Foreign varsities still a big draw for students

Foreign varsities still a big draw for students
By Amanda Lee, TODAY | Posted: 22 October 2012 0608 hrs

SINGAPORE: More students from Singapore have been heading to universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia in recent years, despite the growing plaudits for the Republic's education system and changes made to jazz up the tertiary sector here.

From 2008 to last year, the number of students from Singapore studying in the UK has grown by between 10 and 18 per cent each year.

This could be due to rising affluence coupled with smaller family sizes, the high quality of education of other countries, the strong Singapore dollar and students growing up in a globalised world, observers say.

The number of students who applied to study at a university in the US rose to 4,316 last year, from 3,039 in 2006.

Students TODAY spoke to said they chose to study abroad as they wanted a new learning experience in a different country.

Although she was offered a place in a local polytechnic after completing her O levels, Jac L chose to enrol in a university overseas.

"I was planning to go to a polytechnic, but it takes three years," said the 19-year-old.

"If I go to Australia, I would only need (to take) one year of foundation and then (I am able to) enter university.

"It is much faster and I don't have to go through the stressful and competitive education (system) in Singapore."

The second-year student at the University of New South Wales also felt that foreign universities are more internationally recognised and employers may view having "exposure" to a different environment as an asset.

Mr Kelly Koh, Director for Education at the British Council in Singapore, pointed out that the duration of studies have bearing on students' decisions.

The typical three-year undergraduate programmes with honours and the one-year master's courses in the UK "have always been an attraction" as they have impact on cost both financial and opportunity cost, he said.

"Other factors include the quality of student support, and even issues like the ease of obtaining visas and possibly post-work employment," he added. - TODAY



- wong chee tat :)