Universities and Polytechnics
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mdm Halimah Yacob
MP for Jurong GRC
Question
To ask the Acting Minister for Education
(a) what is the percentage of Singaporean students studying in the local universities and polytechnics who have taken up loans to finance their education;
(b) whether this number is increasing or decreasing;
(c) how many have difficulties paying back the loans after graduation; and
(d) what other schemes are available to help needy students.
Response
For Academic Year 2002/2003, about 32% of Singaporean students studying in our local universities took up a tuition fee loan to finance up to 80% of their cost of university education. 5% of them also took up an additional study loan to finance the remaining 20% of the cost of university education and living allowance. The additional study loan is available to needy students whose family income is within the MCDS mean tested income limit for public assistance.
2 For polytechnic students, about 6% took up the tuition fee loan and 0.1% took up additional study loan in Academic Year 2002/2003.
3 Between Academic Years 2000 and 2002, we have seen a slight increase in the number of students taking up a loan to finance their higher education. The number of students taking up tuition fee loans increased from 8,903 to 9,000 at university level and from 2,356 to 2,650 at polytechnic level during the period. The number of students taking up an additional study loan increased from 860 to 1,376 at the university level and from 32 to 51 at the polytechnic level over the same period.
4 As at30 Jun 2003, the number of university graduates with outstanding loans number 15,854. About 1% of them (151) have difficulties in paying back their loans. Amongst polytechnic graduates with outstanding loans, who number 4674, about 3% (135) have difficulty repaying their loans.
5 Other schemes available to help needy students include the Citizens’ Consultative Committee University/Polytechnic Bursary, Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy, University/Polytechnic Administered Bursary Schemes and Loan Schemes.
Independent Schools
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Ms Braema Mathiaparanam (NMP)
Question
To ask the Acting Minister for Education:
(a) how many secondary school students received financial assistance to pay their school fees while studying at the independent schools in the last three years;
(b) what is the general socio-economic profile of students in our independent schools for 2002, as gathered from their pupil data forms; and
(c) what steps has the ministry put in place to ensure that a talented child, from a less well-off home, does not fight shy of listing an independent school as a first choice school after his Primary School Leaving Examinations.
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mdm Halimah Yacob ( MP for Jurong GRC)
Question
To ask the Acting Minister for Education in the light of the recent announcement by some independent schools to increase their fees
(a) what assurance is there that students from needy families can continue to afford these fees; and
(b) what assistance is being provided to needy students.
Response
Socio-economic profile of students in ISs
1 About 50% of Singaporean students in Independent Schools live in HDB flats in 2002. About 17% live in 4-room HDB flats or smaller.
Steps to ensure access to IS for eligible students from lower-income homes
2 4,400 or 2 in 5 Singaporean students in the Independent Schools receive MOE scholarships . These students only need to pay the amount of school fees and standard miscellaneous fees payable by students in the government and government-aided schools (currently $12 per month). They will therefore not be affected by the increase in fees in some of the independent schools. Information on these scholarships is well publicised, for example in the Secondary Schools Selection Guide issued to all Primary 6 students.
3 MOE also has in place a financial assistance scheme to help deserving students to defray the higher school fees in Independent Schools. Over the last three years, there was an average of about 600 Singaporean students receiving financial assistance in independent schools. This constitutes 5.4% of Singaporean students in Independent Schools in 2003.
4 If the students are not eligible for MOE Financial Assistance Scheme or need additional financial assistance, they can approach their schools. The Independent Schools each have their own internal financial assistance schemes and will also help source for support from community organisations to help needy students.
5 MOE is committed to ensure that no deserving student is deprived of an education in an Independent School because he cannot afford the higher fees charged.
School Counsellors
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan
MP for Hong Kah GRC
Question
To ask the Acting Minister for Education
(a) what is the number of students who sought the help of school counsellors for the years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 for the primary and secondary schools and junior colleges;
(b) whether there are any guidelines or rules regarding the number of qualified counsellors for each school; and
(c) whether schools are allowed to use only teachers to double-up as counsellors for students.
Response
(a) MOE started data collection on counselling in 2001. In 2001, 2% of primary, 4.9% of secondary and 1.6% of students from JCs and CIs were referred for counselling. Overall, 3.1% of the student population received counselling. Based on the counselling cases reported by schools in 2003, 2% of primary, 5% of secondary and 3% of students from JCs and CIs were referred for counselling. Overall, about 3.3% of the student population received counselling . Two thirds of these students were seen by school personnel including Teacher Counsellors and a third were referred to MOE’s specialists and external professionals. In recent years some schools have observed an increase in self-referrals by students and parents seeking counselling help for their children.
(b) Schools have been advised that only qualified and experienced counsellors are engaged to work with pupils. Counsellors should be trained in guidance and counselling, and have appropriate qualifications such as a diploma or degree in counselling, psychology or related areas. The number of external counsellors for a school is however determined by the school itself, based on its resources and the needs of its students.
(c) Counselling support in schools comprises a number of tiers. Support may be provided both by trained teachers as well as external counsellors engaged by the school. All teachers are trained in basic counselling skills so that they can provide basic counselling to pupils in need, as first-line caregivers. Pupils with more difficult problems can be referred to Teacher Counsellors (TCs) of which there are two in each school. TCs are trained in more advanced counselling and crisis intervention skills. Pupils with more serious problems are referred to the MOE appointed School Counsellors or external professional counsellors who are engaged by the school. Further support is given by the guidance specialists and educational psychologists in MOE, who provide direct counselling to pupils and assist with making referrals to appropriate agencies, such as the Child Guidance Clinic and Family Service Centres.
