SINGAPORE: Parents in Singapore have mixed views about the Education Ministry's move to raise school fees for permanent residents and foreigners.
Some schools told MediaCorp on Monday that the changes may encourage more foreigners to apply for citizenship before their children start schooling.
From 2011, permanent residents and foreigners will pay higher school fees. While Singaporean parents support the move, they said the fee hike should also take into consideration the income level of non-Singaporeans.
"Of course, it's good news for Singaporeans, but they should put a cap to the fee increment. Times are bad and everyone is under a lot of pressure," one parent said.
Non-citizens have mixed views about the changes. "I think it is right to increase the fees because the school's expenditure and teachers' salaries are high," one of them told MediaCorp.
Another said: "I think the increase is too much – it's more than 100 per cent. I feel it's unfair."
Local schools said non-Singaporean parents generally understand the need for the fee revision.
Lee Hui Feng, principal of Nanyang Primary School, said: "They do see the rationale behind the hikes in school fees and I think as compared to the school fees of the international school, we are still lower, way lower.
"I think they do see the value of our education system and they hold high regards for our education system. To the parents, it's really good investment for the children."
But with school fees almost tripling by 2012, some foreigners said they will have to consider if they should stay or go.
I think we should raise everything from Primary school fees to Sec/JC/Uni/Poly + medical fees.
Those PRs who decided NOT to serve NS should be taxed a special "NS rejection tax" every year. This is to reflect the loss of 2 yrs service + annual ICT for sporeans who have to serve.
NS rejection tax = 20% of their total income.
The total NS rejection tax collected every year should then be distributed to all active NS men + reservist who didn't defer their ICT for that year.
Some schools told MediaCorp on Monday that the changes may encourage more foreigners to apply for citizenship before their children start schooling.
From 2011, permanent residents and foreigners will pay higher school fees. While Singaporean parents support the move, they said the fee hike should also take into consideration the income level of non-Singaporeans.
"Of course, it's good news for Singaporeans, but they should put a cap to the fee increment. Times are bad and everyone is under a lot of pressure," one parent said.
Non-citizens have mixed views about the changes. "I think it is right to increase the fees because the school's expenditure and teachers' salaries are high," one of them told MediaCorp.
Another said: "I think the increase is too much – it's more than 100 per cent. I feel it's unfair."
Local schools said non-Singaporean parents generally understand the need for the fee revision.
Lee Hui Feng, principal of Nanyang Primary School, said: "They do see the rationale behind the hikes in school fees and I think as compared to the school fees of the international school, we are still lower, way lower.
"I think they do see the value of our education system and they hold high regards for our education system. To the parents, it's really good investment for the children."
But with school fees almost tripling by 2012, some foreigners said they will have to consider if they should stay or go.
I think we should raise everything from Primary school fees to Sec/JC/Uni/Poly + medical fees.
Those PRs who decided NOT to serve NS should be taxed a special "NS rejection tax" every year. This is to reflect the loss of 2 yrs service + annual ICT for sporeans who have to serve.
NS rejection tax = 20% of their total income.
The total NS rejection tax collected every year should then be distributed to all active NS men + reservist who didn't defer their ICT for that year.