SINGAPORE — Fifty children from lower-income families will receive up to S$3,000 a year for enrichment activities under a new partnership designed to give young students greater access to opportunities beyond the classroom.
The The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) and Quantedge Foundation announced the initiative on Oct. 2, with the first group of children set to receive the credits in early 2027.
The programme will support 50 STSPMF beneficiaries aged seven to nine, with families receiving S$3,000 annually through Quantedge Foundation’s Social Mobility Fund.
Rather than restricting the money to a single type of activity, the programme gives families a curated selection of options. Children can use the credits for tuition, sports, arts programmes, coding, robotics, dance, swimming and other learning opportunities.
The credits can also be used for selected learning-related products, including books and activity equipment.
A New Way to Close the Opportunity Gap
STSPMF chairman Jaime Ho said the initiative goes beyond traditional pocket-money assistance by giving children the opportunity to explore interests and experiences that may otherwise be harder for lower-income families to afford.
The fund supported about 11,000 students in 2026, up from around 7,000 in 2024, after its qualification criteria were widened to align with the Ministry of Education’s Financial Assistance Scheme.
Quantedge Foundation chief executive Xie Yao Quan said differences in the opportunities available to children can accumulate over time, particularly when families have significantly different financial resources.
The initial programme will focus on Singaporean children from households with a per-capita income of S$1,000 or below.
Families Get Choice — With Some Limits
The S$3,000 annual credit will be distributed in three S$1,000 tranches.
Families will be able to select activities based on their children’s interests, but the platform will include safeguards around responsible use. Children who repeatedly miss classes after enrolling may lose access to further bookings, while certain higher-value products will have purchase limits.
The programme is expected to expand to more families and a wider range of age groups in the future, with additional philanthropic partners potentially joining the initiative.
The announcement also came with a separate contribution to STSPMF: MES Group founder and chief executive Mohamed Abdul Jaleel presented the fund with a S$500,000 cheque.
A Bigger Push Beyond School Essentials
Founded by The Straits Times in 2000, STSPMF has since supported more than 230,000 children and young people and distributed more than S$110 million.
The fund currently provides monthly assistance of S$65 for primary school pupils, S$100 for secondary students and S$125 for students in institutes of technical education, junior colleges and polytechnics.
The new partnership adds another layer: instead of focusing only on helping children get through school, it aims to give them more opportunities to discover talents, develop skills and participate in activities outside the classroom.
For families facing financial constraints, the difference could extend beyond what a child can afford today — and into the opportunities they are able to experience while growing up.
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