Construction of new 30-storey MOE building in Buona Vista to begin in 2025

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) will commence the construction of a new building adjacent to its current one on North Buona Vista Drive in 2025, with the move allowing it to consolidate its headquarters staff at a single location.

This consolidation will free up land in various parts of Singapore for other uses.

The new 30-storey building, to be named the Goh Keng Swee Centre for Education (GKSCE), will bring together staff from the ministry's headquarters offices in Balestier, Grange Road and Ghim Moh, MOE said in a media release on Tuesday (Oct 22).

The GKSCE will also house the School Cluster Centre, the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language and the Academy of Singapore Teachers. It will be able to accommodate about 2,000 employees, added MOE.

The building will also provide training facilities for in-service teachers.

Additionally, the building, named after the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, will be home to the MOE Heritage Centre, which is currently located at the ministry's Balestier office.

The heritage centre will showcase the history of Singapore's education system as well as Dr Goh's legacy and contributions to education. Dr Goh held the post of education minister twice between 1979 and 1984.

The new building is projected to be operational in 2029.

It will occupy a site area of about 5,000 sq m and have an estimated gross floor area of 65,000 sq m. It will be built with sustainable features, such as solar panels and a district cooling system.

MOE said that plans for the sites that will be vacated once the building is ready "are currently under study by the relevant agencies". The ministry added that more information on these plans will be shared at a later date.

The GKSCE was first announced at the 2010 National Day Rally by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.