Committee of Supply 2022 debate, Day 6: Leon Perera on early intervention programmes

Students from low-income families tend to be more vulnerable to long-term absenteeism in schools. For families which face persistent absenteeism, have a "conditional cash transfer programme" to encourage them to get their children to attend school. MP Leon Perera, who suggested this in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 9), believes it will be useful in nudging families to meet specific educational needs. There should be safeguards against abuse of the programme, such as keeping the grant small and directing it only to low-income or multi-problem families.