Grow Well SG to cover preschoolers and upper primary students from 2026

Singapore is taking a decisive step to shape healthier generations by expanding a national initiative that embeds personalized health guidance into children’s daily lives, starting from their earliest school years.

Personalized Health Plans Under Grow Well SG
The Health Plan initiative, part of Singapore’s national Grow Well SG strategy, provides school children with personalized lifestyle goals based on their annual health screenings and parent-completed questionnaires. These plans are developed after consultations with trained professionals and serve as tailored lifestyle prescriptions to encourage healthy habits.

Since its launch in 2025, about 114,000 Primary 1 to Primary 3 students have received their health plans. The program focuses on practical lifestyle changes, including physical activity, nutrition, and daily routines that support long-term well-being.

Expansion to Preschoolers and Upper Primary Levels
From January 2026, the Ministries of Health, Education, and Social and Family Development will expand the initiative to include Kindergarten 1 and 2 pupils, as well as Primary 4 and 5 students. The announcement was made in a joint statement on Wednesday, January 21, following encouraging results from earlier trials.

The expansion follows a pilot program involving around 840 kindergarteners conducted in July 2025. According to the ministries, feedback from both parents and educators was positive, reinforcing the value of early intervention in shaping healthy behaviors.

Building Healthy Habits From an Early Age
The ministries emphasized that preschool years are a critical developmental period, as habits formed during this stage often become the foundation for lifelong health. Research cited by the agencies shows that healthy lifestyle interventions are most effective when introduced early.

Under the new rollout, all K1 and K2 children will receive a customized health plan alongside their annual school health screenings. Parents will also be provided with activity sheets to help reinforce health goals at home, such as exercising together or adopting healthier eating practices.

Support for Schools and Families
Preschools participating in the program will receive dedicated toolkits containing resources to promote healthy habits within school environments. The initiative will be rolled out progressively and is expected to reach about 1,800 preschools by the end of 2026.

In 2026 alone, approximately 80,000 Primary 4 and 5 students are expected to benefit from the health plans, which will be integrated into existing school health screenings to ensure continuity and consistency.

Sustaining Healthy Choices Through Reflection
Beginning in 2027, Primary 6 students will use the health plans they received in earlier years to reflect on their lifestyle choices through guided discussions led by teachers. This approach aims to help students internalize healthy habits as they transition to secondary school.

The ministries noted that this reflective process will complement existing curriculum-based health education, including Physical Education and Character and Citizenship Education classes, reinforcing health messages already taught in schools.

Strong Emphasis on Family Involvement
Minister of State for Education Jasmin Lau highlighted that a child’s health journey is a shared responsibility between families, schools, and healthcare professionals. She encouraged parents to actively discuss the health plans with their children and reinforce them through regular conversations at home.

Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming echoed this sentiment, noting that when families work together to adopt healthy habits, children are more motivated and emotionally supported, strengthening both health outcomes and family bonds.

Part of a Broader National Health Push
The Health Plan initiative is one of three pillars under Grow Well SG. The other two focus on limiting screen use among children and improving student health through tools such as the Student Health Status Card and healthier school canteen options.

Together, these measures reflect Singapore’s broader preventive healthcare strategy aimed at reducing long-term health risks and fostering a culture of well-being from a young age.

The expansion of Singapore’s Health Plan initiative underscores a growing regional emphasis on preventive healthcare and early intervention. By embedding personalized health guidance into schools and homes, the program offers a model that could resonate beyond Singapore, including for Indonesia, where rising childhood health challenges call for similarly integrated, family-centered approaches.

Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Asia One (2026)

Keywords: Grow Well SG, Health Plan, Student Health Screening, Preschool Health, Primary School Students