Debated in Parliament on 17 Feb 2014.
Order for Second Reading read.
Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."
Singapore's higher education landscape has evolved significantly since our nation's independence. In 1965, we had two universities with small intakes. Over the years, we have been able to progressively raise education standards – the quality of our schools has improved and our students are achieving more with strong educational foundations. Today, we have four autonomous universities, five polytechnics, as well as three Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Colleges.
Our higher education landscape today reflects our steadfast efforts to continually expand the opportunities for Singaporeans, by enabling our people to develop a strong foundation in the academic, technical and professional domains, as well as developing their interests and values; and by continual restructuring of the economy so that a wide range of good jobs can be created. This two-pronged approach has created opportunities for successive cohorts of students to pursue a diverse range of careers and to fulfil their aspirations.
It is not possible to foretell the future, but we can be reasonably certain that the global economy will continue to evolve, different kinds of jobs will be created, and the demand for new and deeper skills will grow. We are expanding our higher education sector in a careful and calibrated manner in order to equip Singaporeans with the right competencies so that they may continue to access good jobs, pursue meaningful endeavours and fulfil their potential.
Some Members of the House will recall that in 2000, then-Minister for Education RAdm Teo Chee Hean moved a Bill on the Singapore Management University. In 2011, then-Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen moved a Bill on the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Members of the House gave strong support for the Bills. Both universities are now developing well. The Government's policy of a calibrated expansion of university places has served Singaporeans well.
Page: 113
Today's Bill seeks to add another institution to the list of Institutes of Higher Learning as our fifth autonomous university – the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) – which will enable even more Singaporeans to benefit from higher education.
Today's Bill is the result of two years of very intensive work and extensive consultations. In 2011, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the need to further develop and expand the university sector. In response, MOE set up the Committee on University Education Pathways Beyond 2015, chaired by then-Senior Minister of State for Education and Information, Communications and the Arts Mr Lawrence Wong, to explore the expansion of publicly funded degree programmes and the strategies for achieving this.
The Committee consulted deeply with students, employers and other stakeholders to understand their needs and hopes. After the extensive consultations and study visits to other countries, as well as careful study of the evolving needs of our society and our economy, the Committee recommended that we raise the publicly funded university cohort participation rate for pre-employment training from 30% in 2015 to 40% by 2020. To continue to inject diversity in our university sector, the Committee proposed a new applied degree pathway, and for SIT to be the fifth autonomous university to pioneer this new pathway. The Government has accepted the key recommendations of the Committee.
The applied degree pathway can better meet the broad range of learning preferences, strengths and interests that our young Singaporeans possess. By fostering a strong nexus with industry, it will enable our graduates to seize new and diverse job opportunities. This enriched university landscape will meet the individual learning needs of our youths and, in so doing, help them fulfil their potential to the fullest.
By integrating a strong theoretical foundation with real life applications, and by combining hard skills and a range of soft skills such as communications, problem solving and teamwork, graduates from the applied degree pathway can distinguish themselves.
SIT is well placed to pioneer the applied degree pathway. SIT started out in 2009 offering degrees in partnership with overseas universities. By offering specialised education in growth sectors of the economy, SIT has built strong credentials for the school and students amongst industry players. SIT will build on the experience of partnering overseas universities and, at the same time,
Page: 114
build up its capability to offer degrees in its own name. Starting from this year, SIT will offer its own applied degree programmes, focusing on the science and technology disciplines, and in areas that are relevant to the economy. There will be up to 200 places for SIT's three new programmes in 2014, namely, the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Infocomm Technology (Software Engineering), Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) cum Masters of Engineering Technology in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land Transport Systems) and Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours).
To ensure that SIT graduates continue to have the right competencies to succeed in a dynamic world, SIT will have to continually refresh its programmes in step with the developments of our economy and our society, and the aspirations of our young. To enable SIT to respond nimbly, SIT will be granted the status of an autonomous university, and be given similar flexibility as that accorded to the National University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University, the Singapore Management University and the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
Given the substantial investment of public monies in SIT and the key role that our universities play in nation building, SIT, like our other autonomous universities, should be governed by an Act of Parliament to safeguard public interests and the use of public funds. The SIT Bill thus aims to serve three key functions.
First, it grants SIT the right to confer and award degrees, diplomas and certificates, including honorary degrees and other distinctions, signals the Government's support for SIT, and assures the public of SIT's credibility and standing.
Second, it empowers the Government to guide the strategic development of SIT towards meeting national objectives.
Third, it permits the Government to provide resources to SIT and to monitor the performance and finances of the institution in order to ensure accountability for the use of public funds.
Let me now highlight the key clauses in this Bill.
Clause 3 sets out the function of SIT, which includes conferring and awarding degrees, diplomas and certificates.
Page: 115
Clauses 5, 6 and 8 allow the Government to influence the strategic development of SIT and: (i) allow the Minister for Education, hereafter referred to as "the Minister", to establish policies on higher education in Singapore, in consultation with SIT; (ii) empower the Minister to appoint, remove and replace members of the SIT Board of Trustees; and (iii) require that the monies provided by Parliament to SIT may only be applied or expended by SIT for such of its objects provided by its constituent documents as the Minister may allow.
Clauses 4 and 9 allow the Government to monitor the performance and finances of SIT through an accountability framework and permit the Minister or a person authorised by him to have access to the accounts and financial statements of SIT.
Clause 12 amends the Private Education Act, Chapter 247A, to provide that the Act will not apply to SIT.
Sir, this Bill encapsulates our goal for SIT to enable more young Singaporeans to fulfil their goals and aspirations. Our fifth autonomous university is an exciting development for Singaporeans, and I believe that SIT and the applied pathway it pioneers will, in due course, become significant pillars of our higher education landscape. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.
Question proposed.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill. For the past many years, after the "A" level results are announced, I would receive appeals from students and their parents appealing for places in one of our local universities like NUS, NTU or SMU. If they are unable to secure a place in one of the local universities, many students would have to enrol in one of the private schools providing a foreign degree. For those who can afford the higher cost, they would travel to UK, Australia, USA or some other countries to pursue their dream of becoming a university graduate.
I know that many families understand the value of attaining a university education. Parents have no qualms digging into their CPF funds to pay for the tertiary education of their children. For many children, getting a degree would help them secure a better paying job and this would in turn help provide a more favourable financial environment for the family. For this reason, there are many
Page: 116
Singaporeans who are pursuing a foreign degree overseas.
SIT was established in 2009. At that time, it collaborated with five established overseas universities like Technical University of Munich, the Newcastle University for naval architecture, offshore and marine engineering, the Digipen Institute of Technology, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for Hotel Administration and Culinary Institute of America. At that time, it offered eight new degree programmes and it provided more opportunities for our polytechnic students to obtain industry relevant qualifications.
Today, SIT has 11 overseas universities partners and it offered 27 degree programmes. According to SIT website for this year, they will also be offering an accounting degree, an infocomm technology degree and an engineering degree programme in their own name.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill for the following reasons.
The Government has committed to increasing the publicly funded university cohort participation rate to 40%. SIT will provide 2,000 full-time university places in 2015. This is indeed good news as it will allow more of our students to achieve their aspirations of having a university degree at a publicly funded university instead of having to incur more costs and expenses, chasing a degree through the private educational institutions or having to travel overseas for their undergraduate studies.
SIT will provide a niche education pathway by offering practice-oriented degree programmes with strong industry links. Hence, the degree programme will not be the same as that of NUS, NTU or SMU as the emphasis is on applied learning. According to then Minister of State for Education, Mr Lawrence Wong, SIT will be a "best in class" institution that is different in character but equal in status to the existing autonomous universities. It will augment the options available by offering a distinct degree education that caters to a wider spectrum of preferences and abilities. Very importantly, it will also produce a different type of graduate with industry oriented skills that will be valued by employers; SIT graduates will help to meet the diverse needs of the economy.
SIT should also take in students from polytechnic, JC and IP track programmes. Other than these students, I understand that SIT will also take in polytechnic graduates with work experience. This means that polytechnic graduates who are already in the workforce will have the opportunity to upgrade themselves at SIT. This is reflective of the "many pathways to success"
Page: 117
approach by MOE to allow people of different abilities to gradually achieve their potential by enrolling at university after some years of work experience. Thus, a student who may not have done well at PSLE will still have the opportunity to go for ITE training, upgrade to a polytechnic diploma, if they so choose, and then enrol for a degree programme at SIT.
There are just a few clarifications which I wish to ask of the Minister.
Firstly, the three new degree programmes issued by SIT for accountancy, infocomm technology and engineering – how do we ensure that these degrees are not seen or perceived to be weaker or inferior degrees as compared to the degrees issued by the other autonomous universities? Would these degrees be recognised internationally if graduates from SIT were to work overseas?
Secondly, besides the three degrees currently issued by SIT this year, are there plans to issue other SIT degrees? How would this affect the collaboration with the other 11 overseas universities? Are there plans for SIT to issue its own degrees for all subjects eventually?
Thirdly, how will SIT ensure that there is uniform standard in the training provided to its undergraduates at the university? Where would SIT employ its lecturers and tutors from?
Fourthly, other than the usual applied studies relevant to the degree programme, how would moral values and other life skills be taught at this university?
In 2011, Mr Lawrence Wong had said, and I quote, "The more we invest in good education for our people, the better we enable them to excel in the workplace and to maximise their potential. Across all industries, employers are looking for people who are inquisitive, prepared to learn, adaptable, creative and innovative."
I totally agree with this approach. SIT will enable more Singaporeans to live the Singapore dream of pursuing their further studies to excel in their workplace and to maximise their potential. I look forward to even more publicly funded university degree places when Singapore has a sixth autonomous university. I support the Bill.
Page: 118
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of this Bill. The Prime Minister had announced last year the creation of two new local universities, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and the Singapore Institute of Management University (UniSIM). These will be Singapore's fifth and sixth universities, certainly a big change from when I was a student and there was only the National University of Singapore (NUS). Last year, then-Senior Minister of State for Education, Mr Lawrence Wong, had said Singapore's economy has room for more graduates.
Indeed, the desire of our local population for higher studies has long been there. In 2011, in response to my Parliamentary Question, MOE revealed that there were about 41,000 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who were pursuing undergraduate degrees at private universities and Private Education Institutions. For every local studying in a publicly funded autonomous university, there was another local studying in a private university here. The number of locals pursuing private university education is even larger when we consider those studying overseas, as MOE did not track this number. These recent moves will see more locals being supported in their aspirations for places in Government-funded university education.
Last month, I had a chat with a young banker named Lawrence. Lawrence told me that he was playful when young and just managed to make it into the polytechnic. It was at some point during his polytechnic studies that he decided he needed to work harder. He graduated from the polytechnic but was unable to secure a place at NUS or at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He said he was fortunate that the Singapore Management University (SMU) allowed him to take the SAT examinations. He qualified through SAT, worked even harder and graduated with Second Upper Honours. He has now worked at two international banks and is a proud father of two. He was grateful for that break to do his studies in a local university as the cost in a private university would have been very high. SMU was then the new third university offering chances at university education to people like Lawrence.
SIT was established in 2009 primarily to allow polytechnic graduates to top-up their diplomas to an external university degree in a field related to their polytechnic studies in targeted growth fields. With this Bill, SIT will now be a university able to offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of its own.
Page: 119
What is the "Institute of Technology" brand? People would associate a learning institution with such a name with industrial, engineering, sciences and technology capabilities. I did a google search on the term "Institute of Technology". It threw up a long list of universities and polytechnics from all over the world. These range from lesser known educational institutions to those with long and rich histories and which are highly ranked in the world. The Swiss have long established themselves as a centre of technological and scientific research. Their two federal universities that are classified as Institutes of Technology are highly ranked globally. They have produced many Nobel laureates, including Albert Einstein. Germany too has a strong engineering and technology history. They also have highly sought after Institutes of Technology. The nine largest and most renowned technical universities in Germany have formed the TU9 German Institutes of Technology. There is also a family of Institutes of Technology in India whose alumnus run Fortune 500 companies. Their graduates are highly sought after by top technology firms around the world. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is widely recognised as one of the best universities in the world. It began humbly in 1861 with three principles: (a) the educational value of useful knowledge; (b) the necessity of "learning by doing"; and (c) integrating a professional and liberal arts education at the undergraduate level. I like its strong emphasis on the practical aspects of learning.
What will SIT, a newcomer in the business of university education, evolve into? How will the brand of "Institute of Technology" in Singapore be defined?
I wish to share some practical concerns for SIT going forward.
First is the lack of a single campus, unlike the other universities. A physical campus is important to generate a sense of identity and belonging amongst the students. SIT facilities are decentralised across the different polytechnics, dispersed throughout Singapore. Students will be at the polytechnic where their programmes are being offered. They feel a greater sense of identity with the polytechnic rather than with SIT. SIT also does not have hostel living which NUS and NTU have, which can provide important experiences for university students in their total development.
While I understand the history of SIT and why it was decentralised at its formation, it may be useful to consider a central campus in the future when it becomes feasible to do so. Meanwhile, SIT may have to work harder at building its identity amongst students through programmes that may cut across physical
Page: 120
facilities.
Second, SIT will face challenge for students from the more established local comprehensive research-based universities in the form of NUS and NTU, niche universities like SMU, SUTD and Yale-NUS College and from UniSIM, a teaching university with a longer history through its open university background and its association with SIM. This is especially so when SIT opens its programmes to "A" level school-leavers. This is a challenge for the SIT pioneers; its management, faculty staff and students to rise up to in order to establish the branding and recognition for SIT. Starting afresh will allow SIT to explore its own niches.
As an applied and practice-oriented university, the role of the industry will be important to SIT. I believe strong links with the industry will be necessary, such as attachment programmes and experiential learning. SIT's current batch of students are likely to be more matured in age than NUS, NTU and SMU and may have work experiences, especially the pioneer batches.
SIT can continue to play a useful role for working people wanting to acquire a degree. To cater to such students, SIT can explore modes of operations that fit them better. This can include shorter quarterly academic terms of three months. Where practical, it can also explore the sandwich degree arrangement where students will need to undertake a placement year or longer internship in the industry, typically in the second or third year of studies.
SIT could play a role in strengthening Singapore's technical capabilities. I had previously shared in this House of my concerns of our SMEs not able to grow under the shadows of MNCs and GLCs. This may be an opportunity to help our medium enterprises in key industries we wish to develop. SIT could be required to focus on working with emerging medium enterprises so that the undergraduates, in their most explorative and creative years, could help inject fresh ideas and innovation into the medium enterprises.
Switzerland and Germany have strong vocational and technical education. Their technical universities have strong history of linkages with the industries, allowing the country to build up their industrial abilities such that their SMEs can provide quality products desired worldwide. To make their degree more relevant to the targeted industries and the graduates more marketable, SIT could explore external validation where possible by industry associations. In Germany, vocational graduates are highly respected because the graduates often enter into guild-like professional associations that continue to guide post-
Page: 121
graduation career development and also collective bargaining. While this is beyond the scope of SIT, the Government could think of setting up the infrastructure to promote and support these developments. Support can include providing training, assistance and even grants to help medium sized companies dedicate resources for collaboration with technical universities and to spur these companies to develop rigorous internship and apprenticeship programmes.
Next, some of our local universities may have larger than average proportions of international students such as Yale-NUS College. In answer to my Parliamentary Question last year, MOE said that higher proportions of international students are required for specialty colleges to provide the diversity needed for this type of courses. SIT can focus on locals and gear them for the skilled jobs needed to help build stronger local industries. Also, in the globalised and higher competitive job and economic environment of the 21st century, it will be important to impart the mindset for creativity and innovation to the SIT graduates.
Finally, I will end with the continuation of the story of Lawrence, the banker whom I spoke about earlier. He did not have good academic results earlier in life and just barely made it through to the then-new third university, SMU, through an alternative admission pathway. He shared that he now feels he is as good as the graduates of the other established universities and had been able to prove that in his career.
SIT will certainly face a lot of challenges competing with our other local universities in order to establish itself. I look forward to the "can-do" spirit in its pioneers to define the Institute of Technology brand in their own way to make it one that will be as desired as the rest of our universities.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Bill. Tracing SIT's history will help explain why. Essentially, it has grown from strength to strength since its inception.
In May 2009, MOE announced that a new university would be set up to provide an avenue for deserving polytechnic graduates to obtain industry-relevant degrees, and to provide them access to subsidised degree programmes. At the time, about only one in seven polytechnic graduates
Page: 122
matriculated into one of the three autonomous universities (AUs) that we had back then, namely, NUS, NTU and SMU.
SIT was slated to accommodate 2,000 full-time university places each year at its steady state, and would allow MOE to achieve its target of raising the university cohort participation rate in Singapore to 30% by 2015. With the inclusion of SIT into Singapore's university landscape, MOE hoped to expand the upgrading opportunities available to polytechnic graduates by attracting industry-related degree programmes from reputable overseas universities, in close partnership with the five local polytechnics. Some key disciplines that were identified include Applied Sciences and Engineering, Digital Media, Health Sciences and Hospitality.
Within a short period of time, very short period of time, SIT was able to secure tie-ups with several reputable overseas universities from the US, UK, Australia and Europe that had high academic standing and strong industry reputation – these include the University of Manchester, Technical University of Munich, Newcastle University, University of Glasgow, University of Nevada (Las Vegas), the DigiPen Institute of Technology and the Culinary Institute of America.
In August 2010, SIT welcomed its first cohort of students, numbering about 500 students in total. By the start of the next academic year in August 2011, SIT was able to double its intake of students to 1,000 students, and was already offering a total of 17 degree programmes.
To facilitate synergy between all the relevant parties, it was imperative that SIT work closely with its overseas university partners to develop a robust and relevant curriculum that would be able to tap onto the strengths of their degree programmes, and the existing polytechnic diploma curriculums.
In 2012, the vital role that SIT would play in complementing the existing university landscape was affirmed by the recommendations made by the Committee on University Education Pathways Beyond 2015, or the CUEP for short.
In its report released in August 2012, the CUEP highlighted an urgent need to develop a university model that offered degree programmes in niche disciplines that were not being offered by the existing universities, as well as areas that required more skilled manpower, such as hospitality and tourism,
Page: 123
social services and healthcare services.
The CUEP envisioned a co-operative education model, where academic studies would be fully integrated with practical, hands-on work experience, and where students alternate between semesters of full-time study and relevant paid work. It was their belief that this was necessary in order to preserve the high standards of our university sector and ensure good employment prospects in Singapore for years to come.
The SIT that we have today embodies many of the recommendation highlighted in the CUEP Report and caters to a wider group of students with varying abilities, learning preferences and interests. It has created opportunities for university education for our polytechnic diploma holders, effectively increasing the proportion of university graduates in the Singapore workforce.
Over time, SIT-based degree programmes have produced exceptional graduates who are equipped with both a strong theoretical foundations in their chosen discipline, as well as a keen understanding of its real-life application in the relevant industry.
The proposed Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Bill that is before Parliament today aims to establish SIT as the fifth autonomous university in Singapore, which will empower SIT with the right to confer and award degrees, diplomas and certificates in its own name. The Bill also seeks to put in place mechanisms to allow the Government to provide public funds for the operation of the university, and to influence the strategic development of SIT in the interest of the public.
I support this Bill for two reasons: first, the establishment of SIT as Singapore's fifth publicly funded autonomous university truly reflects the confidence that the Government has in SIT's ability to provide innovative degree programmes that will complement the existing university landscape. Secondly, degree programmes offered by SIT will be able to harness the potential of students at different stages of their educative years, by providing them with opportunities for university education in their chosen disciplines.
The introduction of this Bill today is a true reflection of the confidence that the Government has in SIT's unique ability to provide university opportunities to a wider group of students with varying abilities, interests and learning preferences. Unlike the degree programmes that are offered by other existing universities, SIT will offer a myriad number of applied degree pathways in
Page: 124
disciplines with strong practice orientation, and a university education that is equally grounded in both theory and practice.
With the enactment of this Bill, SIT would be empowered to offer its own unique degree programmes, advancing beyond merely offering niche degrees from foreign universities. It has been announced that SIT will start by offering three new full-time degree programmes in the areas of infrastructure engineering, information and communication technology and accountancy.
What differentiates SIT from other local universities is its ability to integrate a strong emphasis on theoretical foundations, with an exposure to real-world industry experience. This will be achieved by integrating work experiences into the degree programmes, where students will combine relevant industry attachments with their studies.
An example of how such a melding of studies and work might be done is where Accountancy students would do an attachment at an auditing firm on the weekdays, to understand the real-life application of what they are studying, and will then return back for classes on the weekends.
It is clear that SIT's degree programmes will be different and distinct from existing degree programmes, effectively adding diversity and dynamism to the university sector, and will provide students with more choices and opportunities to develop themselves holistically.
Furthermore, SIT's strength lies in its ability to harness the potential of students at different stages of their educative years, and to allow them to express themselves fully, depending on their own learning abilities and interests.
In an advanced society like ours, there must be a multitude of educational avenues available to students to blossom and find themselves at different times and ages. We can no longer adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to education, and must strive to adopt innovative educational methods and pedagogies to ensure that there are distinct pathways to help young Singaporeans to excel, based on their own unique abilities, learning preferences and interests.
What SIT is able to do is to provide a platform for young Singaporeans, who might have discovered their passion and true abilities at a later age, to be able to attain university education in a relevant discipline of their choice. SIT will be the avenue that allows them to excel at the right time, and would put
Page: 125
them in good stead to be successful in their future careers.
Ultimately, for the students, the university experience should be challenging, interactive and meaningful, integrating a strong theoretical foundation with real-world industry experience.
With the development of this unique blend of a teaching-focused, industry-linked and practice-based university education, it is my firm belief that SIT will be successful in enabling young Singaporeans to realise their full potential and bring Singapore to even greater heights. Therefore, I support this meaningful and courageous Bill.
PAPERCUTS