“SO MANY families feel they are stuck on a treadmill — running harder and harder, in a bid to avoid falling behind,” said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong about the intense culture and “endless tuition” surrounding education and grades in Singapore (24 Sept). “We must break this cycle.”
This change involves broader definitions of success, and letting every child develop his or her strengths, whether in languages, sciences, sports, arts or technical skills.
In this way, the PAP government is committed to supporting the educational aspirations of our young Singaporeans.
At the level of jobs and hiring, PM Wong highlighted that academic results are only one measure of ability — what matters is whether a person can do the work.
“Step by step, we will move more towards skills-based hiring and progression — because what matters most is not where you started from, but what you can do and how far you are willing to go,” he said.
Concurrently, PAP MPs spoke up strongly in Parliament on other educational matters.
New MP Elysa Chen (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), spoke up for special needs individuals who face a sharp drop-off in education, healthcare and disability support once they turn 18 years old (26 Sept).
She called for stronger coordination between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social and Family Development, so that these young people and their families get more help with their lives.
MP Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol GRC) took a stand against the rising rate of social media bullying between students.
“Protecting our young through the prevention and identification of online harms and cyberbullying needs to be a whole-of-community effort,” she said (23 Sept). “Will the Ministry [of Education] consider a nationwide campaign to stamp out cyberbullying in schools?”
Over 19,600 new BTOs for young families, with 50,000 more coming
There are now more spaces for young Singaporeans to start families of their own. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched over 19,600 new BTO flats in three sales exercises across 2025.
With these exercises, HDB exceeded its 2020-25 target to provide 100,000 new BTOs for Singaporeans, the equivalent of two Ang Mo Kio towns.
The HDB now aims to launch over 50,000 new BTOs from 2025 to 2027, meeting demand from even more young Singaporeans, as Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat explained in August.
For low-income and vulnerable households, the Fresh Start Housing Grant is now $75,000, up from $50,000. “Eligible families will receive an upfront disbursement of $60,000 into their CPF Ordinary Account before key collection, to help defray immediate costs of buying a home,” explained then-Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim (5 Mar).
Our backbench MPs Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee) and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim led a Parliamentary Motion on “Supporting Singaporeans in Starting and Raising Families” (5 Feb).
The Motion included calls for the HDB to lower housing loan repayment rates for families with a new baby, and to make rent cheaper for childcare operators to operate in estates with many young families.
Young PAP continues developing Singapore’s future leaders
The Young PAP (YP) has worked hard, voicing out the very real concerns that young Singaporeans have, especially related to employment and good jobs.
In April, YP activists authored a position paper on making artificial intelligence work for polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) jobseekers as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). MP Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru SMC) brought up the YP paper’s recommendations in Parliament later in the year.
“You have youth who are between 15 to 20 [years old], 20 to 25, 25 to 30. Young parents navigating their challenges as well,” said YP Deputy Chair Syed Harun Alhabsyi. “Keep having an open mind. We need to be able to understand what platforms, as well as what areas they have an interest in. And also be able to stitch that into nation-building, to lend a voice to them.”
“If there’s any ideas that come from the ground, please reach out to us.” added Deputy Chair Syed about enabling youth. “It cuts across all ages of youth — they do care for society. They want to be heard. They want to be able to lend a voice to what their concerns are. So feel free to reach out to us.”
YP members and party stalwarts were a constant and constructive presence at events throughout the year. At multiple PAP Policy Forum dialogues, they weighed in on the issues of the day.
“You want to make things happen, work from inside. Make the change,” said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a youth dialogue this February. “Speak up. Join us, convince us, and make it happen.”
SM Lee’s support is timely. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) is collaborating on the future-shaping SG Youth Plan with young Singaporeans. The SG Youth Plan is a roadmap for action, created by young Singaporeans, to equip them with the tools they need to express their fullest potential. It is a collective call to action for every citizen to support and empower the next generation to be their very best.
