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We thank Mr Jason Ng for his feedback ( , Dec 12). The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been shifting our efforts beyond preparing our students for life in school, to equipping them for the school of life. This includes strengthening our students’ 21st Century Competencies (21CC), such as communication, collaboration and information skills, to better prepare them for the future. Our schools offer many opportunities for students to strengthen their communication skills. In primary and secondary school, oracy is an integral component in the English and Mother Tongue Languages curriculum. Emphasis is placed on developing students’ listening and speaking skills, promoting critical thinking, and enabling them to organise and express their ideas confidently and persuasively. Students are also taught to listen actively to different perspectives, and communicate confidently through discussions, formal presentations, speeches and other forms of public speaking. In addition, students participate in Interdisciplinary Project Work, where they are given the opportunity to synthesise knowledge, draw connections across different subject disciplines, and apply them to real-life situations. As part of their learning process, students learn to work in groups to achieve common goals, communicate effectively and respectfully during discussions, and present their ideas clearly and coherently. Furthermore, our teachers use a range of strategies to encourage participation during lessons, and provide opportunities for group discussions and presentations to bolster students’ confidence. Mr Ng would be pleased to know that the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) also assesses certain aspects of 21CC, and our students have similarly performed well by international standards. For example, the Pisa 2018 Global Competence study found that our students showed strong intercultural communication skills. We are heartened by Mr Ng’s recognition of the importance of developing communication skills in our students. MOE remains committed to the holistic development of our students, and we will continue to nurture in them the values, competencies and dispositions they need to thrive in life.