Review of Income Limit for Financial Assistance Scheme

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education whether the Ministry is reviewing and raising the current gross household income limit of $1,500 for a household with one or two children to qualify for the Financial Assistance Scheme given to needy pupils in Government or Government-Aided schools.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: General education for Singaporeans is highly subsidised. The fees for Singaporeans in Government and Government-aided schools are $11, $21 and $28 per month for students at primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges/centralised institutes respectively.

Even so, we recognise that there will be Singaporean families who require financial assistance for their children's general education. To help these needy Singaporeans, the Ministry of Education has in place a Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) to help pay their school and standard miscellaneous fees, subsidise examination fees, and pay for basic schooling items such as textbooks and school attire. The scheme currently benefits 42,430 Singaporeans.

To supplement the FAS, school-based assistance is available to students who require additional financial assistance for expenses which may not be covered by the FAS, such as transport, or for those who do not meet the income criteria of the FAS. In the period from 2009 to 2011, each school was given between $20,000 and $40,000 towards this end.

In addition, the Opportunity Fund was set up in 2006 to help students from low-income families purchase their own personal computers and to subsidise enrichment programmes so that all students can participate in developmental opportunities offered by the school.

As with all schemes, the FAS is reviewed periodically. The scheme was last reviewed in 2009. Another review of the FAS is currently ongoing and the eligibility criteria of the Scheme will be looked at as part of this review.

I would like to take this opportunity to assure the House that no Singaporean child will be denied a quality education as a result of his or her family financial circumstances.

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