Pay $5,400 to study in a tent
By David Sun
The New Paper
Thursday, Aug 30, 2012
They pay $5,400 a year in school fees, yet they study in tents on campus which can be easily seen by the public.
This is why some students of LaSalle College of the Arts, who started their course earlier this month, were unpleasantly surprised.
They were greeted by three air-conditioned tents built within the college grounds, of which two are used for classes, with the third serving as space for coursework for second-year students doing the diploma in fine arts.
"This is only temporary," said Professor Steve Dixon, president of the college, located on McNally Street.
He added that the measure was meant to deal with a surge in student intake. (See report on facing page.)
The students will be using the tents until the end of the term, scheduled for the end of November.
While Singaporean students pay about $5,400 in school fees per year, international and independent students pay about $21,000 annually.
It's no wonder that some students are upset with the makeshift facilities.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they made their feelings known about the stop-gap measure.
Aisha, a Singaporean student from the diploma in fine arts course, was quite representative of the student population affected when she said: "We were not informed that we would be doing our work in the tents until the first day of school.
"It would have been better to tell us earlier.
"We don't like that we're in a tent, but it's better than not having a space at all."
Out of 30 hours of classes a week, a first-year student spends about three hours in a tent and the rest in normal classrooms and studios, according to a first-year student The New Paper spoke to.
On the other hand, second-year fine arts students spend an average of 40 hours in the tents each week.
'Short-changed'
Said fine arts student Adam: "I felt short-changed. I also spoke to the lecturers about it."
Adam, who pays his own school fees, added: "But they told me that at least now we have been given a space. Previously, we weren't even given a proper space."
Another student, James, said that while having lessons in a tent is not exactly "fun", he is grateful that there is at least space to study in.
"At least we have a place now," he said. "Before this, they squeezed 40 of us in a room smaller than the tent."
He added that the school did not inform his parents about the tents, but he told them himself.
"My parents were okay with it," he said. "But the parents of other students have asked them to transfer to another school."
Third-year student, Joe, feels sorry for his juniors.
"They pay so much and they get this kind of space," he said.
"I feel bad for them. It's not a school, it's like a factory."
Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng, who is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, said he had not heard of students being schooled in tents there.
"I'm quite surprised to learn of this," he said. "It is not a small setup or a small college, and usually the schools plan to cater to the needs of students, that's why they have a limit to intake.
"I'm not sure if it is as conducive as a classroom, especially if they are going to be in the tents for a full term."
He maintained that the school receives "financial support from the Ministry of Education, and they should be taking an interest in this".
Said Adam: "When they gave us the tents, I had my doubts.
"But now, I'm more upset about what we'll be getting in terms of education."
