Remaking Secondary School Pathways: 2024 Sec 1 SBB Changes

Post date: Oct 8, 2019 8:16:58 AM

Dear P6s,

Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB) will be progressively adopted by secondary schools, from 2020 onwards.

We are moving towards one secondary education, with many subject bands, to better meet our students’ learning needs, without labels. These changes will take place in three steps:

Step 1 : 2020 - 2024

With Subject-Based Banding (SBB), students today can study English Language, Mother Tongue Languages, Mathematics and Science at a more demanding level from lower secondary. MOE will pilot Full SBB by:

• Enabling students with strengths to study the Humanities at a more demanding level from Secondary 2.
• Reconstituting mixed form classes as more students take subjects at different levels.

Step 2 : 2024 - 2027

One secondary education, many subject bands

• From 2024, Secondary 1 students* will be able to offer subjects at three levels: G1/G2/G3 (G stands for General), mapped from today’s N(T), N(A) and Express standards respectively. Students can take a range of G1/G2/G3 subjects based on their abilities.
• When they reach Secondary 4 in 2027*, our students will sit for a common national examination (replacing the GCE N- and O-Level examinations); and receive a new national certification with subjects at G1, G2, or G3 levels.
• We will remove the labels of Express/ N(A)/N(T), to give all our students the experience of “One secondary education, many subject bands”.

* Applies to 2019 Primary 2 students onwards

Step 3 : 2028

Post-secondary pathways

• With their new national certification, our students have more opportunities to progress to post-secondary courses that match their strengths and interests.

Things to note:

Students will continue to be posted to secondary schools using three PSLE scoring bands, so that they start with a suite of subjects at levels suitable to their pace of learning. Thereafter, they can take subjects at a level suited to their level of ability.

About 25 schools will start the pilot, with more schools progressively adopting Full SBB.

Please read the following for more information on SBB changes:

https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/cos2019/

Best regards,

Mr Huang