Cognia-accredited online school
Approved Pearson Edexcel centre, International GCSE to A Level
Singapore Citizen children need an exemption from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to be homeschooled at primary level. Compulsory education doesn't cover permanent residents or foreign children, so expat families choose for themselves.
This guide covers the Compulsory Education Act, how exemptions and the PSLE requirement work, secondary-age homeschooling, exams in Singapore, costs, and routes to NUS, NTU and universities abroad.
Yes. Singapore Citizen children of primary school age need an MOE exemption, and everyone else is outside compulsory education.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Compulsory Education Act 2000: who it covers | Children above 6 and under 15 who are Singapore Citizens, born after 1 January 1996 and living in Singapore, must attend a national primary school regularly |
| National primary schools | Government and government-aided primary schools, and government-funded special education schools |
| Exemptions | MOE can exempt a child from compulsory education, and homeschooling is one of the recognised exemptions. MOE's Compulsory Education Unit handles them |
| Conditions for homeschooled children | Sit the PSLE in English, Mother Tongue Language, Mathematics and Science at standard level, meet a benchmark pegged at the 33rd percentile of national primary school students taking those subjects that year, and sit a National Education quiz before the PSLE |
| Enforcement | Parents may be guilty of an offence if their child doesn't attend a national primary school regularly, unless the child is exempted or there's a prescribed reason for the absence |
Compulsory education covers national primary school only, so it doesn't apply to secondary education. Singapore Citizen families living overseas must still tell MOE when their child is due for Primary 1 registration.
Families apply to MOE's Compulsory Education Unit, usually in the year before their child would start Primary 1.
MOE's compulsory education pagesParents commonly apply between July and October of the year before Primary 1, and register their child at a national primary school at the same time in case the exemption isn't granted. Confirm the current timeline with the Compulsory Education Unit.
Compulsory education has two aims: a common core of knowledge as a foundation for further education, and shared school experiences that build national identity. A homeschooling plan needs to show how both will be met.
Exempted children sit the PSLE in four standard-level subjects and must reach the benchmark set at the 33rd percentile of national primary school students that year, after a National Education quiz.
CambriLearn teaches international curricula rather than MOE's primary syllabus, so a Singapore Citizen family would need to show MOE how their child will meet the PSLE requirement in all four subjects.
Compulsory education applies to Singapore Citizens, so permanent residents and foreign families don't need an exemption to homeschool or study online.
Who compulsory education coversChildren who aren't Singapore Citizens are outside the Compulsory Education Act, so an international online school is an option without MOE approval.
Permanent residents aren't covered by compulsory education either. If a PR child later applies to NUS, the Mother Tongue Language requirement for citizens and PRs still applies.
Compulsory education applies to citizens living in Singapore. Families overseas must tell MOE when their child is due for Primary 1 registration, and the duty applies if they move back during the primary years.
If your child's education needs to move with you between countries, speak to a consultant about where you'll be living, because the rules depend on the country you live in.
