Wondering which is the better school in Singapore ? How do they rank against each other ? What are the criteria ? Ministry of Education website actually hosts a document most parents of international students seem not to know about.

Refer to the School Achievement Table and Honour Rolls 2007 for Secondary levels document for the answers to Singapore schools comparisons. The document sets out schools’ performance in various academic and non-academic domains.

Further to this, we like to add that finding a good homestay is AS IMPORTANT AS it is to enroll into a good, and reputable school. A quality homestay programme forms the support backbone for a student’s emotional and physical well being. While international students are placed in poor quality homestay, it is often reflected in school results.

mrsHomestay has developed programmes and also offer services to help international students with finding good homestay as well as suitable schools near homestay locations. Contact mrsHomestay student manager today if you have any enquiries.

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 26 May 2007

THE ABRUPT announcement by the University of New South Wales - Asia to close shocked Singaporeans and students alike. Students, especially the 148 enrolled in various courses at UNSW Asia were devastated.

The university blamed low enrolment numbers a primary reason behind its decision. For its first semester since opening about three months ago, it planned an intake of 300 students.

At a meeting organised by the university management for affected parents, students and staff, a gentleman reportedly lamented, “It’s verging on the fraudulence, when you took people’s money, re-locate staff to Singapore and you have reasons to believe; and have real concerns, that you’re not able to deliver.”

Looking at the situation in perspective, I do not think UNSW is being fraudulent. Now that its management has decided that its business plan has gone awry and to cut losses, the university has to close, it must live up to its obligations to their students. Enrolled students must be aided in every possible manner to continue their studies.

Enrolment is similar to a contract. Every enrolment obligation - student’s or university’s - must be honoured.

As Singapore’s Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam put it,”This is their (UNSW’s) decision, it’s their business. They made the decision to pull out, they have to deal with the parents and students.”

Other renowned institutions - INSEAD, Chicago School of Business for examples - have succeeded and flourished in Singapore, albeit a competitive education hub. But why UNSW-Asia has not?

In the coming weeks and months, many reasons and causes will be offered for the UNSW-Asia’s failure. Whatever they are, one that will top the list must be: Poor business plan.

GLOBALISATION and the Internet spin-off a new phenomenon: The migration of and quest for top talent around the world.

Many countries, such as the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada and even our “tiny red dot” Singapore, work hard to attract talented professionals to work, and hopefully settle down in those countries.

AS IN OTHER economic sectors, education figures prominently in Singapore’s global reputation. Hence, its current position as an Asian education hub attracting thousands of foreign students to learn at its institutions and schools.

Since the city-state’s secession from Malaysia in 1965, education figures highly in its national development. With no other significant natural resources, developing and educating her human resource becomes a top priority.

Singapore’s move from Third to First World status results in no small part, from investing heavily on educating its people.

And in contrast to its South-east Asian neighbours newly freed of the colonial yoke, Singapore made a crucial decision. It kept English as one of Singapore’s official languages and the working language.

The government realised from the start that English is the key to science, engineering, mathematics and other intellectual pursuits. And thus a key to the national development, progress and achievements. In fact, English helps Singapore to stay ahead of many countries in fields such as Intelligence Technology (eg., E-government), bio-medical science, financial services, education and others.

The United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund regard Singapore a successful nation. They hold Singapore highly as an example to other developing economies.

Several developing nations, Botswana, Namibia, China, India, South Africa, the Palestine Authority among others have sought Singapore’s help. They would like to apply the Singapore model, in full or in part, to their own systems.

Singapore hosts some of the best centres of learning from around the world. Its Singapore Management University is in partnership with the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania. INSEAD, the famous French business school, opened its Asian campus in Singapore, its only one outside France.