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Dr Tony Tan: "Singaporeans first" policy for higher education, is not "Singaporeans only"
When it comes to higher education, former Deputy Prime Minister and presidential hopeful, Dr Tony Tan, said he favoured a "Singaporeans first" policy.
But he made it clear this was different from a Singaporeans only policy.
He said this, this morning, as he gave a lecture at the Singapore Management University (SMU) on The Futures of Higher Education.
In his talk, he revealed that in recent weeks, he had been asked more than once if he favoured a "Singaporeans first" policy in higher education, and his answer was yes.
He added: "But Singaporeans first is different from saying Singaporeans only. Singapore is an international city and it would be a grave mistake to close our doors.
"Finding the right balance is not going to be easy but we must try."
The talk was attended by SMU students and those of other tertiary institutions.
Dr Tan said the future of higher education was something close to his heart - although there was no single vision for the future of higher education as the only constant was change.
He highlighted how far educational access had come - fewer than 3 per cent of the cohort was admitted to higher institutions in 1965, to 26 per cent, last year.
In 2015, it will reach 30 per cent.
After the talk, he took questions from students and educators.
Topics raised included the possible oversupply of tertiary graduates on the job market, and how institutions of higher learning could prepare students to be entrepreneurs given that computer moguls like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did not even graduate.
When it comes to higher education, former Deputy Prime Minister and presidential hopeful, Dr Tony Tan, said he favoured a "Singaporeans first" policy.
But he made it clear this was different from a Singaporeans only policy.
He said this, this morning, as he gave a lecture at the Singapore Management University (SMU) on The Futures of Higher Education.
In his talk, he revealed that in recent weeks, he had been asked more than once if he favoured a "Singaporeans first" policy in higher education, and his answer was yes.
He added: "But Singaporeans first is different from saying Singaporeans only. Singapore is an international city and it would be a grave mistake to close our doors.
"Finding the right balance is not going to be easy but we must try."
The talk was attended by SMU students and those of other tertiary institutions.
Dr Tan said the future of higher education was something close to his heart - although there was no single vision for the future of higher education as the only constant was change.
He highlighted how far educational access had come - fewer than 3 per cent of the cohort was admitted to higher institutions in 1965, to 26 per cent, last year.
In 2015, it will reach 30 per cent.
After the talk, he took questions from students and educators.
Topics raised included the possible oversupply of tertiary graduates on the job market, and how institutions of higher learning could prepare students to be entrepreneurs given that computer moguls like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did not even graduate.
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