Summarized from Straits Times
11 December 2014
BY SANDRA DAVIE SENIOR EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT
More bright students are forgoing government scholarships that come with a four- to six-year bond to take up bond-free ones from local universities, private organisations and foundations.
Government scholarships came under the spotlight recently after Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) scientist Eng Kai Er started an arts grant, partly to protest against her six-year bond tying her to a job she was not interested in.
She was roundly criticised for wasting taxpayers’ money, but her case also sparked debate on whether people as young as 18 should be made to commit themselves to a bond.
The preference for no-bond scholarships could explain why applications for the prestigious Public Service Commission scholarships – which lead to top civil service jobs – have plateaued in the last four years at between 2,000 and 2,500 yearly.
This despite the bond period being reduced from six to four years for those doing their first degree here before heading overseas for a master’s degree.
sandra@sph.com.sg
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