24 August 2019

Most students from poor families studying at the universities and polytechnics can look forward to a substantial reduction of their tuition fees, as well as an increase in the bursary amounts.

Once the higher bursary is implemented, polytechnic students who come from the lowest 20 per cent of household income groups will pay no more than $150 of the $2,900 annual fees.

At the university level, the most needy students will pay only $2,000 a year.

Government bursaries for new and existing medical and dentistry undergraduates will also be increased, with the 20 per cent least well-off students having to pay only $5,000 a year.

Around 21,000 undergraduates, including those from medicine, are expected to benefit from the bursaries.

23 August 2019

Graduates from the Institute of Technical Education will be given more opportunities to upgrade themselves. By the year 2030, all Nitec graduates from ITE will have the chance to attain a higher qualification.

Currently, close to half of Nitec graduates upgrade through Higher Nitec courses at ITE, while the rest upgrade through diploma programmes at the polytechnics and ITE.

The increased opportunities will benefit the group of ITE graduates who currently do not progress beyond their Nitec qualification. To support them, the Ministry of Education will provide more places in a range of programmes, such as ITE’s SkillsFuture Work-Study Diplomas and full-time Higher Nitec courses.

Annually, Higher Nitec courses will be able to admit 860 more students, while the work-study diploma course will have the capacity for 580 more students. The polytechnics will also add 290 more places for working adults in their diploma courses.

The MOE said that ITE’s Nitec qualification prepares students to work in the relevant sectors, but as Singapore’s economy transforms, industries will demand deeper skills.

22 August 2019

Mr Clarence Ching, a former Normal (Academic) student, found himself drawn to the discussions on inequality and social mobility that took place in Singapore last year.

After some thought and research, and based on his own experience as a student, he decided to start a non-profit organisation, Access.

Access, which will be registered as a non-profit organisation by October this year, gives secondary school students from disadvantaged backgrounds access to office tours, career workshops and short attachments with companies.

Mr Ching, who holds a diploma in business and social enterprise from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said that disadvantaged students face a “social capital gap”, or a lack of access to networks and opportunities that arise from being better off.

Access’ pilot run in June involved a group of 19 students, mostly in Secondary 3, from Northbrooks Secondary School and Sembawang Secondary School.

Mr Ching said nearly 20 companies from the media, technology and healthcare sectors have expressed interest to host students, and he is looking for more.

20 August 2019

The Singapore University of Social Sciences has turned to big data to tackle the high attrition rate of its adult learners.

Using predictive analytics, SUSS can assess if a student is at risk of dropping out, even before the student begins schooling.

Its algorithm analyses as many as 85 data points, such as past grades in secondary school or polytechnic, work experience, and students’ behaviour in submitting university assignments.

Some of the five schools at SUSS have used the data churned out by the university’s Business Intelligence and Analytics Unit to provide earlier and more targeted support for some students.

For instance, the School of Science and Technology set up a peer-mentoring network last year to help freshmen in its part-time programmes who need more help to adjust to university.

Associate Professor Sylvia Chong, project lead of the Business Intelligence and Analytics Unit, said the next phase is to measure how useful the analytics tool is for the different schools.

16 August 2019

The Singapore University of Social Sciences’ Law School is expanding the depth and the diversity of its intake of students.

Besides gradually increasing the number of entrants each year, SUSS’ Law School is taking in an increasing number of polytechnic graduates.

This year, the school admitted 29 applicants from polytechnics, out of an intake of 68 across the undergraduate course and Juris Doctor programme.

The school’s other applicants include degree holders, International Baccalaureate diploma holders, and A-level holders.

At SUSS Law School, the average age of students is the late 30s. They include working adults like counsellors, paralegals, police and prison officers, and social workers.

Students need a grade point average of at least 3.5 upon graduation to qualify as professional lawyers, just like law graduates from the National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University.

15 August 2019

To assist Singaporeans in deciding which course or skill to learn under the SkillsFuture national movement, the MySkillsFuture portal will be enhanced with artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide custom course and content recommendations.

Currently, the portal allows individuals to have access to various resources and information on industry insights, job roles and training courses.

The enhanced portal will enhance the range of digital offerings, in order to better cater to varied needs of individuals and employers.

Enterprises will also have a dedicated portal for their business needs, so as to provide easy access to relevant jobs and skills information, as well as resources such as self-help tools.

These new initiatives were announced recently at the third SkillsFuture Fellowships and SkillsFuture Employer Awards ceremony at Marina Bay Sands. It was attended by President Halimah Yacob and Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah.

14 August 2019

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day message that Singapore will face economic and existential threats as the world enters a “troubled period”.

On this front, the Government will continue to invest in Singaporeans to achieve their potential in the long term and help those with needs.

The Government intends to make education even more affordable, especially for lower- and middle-income families, as well as raise the retirement and re-employment ages for those who wish to work longer.

PM Lee added that each time the “world changed”, Singapore has managed to survive.

He said: “Each time, we reinvented and renewed our economy, our people and our city, and we thrived again. And this is what we must keep on doing.”

The workforce is also being reskilled and upgraded to be “future-ready”, he said, referring to how SkillsFuture initiatives are building up the skills of “tens of thousands of Singaporeans”, which will help workers to be more productive and employable, while preparing them for new jobs that are created.

13 August 2019

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung has clarified in Parliament that no Singaporean student is ever displaced from an institute of higher learning (IHL) because of the intake of foreign students.

Mr Ong said that the number of places in Singapore’s IHLs is planned with Singaporean students in mind. After admitting all Singaporeans who meet their standards, the IHLs then admit foreign students.

The minister said the annual education budget of about $13 billion is spent primarily on local students, through subsidies and financial aid to make education affordable. Annual government spending on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students has fallen by about 50 per cent over the past 10 years, Mr Ong said.

Highlighting the advantages of admitting foreign students into local IHLs, Mr Ong said they give Singaporean students opportunities to build bonds and networks with students from other countries.