SINGAPORE, Sept 15 — Singapore is relaxing the conditions for allowing students to study their higher mother tongue languages (HMTLs) in a bid to promote bilingualism.
The Straits Times reported that beginning 2026, students will be allowed to study HMTLs should they score AL1 or AL2 (the highest possible scores) in mother tongue languages (MTLs) or earn themselves a merit in HMTL in their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
Currently students who wish to study HMTL in secondary school must earn high marks not just in mother tongue language subjects but English, maths and science as well.
Singapore’s education ministry told The Straits Times it expects that under the new criteria, at least 1,000 more students will take HMTL in secondary school.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing also said that while English proficiency is necessary, on its own it was not sufficient for Singapore’s society.
Besides the relaxed HMTL requirements, Singapore will also be implementing other measures to encourage bilingualism including a new structured reading programme in mother tongues for Primary 1 and 2 pupils called MTL Soar.
The ministry will also be running a pilot programme to increase exposure to MTLs in kindergartens.
