MCI's Response to PQ on Proportion of Students Who Have Undergone Code for Fun Enrichment Programme

09 JAN 2024

Parliament Sitting on 9 January 2024

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

46. Ms See Jinli Jean: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information for each year since the Code for Fun enrichment programme was launched in 2019 (a) what proportion of each cohort of primary school and secondary school students respectively have undergone the programme; (b) for students who did not undergo the programme, how does the Ministry ensure that they can attain the foundational digital quotient; and (c) what are the Ministry’s plans to update the programme and its delivery to contribute to developing an artificial intelligence-ready workforce.

Answer:

  1. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced the Code for Fun (CFF) enrichment programme in 2014 to expose primary and secondary school students to coding and computational thinking (CT). Since 2020, it has been mandatory for all upper primary school students to go through CFF or a comparable coding programme. While CFF remains an optional programme at the secondary school level, almost two thirds of secondary schools offered the programme in 2023, up from 48% in 2021.  More than 50,000 students are reached through these programmes every year.

  2. As technology continues to evolve quickly, IMDA and MOE review CFF regularly to ensure that the programme is relevant and up to date. As part of its programme design, CFF covers emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). We are working towards introducing new content on AI and data literacy in the refreshed CFF for 2025.

  3. MOE provides opportunities for students to develop knowledge of digital and AI literacies, as well as emerging technologies through formal curriculum, STEM-related Co-Curricular Activities and other enrichment programmes.  More information is available in MOE's response to the Parliamentary Questions (PQ) on Incorporating Artificial Intelligence into the Curriculum (3 July 2023) and Plans to Ensure Singaporeans’ Readiness in Technology-Driven Economy (6 January 2020).