INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS (Financial support schemes)

Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of the various financial support schemes for independent school fees and the number of applications.

The Minister for Education (Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Education administers a financial support scheme to assist students in independent schools who need financial assistance to pay the school fees.

The income eligibility criteria for financial assistance are as follows:

(i) For full subsidy of school fees, the monthly household income should be $800 or less, or the household income per dependent child should be $400 or less; and

(ii) For half-subsidy of school fees, the monthly household income should be between $801 and $1,200, or the household income per dependent child should be between $401 and $600.

Sir, for 1990, a total of 402 students from the six independent schools, comprising 8.4% of the 4,785 pupils who have to pay the new fees, applied for financial assistance. 225 students were granted the full subsidy and 126 students were granted half subsidy of school fees. Of the 51 applicants who did not qualify for assistance, 39 students were granted assistance by the independent schools under the various schemes administered by the schools. In other words, 390 pupils or 97% of those applying were granted financial assistance either by the Government or directly by the schools.

In addition to the above financial assistance scheme, students in independent schools can also apply for assistance under the Secondary School Bursary Scheme and the Grant and Loan of Textbooks Scheme which are open to all secondary school students in Singapore. The Secondary School Bursary Scheme grants remission of school fees and an award of $120 per annum. The Grants and Loan of Textbooks Scheme helps pupils to get the textbooks which they need for their studies.

For 1990, 19 students from the six independent schools were awarded bursaries. No student applied for assistance under the Grant and Loan of Textbooks Scheme.

Mr Chng Hee Kok (Tiong Bahru GRC): Two supplementary questions, Sir. The first question is on the low level of applications. Does it not indicate that the means criterion is too stringent? The second question is if the Minister is confident that not many Singaporeans will apply for assistance, will he be more liberal with the criteria and raise the level of income?

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: Sir, with regard to the first question, the impression could be that the criterion is too strict or that not many pupils require assistance. With regard to the second question, the Ministry, together with the independent schools, keeps the situation under review all the time. I think for this year the situation is well in hand. But if the need arises, the Ministry will obviously review the scheme and raise the criteria if this is necessary.