Students on Overseas Attachments in Post-COVID-19 Landscape and When Smoking of Cannabis is Legalised in Some Countries

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Education (a) how many students have been sent abroad for overseas attachments this year; (b) whether such a number is comparable to a pre-COVID-19 year; (c) what is the average attachment duration; and (d) how are students briefed to prepare them for their attachments given the significant changes to the post-COVID-19 global landscape, and especially if they are going to countries where smoking cannabis is legal.

With the easing of community and border restriction measures, the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have gradually resumed overseas exposure programmes for students. These programmes range from a few days to half a year, and include immersion programmes, academic trips, exchange programmes and internships.

For the Academic Year 2022, around 6,200 IHL students will participate in overseas exposure programmes. This translates to about 16% of the annual participants pre-COVID. We plan to ramp up the number of overseas exposure programmes significantly over the next couple of years.

As part of the pre-trip preparations to ensure that students are ready for their overseas exposure programmes, the IHLs brief students beforehand on key issues such as personal safety, travel insurance coverage and how to navigate the overseas environment. Students are also reminded to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and to abide by local laws and Singapore’s extra-territorial laws, which include prohibitions against the consumption of drugs.