Compulsory Education: Exemptions

The following categories of children may be exempted from compulsory education (CE):

• Designated Schools

  Children attending designated schools, namely the 6 madrasahs currently offering full-time religious education for children of primary school-going age and San Yu Adventist School. These designated schools have to meet a certain PSLE benchmark for the “designated school” status, which allows them to continue admitting children exempted from CE at Primary 1. Parents will have to apply to MOE for a certificate confirming that their child has been exempted from CE. Applications for a certificate of exemption from CE are to be made through the respective designated school.

• Home-schooling

  Where the parents are able to satisfy MOE that the two key objectives of CE can be achieved for their children. Parents will have to apply to MOE for a certificate confirming that the child has been exempted from CE. They are required to furnish information on the curriculum and educational outcomes of the home-schooling programme and make declarations that their child will sit the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 4 subjects (English, Mother Tongue, Mathematics, Science) when the child is above the age of 11 years and before attaining the age of 15 years. A home-schooled child has to meet the same PSLE benchmark as children attending the San Yu Adventist School, and sit the National Education Quiz before PSLE.

  The PSLE benchmark for San Yu Adventist School is pegged at the 33rd percentile aggregate score of all EM1 and EM2 pupils. For the 1999 PSLE, the benchmark for San Yu corresponded to a PSLE aggregate score of 191.

• Special needs children

  Children who are not able to go to national schools because of physical/intellectual disabilities are exempted from CE in national schools. Parents of children with special needs do not have to obtain certificates confirming exemption from CE.