JC philosophy subject Knowledge and Inquiry to get syllabus refresh in 2027

SINGAPORE - A revised syllabus for Knowledge and Inquiry (KI) will take effect from 2027, as the philosophy-based subject marks two decades since its introduction in 2006.

The H2 (Higher 2) subject, which studies the nature of knowledge and how it is constructed across fields such as the sciences, humanities and aesthetics, is taken by junior college (JC) students as part of Singapore’s GCE A-level curriculum.

It is currently offered at five JCs: Eunoia Junior College, Hwa Chong Institution, National Junior College, Raffles Institution and Temasek Junior College.

About 100 students take the subject at the A-level examinations annually, a figure that has remained stable, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

MOE said the refreshed syllabus reflects developments in the subject locally and abroad. It introduces a new framework centred on “cognition and conscience”, aimed at helping students examine questions more rigorously while strengthening their understanding of the ethical use of knowledge.

“This is a timely response to today’s world, where artificial intelligence has increasingly blurred the lines between human- and machine-generated knowledge,” the ministry said.

K. Veerapandiyan, a senior KI teacher at Temasek Junior College, who was involved in the curriculum review, described the changes as the most significant update to the syllabus since 2006.

Among the updates is a clearer framework for each field of inquiry, with the syllabus now specifying key theories, concepts and thinkers. Previously, teachers worked within broader guidelines.

In science, for instance, students are now pointed towards key thinkers such as John Locke, whose theory was that every individual inherently possesses the rights to life, liberty and property, and Karl Popper, known for arguing that a theory qualifies as scientific only if it can be proven false.

This provides all KI students with a “strong conceptual foundation” while keeping the “spirit of open inquiry”, Veerapandiyan said.

Another addition is a new inquiry approach, which trains students to approach any topic with a set of questions: Who came up with this particular piece of knowledge, and how? What is it based on? What outside forces – culture, politics, history – shaped it? How solid is the evidence? Who could be affected by it?

“Instead of encountering these ideas in isolation, students are encouraged to apply the inquiry lenses consistently across different topics and domains of knowledge,” Veerapandiyan said.

Assessment formats will stay unchanged.

Students will continue to sit two written exam papers – one testing their understanding of knowledge and its application in specific fields, and another assessing critical thinking through an unseen passage and shorter arguments. They must also complete a 2,500- to 3,000-word independent study on a topic of their choice over six months with teacher guidance.

MOE said the exams will be updated to reflect the revised syllabus, with more information to be published on the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website in January 2027.

From the 2026 A-level exam, KI can no longer replace the General Paper (GP). Students who opt for KI also need to take GP.

Not the same as General Paper

Students who had taken KI said the subject bears little resemblance to GP, despite both often being grouped together.

Eric Zhang, 19, who took KI at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) from 2024 to 2025, said GP essay questions tend to focus on current affairs, while KI centres on thinkers and schools of thought, pushing students to interrogate a question’s logical structure.

One question he grappled with was: “Are some forms of knowledge more useful than others?” Students looked at, for instance, the differences between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, weighing belief against empirical evidence.

Fellow HCI alumnus Hayden Lau, 19, said GP and KI are also assessed differently. GP rewards students for showing “contextual understanding” – weaving in relevant knowledge and informed perspectives – while KI values “critical thinking”, with a much higher bar for analysing and forming arguments.

“We often deconstruct arguments and deal with them in terms of premises, providing our own rebuttals to them,” Lau said.

Students said they did not regret taking KI.

Lau said he enjoyed the freedom to go off-script, which his teacher encouraged. “We were not confined to the syllabus,” he said. “There was a much greater emphasis on learning for its own sake.”

He added that students presented topics they were passionate about in class, which made lessons spontaneous.

Veerapandiyan said the refreshed syllabus places intellectual virtues such as conscientiousness, humility and open-mindedness at its core. “They do not guarantee an ‘A’ in an examination, although that may well be a by-product,” he said. “More importantly, they equip students with the habits of mind needed to navigate uncertainty, continue learning throughout life, and ultimately lead flourishing and meaningful lives.”