SINGAPORE - Changes being made to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be done in the light of the broader changes to Singapore's education system, in a move to create more learning opportunities for the young.

PSLE will be part of his ministry's agenda for the second term of Parliament, but it is not a "standalone piece", said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat on Thursday at the sidelines of the first graduation ceremony for Singapore Polytechnic.

"We announced it first because I think it's important to signal the changes that are coming," he said. The PSLE T-score, which has been a source of stress for students and parents, will eventually be replaced with letter grades, it was announced last year.

Mr Heng said that more details would be provided later. He would be turning to attention instead to post-secondary education in the next term, looking "very carefully" at the recommendations of the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review committee.

"We've got to make our polytechnics and ITEs attractive options, and they will help our students build deep skills and build the right attitude in their work and in life," he added.