Statute Details
- Title: Education Endowment and Savings Schemes (Amount of Edusave Contribution for 2017) Order 2016
- Act Code: EESSA1992-S717-2016
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (Order) (sl)
- Authorising Act: Education Endowment and Savings Schemes Act (Cap. 87A), section 9(5)
- Order Number: S 717/2016
- Commencement: 1 January 2017
- Enacting Minister: Minister for Education (Schools)
- Date Made: 27 December 2016
- Key Provisions:
- Section 1: Citation and commencement
- Section 2: Qualifying date for 2017
- Section 3: 2017 contribution for full-time students (amounts under section 9(1)(a) of the Act)
- Section 4: 2017 contribution for non-schooling members (amounts under section 9(1)(b) of the Act)
- Status (as provided): Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
What Is This Legislation About?
The Education Endowment and Savings Schemes (Amount of Edusave Contribution for 2017) Order 2016 is a Singapore subsidiary legislation instrument that sets the specific Edusave contribution amounts for the year 2017. It is not a broad policy framework; rather, it is an annual “amount-setting” Order made under the Education Endowment and Savings Schemes Act (Cap. 87A) (“EESSA”).
In plain terms, the Edusave scheme is designed to provide educational endowment and savings benefits for eligible pupils and students. The Act establishes the Edusave Pupils Fund and provides for contributions to be paid into it. This Order determines how much money is contributed for different categories of Edusave Pupils Fund members during 2017.
Practically, the Order distinguishes between (i) full-time students attending prescribed schools receiving primary or secondary education, and (ii) non-schooling members—members who are not schooling at any time during 2017—whose contribution amount depends on age and certain educational circumstances (including home-schooling and whether specified examinations were performed in 2016).
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal identity of the instrument and when it takes effect. The Order is cited as the “Education Endowment and Savings Schemes (Amount of Edusave Contribution for 2017) Order 2016” and comes into operation on 1 January 2017. For practitioners, this matters because the contribution amounts apply to the 2017 Edusave contribution cycle and any administrative or compliance steps tied to that period.
Section 2 (Qualifying date) sets the “qualifying date” for determining which members are treated as members for the purposes of contributions in 2017. The Order states that, for 2017, the qualifying date for every member of the Edusave Pupils Fund (with a specific exception) is 1 January 2017. The exception is for an individual who becomes a member in 2017 for the first time under section 8(1) of the EESSA. This carve-out is significant: it prevents the qualifying-date rule from automatically excluding or misclassifying individuals whose membership status arises later in the year under the Act’s membership provisions.
Section 3 (2017 contribution for full-time students) is the core amount-setting provision for students who are schooling full-time. It provides that, for 2017, the amount of contribution to be paid under section 9(1)(a) of the EESSA is:
- $200 for each member who is a full-time student of a prescribed school and receiving primary education at any time during that year; and
- $240 for each member who is a full-time student of a prescribed school and receiving secondary education at any time during that year.
The phrase “at any time during that year” is legally meaningful. It indicates that the contribution amount is determined by whether the member is receiving primary or secondary education at any point in 2017, rather than requiring a full-year status. This affects how administrators interpret eligibility and classification when a student transitions between educational stages during the year.
Section 4 (2017 contribution for non-schooling members) addresses members who are not schooling at any time during 2017. It provides a more granular schedule of contribution amounts based on age and educational circumstances. Under section 9(1)(b) of the EESSA, the Order sets the following for 2017:
- $200 for a non-schooling member who is at least 7 years of age but below 13 years of age.
- $200 for a non-schooling member who:
- is at least 13 years of age but below 15 years of age;
- is receiving home-schooling as described in paragraph 3(1)(b)(i) to (vi) of the Compulsory Education (Exemption) Order (Cap. 51, O 1); and
- did not perform in 2016 at the Primary School Leaving Examination and the National Education Quiz at such level of educational achievement as the Director-General of Education may determine.
- $200 for a non-schooling member who:
- is at least 13 years of age but below 17 years of age;
- does not attain 17 years of age at any time in 2017; and
- is receiving primary education in a designated school.
- $240 for a non-schooling member not mentioned in the above sub-paragraphs (b) or (c), who:
- is at least 13 years of age but below 17 years of age; and
- does not attain 17 years of age at any time in 2017.
Section 4(2) then supplies definitions and interpretive cross-references. It states that the terms “designated school”, “home-schooling”, “National Education Quiz” and “Primary School Leaving Examination” have the same meanings as in the Compulsory Education (Exemption) Order (Cap. 51, O 1). It also defines “non-schooling member” as a member of the Edusave Pupils Fund who is not schooling at any time during 2017.
For legal practitioners, the cross-references are crucial. The contribution amount for certain non-schooling members depends on how “home-schooling” is defined for exemption purposes under the compulsory education regime. Likewise, the reference to performance in 2016 at specified assessments introduces an evidentiary and administrative dimension: the Director-General of Education’s determination of the relevant “level of educational achievement” becomes a key factual/legal threshold for whether the member falls into the $200 category under section 4(1)(b).
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Order is structured in a short, functional format typical of annual amount-setting instruments. It contains:
- Section 1: Citation and commencement (when the Order takes effect).
- Section 2: Qualifying date for 2017 (how membership is anchored for contribution purposes).
- Section 3: Contribution amounts for full-time students (primary vs secondary; prescribed schools).
- Section 4: Contribution amounts for non-schooling members (age-based and circumstance-based categories, with interpretive definitions).
There are no “Parts” indicated in the extract, and the operative content is concentrated in the four sections above. The Order’s brevity is consistent with its enabling provision in the EESSA, which empowers the Minister to specify the contribution amounts for a given year.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to members of the Edusave Pupils Fund for the year 2017, and it determines the amount of contribution payable under section 9 of the EESSA. The categories are effectively membership-based and educational-status-based: full-time students in prescribed schools receiving primary or secondary education, and non-schooling members who are not schooling at any time during 2017.
Although the Order does not directly regulate individual parents or pupils in a compliance sense, it affects them indirectly through the operation of the Edusave Pupils Fund and the contribution system. The “who” question is therefore best understood as: who counts as a member and how their educational circumstances are classified for contribution calculation purposes. The qualifying date rule in section 2 and the definitions in section 4(2) guide that classification.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Order is short, it is legally and administratively significant because it sets the monetary parameters of Edusave contributions for a specific year. In practice, the contribution amount affects the funding level of the Edusave Pupils Fund and, by extension, the scheme’s ability to deliver educational endowment and savings benefits.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the Order’s key importance lies in its classification rules. The distinction between primary and secondary education for full-time students, and the detailed age and circumstance-based schedule for non-schooling members, means that accurate categorisation is essential. Misclassification could lead to incorrect contribution amounts being calculated and paid, which may then cascade into downstream administrative processes.
For practitioners advising schools, education administrators, or parties involved in Edusave-related determinations, the Order also highlights the importance of cross-referenced definitions and evidentiary thresholds. For non-schooling members, the meaning of “home-schooling” and “designated school” is not self-contained; it is imported from the compulsory education exemption framework. Additionally, the reference to whether the member “did not perform” in 2016 at specified examinations at a level determined by the Director-General of Education introduces a decision-making element that may require careful documentation and interpretation.
Related Legislation
- Education Endowment and Savings Schemes Act (Cap. 87A) — in particular section 9(1) and section 9(5) (enabling the Minister to set contribution amounts)
- Compulsory Education (Exemption) Order (Cap. 51, O 1) — definitions of “home-schooling” and “designated school” used by reference
- Savings Schemes Act (as referenced in the provided metadata)
- Legislation Timeline (for version control and amendments tracking)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Education Endowment and Savings Schemes (Amount of Edusave Contribution for 2017) Order 2016 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.