The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Tuesday that school fees for non-citizen students in Singapore will be increased by as much as S$150 per month.
The increase will take effect from January 2017. Reports say the government-aided schools will impose the higher fees on Permanent Residents (PRs) and international students. School fees for PRs and foreigners were raised last year as well.
According to Today Online, primary school students who are PRs will have to pay S$130 a month from the next year. The current fee was S$110 a month. Moreover, the new monthly fee for Asean international students will also be raised. The new fees will be S$390 from S$370.Meanwhile, non-Asean international students will have to pay S$600 a month, from S$550.
The fees for the secondary school children, who are either PRs, Asean international students or non-Asean international students, will be increased by S$40, $50 and $150 respectively. The revised fees have been set at S$200, S$600, and S$950 respectively, as reported by the news agency.
The news agency also reported that the Pre-university school fees for PRs and Asean international students will also be increased. The fees will both go up by S$60 per month to S$280 and S$860. S$150 per month more will be charged from Non-Asean international students. The fee is set at S$1,300.
However, Singapore citizens are spared from this hike and there will be no changes for school fees. Moreover, Singaporeans do not have to pay for primary school education. Also, monthly fees at the secondary and pre-university levels are at S$5 and S$6 respectively.
The education ministry said the revised fees come as part of a periodic review as well as the conscious efforts to "further differentiate fees by citizenship."
