March 19, 2010 by admin
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Written by Our Correspondent
After a near two year hiatus, the three Singapore universities –
NUS, NTU and SMU have raised the school fees again amounting to
hikes of between 3 and 18 per cent for this year’s cohorts.
When interviewed by the Straits Times, Professor Tan Eng Chy,
Provost of NUS said:
“The new fees remain very competitive with international
programmes of distinction. The Ministry of Education will continue
to subsidise the larger part of the University’s operating and
capital costs.”
NTU used the same reason and explained that “those in Business
programmes pay higher fees because of its seminar-style format with
extensive projects, which leads to higher operation and manpower
costs.”
Though the state media is quick to highlight the increase in the
fees for PRs and foreigners as well to “better differentiate” them
from citizens, there was no mention if the number of scholarships
awarded to foreigners by the three varsities will remain the
same.
Singapore has been most generous to foreign students seeking to
further their tertiary education in its universities especially if
they are from China and India.
A myriad of scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education
and various organizations cater to the needs of these foreign
students with a number of them requiring no bonds.
Some like the Khoo Teck Phuat scholarship covers the tuition
fees for the entire duration of study and includes accommodation
and living allowances as well.
On the other hand, Singapore students have to borrow from the
bank to finance their tertiary studies and some have to work
part-time in order to support themselves.
Upon graduation, they will have to compete with foreign student
scholars as well as cheap foreign workers for limited jobs in the
market.
The foreign students have no outstanding bank loans and need not
serve National Service thereby enabling them to get a headstart in
life.
After earning enough money in Singapore, they can always choose
to return back to their native countries like China and India while
locals remain stuck here.
The discriminatory policies that the PAP has perpetuated against
Singaporeans are unlikely to change much unless they are voted out
of office.
In other developed countries like Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, Japan and South Korea, their governments will always take
care of their own citizens first and foreigners last.
The order seems to be reversed in Singapore. It’s time for
the PAP to change its name to “Foreigner Action Party” to better
reflect its tremendous “contributions” to foreigners working,
studying and living in Singapore.
- Temasek Review
