Elitism begats elitism.
Birds of the same feather flock together. The rich congregate together.
If you are a bright student from a poor family, even the student or the parents would think twice about studying at HCIS, SJI and ACS (Independent).
The student will encounter snobbery and will feel the rich-poor divide and be discriminated against.
The result is that it is mostly rich students go to these schools, and they can't qualify for the scholarships which have an income ceiling.
Ms Maria Ciola, director of advancement, communications and admissions at St Joseph’s Institution International High School, with students on scholarship at the school. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Tay Hong Yi
Oct 19, 2021
SINGAPORE - The scholarships are worth up to six figures, but not enough students are applying for them, with fewer recipients than awards available each year.
Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) and St Joseph's Institution International High School (SJIIHS) are privately funded international schools with local roots offering the means-tested scholarships.
At SJIIHS, 14 Singapore citizens and permanent residents on average apply for its 10 International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma scholarships on offer. Eight on average get selected.
Ms Maria Ciola, director of advancement, communications and admissions at SJIIHS, told The Straits Times the school has struggled to get more applicants.
"This is what we rack our brains over all the time," she said.
Unlike other international schools, HCIS and SJIIHS do not require Ministry of Education (MOE) approval for Singaporeans to enrol as they adhere to national education and bilingualism policies, while adopting a more international curriculum.
Singaporeans and permanent residents also comprise at least half of their enrolment.
But Ms Ciola said: "There is still a lack of awareness among the social demographic the scholarship benefits the most, who are not as well-informed of the IB curriculum or the offerings of (the schools)."
Students with a gross annual household income of up to $90,000 or up to $22,500 per capita can expect the scholarship at SJIIHS to cover all tuition fees, ranging from over $75,000 for a two-year IB diploma course to over $220,000 with four additional years of secondary education.
Applicants for the SJIIHS scholarships must also achieve at least 12 points or below in their Secondary 4 preliminary examinations.
The school has given out over $20 million in scholarships to more than 250 students since 2007.
At HCIS, similarly low applicant numbers have been observed, averaging about 40 applications from both local and foreign students for over 30 scholarships.
Mr Mike Lam, HCIS deputy director of administrative operations, said the majority of scholarships are allocated for Singaporean students, but not all are awarded due to the low number of applicants.
An average of 15 scholarships, both partial and full, were awarded last year and this year.
Applicants will need an L1R5 score of 10 or below to qualify for HCIS' academic scholarships, which have been offered for over 10 years.
For students with a monthly gross household income of $9,000 and below, or a per capita income of $2,250 and below, HCIS offers the HCIS-Peter Lim Scholarship.
Named after the Singapore billionaire, the two-year scholarship covers all tuition fees for the IB diploma programme.
Said Mr Lim: "I made the scholarship available for deserving students who would otherwise not have the chance to experience an international school education due to their financial background."
A reason for low applicant numbers could be confusion with their similarly named parent schools, said both Ms Ciola and Mr Lam.
Other potential reasons include preconceptions of international schools and the stark departure from prior schooling they represent.
"Students are around 16 when they consider whether to enter the IB (diploma) programme; they are mature enough to have a say in where they go," said Ms Ciola. She added that they may want to go to schools with the friends they have already made.
Some parents of prospective applicants have also told her they worry that their children would not fit in as they perceive students at such international schools to "come from a certain wealthy demographic".
However, she said, students from more humble backgrounds have thrived in the school as well.
Anglo-Chinese School (International), the third international school on the same scheme as HCIS and SJIIHS, declined to comment. A spokesman referred ST to its website, which says two full scholarships and two half scholarships for the IB diploma, with optional means-testing, are on offer.
HCIS and SJIIHS have been taking the creative route to reach prospective applicants.
Mr Lam said HCIS has embarked on a publicity blitz, advertising on the MRT, buses, radio and even putting up branded content online for upcoming admissions.
Meanwhile, advertisements for SJIIHS on digital displays at Housing Board blocks have attracted an exponential increase in visits to its scholarship webpage - though this has yet to translate to applicant numbers.
Said Ms Ciola: "We are trying to close the gap to make people comfortable enough to put in an application."
Recipients must be Singaporeans or PRs and have a monthly gross household income of $9,000 and below or per capita income of $2,250 and below.
• The HCIS Merit-based Scholarship.
• The HCIS Talent-based Scholarship is for highly talented students in such fields as sports and arts, for a tenure of two to six years.
• The Local Scholarship covers IB diploma studies for Singaporeans or PRs, including up to eight means-tested merit-based ones.
• The Foreign Scholarship is awarded to up to eight students from across Asia.
• Two full scholarships worth $35,000 per year.
• Two half-scholarships, each covering 50 per cent of the annual tuition fee.
More details can be found on the websites of all three schools.
Birds of the same feather flock together. The rich congregate together.
If you are a bright student from a poor family, even the student or the parents would think twice about studying at HCIS, SJI and ACS (Independent).
The student will encounter snobbery and will feel the rich-poor divide and be discriminated against.
The result is that it is mostly rich students go to these schools, and they can't qualify for the scholarships which have an income ceiling.
Scholarships available for locals but few takers, say Hwa Chong and SJI international schools
Ms Maria Ciola, director of advancement, communications and admissions at St Joseph’s Institution International High School, with students on scholarship at the school. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Tay Hong Yi
Oct 19, 2021
SINGAPORE - The scholarships are worth up to six figures, but not enough students are applying for them, with fewer recipients than awards available each year.
Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) and St Joseph's Institution International High School (SJIIHS) are privately funded international schools with local roots offering the means-tested scholarships.
At SJIIHS, 14 Singapore citizens and permanent residents on average apply for its 10 International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma scholarships on offer. Eight on average get selected.
Ms Maria Ciola, director of advancement, communications and admissions at SJIIHS, told The Straits Times the school has struggled to get more applicants.
"This is what we rack our brains over all the time," she said.
Unlike other international schools, HCIS and SJIIHS do not require Ministry of Education (MOE) approval for Singaporeans to enrol as they adhere to national education and bilingualism policies, while adopting a more international curriculum.
Singaporeans and permanent residents also comprise at least half of their enrolment.
But Ms Ciola said: "There is still a lack of awareness among the social demographic the scholarship benefits the most, who are not as well-informed of the IB curriculum or the offerings of (the schools)."
Students with a gross annual household income of up to $90,000 or up to $22,500 per capita can expect the scholarship at SJIIHS to cover all tuition fees, ranging from over $75,000 for a two-year IB diploma course to over $220,000 with four additional years of secondary education.
Applicants for the SJIIHS scholarships must also achieve at least 12 points or below in their Secondary 4 preliminary examinations.
The school has given out over $20 million in scholarships to more than 250 students since 2007.
At HCIS, similarly low applicant numbers have been observed, averaging about 40 applications from both local and foreign students for over 30 scholarships.
Mr Mike Lam, HCIS deputy director of administrative operations, said the majority of scholarships are allocated for Singaporean students, but not all are awarded due to the low number of applicants.
An average of 15 scholarships, both partial and full, were awarded last year and this year.
Applicants will need an L1R5 score of 10 or below to qualify for HCIS' academic scholarships, which have been offered for over 10 years.
For students with a monthly gross household income of $9,000 and below, or a per capita income of $2,250 and below, HCIS offers the HCIS-Peter Lim Scholarship.
Named after the Singapore billionaire, the two-year scholarship covers all tuition fees for the IB diploma programme.
Said Mr Lim: "I made the scholarship available for deserving students who would otherwise not have the chance to experience an international school education due to their financial background."
A reason for low applicant numbers could be confusion with their similarly named parent schools, said both Ms Ciola and Mr Lam.
Other potential reasons include preconceptions of international schools and the stark departure from prior schooling they represent.
"Students are around 16 when they consider whether to enter the IB (diploma) programme; they are mature enough to have a say in where they go," said Ms Ciola. She added that they may want to go to schools with the friends they have already made.
Some parents of prospective applicants have also told her they worry that their children would not fit in as they perceive students at such international schools to "come from a certain wealthy demographic".
However, she said, students from more humble backgrounds have thrived in the school as well.
Anglo-Chinese School (International), the third international school on the same scheme as HCIS and SJIIHS, declined to comment. A spokesman referred ST to its website, which says two full scholarships and two half scholarships for the IB diploma, with optional means-testing, are on offer.
HCIS and SJIIHS have been taking the creative route to reach prospective applicants.
Mr Lam said HCIS has embarked on a publicity blitz, advertising on the MRT, buses, radio and even putting up branded content online for upcoming admissions.
Meanwhile, advertisements for SJIIHS on digital displays at Housing Board blocks have attracted an exponential increase in visits to its scholarship webpage - though this has yet to translate to applicant numbers.
Said Ms Ciola: "We are trying to close the gap to make people comfortable enough to put in an application."
Scholarships available
Hwa Chong International School
• The HCIS-Peter Lim Scholarship is a full scholarship for the IB diploma.Recipients must be Singaporeans or PRs and have a monthly gross household income of $9,000 and below or per capita income of $2,250 and below.
• The HCIS Merit-based Scholarship.
• The HCIS Talent-based Scholarship is for highly talented students in such fields as sports and arts, for a tenure of two to six years.
St Joseph's Institution International
• The Lasallian Scholarship awards up to four students a six-year scholarship. Recipients' annual gross household income should be under $90,000, or $22,500 per capita depending on family size.• The Local Scholarship covers IB diploma studies for Singaporeans or PRs, including up to eight means-tested merit-based ones.
• The Foreign Scholarship is awarded to up to eight students from across Asia.
Anglo-Chinese School (International)
Two types of scholarships with optional means-testing for students studying at local schools to pursue the IB diploma:• Two full scholarships worth $35,000 per year.
• Two half-scholarships, each covering 50 per cent of the annual tuition fee.
More details can be found on the websites of all three schools.
