Thursday 27 December 2012

Singapore Cost of Living

Singapore





Singapore Education
With its geographical proximity and cultural affinity to India, Singapore continues to be an important International destination for quality education to the Indian students, who are aspiring for an overseas education with a good International career prospects. The Government of Singapore is aggressively promoting its various higher secondary colleges and institutions across Indian metros and large cities. Over three years, the number of Indian students opting for studies in Singapore has surged and with the growth of the Indian economy and the increasing standard of life to its large middle class population means more and more students will be coming to Singapore, which is the leading Educational Hub in Asia, with a blend of both Western and Eastern Cultures, say best of the both worlds. Singapore is well known as a global education hub. It has a strategic geographical location, reputation for internationally acclaimed educational excellence, with a safe and cosmopolitan environment. As a vibrant business hub it presents opportunities for institutional-industry collaboration to the students. One of the sustainable sectors, education is a counter-cyclical industry even during the economically hard times as the unemployed seek to retrain and upgrade themselves. There is a growing demand from the Asian students for quality education at various levels tertiary, pre-university, vocational training, etc. This is especially so amongst the fast-growth countries such as India and China, where there is unmet demand from the burgeoning middle classes for quality education services.

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Educational System in Singapore
The Ministry of Education aims to help the students to discover their own talents, to make the best of these talents and realise their full potential, and to develop a passion for learning that lasts through life.
Education Landscape
The Singapore Education Landscape
Printable Version (296kb .jpg)

Singapore has a strong education system. Singapore students aim high and they achieve very good results. This is recognised around the world. We have good schools, with capable school leaders and teachers, and facilities that are amongst the best in the world.

Ministry of Education, Singapore is building on these strengths as we prepare the next generation of Singaporeans for the future. This is a future that brings tremendous opportunity, especially in Asia, but it will also bring many changes that we cannot foresee today. The task of their schools and tertiary institutions is to give our young the chance to develop the skills, character and values that will enable them to continue to do well and to take Singapore forward in this future.

MoE, Singapore has been moving in recent years towards an education system that is more flexible and diverse. The aim is to provide students with greater choice to meet their different interests and ways of learning. Being able to choose what and how they learn will encourage them to take greater ownership of their learning. It gives the students a more broad-based education to ensure their all-round or holistic development, in and out of the classroom.

These approaches in education will allow us to nurture our young with the different skills that they need for the future. They seek to help every child find his own talents, and grow and emerge from school confident of his abilities. They will encourage them to follow their passions, and promote a diversity of talents among them – in academic fields, and in sports and the arts.

They want to nurture young Singaporeans who ask questions and look for answers, and who are willing to think in new ways, solve new problems and create new opportunities for the future. And, equally important, we want to help our young to build up a set of sound values so that they have the strength of character and resilience to deal with life’s inevitable setbacks without being unduly discouraged, and so that they have the willingness to work hard to achieve their dreams.

(* Ministry of Education Website-Singapore)

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Cost of Education ang Living Expenses
Cost of Living

The standard of living in Singapore is amongst the highest in Asia. Compared to countries in western continents, the cost of living here is relatively low, and basic items like food and clothing are very reasonably priced.

When planning your budget, you will need to cater for these items :
  • Accommodation
  • Utilities
  • Food
  • Transport
  • Clothing
  • Telecommunications
  • Books & Stationery
  • Medical/Hospitalisation Insurance
  • Personal Expenses

An international student in Singapore spends on average about S$750 to S$2,000 a month on living expenses. This amount of course, varies depending on your individual lifestyle and course of study.

These estimated cost ranges in the Table below gives a rough guide of the basic expenditure an international student may incur per month.



Please note that the average estimates were derived based on prices as at Nov 2007 and they serve as a reference only.
(*Ref: http://www.singaporeedu.gov.sg/htm/liv/liv01.htm)

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Required Tests
The English Proficiency test and other eligibility tests like GRE, GMAT is required by Some Institutes/Colleges/Universities in Singapore. However most of them do not require all these.

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Work Prospects
Question: As a foreign student at the local universities or polytechnics with a student visa, can I do part-time work during term time? Do I apply to the Ministry of Education or the Immigration Department for permission to seek part-time employment?

Answer: Yes, you can do part-time work under certain conditions and it is also subject to approval by the university or polytechnic that you are studying in. Before you look for part time employment, please approach the respective institutions for further details.

*(Ref: Ministry of Education, Singapore website- www.moe.gov.sg)

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Documents Required
Basic Documents Required:

From the Applicant,
  1. 2 copies for Form 16, Form V36 and Form V39S duly completed and signed by applicant and local sponsor at the relevant sections. (The first set of forms must be original.)
  2. 2 recent passport-sized photographs (BW/ Colour) to be pasted on the top-right hand corner of Form 16
  3. Applicant’s Official Birth Certificate (in English and photocopy)
  4. Applicant’s highest education certificates and result transcripts (in English and photocopy)
  5. Copies of personal particular pages of applicant’s travel document/ passport (photocopy)
Additional documents are required if
  • the applicant is a national from the visa-required countries
  • one of the applicant’s parents/ step-parents is a Singapore citizen/ PR
  • Applicant’s spouse is a Singapore Citizen/ PR

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