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.