The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore has announced changes to the Science syllabus for Primary and upper Secondary levels, which have been implemented since 2023. These changes will affect Primary students taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2026 and Secondary students taking the O-Level examinations in 2024. The changes are aimed at equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in a science-driven world.
The updated Science Curriculum Framework introduces a fresh direction for Science education in Singapore, aiming to equip students with a robust foundation in Science. This foundation is designed to support students not just academically but also in their everyday lives, as responsible citizens, and in their future careers.
Some of the Science syllabus changes made by the MOE include:
The topic ‘Cells’ has been removed from the Primary 5 Science syllabus. This topic relies heavily on memorising different parts and functions of the cell, and the unfamiliar scientific terms, such as nucleus and cytoplasm, can be challenging for young students.
The removal of the topic from the Primary Science syllabus allows students to delve deeper into other topics that focus more on applying scientific concepts to real-world situations.
Previously, the syllabus was divided into lower and upper block Science topics. This has been done away with, with each level now having a fixed set of topics.
This change helps to ensure consistency across schools and makes it easier for students to know what to expect in terms of the topic coverage for the year. Here is an overview of the topics in the new Primary Science syllabus:
| Themes | Diversity, cycles, systems, interactions, energy | |
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Levels |
P3 |
P4 |
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Topics |
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Levels |
P5 |
P6 |
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Topics |
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Themes |
Diversity, cycles, systems, interactions, energy |
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Levels |
P3 |
P4 |
P5 |
P6 |
Topics |
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Learning outcomes (LOs) have been revised to be more specific and clearly state keywords and phrases that students must apply, as well as listing terms that students do not need to memorise.
Examples:
This aims to guide teachers on what students should focus on to avoid overloading them with information that is not in the syllabus.
Students are expected to demonstrate more higher-order skills and independence when answering questions. Based on our analysis of the new Primary 4 Science textbook, this shift has been observed as well with new content emphasising on skills, such as taking measurements (under the topic of Matter), designing and conducting experiments (under the topic of Matter) and reading graphs (under the topic of Heat).
These skills are essential for scientific inquiry and problem-solving. Hence, this change will equip students with the ability to apply scientific concepts in real-world situations.
New topics have also been added to the Upper Secondary O-Level Science syllabus.
In addition, there are several changes to the LOs. For example, some LOs are now more in line with current global developments.
Examples:
These new topics and LOs are relevant to current global developments and will help students to better understand the world around them.
Some topics and sections have been merged or reorganised into new sections.
Examples:
The reorganisation of topics aims to streamline the content coverage and create a more logical flow for learning, thereby facilitating deeper understanding and better application of concepts.
The topic 'Temperature' has been removed from the Upper Secondary Physics syllabus. In addition, some LOs have been removed from other topics. The removed topic and LOs were mostly either focused on memorisation rather than application or were not aligned with current global developments.
Examples:
While some parents may worry about the changes, they were designed to improve learning and equip students with relevant skills for the future. Here is what you can do to support your child:
At The Learning Lab, we're dedicated to ensuring that students not only meet but exceed the expectations of the current educational standards in Science for both Primary and Secondary levels.
We focus on nurturing the essential skills students need.
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