Legislators threw their weight behind a motion for mother-tongue education to be implemented in full to maintain the territory's competitive edge.
The motion, sponsored by Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee of the Liberal Party, was carried with Democratic Party support.
In her motion, Mrs Chow urged members to support the Government's adoption of measures under the Firm Guidance on Secondary Schools' Medium of Instruction.
'This would enable secondary school students to learn more effectively in their everyday language,' she said.
Mrs Chow attempted to allay worries among parents and students that using the Chinese language as a medium of education would mean a decline in English standards.
Party colleague and SAR executive councillor Henry Tang Ying-yen said: 'To change this concept, the Government must take more concrete action to prove that mother-tongue education would not lead to a decline in the standard of the English language.' Praising Singapore's language policy, he urged the Government to place student quality before political considerations.
