SAP schools still important: Heng Swee Keat

SINGAPORE: Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools understand the need for students to have opportunities for inter—ethnic interaction and engagement with students from other schools.

They have made special efforts to promote such interaction and engagement.

These include introducing the Conversational Malay Programme as an elective to enable the students to communicate with Malay—speaking peers.

These schools have also ensured that there are adequate opportunities for interactions with students from other schools through community involvement projects, inter—school, cluster—based and community—based activities.

Mr Heng was replying to Pasir—Ris Punggol Group Representation Constituency’s Member of Parliament, Gan Thiam Poh, who questioned the challenges faced in offering non—Chinese mother tongue languages in SAP schools and whether they are contrary to the country’s efforts to build an inclusive society.

Mr Heng also stressed that SAP schools remain important in Singapore’s education landscape.

— CNA/xq