up up and away...

1. GST rates are going to be increased to 7% w.e.f 1 July. read here

2. NETS rates are going to be increased by 400%. read here

3. SCV rates also going up across the board. read here

4. Ministeral salaries already up.. read here

Reading the papers, it seems to me that there is an announcement of price increases just about every other day. What next? ERP? Public transport? Rental fees? Seems like everything is really on the rise now! Even competition to get into NUS has also increased. =(

I know that everything is going well now so there is a "bull" mentality to society in general. But for some things like education and public transport hikes, should the government step in?

I'm not saying that we should continue to be spoon-fed, but there are some reasons why we continue pay our taxes and do national service. Reasons like education for our future generations.

Recently it has come to light how some Singaporeans are denied an education in our local universities and have no choice but to head overseas. Many of them do so, as a last resort, and regrettably, as many of those who go do not return. Mind you, these students are not performing below-par: Some have more than 2 'A's in the A-Levels. Unfortunately, due to the government's emphasis on attracting the brightest and the best from foreign lands, many of our own kind have to be sacrificed.

This sounds like a logical premise: Meritocracy, isn't it? However, I do feel that a country should fulfill its promises to its own citizens. From day 1 of primary school, the emphasis of our government has been on academic success. So we, the citizens heed the government's call. However, some do fall through the gaps. Some falter along the way, and not all make it to the Promised Land. However, does that mean we then cast the stragglers them away? And then complain that citizens have become "quitters", and that Singapore is facing a brain drain.

Look for local talent, before casting our nets out to look for foreign talent.

Now you may argue: Perhaps these students, knowing the standards of the courses that they wanted to get into, could have made better choices, especially since they already know their results beforehand. But no. Apparently this year admissions aggregates have jumped wildly. Is it due to better students this year? Is it due to the dragon-year cohort?

No.

It simply points to a more glaring problem: University places are in short supply, and the casting of our net in search of foreign talent has a part to play in this shortage. Why are we taking in an ever-increasing number of foreign students at the expense of our own? Can we afford to do so?

Mind you, I have nothing against foreign students. I value diversity and in fact some of my best friends are foreigners. But the question still stands: Can we afford to do so?

Can we continue to do this, and yet still touch our hearts and say that we have tried our best to give every student, every Singaporean adequate educational opportunities, and that we have fulfilled our promises to them?

I'm very afraid, that unless the government or the universities themselves do something, the answer will be just be one word:

No.