FOREIGN STUDENTS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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FOREIGN STUDENTS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS: 2.

Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Education whether his Ministry will release data and information on the total number of foreign students in the primary and secondary schools from 2002 to 2004, to let local students and parents better understand the situation and dispel their fear.

The Minister of State for Education (Mr Chan Soo Sen) (for the Minister for Education): Sir, there are about 9,000 foreign students in our primary schools and another 9,500 in our secondary

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schools. These make up about 3% and 4.5% respectively of the student enrolment in each of the level. The proportion of foreign students in both the primary and secondary level has remained steady since 2002, that is, roughly 3% for primary schools and 4.5% for secondary schools.

I would like to say that the Ministry of Education ensures that there are sufficient places in our schools to cater to all Singaporeans and foreign students.

Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim: Since we have 3% in primary schools and 4.5% in secondary schools, I would like to ask whether the Minister of State would consider releasing data on the percentage of these foreign students in the top 5% and 10% cohort, in terms of the examination results.

Mr Chan Soo Sen: I wonder what is the purpose for doing so.

Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim: Among the parents, there is a fear that the students are not doing as well. So I feel that if we give more information to the parents, they will feel more assured. It is just like giving the data for the top 5% and 10% of the cohort, how many are foreign students. It will give an assurance to the parents that their children are doing equally well in the schools.

Mr Chan Soo Sen: I want to say that our students are doing equally well. The foreign students may do a little bit better. But that is because they are in smaller numbers. They choose to come here for their own reasons. So not surprisingly, they do a little bit better. Even in our top schools, the percentage of foreign students is also well within 5% or thereabout. The hon. Member mentioned about dispelling the fear. I do not really see where is the fear to dispel. My son studies in RI. This is one of the top schools, and he told me that there were

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foreign students. He said that it was a good thing. They are very good in Mathematics and Chinese. We must beat them in order to be Rafflesians. I said that is very good. It stimulates competition and, as a result, the academic standards of our schools go up. It shakes us out of this cocoon of complacency. So I would like to assure the hon. Member as well as our parents that having some foreign students, who are of good quality, are in fact a good thing for all of us.

Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim: Sir, I have a supplementary question and I would like to relate my own personal experience as opposed to his own personal experience. My niece studies in Woodlands Primary School and she comes back and tells me, "My classmates are foreign students. But the competition is not fair because the foreign student was originally from Primary 6 in Hong Kong and when she came to Singapore, she was in Primary 3 [the same as my niece]." To my niece, this foreign student already studied Mathematics, English and everything ---

Mr Deputy Speaker: Prof. Ong, what is your question?

Assoc. Prof. Ong Soh Khim: So there is a fear. I feel that more data is necessary.

Mr Chan Soo Sen: If I were the parent of the foreign student, I would say the system is not being fair to me. My child has finished Primary 6 PSLE . You have forced me to study Primary 3. Where is the justice? But they have accepted it because they have got certain objectives to fulfil. Our parents also have certain objectives to fulfil with regard to the educational objective of our children. Let us look at whether our expectation with respect to the educational objectives of our children is being fulfilled, instead of just comparing apples with oranges, and we will always be unhappy.