Most students here start their tertiary
education either after getting a diploma or after completing the A
levels.
But for the past eight years, local educational
consultants Jack Study Abroad (JSA) have been offering a different
path - one that allows students to take their first steps into
university when they are as young as 16.
The home-grown consultancy company links students with
foreign institutions to enrol into foundation year programmes,
effectively bypassing the need for pre-university education
here.
Division manager Reyn Teng told The New Paper that
universities in Australia and the UK have started such programmes
for students here because of Singapore's excellent education
system.
Said Miss Teng: "Many institutions overseas realise
Singaporean students have substance because our education system is
very mature."
In addition to introducing students to these schools,
Jack Study Abroad also helps students to find accommodation for
their foundation year.
Students attend lessons that introduce them to basic
concepts in their chosen field. At the end of the programme, the
school examines the student's academic performance. If they pass,
they can proceed to the first year in that university's standard
curriculum.
"Most of the students we refer pass the foundation year
requirement and continue their studies," said Miss Teng.
"It saves them time, they move on to university and get
to graduate faster. For the boys, they can come home to serve
national service first and jump straight back to where they left
off in university."
But she said it was important for students to discuss
options with parents.
Jack Study Abroad might offer spots in courses like
law, medicine and business, but students have to be sure of their
choices.
Miss Teng said what they choose is not just for the
foundation year - it is a commitment for the next four to five
years of their lives.
She added that parents play an integral role in this
decision-making process.
She said: "Students need to be very clear when they
pick their foundation programme. We help them decide what the right
fit for them is but they should still come with their parents and
discuss it with them."
Sending children to study overseas isn't cheap. Miss
Teng said the tuition fees alone for an Australian university can
fall between $19,000 and $31,000 a year.
Consultations with Jack Study Abroad are free, said
managing director Kevin Li.
It makes its earnings from the universities that fund
the company.
Miss Teng said that an average of 700 students each
year have found a spot in a university, thanks to the
consultancy.
She said: "There will always be a market because
Singaporean parents value education highly.
"They will always want to provide the best for their
children."
TNP