Singapore still top of the class

Children play in a water fountain in Gardens by the Bay, a park in Singapore. The city-state's low crime rate, high-quality education and affordable tuition fees make it a popular destination for Chinese children studying abroad. [Photo / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESS]

Low tuition fees, safety are major reasons for Chinese children to study in city-state

Singapore has become the most favored destination in Asia for Chinese students aged between 15 and 18 studying overseas, a survey has found.

The Education International Cooperation Group, a domestic education services provider, says from 2007 to May 2014, 2.68 percent of Chinese students who studied overseas went to high school in Singapore. This figure far surpassed Japan (1.19 percent), South Korea (0.17 percent), Hong Kong (0.04 percent) and other places in Asia.

The report also showed that Singapore ranks No 1 among Asian countries in attracting Chinese students to study in university, and accounts for 3.9 percent of the total, followed by Hong Kong (2.18 percent) and South Korea (1.18 percent).

The EIC surveyed more than 2,000 students and their parents from 18 of the country's large and middle-sized cities, in an attempt to research students studying abroad aged 15 to 18.

The number of Chinese students choosing Singapore remains dwarfed, however, by those heading for the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The survey showed that 31.85 percent of Chinese students choose to study in Canadian high schools, making Canada the most popular destination. It was followed by the US (30.58 percent), Australia (22.16 percent), the UK (7.59 percent), and Singapore at 2.68 percent.

"The trend of students studying abroad at earlier ages has become more and more obvious since 2012," says Lou Donghui, chief consultant for the Europe and Asia department of Shinyway Education. "Singapore is no doubt one of the most prominent countries."

Lou says that the number of students asking Shinyway Education, an education and career advisory firm in China, about studying in Singapore is on the rise, especially younger students.

"Many parents of these underage students pay a lot of attention to safety issues," he says. "Singapore is a good choice because it is one of the safest countries in the world with a very low crime rate."

Another important reason is that foreign students can study at government-funded public schools in Singapore, which have high standards of teaching in English. Students graduating from high school in Singapore are more likely to secure a place at a university in Singapore.

"Furthermore, the tuition fee is much lower in Singapore compared with the US and European countries," Lou says. "The fee is about 30,000 yuan ($5,000) per year in public primary schools and about 40,000 yuan per year in public middle schools."

Lou says that parents often regard Singapore's high schools as a springboard to go on to famous universities in the US or Europe.

Singapore also has a policy for overseas students that is aimed at easing the stress of living in another country, especially for younger pupils.

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