The Committee for Private Education (CPE), in an annual survey of about 2,800 fresh graduates from private education institutions (PEIs), found that they were more likely to be out of a job, compared to their peers in the autonomous universities.
27.2% of these fresh graduates from private institutions were either unemployed and still looking for a job, or in involuntary or part-time employment. In contrast only 9.2% of their peers from the autonomous universities (AUs) like NUS, NTU, SMU, and SUSS are in a similar predicament.
Those who graduated from the AUs also earn a higher median gross salary ($3500) compared to $2,650 for those from private education institutions.
The disparity is stark.
Why are the standards of PEIs low compared to the AUs? Can the MOE step in to further regulate the industry to ensure that the standards in the universities do not drop further?
The MOE has sent mixed signals about attaining a degree. In the not too distant past, there was an emphasis for Singaporeans to get degrees in order to get ahead. Consequently, Singaporeans focused their attention on getting that degree at the PEIs, if they were unable to enter AUs.
More recently though, there has been a shift towards skills and knowledge, with far less focus on getting a degree.
What happens then to those who recently graduated and are unable to find employment? Aren't there opportunities for employment the civil service, the biggest employer in Singapore?
The Ministry is rightly focusing its resources on AUs. That being said, it cannot allow for standards at PEIs to deteriorate, affecting their status and credibility, and also limiting the ability of the graduates to seek employment.
