Singaporeans invited to discuss education policies

Other areas include reviewing the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme to strengthen student development, improve selection and enhance accessibility, as well as strengthen Character and Citizenship Education and co-curricular activities to nurture values and life skills.

MOE will continue these conversations in 2026 and into 2027. Those who are unable to attend but wish to share their views and ideas can do so in English and vernacular languages through the microsite.

In a statement, Mr Lee said: “Looking ahead, the world our children will inherit will be very different from ours. We must do more to move away from seeing education as an arms race, shift beyond an overly narrow focus on academic grades and enable our children to develop more holistically.

“The Education Conversations build on earlier efforts by bringing together people who care deeply about our children to help shape a stronger education system for a changing world. We will keep an open mind and listen widely, because no one has a monopoly on good ideas.”

In a social media post on May 28, Mr Lee said the conversations he has had with parents, educators and young people since April have been “candid and heartfelt”.

“There were many diverse views raised, including concerns about the unhealthy levels of stress that comes with PSLE and DSA preparation, and hopes for a curriculum that focuses more on building real-world skills and allows our children to be resilient and grow holistically,” he said.

He added that though Singapore’s education landscape is always evolving, and deliberate shifts have been made to reduce the over-emphasis on grades, more can be done.

Another review on the Primary 1 registration system is already under way. This is part of efforts to widen access to schools for children of different backgrounds and encourage social mixing.

Inviting the public to engage and contribute, Mr Lee said: “Your voice matters in shaping the education system we want for our children and our future.”