reviews of curricula at the course and module levels annually, with more in-depth institutional reviews of curricula and delivery of courses conducted around every three years. These reviews are informed by feedback from industry including their academic advisory committees and other partnerships. Similarly, the Autonomous Universities conduct regular reviews of their course curricula through their academic advisory boards every two to five years, with more frequent reviews for courses in sectors that are more fast-changing.