1. Why Study In Singapore?
Only you can answer this question. However, in order to do so, you need to know the facts. If you are very rich, have attained good examination scores and would like study in universities such as Harvard or Cambridge, then Singapore is clearly out of the league. However, if finance and quality education are key considerations, then Singapore will be an excellent place of study.
The above paragraph is a general and candid answer to why you should study in Singapore. This does not mean that there are no top ‘World Top 25 University Programmes’ offered in Singapore. There are a few actually (please see link below). However, these are the exceptions to the rule.
In brief, here are some reasons why you should study in Singapore:
Reason 1: Quality Education
Reason 2: Safety
Reason 3: Affordability
Reason 4: Proactive Government (that will take care of you)
Reason 5: Efficient Transportation System
For 10 good reasons why you should study in Singapore, please see the link:
Why Study In Singapore
2. Government Or Private School?
So should you study at a government school or a private school?
Well, if you are referring to government universities like National University of Singapore or Nanyang Technological University – then frankly, choose the government university. This is because the government universities are the toughest for Singaporeans to get a place into, and if you have gotten a place there, you can be considered to be a top-notched student. Why should you settle for a private university when most Singaporeans would prefer a place in the government university? (However, do read the last paragraph before forming a lasting impression of what is said here.)
If you are referring to a primary or secondary school, then this really depends on your preferences. An International School might be a better choice for some, especially if you want a broad based Western education experience. This does not mean that the education system in Singapore for primary and secondary students is somewhat inferior. It simply boils down to a question of choice. If you are a European who believes that the process of education and test scores are not a real indication of education to you, then choose non-government schools like International Schools of European countries (or America). However, if you are an Asian, you may very well prefer the Singapore system because of similar education expectations and standards.
Singapore has a wide list of private schools and you should not think that a government institution is therefore better than a private institution. This is not true. Some of the best educational institutions run here are owned by non-government entities. For example, private institutions that can offer hospitality courses with real world experience and advice may be better than the universities. The point is this – it boils down to you. Ask yourself about your needs, your finances, your exam scores, the programme you would like to pursue, how the school can concretely aid you in achieving your ambition and other factors. These should be your real considerations.
3. Signs That Say A School Is Good
Simply put, a few indicators may suggest that a school is good. Firstly, a Singapore private school that recruits international students must possess CaseTrust which is an award given by CASE (Consumers Association of Singapore). It is a minimum benchmark that all schools should attain in administrative and other procedures/ processes. Note that a CaseTrusted organization allows its clients to make complaints direct to CaseTrust in the event of a dispute. Secondly, schools with SQC may be a safer bet for you to enrol in. SQC stands for Singapore Quality Class and is awarded to schools for overall business excellence. For SQC, schools are assessed on 7 categories: Leadership, Planning, Information, People, Processes, Customers and Results. Note that a school with CaseTrust might not have SQC but a school with SQC will almost definitely be CaseTrusted.
It should be noted that neither CaseTrust nor SQC can guarantee a student that a school is good or will remain so. Perhaps, it would be a better idea for you to take a short course in the school of your choice first before you enrol for a much longer programme. This gives you a feel of how things really are at the school. It will allow you to interact with students who have been studying at the school for over a year and would know whether the school is really good. If this option is not possible, then enquire from as many students as possible in your hometown about the schools they have been studying at. That might be a better gauge.
For a greater insight into choosing a good school in Singapore, please see the link:
How Do I Know Whether A School Is Really School
4. Why Mastering Basic English Is Necessary
A basic mastery of the English language is crucial if you want to study in Singapore. This is true whether you are assessed in your course through examinations or written assignments. Those who have yet to master the English language would not have the confidence or the verbal agility to write opinions that are originally theirs. I guess weak learners will probably model their sentences and paragraphs after the books they read. Can such a work ever attain good grades?
The above paragraph clearly argues that a basic mastery of written English is crucial but what about a basic mastery of spoken English? In my opinion, all students studying in Singapore (in English) must master basic spoken English too. How would a student who has yet to master spoken English ever engage in a real discussion with his teachers and tutors? How would he clarify his doubts and find answers to his questions? Ultimately, we are living in the era of globalization and a student who can speak English confidently has a higher price tag in the job market.
There are many language schools in Singapore that offer English language courses. Perhaps the most popular school in Singapore which has succeeded in empowering its students with mastery of spoken languages is Cambridge School of Languages. Privately run, its student base even includes employees from the Singapore government ministries/agencies. Cambridge School of Languages boasts that it can help students master basic spoken English or any other language in 2 months.
5. Popular Adult Education Courses In Singapore
What are the most popular courses in Singapore? Well, this is a difficult question to answer. In order to answer this question accurately, we would need the knowledge of all the courses that are offered by all schools and the number of students that have enrolled for every course. No school will ever release this confidential information. Hence, Schools.com.sg has relied on other indicators (which we will not reveal) to estimate the popular fields of study in Singapore.
After the ordeal of the exercise, the following are our findings about the most fields of study in Singapore. They are:
1 st place: MBA
2 nd place: Business Studies
3 rd place: Engineering
4 th place: Finance/Accounting/Banking
5 th place: IT/Computer Studies
6. Furthering Your Studies
So should you further your studies and explore the pathways in education? Well, to find the answer to this question, you need to know what the end goal is for you. Do you possess a clear plan about your life and career? If you do not, it would be difficult for anyone to advise you.
For the sake of gaining more insight, let’s assume that you want to be a kindergarten teacher. In Singapore, you need to possess either a Certificate in Preschool Teaching or a Diploma in Preschool Teaching. It is therefore not necessary for you to have a Degree to start teaching at a preschool. Hence, if you want to be a preschool teacher, then you should work as a teacher right after getting your diploma. What about your degree? Well, you can pursue a part-time degree while working. This makes your study more meaningful as you would be able to engage with your lecturers on real problems faced in the preschool. However, for other professions like becoming a teacher in a primary or secondary school, a Diploma in Education may not be enough. In this case, you should consider completing your Degree programme before you start teaching at the school.
Note the difference in the advice given to an aspiring preschool teacher and an aspiring primary school teacher. The answers are highly dependent on the reality of the professions you intend to take on. There are no textbook answers to the question of furthering your studies. You must take into consideration the circumstances of your current life, the requirements of your profession and possibilities for furthering your studies. In Sinagpore, a Primary School teacher with only a Diploma in Education who intends to take a degree programme must take study leave to attain this goal. To complete a part-time privately-run Degree programme does not add any financial value to his income. This is because his paymaster, the Ministry of Education will only officially recognize and increase the salaries of teachers who upgrade from a Diploma to a Degree if they pursue a two-year Degree programme at National Institute of Education. In the past, some teachers who had failed to realize the reality became disappointed when they did not receive any official recognition from MOE or a pay rise after completing a privately-run degree programme.
So the golden rules on furthering your studies are:
- Analysing the realities and requirements of your career
- Accepting the circumstances of your life
- Strategising the furthering of your studies in ways that are recognized
7. Pathways In Education
The following diagram shows the general education pathways of local Singaporean students. It is mainly based on the flow of local students from and to government schools and institutions.
However, alternative education pathways are available in Singapore for both local and international students.
To qualify for an undergraduate programme, a student requires to show proof of his proficiency in the English language. In addition to this, he is required to provide evidence that he is intellectually ready for a university education. There are 4 ways in which he can do this:
University Preparatory Course
Some universities accept ‘O’ level graduates or students with other qualifications as their potential undergraduate students. These students are then required to undergo the university’s preparatory course which will allow the students to attain a qualification that is equivalent to a pre-university qualification like the ‘A’ levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme.
Pre-university education
There are numerous pre-university education qualifications that are offered worldwide. The most well-known qualification in Singapore is the ‘A’ levels examination. If you have a pre-university qualification, check with the school of your interest to see whether it will allow you entry into an undergraduate programme. Do not be surprised if the school officer may not have heard of the qualification you have. In such an event, get the officer’s email address and email him more information about your pre-university qualification (with internet links provided).
Diplomas
If you have a Diploma, you would probably qualify for an undergraduate programme. However, you need to provide the school with a copy of the transcripts so as to determine whether you will gain credit points for exemption for some modules.
Alternative Routes
Different universities have different entry requirements for the undergraduate programmes. Some universities may accept prospective students into their undergraduate programmes even if they do not possess diplomas, pre-university qualification or even without attending a university preparatory course. However, they may conduct an interview to ascertain the suitability of the candidate. Sometimes an entry test is given so as to ensure that the prospective student is capable of undergoing a university education.
This phenomenon is due to two main reasons. Firstly, there are various strategies of ascertaining whether a student is qualified for an undergraduate programme. Some universities recognize that matured students (ie, those above 35 years of age) or those with a few years of working experience have gained from their working or life experience. This may even allow such students exemption a direct entry into the programme. The second factor is dependent on the type of course you are applying for. Some courses require years of formal schooling like medicine. However, others like Hospitality and Business Studies may be learnt through employment or even by a student setting up his own business. For this reason, some universities are willing to even accept Diploma holders directly into their MBA programme if they can prove they have adequate learning experience in the business world.
8. Working & Studying
As an international student, can you work and study at the same time in Singapore? Well, in essence, you cannot. This is because any foreigner wanting to work in Singapore must possess an employment pass which is issued by the Ministry of Manpower (see www.mom.gov.sg for more details). As an international student, you will possess a Student Pass and this does not entitle you to work in Singapore. If caught, an employer who employs a foreigner without a valid employment pass may be jailed for this offence. Hence, if you are hoping to gain employment in Singapore illegally, don’t even try.
There are a few exceptions to this rule though. If you have seen advertisements of “Study and Work” schemes, there may be some truth here. Some schools value attachment to employers as part of the students’ educational journey. This provides them with useful and practical know-how rather than just academic theory. However, the attachments must be approved by the Singapore authorities. At best, you would be able to study for “free” or at a discount in Singapore in the sense that the fees you have paid upfront to the school can be earned months later. However, there are other costs like the cost of living, transportation, etc that you must consider.
So how do you know whether the advertisement or agent which promises a work-and-study scheme is telling the truth? Ask yourself a simple question – is a job attachment an important or even possible aspect of your course? For example, can students studying Law ever have a job attachment as a lawyer? This is logically improbable. Hence, anyone promising you a course in studying Law and employment at the same time sounds dishonest. However, courses such as Hospitality may require students to practically learn skills taught through attachment. The best way to find out the truth is to call up the school direct and ask for details about the work and study scheme. If you are still in doubt and you have enough guts to be a nuisance, then, take a risk and call up some of the companies/persons/agents/employers mentioned (in your phone conversation with the school) so as to check whether students are really attached and paid. You would probably be a nuisance to them and do expect curt responses.
9. Libraries & Research
As a first world country, doing research in Singapore is relatively easy. For research to be undertaken, a researcher must have access to a world of information. Libraries would therefore be heaven to researchers. With over 140 libraries in Singapore (visit www.las.org.sg for more information), researchers should not find it difficult to gain access to their required fields of knowledge. However, it must be noted that niche areas of research will render most libraries of the world inadequate.
The public libraries of Singapore (visit www.nlb.gov.sg for more information) are the most known and popular to Singaporeans. Opened daily from morning/afternoon till 9pm at night (with exception of public holidays), the public libraries would make a good place for studying too. Once upon a time, studying was not allowed in the public libraries. Genuine users of the libraries had complained that with these studying students conquering the libraries, they were hindered from making good use of the library materials and resources. Alternative areas for studying were recommended to students, like the community centres. Today, the public libraries have accommodated these studying students. However, the priority for the use of tables, chairs and other items in the library would be given to genuine library users who need to refer to the library materials.
The fee to become a member is affordable, in fact, very affordable. Membership fee is only S$10.50 per year. To register, bring along your passport and student pass (with at least a remaining validity for 3 months). Then you can borrow 4 books for a period of 21 days. If you would like to borrow DVDs, VCDs, CDs, video tapes and CD ROMs home, you would be required to pay an additional fee of S$21.00 per year. As a Premium member, you will be allowed to borrow 4 such audio-visual materials for 7 days.
Foreign students who give the public libraries a miss are simply missing out on a huge opportunity to a world of good books and places for research. Yet it is unfortunate that many foreign students do not take full advantage of the public libraries in Singapore. So my advice to you is simply this - if you are going to study in Singapore, for heavens’ sake, be a member of the National library. (visit www.nlb.gov.sg) (PS. By the way, I am not getting paid by the library board for this article. Just want you guys to study smart and effectively.)
10. Related Government Organisations
The government organizations that are concern about international students studying here are:
The Ministry of Education (MOE)
The Ministry of Education of Singapore takes interest in students from all over the world.. MOE is a force to be reckoned with as it has full control over all Government-related schools and the registry of all private schools. With the Singapore vision of being the foremost education hub in the region, MOE’s by-no-means-small-task of directing all schools towards excellence is both complex and challenging.
You would be very interested in MOE for many reasons as MOE is directly involved in the approval of courses, the inspection of schools, the regulations governing hostels and international students’ admissions and many more. You may wish to communicate with MOE to make suggestions of how some regulations be improved. To learn more about MOE, please visit www.moe.edu.sg.
Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE)
The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) is an organization that has helped many companies and schools maintain high standards in its administration and execution. No school is allowed to recruit international students if it fails to acquire CaseTrust, an award given by CASE to companies and schools that have shown excellence it’s their administration and execution.
You would be interested in contacting CASE if you have a valid complaint against the school you are studying at. It may be related to the school fees or simply unfulfilled promises by the school to you or something else. Do explore CASE’s website: www.case.org.sg.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority ( ICA )
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is the government agency that is in-charge of Student Passes for international students. ICA functions to keep Singapore secure by ensuring that foreigners who enter Singapore have valid documents to do so. Hence, the ICA officers are the first people you meet on entering Singapore.
You may be required to contact ICA if your Student Pass expires or if you have lost your student pass. Do explore their website to find out more about them (http://app.ica.gov.sg/index.asp)
Ministry Of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is the ministry in charge of promoting the interests of Singapore all around the world. Therefore, its embassies and consulates are the face of Singapore seen all over the world. Likewise, any country that interacts with Singapore would normally meet up with MFA first.
If a serious problem arises concerning your friends or you, your embassy will liase with ICA and MFA about this. Hence, a knowledge about MFA is important to you. Visit www.mfa.gov.sg for more information.
