Besides policy changes, mindsets and culture must shift too: Chan

From 2028, students will need five O-level subjects instead of six to apply for junior college, said the Ministry of Education.

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will also be the first to sit the new Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate examinations in 2027, instead of O- and N-level examinations, under full subject-based banding.

While policy changes have been made over the years to "reduce an overemphasis on academics", said Mr Chan, mindsets and culture have to change too.

"Changing our scoring systems or assessment models... or reducing mid-year examinations will not reduce pressure on students if we, as parents and as a society, compete to the last decimal point and pile on what MOE removes and reduces," he added.

"We must all recognise that, while important, academic results are not the sole definition or determinant of success."

Clementi Town Secondary School principal Rasidah Rahim said the move is a "step in the right direction".

Students must develop essential skills like critical and adaptive thinking, she said, which come only with dedicated time and space for teachers to foster deep learning.

She added that by allowing students to focus on fewer subjects, their workload can be calibrated, thereby reducing stress and improving their overall well-being.