The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Friday, March 4 that 22 secondary schools will merge over the next two years due to falling student numbers.

This is a result of Singapore's declining birth rate over the past two decades, which has led to a "significant excess of secondary school places at a national level".

This is the largest merger exercise conducted in the past five years.

Seven of these 22 schools did not receive any Secondary 1 students for 2016 after the 2015 Secondary One Posting Exercise. About 38,600 students were posted to secondary schools after the exercise.

To merge in January 2017

Balestier Hill and Beatty Secondary, with the school located at Beatty Secondary

Henderson and Bukit Merah Secondary, with the school located at Bukit Merah Secondary

MacPherson Secondary and Broadrick Secondary, with the school located at Broadrick Secondary

North View and Northland Secondary, with the school located at Northland Secondary

Pioneer and Boon Lay Secondary, with the school located at Boon Lay Secondary

Siglap and Coral Secondary, with the school located at Coral Secondary

Si Ling and Marsiling Secondary, with the school located at Marsiling Secondary

To merge in January 2018

Bedok North and Damai Secondary, with the school located at Damai Secondary

Bishan Park and Peirce Secondary, with the school located at Pierce Secondary

Chong Boon and Yio Chu Kang Secondary, with the school located at Yio Chu Kang Secondary

Greenview and Loyang Secondary, with the school located at Loyang Secondary

MOE said the final names of the merged schools have yet to be decided and the final school locations were chosen mainly based on their proximity to public transport, the quality of the buildings and facilities.

These schools were identified based on enrolment size, facilities and the capacity to accommodate students.

The ministry added it will ensure a smooth transition by working with the schools and the new locations will also house a heritage space for the schools' histories.

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