(3) MTL and Higher MTL
MTL and Higher MTL
1) Where is the venue of HMTL lessons? Does my child need to report to any Language Centre?
· Students taking Higher Chinese Language (HCL) will be having their lessons in our school. There is no need to report to any Language Centre.
· Students taking Higher Malay Language (HML) will have their once-a-week lessons after school in Anderson Sec School.
· Students taking Higher Tamil Language (HTL) will have their once-a-week lessons after school in Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre (UPTLC).
2) Does my child need to take both MTL and HMTL? Does my child need to stay back after school for HMTL lessons?
· Students taking HMTL need not take MTL.
· Students taking HCL report to their HCL classes during MTL periods. Secondary 1 HCL students will have extended curriculum of 1 hour on one of the weekdays.
· Students taking HML report to the ML class during MTL periods. Their lessons at the external centres are conducted once a week after school.
· Students taking HTL will do self-directed learning during MTL periods. Their lessons at the external centres are conducted once a week after school.
3) Does my child need to sit for his/her CL/ ML or TL exam at the end of Sec 4, if he/she is taking HMTL?
· No. Students who offered HMTL will sit for the GCE O level MTL exam in 2026, at the end of Secondary 3. They will only sit for the HMTL exam at the new Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate Exam in 2027 at the end of Secondary 4.
· Students who are unable to cope with HMTL learning at the end of Sec 3, may choose to offer G3 MTL instead of HMTL in Sec 4 and re-sit for the G3 MTL exam in the following year. As students are not allowed to sit for MTL and HMTL exam in the same academic year, these students will NOT be offered HMTL in Secondary 4.
4) What are the incentives of taking HMTL?
· Currently, student who obtains C6 or above for GCE O-level HMTL and English Language will have 2 points deducted from their L1R5 aggregate score at O-level Exam for admission to Junior Colleges if they meet the eligibility.
· Student who obtains C6 or above for O-level HMTL and English Language can use HMTL as L1 instead of English Language. However, if HMTL language is used as L1, O-level MTL (taken at Sec 3) cannot be used as one of the R5 for aggregate score computation.
· Students need not offer Mother Tongue Language at JC level if he/she has obtained a D7 or better for O-Level HMTL.
· The above information will be updated under the new Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) , starting in 2027.
5) My child is not offered HMTL. Can my child appeal to offer HMTL?
· MOE has identified a list of students who are eligible to take HMTL (HCL/HML/HTL). The school will admit the Sec 1 students based on this list.
· At the end of Sec 1 and Sec 2, students who have done well in their MTL and their overall results met the school’s criteria, he/she will be offered HMTL by the school.
Non-CL/ML Mother Tongue Languages
1) What will the non-CL/ML students be doing during MTL periods?
· Students who are not taking MTL in school will do self-directed learning during MTL periods in the library.
· If the students have MTL lessons externally, they will be excused from lessons from 2pm to make their way to the centres.
· If the last period of the day is a MTL lesson, the students are allowed to leave school after 12 noon.
2) Where are the venues for external MTL lessons? How will it affect my child’s CCA?
· Tamil Language – Guangyang Sec School (designated centre)
· Foreign Language in-lieu of Mother Tongue/ Foreign Language as Third Language – MOE Language Centre (Bishan)
· Chinese Special Programme as Third Language – Changkat Changi Sec School
· Malay Special Programme as Third Language – Zhonghua Sec School
External MTL lesson will take precedence over other activities in school, including remedial and CCA. Choose a CCA that would not affect the external lesson.
3) What are the things to note for Foreign Language (e.g. French/ German) in-lieu of MTL?
· There is no need to reapply MTL if approval is granted in primary school.
· Vacancy to take lesson at MOELC is scarce and priority is given to Third language students. If student would like to be placed on the waiting list, obtain the application form from the HOD/MTL and re-submit the application.
· Students are expected to seek tuition externally and provide proof of attendance to the school periodically, even if they do not get a place in the MOELC.
· Students are registered for the yearly exam at MOELC (Bishan) and the result will be reflected in their report book.
· At the end of Sec 4, students will take the new SEC MTL exam.
4) What are the things to note for Non-Tamil Indian Languages NTIL (Bengali/ Gujarati/ Hindi/ Punjabi/ Urdu)?
· The school does not conduct NTIL class during MTL lessons.
· Parent should enrol their children in a NTIL language centre, e.g. Hindi Society Centre for Hindi lessons. The Board for the Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages (BTTSAL) oversees NTIL instruction and assessment. The list of NTIL centres can also be found on the official BTTSAL website at bttsal.com.
· Maintain regular attendance at the centres.
· Result from the centres will be reflected in the report book.
· At the end of Sec 4, students will take the new SEC MTL exam.
5) How can I apply for MTL ‘B’ syllabus (CLB/ MLB/ TLB) for my child?
· With the implementation of Full SBB and the provision to offer MTL at G1,G2 or G3, the Secondary MTL ‘B’ syllabus will be discontinued from the 2024 Sec 1 cohort onwards. The school will assess holistically and recommend the Less-Demanding-Level for the student if there is a need.
6) How can I apply for Exemption from MTL/ Change of MTL for my child?
· Obtain the application form from HOD/MTL
· Only student entering Singapore system after Primary 1 or students with medical reasons may apply for exemption
· Changing of MTL is not allowed at secondary school level