Some students from Northland Secondary School having a meal with Education Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday in their school canteen.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Ong said he encouraged the students to focus on learning, amid recent changes to reduce the number of exams in schools. Some students, he said, were glad about having fewer exams, although a few of them were worried about whether they would be able to evaluate their progress.

Mr Ong also talked about the School Meals Programme, which provides students from lower-income households with meal subsidies. The subsidies are credited every day into their ez-link cards, which they can use to purchase school meals during recess.

"It is good to know that students do not have to worry about going to school hungry and can better focus on learning," he said.