FOREIGN STUDENTS

Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Education (a) how many foreign students are currently in our schools; (b) how many such students were registered this year for 1999; and (c) for the Primary 1 registration, whether foreign students get to choose the schools they want and therefore compete with Singaporeans for places in the popular schools, or whether they are posted to schools by his Ministry after Singaporeans have completed the Phase 2C registration.

RAdm Teo Chee Hean: The total number of foreign students in our schools is 19,025 of which 9,381 are in primary schools, 8,508 in secondary schools and 1,136 in junior colleges and centralised institutes.

The number of students who have applied to MOE for admission to schools in 1999 is 2,533.

For the Primary 1 registration, foreign students are registered for schools after children who are Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents have been registered. Foreign students can only be registered in schools which still have Primary 1 vacancies and therefore will not compete with Singaporeans for places in the popular schools during the registration exercise.