Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Education in respect of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (a) what is the current composition of the undergraduate student population, segmented between Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and others; (b) how many of the foreign students are self-paying and how many are on scholarship; (c) how are the scholarships funded; and (d) what are the terms of the scholarships awarded to foreign students.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) was established to provide a high-quality educational pathway for students who are talented both academically and musically, and to support Singapore's development as a top global city. It aims to attract and groom talented musicians from Singapore and the region who would contribute further to the development of the Arts in Singapore.

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Currently, Singaporeans comprise one-fifth of YSTCM's intake of about 50 students per year, with international students (IS) forming the rest. This trend of a high proportion of IS is also seen in many top conservatories around the world, such as the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins and the Royal College of Music in the UK.

The YSTCM continuously strives to attract more Singaporean students. In fact, the offer rates for Singaporean applicants are currently higher than that for non-Singaporean applicants.

With the increased opportunities and pathways available for Singaporeans to pursue music at the pre-tertiary level, such as the expansion of the Music Elective Programme and the establishment of the School of the Arts, we expect the pool of Singaporean talent qualifying for YSTCM to grow.

All students enrolled in YSTCM are on some form of scholarship. These scholarships are mainly funded from the income of the Conservatory's endowment which has been built up from donations. All IS are required to serve a three-year service obligation.