Scholarships should be based on merit, not nationality: Baey

[smellyfish]

there should be different sholarship programs, for different purpose, and with different criteria. Some purely for locals (and these should be much much more), some (which should be much much less) purely for foreigners, and some which should be open. The open ones should be purely merit based.

[Ong88]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

That was during the late 90s. Why do we still need to do this? Yes yes we can continue, but, over the years, Singaporeans have been pushed out of the system and they are pointing fingers into our face telling us we are not good enough.

Dun be disheartened.
When ppl look down on you, rise to the occassion.

1985, I was a foreign student scholarship recipient, my third day in school the top boy in class sneered at me, " This is Singapore, you won't do well like in your kampung school. Go back better"

That made me work harder, I took his place within two terms, last I heard the guy went to an American community college.

[globalcookie]

Dr, that is so typical. We often hear M'sia bashing remarks by some Singaporeans, thinking Singaporeans are mighty.

To be fair, we (at least, not all) didn't hate foreigners. We just want the system and policies to be more fair to Singaporeans.

[aromatix]

unlike doc, i wasn't so good academically and came to study on my family's finances. but i was still glad i was given a place in NUS. i would like to think it was based on merit.

i wished someone had insulted me badly enuf to spur me to greater things. nothing like that happenned, instead i was made to feel welcome and today some of my closest buddies are singaporeans i knew in uni.

but hey this accidental student turned out pretty ok. while i may not be saving lives and curing disease like my bro doc ong, i think i'm contributing to the singapore economy - generating income by paying taxes, bringing in foreign exchange, providing employement and making the wheels of capitalism (no, not the wall st kind - but real goods and services) go round and round in his tiny island.

and i hire on merit based on our means - and it's still a good 70-80% singaporean in my company.

so what gives? keep meritocracy - it works for singapore; but fine-tune it according to the needs of the day.

[jwhtan]

The problem does not lie in meritocracy.

The problem lies in overlooking Singaporeans in favour of foreigners when it comes to scholarships.

We dun begrudge foreign students coming here to study or earning a living here on merit. It is only when Singaporeans pay while foreigners get free education in our University that we feel it is most ridiculous. On top of that, they start 2 years earlier while the sons of our land do National Service.

Imagine your children. They pay for food in your house while you give free meals to other children. After meals, your children do the dishes and mop the floor while the other children that you give food to walk away and play.

How do u think your child will feel ?

[hkh]

Originally Posted by jwhtan

Imagine your children. They pay for food in your house while you give free meals to other children. After meals, your children do the dishes and mop the floor while the other children that you give food to walk away and play.

How do u think your child will feel ?

They get to play simply because they are smarter than your child and you got to pay all the bills..... But why not ask their own parents to pay.....

[KAO LUO]

fXXK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

do nothing in s'pore . still support FT ........ARMY s'porean's go .. Good thing FT .......

Got 2 children, both male.. The more I look at them the more I feel sorry for them, both still in primary , I earn eat already very very shiong, dare not imagine myself how their life would be in the future... Now then know Singapore born male is put into such disadvantage system to compete with foreign kids.. Kns

If I am in Tampines in 2016 and a Chihuahua is fielded as an opposition party, I will not hesitate at all to vote the Chihuahua all the way to become MP.

P.S. please do not field a Pekingnese.

[hkh]

Originally Posted by leong26

Got 2 children, both male.. The more I look at them the more I feel sorry for them, both still in primary , I earn eat already very very shiong, dare not imagine myself how their life would be in the future... Now then know Singapore born male is put into such disadvantage system to compete with foreign kids.. Kns

This is really ridiculous...buy bus for Bus companies....pay education fees for foreign kids...dun know what's next....