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At a dialogue session with Indian youths yesterday (16 Jun) organised by the Singapore Indian Development Association or SINDA, DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the government wants to encourage PRs and those who intend to stay in Singapore for the long-term to attend local schools instead of international ones.
With regard to the need for international schools, Mr Tharman explained that part of Singapore’s competitiveness as a business centre is that expat children can have an uninterrupted education at quality international schools.
A youth at the session asked, “There’s already a bit of problem between the integration of the expats and Singaporeans, would these international schools develop more of these problems with integration?”
The key is striking the right balance, said Mr Tharman. He added the government does not intend to have unlimited growth in international schools in Singapore. Still, the government decided in August last year to release more land for international schools.
A fine piece of virgin land in Pasir Ris designated to be cleared for an international school has already met with resistance from residents living in the area. The residents had formed themselves into a committee, the Pasir Ris Greenbelt Committee, and sent a petition to DPM Teo Chee Hean to save the Woodlands Greenbelt at Pasir Ris Heights from being converted into an international school (‘Pasir Ris woodlands to be cleared for another Intl School for FTs‘).
Speaking to reporters after the forum, Mr Tharman said, “The composition is important. So we’re not keen on having too much expansion on schools that are only for one ethnic group or one nationality. That balance has to be found. To be more specific, we’re not growing the Indian school component on an unlimited basis at all. In fact, we’d like to ensure that we cap that capacity so that, that isn’t the growing segment basically.”
According to the website of Global Indian International School (GIIS) [Link], it has 3 campuses in Singapore:
GIIS Queenstown Campus
GIIS East Coast Campus at Cheviot Hill in Siglap
GIIS Balestier Campus (inaugurated by former Indian President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam)
According to a CNA report dated 3 April 2012 [Link], GIIS is keen to expand and have more campuses in Singapore.
Mr Tharman told the reporters, “Especially for those who are PRs and those who are here in Singapore for the long term, we want as much as possible that their children go through our national schools, so we’re finding the right balance, we’re not expanding all segments of the international school community equally.”
Still, it is not known how the Govt can ensure that children of PRs and long-term stayers will study at our national schools and not international ones. It is easier said than done.
One good example is new citizen Raj, originally from India. During an interview with The Online Citizen [Link], Raj revealed that only he in his family converted to Singaporean. His wife and daughter remain as PRs and his son is on student pass.
Raj said that if his son was a PR, he would need to serve NS. He preferred to “let his son decide if he wanted to put his roots down in Singapore or go back to India when he turns 21… We have friends who are from India as well as Singapore. My kids must grow up knowing their roots and our Indian culture, so we purposely go out of the way to stay connected with our friends from India, especially those from our own hometown… Living and adjusting to so many different races of people is a very big challenge.”
Raj chose to let both his children study at GIIS instead of a local school. One wonders if Raj’s children has problems integrating with Singaporeans. One also wonders why our ICA decided to give Raj Singapore citizenship, given that his heart is clearly very much with India.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/06/1...rs-long-term-stayers-to-attend-local-schools/
With regard to the need for international schools, Mr Tharman explained that part of Singapore’s competitiveness as a business centre is that expat children can have an uninterrupted education at quality international schools.
A youth at the session asked, “There’s already a bit of problem between the integration of the expats and Singaporeans, would these international schools develop more of these problems with integration?”
The key is striking the right balance, said Mr Tharman. He added the government does not intend to have unlimited growth in international schools in Singapore. Still, the government decided in August last year to release more land for international schools.
A fine piece of virgin land in Pasir Ris designated to be cleared for an international school has already met with resistance from residents living in the area. The residents had formed themselves into a committee, the Pasir Ris Greenbelt Committee, and sent a petition to DPM Teo Chee Hean to save the Woodlands Greenbelt at Pasir Ris Heights from being converted into an international school (‘Pasir Ris woodlands to be cleared for another Intl School for FTs‘).
Speaking to reporters after the forum, Mr Tharman said, “The composition is important. So we’re not keen on having too much expansion on schools that are only for one ethnic group or one nationality. That balance has to be found. To be more specific, we’re not growing the Indian school component on an unlimited basis at all. In fact, we’d like to ensure that we cap that capacity so that, that isn’t the growing segment basically.”
According to the website of Global Indian International School (GIIS) [Link], it has 3 campuses in Singapore:
GIIS Queenstown Campus
GIIS East Coast Campus at Cheviot Hill in Siglap
GIIS Balestier Campus (inaugurated by former Indian President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam)
According to a CNA report dated 3 April 2012 [Link], GIIS is keen to expand and have more campuses in Singapore.
Mr Tharman told the reporters, “Especially for those who are PRs and those who are here in Singapore for the long term, we want as much as possible that their children go through our national schools, so we’re finding the right balance, we’re not expanding all segments of the international school community equally.”
Still, it is not known how the Govt can ensure that children of PRs and long-term stayers will study at our national schools and not international ones. It is easier said than done.
One good example is new citizen Raj, originally from India. During an interview with The Online Citizen [Link], Raj revealed that only he in his family converted to Singaporean. His wife and daughter remain as PRs and his son is on student pass.
Raj said that if his son was a PR, he would need to serve NS. He preferred to “let his son decide if he wanted to put his roots down in Singapore or go back to India when he turns 21… We have friends who are from India as well as Singapore. My kids must grow up knowing their roots and our Indian culture, so we purposely go out of the way to stay connected with our friends from India, especially those from our own hometown… Living and adjusting to so many different races of people is a very big challenge.”
Raj chose to let both his children study at GIIS instead of a local school. One wonders if Raj’s children has problems integrating with Singaporeans. One also wonders why our ICA decided to give Raj Singapore citizenship, given that his heart is clearly very much with India.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/06/1...rs-long-term-stayers-to-attend-local-schools/
