International Students Educated at Private Institutions

Ms Mary Liew asked the Minister for Education (a) how many international students have been educated at private institutions in the last five years; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider including a requirement for educational institutions to provide international student accommodation with decent living conditions.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Data on international student enrolment is collated through annual submission of data by registered Private Education Institutions (PEIs) to the Council for Private Education (CPE) 15 . As the first annual reporting exercise for PEIs was launched in 2010, data for the total number of international students enrolled in the PEIs in the last five years is not available. The total cumulative enrolment for international students in PEIs in 2012 was 99,571.

International students who wish to study in Singapore have to make their own arrangements for accommodation. A wide range of housing options is available to them, and they are best placed to decide what would suit their individual needs, preferences and financial resources. To assist international students in their choice, student recruitment agents for PEIs are required to provide advice on accommodation and the cost of living in Singapore as part of their pre-course counselling services for international students 16 . PEIs are also encouraged to provide guidance on accommodation options for international students through their student support services.

In the circumstances, it is not necessary to require PEIs to provide accommodation for international students.

Note(s) to Question No(s) 32:

15 This is a statutory requirement under the Private Education Act, which came into force in 2009. As the transition period for PEIs to register with CPE was until 20 June 2011, a full set of data for PEIs was only available from 2011 onwards.

16 These requirements are part of the EduTrust framework. All PEIs that enrol international students on student passes are required to be EduTrust-certified.