Education Hub of the East
Singapore is fast emerging as the higher education hub of the East hosting a large chunk of international students from countries like China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Currently, 80% of the total students population belongs to international students. The country is a low-cost destination for quality education as compared to the US and UK. “I have been in this country since my grade 11 and currently I am pursuing masters from Duke NUS graduate medical college. It was challenging for me in the beginning; adapting to a new environment, learning how to manage my finances and dealing with daily problems on my own, but at the end of the day, I will say that Singapore has made me a more responsible and mature person”, said, Shera Chaterji, a master’s student studying in Singapore.

Education System
Singapore’s education system is similar to what we have in India. It encompasses - Pre-school (3-5 years old), primary school (7-12 years old), secondary school (13-16 years old), followed by Junior College/pre-university (17-19 years old) OR polytechnic (17-19 years old) OR Institute of Technical Education (17 years onwards). “Students go for tertiary education only when they are 19 years old. The tertiary education includes Bachelor’s, Masters and PhD degree”, said, spokesperson, Singapore Tourism Board. Education in Singapore is managed by Ministry of Education (MOE), which directs education policy.

The academic year for tertiary education starts from July/September every year.

Tertiary Education
There are currently four universities in Singapore. The two public universities National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University each has more than 20,000 students and they provide a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes including doctoral degrees. Both are also established research universities with thousands of research staff and graduate students.

The third university Singapore Management University (SMU), focuses on business and management courses. Although it is a private university, it is funded by the government. The fourth university is the privately-run Singapore Institute of Management University (UniSIM). In addition, there are various other private tertiary institutions offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, which include- University of New South Wales Asia, Management Development Institute of Singapore, Singapore Institute of Commerce, National Institute of Education, INSEAD Asia, German Institute of Science and Technology, The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific, Design Technology Institute, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business- Asia campus.

Delving on unique selling points of Singapore’s global education, spokeperson, STB, said, “The INSEAD-Wharton Alliance combines INSEAD's resources with those of Wharton's to deliver business education and research across a global learning network. Founded in 1898, the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business created the world's first Executive MBA programme in 1943 to provide senior managers and executives with the most up-to-date management education. The same programme is now available in its Asia.”

Besides, The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Singapore, offers a fully accredited Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel Administration as well as an Executive Masters Degree in Hospitality Administration. It is recognized as one of the leading hospitality management programmes in the United States. Singapore also hosts ESSEC Business School is a major player in international management education. LASALLE College of the Arts Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, is a specialized institution for programmes in Arts, Media and Design.

Polytechnics/Institute of technical education
Reflecting the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of their students, the polytechnics seek to train students with relevant and specific skills for the workplace. Today, polytechnic graduates are valued as practice-oriented and knowledgeable middle-level professionals, much sought after by industry. There are currently five polytechnics in Singapore: Singapore Polytechnic (SP), Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), Temasek Polytechnic (TP), Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and Republic Polytechnic (RP). Polytechnics offer diplomas to students.

However, Institute of Technical Education (ITE) took over the role and functions of the Vocational & Industrial Training Board (VITB). Since its formation in 1992, ITE has focused its effort on establishing the institute as a post-secondary technical institution of excellence. The primary role of ITE is to ensure that its graduates have the technical knowledge and skills that are relevant to industry. ITE is the national authority for the setting of skills standards and the certification of skills in Singapore.