Singapore attracts 3000 Indian students p.a.

Singapore, a country half the size of India’s capital city, is becoming a hot study abroad destination. At present, Singapore has about 70,000 international students. About 3,000 Indians go to the country every year, and the number is showing a steady growth of 20 to 25 per cent year-on-year. Read more

According to a report by the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE), Singapore is one of the leading countries in East Asia that has emerged as an education hub for students across the borders. The number of international branch campuses in Singapore has also increased from 12 to 18 in the past two years. The schools with new campuses in the country include EDHEC Business School of France, UK's University College London and Manchester, MIT and Stanford research centres from the US. Scotland's Glasgow University and Yale University of US are also planning to open campuses in Singapore soon.

London-based Quacquarelli Symonds has ranked Singapore as No. 1 in Asia and No. 12 in the world for school education at Class XII level and for university education.  

Singapore does not have a central authority to grant recognition to courses, certificates or qualifications awarded by private education institutes. But private educational institutes are required to meet standards laid down by the EduTrust, CPE to be able to admit international students. 

The Council of Private Education awards registration of PEIs with a validity of one, four and six years. PEIs with better adherence to standards are granted longer period of registration. The EduTrust certification scheme awards three ratings:

• ‘Edutrust Star’ for excellent, 
• ‘Edutrust’ for satisfactory, and 
• ‘Edutrust Provisional’ for minimum level of performance. 

Till date, none of the institutes has been granted the Edutrust Star certificate. 

Private Schools at Singapore certified by EduTrust can collect a maximum of 12 months’ fees from students. This fees has to be protected and has to be put either in an Escrow bank account or can be used to buy insurance by the school from the insurance companies appointed by CPE. Non-adherence to this condition led to shutdown of more than 600 private schools in the last two years.

Academic experts cite proximity to India, low levels of crime, and drug-free environment as the main reasons of why Singapore is so popular in Indian students. Besides this, the cost of living and tuition fee at Singapore is about 20-25 per cent less than the US and the UK – other favoured education destinations in India.

However, Singapore does not allow international students to work while they are studying, as courses are intensive and leave no time for them to pursue part-time jobs. 

Other interesting reads:

- Studying in the cosmopolitan Singapore

- Singapore as a study destination for Indians