Singapore to Offer Chinese as Third Language to Non-Chinese Students

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 31, 2002

Singapore to Offer Chinese as Third Language to Non-Chinese Students

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Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong announced Saturday that the Ministry of Education has agreed to offer Chinese as a third language to non-Chinese students from 2004 with a view of enhancing cultural interaction between Singaporeans of different races.

He said this will be conducted in the same way that Malay is now available as a third language to non-Malay Singaporeans.

Currently, students in the top 10 percent of a primary school leaving examination (PSLE) cohort are eligible to study a third language in secondary school,-- French, German, Japanese or Malay -- in addition to English and their mother tongue.

From 2004, The Chinese Special Program is offered to students in the top 10 percent of a PSLE cohort or in the top 11 to 30 percent of a PSLE cohort with "A " in their mother tongue or distinction in their higher mother tongue language and at least "A" in their English language at the PSLE.

The Chinese Special Program is a four-year program beginning inSecondary 1 and leading to "O" level examination at the end of Secondary 4 of Singapore school system.

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