Ensuring Educational Institutions Manage Resources Well

Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Education (a) what controls does the Ministry have in place to ensure that institutions of education manage their resources, teaching staff and facilities such that they are sufficient to support their student populations; (b) what are the guidelines on enrolment numbers and student population growth to ensure that the students' learning experience is not compromised; and (c) whether the Ministry or Council for Private Education is aware of and approves of lessons being conducted in temporary tents in the case of LASALLE College of the Arts.

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The Senior Minister of State for Education (Mr Lawrence Wong) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, our publicly-funded Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have the responsibility and autonomy to manage their own resources to meet the educational needs of their students. They are held accountable through Annual Performance Reviews and five-yearly Quality Assurance Reviews carried out by external panels appointed by the MOE. MOE also works with the IHLs to plan their annual student intake and enrolment, taking into account the manpower needs of the economy and the capacity of the institutions.

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All Private Education Institutions (PEIs) have to comply with requirements in the Private Education (PE) Act, which include ensuring the adequacy and relevance of facilities for students' learning needs.

In the case of LASALLE, we understand that it had embarked on plans in early 2012 to expand its teaching and learning spaces to create a conducive environment for its students. However, there was a slight delay to the works, and the tentage was a temporary measure to accommodate the students while renovations were being completed. The tentage has been removed since 3 September 2012.

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