School fee hike may prompt more
foreigners to take up citizenship
By Maggie Chong & Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia
| Posted: 21 December 2009 2113
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Students in Singapore (file picture)
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School
fee hike may prompt more foreigners to take up
citizenship
SINGAPORE: Parents in Singapore have mixed views about the
Education Ministry's move to raise school fees for permanent
residents and foreigners.
Some schools told MediaCorp on Monday that the changes may
encourage more foreigners to apply for citizenship before their
children start schooling.
From 2011, permanent residents and foreigners will pay higher
school fees. While Singaporean parents support the move, they said
the fee hike should also take into consideration the income level
of non-Singaporeans.
"Of course, it's good news for Singaporeans, but
they should put a cap to the fee increment. Times are bad and
everyone is under a lot of pressure," one parent said.
Non-citizens have mixed views about the changes. "I think it is
right to increase the fees because the school's expenditure and
teachers' salaries are high," one of them told
MediaCorp.
Another said: "I think the increase is too much – it's more
than 100 per cent. I feel it's unfair."
Local schools said non-Singaporean parents generally understand the
need for the fee revision.
Lee Hui Feng, principal of Nanyang Primary School, said: "They do
see the rationale behind the hikes in school fees and I think as
compared to the school fees of the international school, we are
still lower, way lower.
"I think they do see the value of our education system and they
hold high regards for our education system. To the parents, it's
really good investment for the children."
But with school fees almost tripling by 2012, some foreigners said
they will have to consider if they should stay or
go.
