Singapore widens mother tongue elective programs from 2027
Why it matters: The changes open advanced Chinese, Tamil and third-language Malay study to students whose schools do not offer those tracks.
Singapore will expand several mother tongue language programs from 2027, widening access for students who want advanced study in Chinese, Tamil and Malay. The Ministry of Education will add Anderson Serangoon Junior College as the sixth junior college offering the Chinese Language Elective Programme, and it will open a center-based Tamil Language Elective Programme at the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre for secondary and junior college students. National Junior College will also become the fifth center for the Malay (Special Programme), which lets students whose mother tongue is not Malay learn it as a third language. Education Minister Desmond Lee set out the moves at the Mother Tongue Languages Symposium on Aug. 1.