Market environment
Singapore has a population of approximately 5 million. Its only natural assets are its strategic geographical position and the skills of its people. In origin, approximately 76 percent of the population are Chinese, 14 percent Malay, eight percent Indian and one percent others. The median age of the population is 36 years and average life expectancy is 79 years.
Singapore’s literacy rate of 95.7 percent is one of the highest in the world and the educational profile of the population has also improved over the last decade –the proportion of Singaporeans with university education rose from 2.7 per cent in 1980 to 19.6 per cent in 2006.
There are approximately 280,000 children in primary schools; 200,000 in secondary schools; 24,000 in pre-university colleges; 24,000 in technical institutes; 68,000 in polytechnics; and 63,000 in universities.
Education expenditure in 2010 accounted for 23 per cent of planned public sector operating expenditure. Singapore, which has a GDP per capita of about £ 24,000, ranks as a high income country and is one of the wealthiest and most modern countries in Asia. Approximately, 20,000 Singaporean students study overseas for higher education, the majority at undergraduate level.
By UK standards, Singapore’s educational system is small. The feeder institutions for UK higher education are the 17 junior colleges, one centralised institute, various international schools, five public universities and five polytechnics. In addition, an increasingly important source for recruitment to the UK is the foreign students studying in Singapore.
Market characteristics
Traditionally, Singapore’s education system, which has common roots with the UK system, has been highly controlled and centrally-driven. However, the Government is gradually decentralising various functions, though direction still comes from the centre. Recent developments include a new education policy that aims to have an education system that creates and offers opportunity for all; to develop every talent, not just those who are academically inclined; a focus on the broad range of opportunities offered; and to create more opportunities for students to get a degree. The current focus for the schools is ‘Teach Less, Learn More’.
The main competitors for Singaporean students undertaking studies overseas are Australia and the USA. Local developments including the opening of Singapore’s “fifth university” – Singapore Institute of Technology, as well as the Singapore University Technology and Design which will admit the first batch of students in 2012.
For the year 2009-10 (HESA statistics), the enrolment of Singaporean students at UK higher education institutions was 4,125, and appears to have reached a steady state. The most popular subjects for Singaporean students are: engineering; law; medicine; life sciences and other medically related; economics; education; computer; English and business and related subjects.
The demand for further education in the UK is small as Singapore has a well-established education system, as well as sufficient places to cater to the demand. In addition, education is relatively cheap right up to pre-university because it is heavily subsidised by the Singapore government. However, despite Singapore’s success in developing its pre-university provision, some parents turn to the UK because it offers a welcome alternative to a system that they feel is too competitive, or they may decide to send their children to the UK to avoid the provisions of the bilingual education policy, restricted curriculum or other government policies.
Market opportunities
Singapore is predominantly a higher education market, with about 75 percent of students undertaking undergraduate and 25 percent postgraduate studies. There is limited interest in either the further education or independent schools sector.
Three important factors understate the current state of play in the Singapore market. First, many of those now using our services are foreign students studying in Singapore, and their numbers are rapidly increasing as the Government aims to increase the numbers of foreign students studying in Singapore from the current 97,000 to 150,000 by 2015. Based on current statistics, approximately one-fifth of those applying through UCAS are third-country nationals mainly from mainland China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Secondly, in its aggressive push to become an education service provider in the region, the Economic Development Board has also continued to pursue brand-name foreign universities to set up specialised campuses to serve an international market from Singapore. The number of students studying for foreign qualifications in-country – Transnational (TNE) programmes - was 36,700 in 2001. According to latest HESA TNE data for 2009/10 the number of students studying for a UK qualification in Singapore is 42,715 - The majority of these are delivered in partnership with local private institutions.
Thirdly, it is inevitable that as the job market becomes more competitive, many of those holding Bachelor’s degrees will see the need to upgrade themselves with Postgraduate and/or professional qualifications to acquire additional knowledge and new skills to move up the career ladder. This is becoming increasingly evident especially in the biomedical sector, where there is a dire need for PhD graduates to help push Singapore’s bid to attract multinational companies to move their high-end research projects to the country.
Hence, while the increasing international competition and more domestic provision make for a challenging operating environment, other factors, such as the increasing number of foreign students coming to Singapore to undertake diploma and foundation programmes, as well as the expansion of the TNE market and the increase demand for postgraduate qualifications, will up the demand for UK qualifications.
Our infrastructure and strategic education priorities
The British Council’s main centre (Napier Road) was refurbished in 2004. There are three branch centres, Marsiling in the north, Tampines in the east and a Professional Development Centre which was relocated to a new location in the centre at Toa Payoh in 2009.
Education UK has been supported since 1984. Currently, we provide UK institutions with the information and assistance they need in areas relating to student recruitment or if they are looking for partnership and collaboration opportunities. Singapore also supports a country-specific Education UK website which features a pioneering MetaFAQ and ‘Get a UK Qualification in Singapore’ database. The latter was developed in 2004 to support UK TNE delivered in Singapore.
Our alumni strategy supports our Education UK promotion work as well as being a means of sustaining relationships with the UK amongst those who have studied there. We have successfully encouraged increased collaboration between the British Alumni (Singapore) and local alumni associations for individual UK institutions and will continue to do so under the auspices of the UK Alumni Presidents’ Council.
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Registered in Singapore as a branch (T09FC0012J) and as a charity (No 0768).
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