Two new measures will be introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) starting next year which will really make Singaporean parents really happy. First, permanent residents and foreigners would have to pay higher school fees compared to Singaporeans. Second, Singaporean citizens will get an additional ballot to give them better chances when vying for top primary schools during school registration.
This move by the MOE is in line with the government’s desire to draw a clearer differentiation between citizens and non-citizens. The government believes that this will greatly highlight the responsibilities and benefits of citizenship. Currently, PRs account for about 8 percent of the total students in schools while foreigners make up about 4 percent.
Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said that this move is not supposed to discourage PR’s and foreigners from sending their kids in Singapore schools. He believes that having PR’s and foreign students in schools is beneficial for Singaporean students as they provide diversity and competition.