ST : Fall in foreign students

Dec 18, 2009
Fall in foreign students
Recession and dent in reputation caused by dodgy schools behind the dip
By Sandra Davie, Senior Writer



Some potential foreign students are still wary after the closure of several private schools here, including Brookes Business School (above), which was shut down in July. -- ST FILE PHOTO

THE double whammy of recession and scandals over dodgy schools has made this a grim year for the education sector with the number of foreign students falling for the first time in years.

Industry leaders who had tipped a record year are now looking for answers with many hopes pinned on tough new laws to drive out the shady operators.

There were 97,000 foreign students in local schools here at the end of last year, but this October, the figure had dipped to 95,500, according to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, which issues visas for such students. In 2006, there were 86,000 foreign students here.

It is the first time there has been a dip in foreign student numbers since the education hub plan was launched in 2003.

The decline is disappointing news for many in the private education industry who had expected to celebrate reaching 100,000 early this year, just 50,000 students short of the 150,000 targeted number for 2015.

Mr Andrew Chua, who founded East Asia Institute of Management and now heads the Association of Private Schools and Colleges, blames the two Rs - recession and Singapore's reputation as an education destination.