Committee of Supply debate: Ministry of Education
Education focus shifts to students' strengths
More aptitude-based admissions in ITE, polys and unis; Direct School Admission tweaked
By Sandra Davie, Senior Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has rolled out a string of measures to encourage students to play to their strengths and tweaked admission criteria to make this possible.
The Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, seen by many parents as an entry ticket to top schools, will be changed to reclaim its original purpose - to recognise and nurture a diversity of talent in students.
Aptitude-based admissions will be expanded for the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and universities.
Normal stream students in all eligible schools will be given the chance to study their stronger subjects at higher academic levels.
The changes were announced yesterday by Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng and Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, who underlined a decisive shift across all levels of the system to focus on recognising a student's interest and aptitude in particular fields.
Mr Ng announced that, from this year, schools will discontinue the use of general academic ability tests to assess DSA applicants. Instead, they will consider talents in specific domains.
He also announced that, from next year, all secondary schools can set aside up to 20 per cent of their places for the DSA.
Currently those with MOE-approved niche programmes can reserve 5 per cent of their intake for the scheme.
Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC) and Mr Edwin Tong (Marine Parade GRC) pointed out that, although the scheme was started in 2004 to broaden admission criteria beyond PSLE results, over the years, it has been used to get into premier schools that offer the Integrated Programme (IP).
Instead of being a pathway for students with talents in, for example, the arts and sports, it was being used by academically bright students to secure a Secondary 1 place even before they took the Primary School Leaving Examination.
Specialised independent schools and those offering the IP can continue to take in up to 100 per cent of their students via the DSA, although the MOE said IP schools on average take only 35 per cent of their students via the DSA scheme.
Mr Ng also announced changes for Normal stream students to help them build on their strengths.
From next year, Normal stream students will be able to take up subjects at a higher academic level from Secondary 1, instead of Sec 3.
"If they are good at something, we want to help them hone their strengths into deep knowledge and skills," said Mr Ng.
In a similar vein, Mr Ong announced the expansion of aptitude-based admission for ITE, polytechnics and universities "because we are simply better at doing something we like".
This year, some 15 per cent of the intake in universities will be aptitude-based. An early admission exercise will see a similar proportion of students securing a place in ITE, based on their strengths.
"Our post-secondary educational institutions today must have an additional mission - to uncover and develop diverse talents," said Mr Ong.
Mr Bertrand Lim, 42, who has two teenage sons, welcomed the expansion of aptitude-based admissions. He said: "No doubt, aptitude-based admissions will be messy to implement. But it will be well worth it if the school system can accommodate the interests and abilities of all children."
Polys, ITE to take in more students based on aptitude
From next year, Early Admissions Exercise can admit up to 15% of poly intake, up from 12.5% currently
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
Polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) will admit more students based on talents and interests, as they widen the focus beyond academic grades alone.
All five polytechnics will be taking their existing aptitude-based admissions up a notch, even after the intake of such students was recently expanded last year.
From the next academic year, the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) will be able to admit up to 15 per cent of the polytechnic intake, up from the current 12.5 per cent.
This means that over 500 more places would be made available for these students, Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung said yesterday.
This comes after there was strong interest shown among students entering the polytechnics this year. The scheme allows students to secure a place in a programme of their choice using course-specific talents and interests, even before they sit the O levels or ITE final exams.
A similar exercise known as the ITE EAE will be put in place for those entering the ITE from next year. It will also be able to admit up to 15 per cent of the intake.
The ITE admits about 14,000 students in total each year.
"For those who are clear about what they want to pursue, we should support them as much as possible, to facilitate their admission into our PSEIs (post-secondary education institutions) based on interests and aptitudes, and not just based on academic results," said Mr Ong.
He also highlighted how polytechnics said the scheme is useful in sectors such as early childhood, nursing, social work or creative subjects, where aptitude and commitment to the career are crucial.
Hand in hand with this will be the growing role of education and career guidance, which will help students discover their interests, and guide them in their choice of studies and career, said Parliamentary Secretary for Education Low Yen Ling.
"Because when our students understand their abilities, strengths and their interests, as well as the options available and what it takes, then our students can make better decisions about their education pathways, vocations and career choices," she explained.
The changes come as the Government works towards transforming the higher education landscape here to cope with a changing world.
Mr Ong said: "We have an effective and internationally well-regarded education system.
"But sometimes a great strength can also be a weakness. It gives rise to a temptation to just tinker around at the edges, instead of making more fundamental but necessary changes."
Part of the shift involves fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of students through education. This, said Mr Ong, need not be at odds with education's aim to find good jobs and lifelong employability.
Other shifts include encouraging lifelong learning, which involves finding relevant and concise training for working adults, and helping Singaporeans adapt to a data-rich and digital working environment. Education must also impart skills and not just information, Mr Ong added, stressing the need for hands-on learning.
Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC) and Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) noted how aptitude-based admissions give those who may not have done well in school a second chance and help reduce the overemphasis on grades.
But reflecting the concerns of parents, Dr Lim cautioned against a purely aptitude-based system, which may be too subjective as it is dependent on the assessors.
20% of places in sec schools to be kept for students with no affiliation
The allocation, from 2019, will ensure schools are open to all, regardless of backgrounds or connections
By Yuen Sin and Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
From 2019, one-fifth of places in Singapore secondary schools that are affiliated to primary schools will be set aside for students who do not benefit from affiliation priority.
In announcing the 20 per cent allocation in Parliament yesterday, Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng said that while affiliation helps to "foster a strong school spirit and preserve schools' traditions and ethos", the Government has to ensure that schools are open to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or connections.
In response to media queries, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that the 20 per cent figure takes reference from its policy of reserving 40 places for students with no prior connections to the school during the Primary 1 registration exercise.
The rule was implemented in 2014 to provide open access to schools. The figure of 40 is about 20 per cent of a typical primary school's P1 enrolment of 210 pupils.
There are 27 secondary schools here that are affiliated to primary schools with links to religious and clan associations. Most already have students from non-affiliated schools making up at least 20 per cent of the student population.
However, between six and eight schools have non-affiliated students making up less than 20 per cent of the population each year, said the MOE.
Students applying for a place in an affiliated secondary school have to meet the cut-off set by the school and list the school as their first choice to qualify for priority.
The entry scores for affiliated and non-affiliated students at some schools can vary. Schools can set the minimum entry standards, subject to MOE approval, for affiliated students, and these are usually lower than the standards that non-affiliated students have to meet. For example, for entry into CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh), affiliated students need a T-score of only 200 to get into the Express stream. Other students had to score 243 and above to secure a place last year.
This discrepancy was pointed out during the MOE's budget debate on Monday by Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC), who asked if the affiliation priority scheme can be gradually phased out. Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio GRC) also described school affiliation as "a bugbear for many parents and students".
"Parents whose children are not in primary schools affiliated to popular schools are worried that their children will have little chance of gaining admission... Parents whose children are still in pre-schools are also getting very worried because they want to ensure their children can enrol in a primary school affiliated to a popular school," she said.
Mr Gerard Ee, chairman of the St Joseph's Institution (SJI) board of governors, welcomed the move to give more non-affiliated students opportunities to study at such schools. "It is good that students can mix as much as possible with those from other backgrounds, and you don't end up with a group moulded with the same mindset," said Mr Ee.
Currently, the number of SJI students from its affiliated schools make up close to 40 per cent of the student population.
Ms Geraldine Tan, 41, has a daughter in Primary 4 at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School who will be among the first batch of students to be affected by the new move. "If she wants to move up to secondary school with her peers, she will have to make sure she does well," said Ms Tan, who is self-employed. Still, the 20 per cent figure that was announced yesterday is a reasonable quota, she added.
New diploma to help ITE grads take on larger roles
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
A new diploma to help Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates in technical trades to upgrade their skills and take on larger job roles will be rolled out soon.
The technical diploma, which will be awarded by ITE, is offered as a new pathway under the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn programme, which encourages fresh polytechnic and ITE graduates to work and gain qualifications at the same time.
Under the Earn and Learn programme, an ITE graduate gets a diploma and a polytechnic graduate receives an advanced or specialist diploma. It is part of the Ministry of Education's (MOE) push to make students' transition between study and work as seamless as possible.
For a start, the ITE technical diploma will be introduced in sectors such as security system engineering, rehabilitation therapy, offshore and marine engineering, mechanical and electrical services, and design and supervision. These sectors were identified based on industry demand as well as the presence of strong apprenticeship partners.
MOE said this technical diploma "will be apprenticeship-based and thus in a mode of learning best suited for the strengths of ITE students, to gain mastery in technical trades". More details will be provided later.
Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung said yesterday that the "ethos of 'learning by doing' actually has been the strongest at ITE", a result of its tradition of vocational education and its highly practical curriculum. "With this new pathway, ITE students need not see polytechnics as their only path for progression. They can advance through skills mastery and practice, by staying with ITE," he said.
Currently, under Earn and Learn, ITE graduates are already able to work towards a part-time polytechnic diploma in the air transport, hotel and public transport sectors. These are offered by Temasek Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic respectively.
Over 500 polytechnic and ITE graduates took part in Earn and Learn last year. This is higher than the 400 placements targeted for the year.
Focus on sport, art or specific academic talent for direct entry
DSA tweaks will bring scheme back to its original intention of recognising diverse talents
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
Sporting or artistic talent, or specific academic ability such as in languages or science - these criteria, instead of general academic ability, will determine whether students are selected under the Direct School Admission (DSA), Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng announced yesterday.
This comes after a review of the scheme. Since it was introduced in 2004, it has been criticised for moving away from its original intention of recognising diverse talents.
Instead, as Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC) put it in Parliament on Monday, it is like a "backdoor" for academically talented pupils, including those in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), to enter popular schools, such as those offering the Integrated Programme (IP).
Schools offering the IP allow students to bypass the O levels. The GEP is an elite programme for the academically gifted.
The DSA scheme should not be seen as an entry ticket to popular schools, agreed Mr Ng, as he announced a series of tweaks to bring the scheme back to its original aim.
By next year, pupils applying for the DSA will not sit for general academic ability tests. These tests, which assess general reasoning and problem-solving skills, "inadvertently put undue focus on general academic abilities, rather than identifying specific strengths", said Mr Ng.
He added that those with strong general academic abilities "would already be able to qualify for the school with their PSLE results".
Instead, schools will focus their efforts on "identifying sporting talent, artistic talent or academic talent in specific domains, for instance, languages, maths or science", he said.
Mr Ng highlighted how the DSA is supposed to work through the example of CHIJ St Theresa's Convent's hockey team. He said a few of the members joined the school, known for its hockey prowess, via the DSA as "they fell in love with hockey at primary school, and wanted to further develop their talent".
Schools can use a range of assessment tools, such as interviews and auditions, to admit students under the DSA, which grants Primary 6 pupils places in schools before they take the PSLE.
There were 16,000 DSA applications last year - 1,000 more than in the year before. Some 2,800 pupils succeeded in getting a place via the DSA. Mr Ng said about half of those were admitted into the IP.
More pupils whose talents lie beyond book smarts will have a shot at getting into their secondary school of choice with the expansion of the DSA. From next year, all secondary schools will be able to reserve up to a fifth of their non-IP places for pupils entering via the DSA. The non-IP route prepares students to sit the N or O levels at the end of their secondary school education.
This means that autonomous schools and schools with niche programmes, which can currently reserve up to 10 per cent and 5 per cent of their intake for the scheme respectively, will see the cap increased. The cap for independent schools will remain at 20 per cent.
Mr Ng said: "With this expansion, students can better access schools with suitable programmes via DSA, to nurture their strengths, talents and interests."
From 2019, pupils will also apply for the DSA through a centralised portal, using a common application form.
Mrs Lydia Wong, who has two primary school-going children, said: "For years, parents have tried to game the system, such as by sending their kids for special classes to prepare them. But I am glad that MOE is tackling the problem and returning the DSA to its original intent to recognise specific talents. Only then can we help kids to nurture their gifts."
Scheme allows Normal stream students to take subjects at higher level
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
From next year, a pilot scheme that allows lower secondary students from the Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams to take subjects at a higher academic level will be extended to all schools.
The scheme, which has been on trial in 12 secondary schools since 2014, allows students from the N(A) and N(T) streams who score at least an A for English, mathematics, science or mother tongue at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) to study the corresponding subjects at the Express level.
Students in the N(T) course who score B or C in a standard PSLE subject or a 1 in a Foundation subject, could take the subject one level higher, at the N(A) level. If students perform well in their subjects after starting Secondary 1, their schools may also offer them the chance to take subjects at a higher level.
Responding to Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio GRC), who asked on Monday if streaming can be done away with, Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng said in Parliament yesterday that streaming has served students well in catering to different learning needs, resulting in low attrition rates.
"Nonetheless, I recognise that we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach... For students with uneven strengths across their subjects, they can stretch themselves in their areas of strength through subject- based banding."
This builds on a flexible subject- based banding (SBB) system that has already been in place for upper secondary students since 2003. N(T) students can study N(A) subjects, while N(A) students can study O-level subjects at Sec 4. In lower secondary, students can take up to three subjects at a higher level, while there is no cap on the number of higher-level subjects that upper secondary students can take if they are eligible.
About half of Sec 1 N(A) students and about 70 per cent of N(T) students in the 12 schools where SBB was piloted took at least one higher- level subject between 2014 and last year. This translates to about 400 N(A) students and 300 N(T) students across all 12 schools each year.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) added that most from the first batch of Sec 1 students who took higher-level subjects in 2014 continued taking at least one higher-level subject in Sec 3 and 4. A small number of students, however, did not continue due to "difficulties in keeping up with the faster pace of learning and the heavier load".
To help schools and teachers cope, the MOE has allocated more teachers to schools with more N(A) and N(T) students. Teaching resources, as well as courses and networking sessions, have also been organised by MOE to support and guide these teachers.
Mrs Pauline Wong, principal of CHIJ St Theresa's Convent, one of the 12 schools that joined the pilot, said that more planning and resources are needed to ensure that SBB is implemented smoothly.
"Our planning time has doubled because of its complexity. You now have more learning groups, and you need more teachers and spaces where students can have classes," she explained.
But she added that SBB has been a "morale booster" for her students, including even those who had to drop the higher-level subjects because they could not cope academically. She said: "They actually do very well when they go back (to taking the subject at a lower level) because they have a good foundation."
Fifteen-year-old Pritika Satewan, a Sec 4 N(A) student at St Theresa's Convent, was offered the chance to take maths at the Express level when she scored well in Sec 1, despite scoring a C in the subject in the PSLE. Pritika, who hopes to gain entry to junior college, said that taking subjects at a higher level reduces the number of subjects that she has to study for when she gets to the O level next year.
"When I was first offered the chance to take (higher-level maths), I was scared that I would fail," recalled Pritika.
But she has done well in the subject. "If students... are not scoring well initially, it's because it is a change for them, and they can get better with practice," she said.
Committee of Supply debate: Ministry of National Development
Shorter waiting time for 1,000 new BTO flats
First-time home buyers to get priority for the faster flats located in non-mature estates
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
Next year, young couples can pick a home from 1,000 new flats that will be ready a lot earlier.
The waiting time for these flats in non-mature estates will be 21/2 years compared with the current waiting time of three to four years.
The HDB has assured would-be buyers that the shorter waiting time will not translate into significantly higher prices.
In addition, first-time home buyers will get priority for these flats, which - unlike the typical Build-To-Order (BTO) flats - will be built before the HDB receives an optimum number of applicants.
Explaining the move in Parliament yesterday, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said: "I know there are many young couples who hope to move into their own home even more quickly, to embark on their marriage and parenthood journey together. We've looked into their requests seriously."
With this latest offer, couples have four HDB flat purchase options: a normal BTO flat, a faster BTO flat, a flat from the pool of unsold flats, or a resale flat.
Mr Wong, speaking during the debate on his ministry's budget, said first-time home buyers will get priority for the faster BTO flats.
Of these, at least 95 per cent of the four-room or bigger flats will be set aside for these first-timers, up from the current quota of 85 per cent. More details will be made known later.
Another change Mr Wong announced is that the HDB will offer in one common pool the flats that remain unsold after a Sale of Balance Flat (SBF) exercise.
They will be sold at regular intervals, with priority given to first-time households. The first such sale will be held in the second half of this year.
The typical SBF exercise is currently held twice a year, and there are separate selection queues for each town and flat type.
Housing experts said the new options will be well-received.
R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng predicted at least 1.5 applications for each faster BTO flat.
"Currently, young couples who urgently need flats only have resale ones as a costlier alternative.
"A BTO flat that comes with a shorter wait and is more affordable will excite them," said Mr Ong.
PropNex Realty chief executive Ismail Gafoor, referring to the four purchase options, said: "They have varying timelines, which means young couples can choose and make their plans with greater certainty. This, in turn, helps to reduce conflict that may arise from confusion about their next move."
The duration of a resale transaction looks set to be shortened too.
Said Mr Wong: "We can leverage on technology and make the process faster and more streamlined." The details will be announced later.
At present, it takes about 16 weeks for the deal to be completed and requires two appointments with the HDB.
The suite of changes comes on the back of an increase in subsidy for young couples buying resale flats.
The increase in the CPF Housing Grant was unveiled in the Budget statement last month.
Previously capped at $30,000, the grant was raised to $50,000 for four-room or smaller resale flats, and to $40,000 for five-room or larger flats.
More schemes to help elderly home buyers
By Ng Jun Sen, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
There will be more help given to elderly home buyers seeking smaller Housing Board flats.
This includes a new deferred down payment scheme (DDS) available from the Build-To-Order launch in May. It allows eligible buyers aged 55 and above to make a down payment only when they collect the keys.
A new temporary loan scheme (TLS) will also allow buyers to finance their purchases without taking out a mortgage, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said in Parliament yesterday.
The schemes will help elderly flat owners like Mr Sin Guin Pui, 86. With both children grown up, the kitchen helper has little need for the extra bedroom in his three-room Havelock Road flat. So he and his wife Chan Man Foong, 65, downsized to a two-room flat in 2015. "Thankfully, I had enough proceeds from the sale to not require another loan," he said.
But not all elderly folk are as fortunate.
Buyers currently need to pay a minimum of 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the flat purchase price when they first sign the lease agreement with the HDB. The balance is due when the keys of the new flat are ready for collection but they may not have the cash available until they sell their current home.
With the DDS, elderly buyers need to pay only the stamp and legal fees when they sign the lease, deferring the down payment to later. The DDS applies only to two-room Flexi or three-room flats.
They may also take out a bridging loan from HDB under the TLS. The size of the loan depends on what is needed to purchase the new flat.
An express queue for seniors has been implemented at HDB Hub since December last year.
Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme: Lower rents for those in temporary flats scheme
By Ng Jun Sen, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
Monthly rents for flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) will be slashed by as much as $400 from April 1.
The change means young couples awaiting the completion of their first Housing Board flats can rent units at rates that are less than half of those offered by private landlords.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced the change during the debate on his ministry's budget yesterday.
"We know that every dollar counts for a young family just starting out. That is why HDB rents out PPHS flats at subsidised rates," said Mr Wong.
The rates depend on flat type and location. The PPHS was launched in January 2013 and now has 1,300 three- and four-room flats in Bedok South, Commonwealth, Jurong, Tiong Bahru, Eunos, Boon Lay and Bukit Merah.
About 2,000 families have benefited from the PPHS to date and more than 400 babies have been born to families living in the flats. There are currently 780 households enrolled in the scheme.
The lower rents apply both to new and existing tenants.
Mr Dani Dawood, 44, and his family of four used to rent a studio apartment in Telok Blangah for $1,400 per month and are paying $1,100 now for the three-room Commonwealth Drive unit while they wait for their flat in Yishun to be built.
Said Mr Dani, a private tutor: "Unlike my previous landlord who could raise the rent at any time, the Government is in fact lowering it further, which is great."
Engineering manager Steve Tan, 31, said this would give young couples an alternative besides living with their parents after marriage.
Said Mr Tan, who welcomed his eight-month-old son while living in a PPHS flat: "Even though the rent is quite substantial, we are willing to pay for our own private space. The new rates make it a lot better."
Plans to transform farms in Singapore
AVA's Farm Transformation Map focuses on overcoming space constraints, boosting innovation
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
"Frog princess" Chelsea Wan, 33, is a second-generation farmer who plans to take big leaps to make farming a sustainable option in Singapore, which dedicates just 1 per cent of its land area to this sector.
No more is Ms Wan content with just selling frog legs. Rather, she is looking to diversify by selling more frog parts, like ovary ducts.
Some may groan at the thought of it, but others are willing to pay up to $105 per tael (50g) for this delicacy, also known as hashima.
Ms Wan, who is director of Jurong Frog Farm, sits on a new industry consultation panel formed by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) in January to look at improving Singapore's farming sector.
Through focus group discussions involving the panel, AVA has since come up with a Farm Transformation Map to guide changes to the local farming sector.
Yesterday, Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon gave details of the plan during the debate on the ministry's budget.
A key focus is how farms can overcome space constraints. Said Dr Koh: "We need to go upwards into the sky, downwards into the ocean and inwards within our buildings."
There are already farms doing this, he said, citing how fish farm Barramundi Asia is growing seabass in deep underwater net cages just off Pulau Semakau.
Innovation is also important, so food supplies are safeguarded in a climate of erratic weather patterns and natural phenomena that could affect crops.
Dr Koh also said that Singapore needs to build up a generation of "agri-specialists". This could involve polytechnic students doing internships at local farms, or getting institutes of higher learning to collaborate with farmers on research.
AVA will also be making changes to its Agriculture Productivity Fund, which co-funds investments in technology. Currently, farmers have to foot the entire bill first before claiming from AVA later. From next month, the fund will disburse up to 30 per cent of the approved funding quantum upfront.
These initiatives are encouraging, especially for an industry which has long felt it was neglected by the Government, said Ms Wan.
However, farmers need more clarity on the overall vision for agriculture before they can benefit from the new slew of measures, she said.
"Adopting new technology may be daunting, and having to bid for new land every 20 years is an additional risk," she said.
Ms Wan's farm is one of 62 in Lim Chu Kang that will have to move out in 2019 to make way for new defence training grounds. AVA said last year that the first tranche of land sales for farms to relocate "will be launched from early 2017 due to the extensive land preparation works needed at the sites".
Last November, AVA said productivity will be a key consideration in deciding whether to extend a farm's lease.
Ms Wan said she feels productivity is important, but added that the authorities should also consider farmers who add value, as well as the educational and heritage value of farms to Singapore.
NParks taking steps to improve tree health
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
The number of fallen trees has decreased significantly after the National Parks Board (NParks) introduced a tree management programme in 2001.
Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee told Parliament yesterday there were more than 800 cases of "tree failures" in Singapore last year, down from 3,000 in 2001.
"But we are deeply saddened each time such incidents cause injuries or loss of life," said Mr Lee during the debate on his ministry's budget.
Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan had asked about the management of trees here. A 40m tembusu tree in the Singapore Botanic Gardens fell last month, killing one woman and injuring four others.
Mr Lee said NParks' comprehensive tree management programme includes a regime of tree inspections and pruning aligned with international standards.
Records are digitised so NParks staff can retrieve information easily and ensure trees under the agency are checked and maintained according to schedule.
"This system also enables NParks to zoom in on, and pre-emptively replace, storm-vulnerable species," said Mr Lee. Singapore has seven million trees, of which two million are along streets, streetscapes and parks.
With the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, NParks has stepped up inspections and taken measures to improve the health of trees, Mr Lee said. These include employing pruning techniques that improve tree structure and balance.
"NParks is also developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under heavy rain and wind, and also in microclimatic conditions," Mr Lee said.
HDB help for vulnerable groups
By Rachel Au-Yong, The Straits Times, 8 Mar 2017
As divorce rates climb, several MPs urged the Housing Board to let people apply for a flat even before their divorce is finalised, so that they have a roof over their heads after the marriage ends.
Divorcees, unwed mothers, divorced foreign spouses and elderly singles in rental flats were among the vulnerable groups for whom MPs sought more help.
Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon said that while criteria are drawn up to ensure policy objectives, they are not applied in a blanket manner.
He cited how atypical families who did not fulfil some policies' criteria were helped. "The HDB takes a compassionate approach towards these cases in need."
He also gave updates on various HDB schemes. The Assistance for Second-Timers scheme, which gives priority to divorced or widowed parents with children under 16, has received 282 applicants as of end 2015.
Of these, 199 cases - or 71 per cent - went on to book a flat. Sixty-six did not proceed despite qualifying, he added, and 17 fell outside the quota.
On singles sharing public rental flats, Dr Koh noted that some do not get along and that the HDB had put out 180 rental flats with partitions for more privacy since 2015. Another 320 are under construction.
The Fresh Start Housing Scheme, to help families renting public flats own a home again, has received 68 applications from families who meet the basic criteria, he said. Of these, 13 qualify and four of them have applied for two-room flexi flats in last month's Build-To-Order e