Singapore: The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) will expand one of its learning programmes to include both upper primary pupils and lower secondary students, from next year.

Doing so will increase the number of beneficiaries in the council's Project Excellence programme from the 220 to 300 students.

The programme, available at four CDAC centres in Bukit Panjang, Punggol, Tampines and Redhill, will also extended to two more CDAC centres in Yishun at Sengkang.

Project Excellence, which started in 2009, targets children from low income families - where the household's monthly income does not exceed $3,000, or its per capita income does not exceed $800 - who perform academically well.