MOE to Pilot Smaller Classes in Six Schools From 2027 After Years of Debate

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will pilot smaller classes and new teaching arrangements in six schools from January 2027, marking a shift in Singapore's long-running class-size debate.

Education Minister Desmond Lee said smaller classes could give students closer attention and more timely feedback.

However, MOE has not announced a fixed class-size limit, saying the pilot will determine where smaller groups can make the greatest difference.

Teachers may also focus on two instead of three non-teaching responsibilities.

Debate over class sizes dates back more than two decades.

MOE reduced Primary 1 and 2 classes from 40 to 30 pupils in 2005, but subsequent calls for wider reductions were resisted, including during a 2018 parliamentary debate.

The issue resurfaced in 2024 when Workers' Party MPs Jamus Lim and Louis Chua again pushed for smaller classes.

Then-Education Minister Chan Chun Sing rejected the proposal, maintaining that teacher quality and targeted support mattered more than class size alone.

In March 2026, MP Jamus Lim renewed the call, proposing a cap closer to the OECD average of 21 students.

Singapore's average class sizes in 2024 were 34 pupils in primary schools and 33 in secondary schools.