Parliamentary Replies
Places for Programmes in Publicly-Funded Universities
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Ms Ellen Lee, MP for Sembawang GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the principles and guidelines in calibrating the number of places for each programme in our three publicly-funded universities and whether these are changed each year prior to an intake; (b) whether there is a quota for each of these programmes and, if so, whether the quotas are usually filled up; and (c) whether there will be a review of these principles and guidelines and, if so, why and when will the review be published.
Response
Each year, MOE works closely with the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and other economic agencies under the aegis of the National Manpower Council (NMC) to plan the total number and distribution of publicly-funded degree places across broad discipline clusters.
The NMC takes into account the overall manpower needs by different industry sectors and student preferences. This process ensures good employment prospects for the students upon graduation, and offers opportunities that meet the different interests and abilities of our students.
Based on the broad parameters set by the Ministries, universities decide on their programme offerings and intake targets, after taking into consideration the number of faculty, the availability of facilities, and the optimal class size to run a programme without compromising the quality of the student’s educational experience. The universities have generally been able to meet their intake targets.
MOE periodically undertakes reviews to determine the overall provision of publicly-funded university places and the appropriate balance of places across various disciplines. Most recently, the Committee on University Education Pathways chaired by Minister of State (Defence and Education) Mr Lawrence Wong was established to examine how the university sector could better provide opportunities for more Singaporeans to benefit from a university education. The Committee expects to finalise and submit its recommendations to the Government by end-2012.