TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Education, in view of the large number of our students going abroad to study in tertiary institutions, if he will consider allowing some reputable tertiary institutions to start twinning programmes in Singapore to reduce the inconvenience and expense to our local students.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Some private organisations in Singapore are already offering various modes of degree programmes in collaboration with foreign universities. They include correspondence courses, distance-learning courses, external degree programmes and open university degree programmes, and can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis.

A twinning programme involves a formal agreement between a local institution and a particular overseas university to run a split-site programme in which students undertake the first part of the programme in the local institution and then proceed to the overseas university for the final part of the programme. Although there is no formal twinning arrangement, various universities overseas allow our polytechnic graduates advanced placement in their degree programmes.

The Ministry is studying carefully whether it is necessary and desirable to further facilitate the offer of foreign degree programmes to Singapore students, bearing in mind that the two local universities and four polytechnics will already cater for 60% of each age cohort of students. In addition, many students prefer to study overseas for personal and other reasons. The graduate output must be guided by our manpower demands and befit the structure of our economy, including our regionalisation efforts, to minimise graduate unemployment or under-employment in the future. The quality and standard of education in Singapore must be maintained.