streaming Separation of students into various groups learning at different paces, based on academic performance in national standardized testing. The Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 proposed the introduction of ability- based streaming at the end of Primary 3, an ability- differentiated curriculum, and extensions to the length of schooling for weaker pupils. In addition, students were to be tracked at the secondary level. Over the years, there have been modifications to the programme, most notably postponing streaming to the end of Primary 4. In 2004, the ministry further relaxed the streaming system, giving schools the flexibility to develop their own Primary 4 year- end examinations. However, the streaming of pupils based on examination performance remains a major feature of the system.

Pupils who are academically less inclined are posted to the EM3 stream which focuses on foundational knowledge, while pupils who do well in the examinations may be offered the choice of studying Higher Mother Tongue Language.