Singapore to expand Higher Mother Tongue access in secondary schools from 2026

SINGAPORE: From 2026, students who perform well in their Mother Tongue Language (MTL) at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be eligible to study Higher Mother Tongue at Secondary 1, regardless of their overall PSLE score, announced Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing on 14 September. Under the current system, only students with an overall PSLE score of 8 or better, or those with a score between 9 and 14 who also achieve an AL1 or AL2 in MTL, or at least a merit in Higher Mother Tongue (HMTL), can qualify to take HMTL in secondary school. However, from 2026, eligibility will be based solely on their MTL performance. Students will be able to study HMTL if they score AL1 or AL2 in MTL or attain a distinction or merit in HMTL at the PSLE, regardless of their overall score. Mr Chan, speaking at the 2024 Mother Tongue Languages Symposium, emphasised the importance of supporting students with linguistic strengths. “All of us have different strengths and talents. Some students may be strong in languages but not in other subjects,” he said. “We will support more of these students to take Higher Mother Tongue, so they can learn their MTL to as high a level as possible.” The initiative forms part of broader efforts to promote bilingualism, which Mr Chan described as a “cornerstone of Singapore's education system” and a key aspect of Singapore’s national identity. He noted that bilingualism not only helps to strengthen the country's social fabric but also enhances cognitive abilities, such as empathy and the understanding of different perspectives. In a related development, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced the launch of the MTL SOAR programme, which will begin in 2025 for Primary 1 and 2 students. Under this programme, 30 minutes of the Mother Tongue curriculum will be allocated to reading and library activities, with the initiative to be extended to all primary levels by 2029. The programme aims to support diverse learners by providing supplementary reading materials tailored to different proficiency levels. Mr Chan highlighted the programme's adaptability, explaining that “those who are stronger in mother tongue proficiency can read more books that are richer in content and be stretched in their learning, while those who need more support will have books that are more accessible for them.” Additionally, as part of a pilot programme, MOE will extend the daily Mother Tongue curriculum at MOE Kindergartens from one hour to 1.5 hours, beginning with the 2025 Kindergarten 1 cohort at MK@Hougang and MK@Elias Park. The pilot will be gradually expanded to more kindergartens. The series of initiatives follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally speech in August, where he acknowledged concerns about declining standards in Mother Tongue proficiency and announced plans to enable more students to take Higher Mother Tongue in secondary schools. Mr Chan underscored the cognitive and cultural benefits of bilingualism, stating, “The ability to speak two languages and understand two cultures enables us to maintain a strong link to our heritage and forge connections with people around the world.”