Support for Global Education Programme for ITE and Polytechnic Students to Gain Regional Exposure

3 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Education with regard to giving our ITE and Polytechnic students more regional exposure under the Global Education Programme (a) whether there will be more funding resources to support overseas internship opportunities; (b) whether there is concrete and strategic support for regional interaction and exchanges in the cultural, arts and sports fields; and (c) how effective is the opportunity fund in supporting students from low-income families.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Ms Low Yen Ling) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Global Education Programme at ITE offers students a wide range of opportunities for overseas exposure, including internships, student exchanges, community services and cultural enrichment. Our Polytechnics also have similar programmes. The Polytechnics and ITE fund these programmes with support from MOE and other Government agencies, providing subsidies for airfare, accommodation and other out-of-pocket costs that students incur. It is also common for Polytechnics and ITEs to tap on funds raised from donors.

Singaporean students from lower income households can also tap on the MOE Opportunity Fund for additional assistance and funding. In 2018, about 3,500 Polytechnic and ITE students benefited from the Opportunity Fund for overseas exposure trips. This is an increase of about 33% from two years ago. In addition, MOE and other Government agencies also provide support and funding that encourage our students to venture into the region for longer overseas internships. These include the Enterprise Singapore's Young Talent Programme which will soon be subsumed under the upcoming Global Ready Talent Programme and MOE's Global Innovation Alliance Innovators Academy programme, which targets internships in overseas start-ups.

As for culture, sports and arts, students do participate in overseas arts performances, friendly matches and other sports competitions with their counterparts in the region. The students typically take part in such activities as part of their co-curricular activities.

The level of funding support has been adequate to help our Polytechnic and ITE students take up overseas exposure programmes. Today, about half of our Polytechnic students and more than a quarter of our ITE students have participated in overseas exposure trips. If the Member is aware of any particular case that needs help, please let us know and we will certainly follow up with the students or the students may want to approach the management of the ITE or Polytechnic.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. I have two supplementary questions. First is with regards to the Global Education Programme. The sub-component of it, oversees industrial attachment programmes in the region. Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary share how many students so far have benefited from it as part of the total amount because it is also related to what Minister for Trade and Industry mentioned earlier. The industrial attachment programmes help to train not just the workers but our future workers through the students.

Second, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that funding resources are adequate at the moment. Are there plans to enhance funding for the Global Education Programme, for the ITEs and also for the Polytechnics, going forward?

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank the Member Mr Saktiandi Supaat for the two supplementary questions. Today, 40% of our Polytechnic and ITE students participate in overseas exposure programmes, compared to about 30% from six years ago. To the first question, in 2018, as far as Global Education Programme is concerned, ITE disbursed about $700,000 under the Global Education Programme in additional funding and assistance for needy students. This does not include the manpower and other costs of mounting the programme. About 4,000 students benefited under the Global Education Programme.

The Member is right, there is an Overseas Industrial Attachment Programme, there is also the Overseas Student Exchange Programme and Overseas Service and Development Programme. So, the 4,000 students actually cover the three programmes.

In terms of the funding, other than the Global Education Programme, I am happy to update Mr Supaat that there is also the Opportunity Fund that I briefly talked about. Perhaps, allow me to just elaborate. Between the year 2016 and 2018, each year, MOE disbursed through this Opportunity Fund Grant – it is a scheme to help our students from lower income households – an average of $2 million to ITE for the year 2016 to 2018. $2 million a year. And for the five Polytechnics, $5 million. The funding has been increased in 2019 – we have increased the funding to $3 million for the ITEs, from $2 million to $3 million. For the Polytechnics, from $5 million to $6 million. That is one change.

Another interesting change is, previously when the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are administering the disbursement of the Opportunity Fund, there is a gross monthly household income criterion of $4,000. We have done away with that. We want ITEs and also the Polytechnics to have the flexibility to decide the subsidy level for the students and to tier the level of support based on the needs and also profile of the students.