Impact of Tuition Fee Increase at Institutes of Higher Learning on Quality of Teaching

Ms Ellen Lee asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the increase in tuition fees in our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) over the past few years have led to improvements in teaching quality and learning experience of all students and not just selected niche groups; (b) if so, what are these improvements; (c) whether the benefits are spread among all the programmes proportionately and, if so, what are the specific examples; and (d) how is IHL management held accountable if their staff cannot perform.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Tuition fee increases in the publicly-funded Universities and Polytechnics have been moderate over the years, and reflect the rising costs of providing tertiary education in Singapore. Between Academic Year (AY) 2008 and AY2012, fees for most university programmes went up by 4% per cohort, or 1.6% on an annualised basis. The exception was the AY2009 cohort, for whom fee increases applied only in the second year of studies because of the economic downturn. Polytechnic fees remained unchanged in AY2008 and AY2009, and were increased by $50 per year from AY2010 to AY2012.

To ensure the continued provision of quality education, the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) need to be able to attract and retain good faculty and teaching staff. They have to pay competitive salaries, as there is global demand for such talent among universities and other higher education institutions.

Our IHLs are conscious of the need to manage costs. They actively explore ways to streamline administration through process innovation and technology. They have also sought support from the private sector, in the form of donations, to help defray part of the higher cost of certain components such as overseas business study missions.

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Over the years, the IHLs have introduced initiatives to raise the quality of teaching and education for its students, and to equip them with the relevant skills to access the globalised workplace in the 21st century. These include:

(a) NUS' residential learning programme. This enhances the students' overall learning experience by offering many opportunities for mutual learning within and beyond the classroom, and building communities of intellectual inquiry and discourse. With the completion of the University Town this year, more NUS students have the opportunity to stay on campus for at least a year and reap the benefits of residential learning. NUS is also developing a writing and communication programme for its core undergraduate curriculum as one of the key 21st century workplace skills.

(b) New inter-disciplinary options, such as SMU's Public Policy and Public Management, and International and Asian Studies. These offer students a wider knowledge base to engage a more interconnected and complex world today.

(c) Opportunities to engage the global community. Our IHLs constantly offer new opportunities for students to participate in overseas industrial programmes and exchange programmes. For example, NTU students can spend one semester taking lessons and as interns in emerging economies such as India, China, and Vietnam.

All IHLs have systems in place to monitor and maintain teaching standards. Universities have their own centres for teaching to help staff improve their teaching techniques and to introduce innovative pedagogy. In NUS, for example, new faculty and teaching staff go through an induction programme conducted by the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning to pick up the essential pedagogical skills. Formed three years ago, the NUS Teaching Academy brings together top teachers to drive further developments in teaching and learning.

The IHLs conduct students' surveys to monitor the teaching quality in their programmes. MOE also convenes an external review panel to assess the institutions' systems and teaching approaches. Recommendations by the panel are used by the IHLs to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

While these various programmes have been useful in enhancing the quality of teaching, our IHLs are continuing to work on improving the quality of learning and university experience.