More students qualify for university in 2018
View(s):The GCE Advanced Level results for 2018 in Mathematics, Science, Engineering-System Technology and Bio-System Technology streams have seen a marked increase compared to those of 2017. Out of 44,244 students who sat for the exams in the Biology stream last year, 27,402, or 59.25%, qualified for university application. This is a 3% increase compared to the 25,178, or 56.88%, who qualified in 2017 out of a total of 44,269.
The Physical Sciences stream also experienced a 2.5% increase in the number of students eligible to apply for universities, with 57.29%, which is 18,514, out of 32,311 students. The previous year saw 17,584 students qualify out of a total of 32,075 who sat for exams in the stream. Likewise, in the Engineering-System Technology stream, 8,097 students were eligible out of the total 13,950, which is a 1% increase from last year’s 6,163 out of 10,682.
Students in the Bio-System Technology stream performed really well with 64.33% qualifying for university application. This is almost a 3% increase from 2017’s 61.74% eligible students. This stream also had an increase of around 2,500 students sitting for the exam. All four streams, in fact, experienced an increase in the total student number.
The Education Ministry said that this was due to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education system and the potential career opportunities it provides. STEM areas include Aerospace Engineering, Astrophysics, Astronomy, Biochemistry, Biomechanics, Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Neurobiology, Nuclear Physics and Robotics, in addition to traditional areas such as Engineering, Chemistry and Computer Science. The Ministry cited the Government’s increased spending on STEM to be a factor encouraging more students to take up these subjects at the GCE A/Level.