Two-thirds of primary schools no longer conduct CCA trials: Desmond Lee

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has found that primary schools in a 2020 pilot were able to allocate students to their chosen co-curricular activities (CCAs) without the need for selection trials.

In a written parliamentary reply, Education Minister Desmond Lee said the pilot demonstrated that students could be successfully placed in CCAs without competitive entry processes.

He was responding to questions from Workers' Party MP for Aljunied GRC, Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, who asked about the findings of the pilot, how many schools had adopted a no-trial model, and whether MOE would require schools to offer both recreational and competitive CCA tiers.

Mr Lee said that today, about two-thirds of primary schools no longer conduct CCA selection trials.

Most of the remaining schools hold trials only for a small number of oversubscribed CCAs, to keep enrolment manageable and maintain a quality learning experience for students.

He reiterated that CCAs are integral to a holistic education, aimed at developing students’ character, skills and values.

On whether schools would be required to offer both recreational and competitive tiers to ensure inclusivity, Mr Lee did not indicate that MOE would impose such a requirement.

Instead, he said schools customise their CCA offerings to best fit their student profiles and available resources. Many schools already provide recreational options.

Schools also work with Sport Singapore (SportSG) to provide additional recreational sports opportunities beyond regular CCAs.

These include the Sports Education Programme and the recently launched School Sports Fiesta.

Students also have opportunities to learn and play various sports during Physical Education lessons and through unstructured play at recess.

“We will continue to strengthen our CCA system, to ensure meaningful development opportunities for all students,” Mr Lee said.

Background to the 2020 pilot

The move to remove selection trials in some schools was first announced on 21 January, 2020, as part of broader efforts to widen access to CCAs and reduce competitiveness in school sports.

According to MOE at the time, some primary schools would offer fewer CCAs but guarantee admission without trials.

Then Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said the initiative sought to give students more opportunities to pursue their interests without being excluded through competitive trials.

The pilot also aimed to address issues of “critical mass”, where certain CCAs struggled to sustain sufficient participation.

As part of a three-year Strategic Partnership CCA (SP-CCA) programme, students from secondary schools without specific CCAs could train at centralised venues.

For example, students interested in track and field could train at the Home of Athletics near the Singapore Sports Hub under programmes run by ActiveSG.

Those keen on ethnic dance could attend classes at LASALLE College of the Arts.

Mr Ong said at the opening of the National School Games in 2020 that centrally run CCAs allowed students to interact with peers from other schools and backgrounds.

He noted that while offering more CCAs within each school was one approach, there were limits due to resources and participation levels.

Inter-school collaborations were also encouraged. Mr Ong cited the example of Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) and Queensway Secondary School, which trained together in hockey and competed as a combined team in the National School Games.