Enabling student athletes in both academic and sports excellence

Response to parliamentary question on the targets set out and met by the Singapore Sports School and school representation of Team Singapore athletes at the SEA Games 2019

Question

Ms Yip Pin Xiu: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the sporting targets that are set out for the Singapore Sports School to achieve in the next three years; (b) whether the Singapore Sports School has reached their annual targets in the past three years; (c) which are the top three schools that will have the most athletes representing Singapore in the 2019 SEA Games; (d) how many athletes are from these respective schools; and (e) how many athletes are from the Singapore Sports School.

Response

Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth:

1. The Singapore Sports School is a Specialised Independent School under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), which offers students with sporting talent, an avenue to reach their sporting potential, whilst developing them holistically and preparing them for life. To this end, the school provides a strong academic and sport development programme that meets the needs of its students, develops their character, and enables them to excel in their sport.
2. The Sports School is measured by a set of 14 sporting, academic and student well-being targets. These targets include the percentage of student-athletes selected to represent Singapore in international open competitions annually, and the percentage of the school’s graduating cohort eligible to advance to higher education. In 2016, the School did not meet 3 of the 14 targets. In 2017, the School did not meet 1 of the 14 targets. And in 2018, the School met all 14 targets.
3. In the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, 104 athletes and alumni from the Sports School made up 19% of the 560-strong Team Singapore contingent, and contributed to 31% of the medals that marked our nation’s best ever away SEA Games performance. For the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines starting 30 November, 101 athletes from the Sports School have to date been selected to compete across 21 sports. MCCY, Sport Singapore and the Ministry of Education do not track the originating schools of all Team Singapore athletes, and neither is this a requirement by the Singapore National Olympic Council.
4. The Sport School has consistently done better than national average in terms of the percentage of students who passed five or more subjects at the GCE O-level Examinations, and better than the global average in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme score.