7/18/2007

Priority tertiary education for locals

28,000 locals applied and nearly half were offered places. This means about 14,000 places were offered to locals. This is a big number given the average birth rate of Singaporeans at about 35,000. Hey, that is 40% of each year's cohort. Then why are Singaporeans complaining that they cannot get admission to local universities. And the govt's target is only 25%. The actual intake was 23.5% or 8,225 students out or 35,000. Where is the balance of 14,000, ie about 5,700 comes from? Is the intake 8,225 or 14,000? And how many of these are citizens? Locals are not necessarily citizens. Or can we assume that 8,225 are citizens? If this is so, then the percentage of non citizen locals, ie PRs, is 41%. So for every 5 students admitted, 3 are citizens and 2 are PRs. But the actual intake could only be 8225, as 14,000 places were just offered and not necessarily accepted. The numbers are my guestimates based on the data provided in the paper and may not be accurate. What is the real number? Also, should it be a local-foreign problem or a citizen-non citizen issue?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Confusing the confused.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

nowadays all educated people are talking about numbers and figures.

so must pretend to be numerate.

Anonymous said...

Yes the newly arrived, new citizens and PRs could be lumped together with the indigenuos locals so that everyone got confused in the absence of transparencies. What exactly is the breakdown is what's in everyone's mind.

Statistics has been an issue here, I still rember the famous disagreement between the NTU professor and a minister on manpower statistics.. cant rember how it was resolved better transparies is what everyone here needs.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

how transparent are we?

initially the numbers on unsw were not disclosed. the caning incident was still not fully disclosed.

when we paid millions, we must demand full accountability and admission.

japanese ministers and top brass in private sector will honorably stand up and take a bow to apologise for their mistakes.

that is honour and respectability and accountability. make a mistake, nothing to hide. be brave enough to own up.

even hongyi is standing up.