Foreign students’ fees increase to 37 times citizens’: So, apply for citizen/PR?

October 12, 2012

Fees increase for all

Secondary school fees will increase to as much as $670 a month for foreign students (non-ASEAN) from January next year.

The fees for ASEAN, Permanent Residents (PRs), Citizens (Others) and Citizens (Malay) are $470, $140, $25 and $ 20, respectively.

Compared to the current 2012 fees, the increase is $180, $125 and $65 for non-ASEAN, ASEAN and PRs, respectively.

For primary school fees, they will be increased to $513, $363, $103 and $13 for non-ASEAN, ASEAN, PRs and citizens, respectively.

$2 increase is a 19% increase

Interestingly, when the fee increase was announced in June, there was no increase for citizens’ basic secondary and primary school fees. Only Standard Miscellaneous Fees were increased by $2 and $1 for secondary and primary respectively.

However, what this means is that total fees will increase from $21 to $25 for secondary, and $11 to $13 for primary school citizens.

This works out to an increase of 19 and 18 per cent, respectively.

Foreigner pays 37 times more?

A foreign student may thus have to pay as much as 27 times more for secondary, and 37 times more for primary, compared to a citizen.

More apply to be citizens/PRs?

The above fee increase may literally “force” more foreigners to apply for citizenship or PR.

Foreigners’ revenue increase 12 times more than citizens’?

With an estimated additional revenue of $98 million from the increase in fees from foreign and PR students (“Foreigners’ school fees up, Singaporeans’ too?”), why is there a need to increase that of citizens’ fees too, by about 19 and 18 per cent?

The increase in citizens’ fees is only estimated to derive an additional revenue of about $8 million, which is only about one-twelve of the $98 million from foreign and PR students.

An increase in foreigners’ fees, but an increase for Singaporeans too?

Whilst the principle of further differentiating fees by citizenship is a valid one, why is it that when fees are increased (be it school fees, university fees, healthcare fees, etc), the fees for Singaporeans are also invariably raised?

Why not keep Singaporeans’ fees at the status quo, or better still, reduce them?

Note: Secondary schools – Autonomous Schools collect Autonomous School Fees, ranging from $3 to $18 per month, on top of second-tier miscellaneous fees

Independent Schools charge a separate scale of fees. The range of school fees for local students (excluding miscellaneous fees) as at 2010 is $200- $300 per month

Allow more foreigners to come in and increase fees at the same time – Where’s the logic?

Is there something wrong with our policies? – Consistent rhetoric that foreigners and foreign workers will be curtailed, but the recent statistics indicate otherwise – keep increasing fees for foreigners, PRs and Singaporeans.

If we really curtail the influx of foreigners, there may be no need to keep increasing fees. Singaporeans’ fees may also remain the same or be reduced. Otherwise, the outcomes may be that Singaporeans continue to be worse off – pay more plus the issues of more foreigners continue to grow.

 

Leong Sze Hian

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About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.