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News and Events
Better Among Best... |
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Date: 2nd November 2011
News: UK Student visa: Changes to the student visa system - cutting abuse and raising standards
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Tough new rules and enforcement action to stop abuse of the student visa system mean that over 450 education providers will no longer be able to sponsor new international students.
In total these colleges could have brought more than 11,000 students into the UK to study each year.
New UK Border Agency regulations have significantly raised the standards education providers must meet before they can bring international students to the UK. So far, over 400 colleges have lost their right to recruit international students after they failed to sign up for the new inspection system. As well as cutting abuse, the new standards will help ensure that genuine international students receive the highest quality education.
In addition, a targeted UK Border Agency investigation into more than 100 colleges has led to 51 having their licences to recruit international students revoked. The investigation followed a spike in applications from South Asia just before the English language requirement rules were tightened. More than 4,500 of these applications to study have been refused or withdrawn as a result.
One college advertised classes even though the website said it was shut for maintenance, while another could not even produce a list of students enrolled or a timetable of classes. On inspection, others could not produce any records of student attendance, or evidence of checking student qualifications.
Immigration Minister, Damian Green said:
Widespread abuse of the student visa system has gone on for too long and the changes we have made are beginning to bite.
Too many institutions were offering international students an immigration service rather than an education and too many students have come to the UK with the aim of getting work and bringing over family members. Only first-class education providers should be given licences to sponsor international students.
We have curbed the opportunities to work during study and bring in family members. We have also introduced new language requirements to ensure we only attract genuine students whose primary motivation is to study.
As well as going through tough new inspections, colleges that want to keep bringing in international students must also meet new higher sponsorship standards to ensure they are fulfilling their immigration responsibilities. Those who do not meet these standards will be removed from the sponsorship register.
The UK Border Agency has also created a list of more than 2,000 banks and financial institutions who can no longer provide evidence to verify a student has sufficient funds for their course. If a bank is on the list, a student citing that institution will not be granted a visa.
Further measures to tighten the student regime are due in April. The post study work route, which has allowed graduates free labour market access, will be closed and students wishing to stay and work will need to apply under the skilled workers visa route . There will also be new time limits on student visas and tougher rules on work placements. In the mean time the UK Border Agency is continually monitoring the behaviour of all sponsors and will take action against any that are not complying with standards of education provision or immigration control.
The changes to the student route form part of the Governments comprehensive package to overhaul the immigration system, taking action on families, settlement, those coming here to work, as well as students, in order to bring immigration levels back down to sustainable levels.
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Date: 6th January 2012
News: UK Immigration figures expected to decrease in light of UK economic recession |
UK Immigration numbers are set for a dramatic decline of tens of thousands during 2012. This is according to an official report recently released by independent Thinktank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
The IPPR identifies the economic recession as the key factor behind the expected decrease in UK Immigration numbers. Estimated figures given by the IPPR show that numbers of EU and non-EU migrants are expected to fall from 220,000 to around 180,000 during 2012. However, the report also states that the government is still very unlikely to meet its overall immigration target.
The figures are based on research conducted by the Home Office and the Office for National Statistics, with the IPPR providing overall analysis, taking into consideration the current economic climate that Britain finds itself in.
The conclusions drawn by the IPPR report give a damning assessment of the coalition governments methods of dealing with Britains economic crisis. The IPPR claims that the government strategy is actually doing more harm than good in particular the main policy – which involves putting a cap on the number of skilled migrants outside the EU allowed into the UK has had no effect.
The IPPR report has identified that the forced cap of 21,700 skilled migrants from outside the EU entering the UK is completely irrelevant to the cause because Britains businesses are employing less staff.
The report states: It is slightly odd to see a government making a virtue of their flagship policy not actually having had any effect. The more serious conclusion is that the experience of the cap so far should not be seen as a vindication of the policy.
Furthermore, when it comes to illegal Immigration, the IPPR report comprehensively concludes that the government has failed to make any headway.The IPPR openly accuses the government of manipulating figures to show that the number of illegal immigrants being deported from the UK is rising.
The report cites: Beyond this, the governments new policies amount to little more than a somewhat gimmicky, and arguably rather unpleasant, shop-an-illegal helpline.
The IPPR has warned that this smoke and mirrors approach to the issue of Immigration will only add to the discontent of the people, because the government is quite simply failing to deliver on its election promise of reducing UK immigration figures.
The report says: By promising what it cannot deliver, the government, far from achieving its aim of taking the heat out of this emotive issue, will instead feed the publics sense of disillusionment.
Further concerns identified by the report surrounds the issue of the expected decrease of foreign prisoners deported from the UK, which has yet to materialise. The report also highlights that the government has delivered a “generally disappointing performance on removing irregular migrants and refused asylum seekers.
The IPPR says: Such initiatives will be hampered by UK Border Agency spending cuts and asylum numbers will continue to hover around the 20,000 mark of recent years.
The IPPR report also outlines that Immigration policies that are having a negative effect on the UK economy include attempts to reduce the number of UK Study Visa applications. In particular the government has removed an option for students studying in the UK to remain in the country and work once graduating.
Yet despite evidence provided by the IPPRs report, government ministers remain convinced that Immigration policies are working and that the overall target of reducing Immigration numbers to the tens of thousands is still plausible.
Immigration minister, Damian Green, said: The latest quarterly figures show that Student Visas issued are down 13% and the main Work Visas issued are down 18% compared to last year – an early sign that our policies are starting to take effect.
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Date: 11th December 2011
News: Singapore is new destinations for Indian students heading abroad |
For many years Indian students, the world's largest group of overseas students after the Chinese, rarely looked beyond Britain, the US and Australia for higher education. But changes in visa rules, fraudulent institutions that prey on unsuspecting foreign students and lack of opportunities to work after graduation in the UK and US have prompted many students to seek newer, more welcoming destinations including Canada, Europe and Singapore.
Although European destinations will not be a threat [to traditional destinations] they are innovating to become more international.
Indian students spend Rs5.9 billion (US$113.5 million) annually on studying abroad, more than twice the amount allotted by the countrys national budget to higher education.
A big chunk of this money traditionally goes to the US, which hosts more than 100,000 Indian students, the UK and Australia. The drop-off of Indian students in the UK is marked, almost 10% down on previous years.
Visa changes:
Changes in visa policies are a key factor in the search for new destinations. This year the UK scrapped the two-year post-study leave to remain in the UK for new non-EU students. Foreign graduates can stay only if they have highly paid skilled job offers.
The UK played around with their post-study work regulations and all indications are that September [2011] and Spring [January 2012] intakes will show a huge decline in student numbers from India.
The post-study work visa has been popular among self-financing Indian students who try to recover the cost of their degree by working after their course is over. Few Indian students get help with bursaries or scholarships from the Indian or the British governments.
By contrast, Australia announced new student visa regulations from November this year after a huge slump in the number of Indian students following racist attacks on Indians in 2009. A government clampdown on dubious institutions and visa changes also deterred prospective students.
Under its new regulation, international students who graduate with a bachelor or masters degree after studying for at least two years in Australia will be able to work in the country for two years after graduation. Those with research masters degrees can remain for three years post-study work, with four years for PhD students.
The new regulation has the potential of attracting Indian students back to Australian universities. It will also act as an alternative to British universities when cost of education remains the same," said Harmeet Pental, regional director of South Asia for IDP Education.
Continental shift:
While the UK tightens its visa rules, countries like Singapore are poised to fill the gap.
English-speaking countries will continue to remain popular with Indian students. But unless student visa norms become more flexible and the economic situation improves in countries like the US and UK, students will look for greener pastures.
After completing a degree in Singapore, a student can stay for up to a year to look for a job.
US versus Canada
US universities may still host the largest number of Indian students globally. But the US reputation has taken a beating after high-profile incidents of fraudulent universities left Indian students stranded.
In January 2011, Tri Valley University in California was charged with immigration fraud by the US authorities and closed down, leaving hundreds of Indian students facing deportation. In July, US authorities raided the University of North Virginia after alleged visa fraud.
Although there are also reports of dubious private diploma-granting colleges in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, there is more transparency about bogus universities than in the US where there is no single accrediting body.
The US is still popular with Indian students. But there will be a decrease in numbers because not everybody will get admission in Ivy League colleges. The second and third tier colleges in the US may be better than most of ours, but Indian employers are sceptical about lesser-known institutions, especially after the cases of fraudulent institutions came to light.
Meanwhile, the slowdown in the US economy and the lack of employment opportunities is giving Canada an edge over America.
Closer to home, Indian students are looking at Singapore as a higher education destination, according to education consultants in India, who say the numbers are rising year on year.
And with reports of an economic downswing in the West, more students are looking to building networks for the future in Asia by attending universities in the region.
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Date: 2nd August 2010
News: New rule for UK student visa |
From August 12, 2010, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) will implement secure English
Language tests for students under Tier 4 (General) of the points-based system.
According to UKBA, student visa applicants who are studying courses below degree
level, excluding foundation degrees and English Language courses have to take
the test.
This test must be taken with a UKBA-approved provider before the applicant
applies for a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the education
sponsor. Applicants who are intending to study a foundation degree or at degree
level (NQF level 6) and above, or an English Language course, are not required
to take the secure English Language test before applying for a visa.
Education providers may, however , require students to provide evidence of
English Language proficiency to ensure they are capable of following the course
for which they have applied. In an exclusive interview, David Willetts, UK
minister for universities and science, allayed student fears, saying the
tightening of visa rules is not intended to keep out excellent students from
India to study in UK.
“We welcome the brightest of Indian students to come and study in our leading
British universities. Indian students pay full fees and, therefore, it is in
their interest that they receive quality education from accredited
institutions,” said Willetts.
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Date: 30th August 2010
News: Despite visa restrictions the United Kingdom remains the top foreign
destination for Indian students.
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According to data available for 2010, almost twice the number of Indian students
who applied to study higher education abroad chose colleges in the UK over the
United States. Latest data for entry into college for 2010 show that the UK has
issued 57,500 student visas, almost double the number issued by the US (32,000).
In 2009, the number of new student entrants stood at 34,000 for the UK against
27,000 for the US. The increase came even as Britain ended a six-month
suspension of issuing student visas in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Britain has
also tightened up on student visas this year to include restrictions on those
wanting to enrol in English language schools, and set more stringent
requirements for English language proficiency for other courses.
The revised norms were drawn up after the UK Border Agency suspended student
visa applications from North India, Nepal and Bangladesh in February as it
investigated an inexplicable six-fold increase in student visa applications. The
Educational consultants said this widening gap could be partially attributed to
the availability of shorter courses in destinations outside the US. "The US
banks have also laid down stricter norms for lending money to students to fund
their educational expenses. In some cases banks have also stopped lending to
international students without co-signers," said Naresh Gulati, an education
consultant.
Australia's loss in attracting Indian students has also turned up a boon for
colleges in the UK. A change in visa laws coupled with incidents of racially
motivated attacks has turned out to be the major concern for Indian students
considering studying in Australia. The last academic year saw an overall decline
of more than 60% in Indian students going to Australia. Notably, information
provided by the Council of Graduate Schools in the CGS International Graduate
Admissions Survey shows that there was little to no growth in the numbers of
applications from prospective graduate students from India in 2010. Initial
offers of admission to prospective graduate students also fell 4% in 2010
following declines of 14% in 2009. For India, this is the third consecutive year
of decline in offers of admission.
According to information shared by the UK Border Agency in India, 15,000 student
visas were issued for the academic year 2004-05 but the number went up to 16,227
in the next academic year and 2006-07 saw the figure almost touching 20,000. The
numbers rose further to 23,500 in 2007 and 27,000 in 2008. However, the US still
has the biggest pool of Indians enrolled, with over 100,000 Indian students on
American campuses. Peggy Blumenthal, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute of
International Education in the US, said visa statistics for 2010 up to July
would not capture the majority of Indian students who typically applied for
their visas from May to late August, with many applying in early September.
"The Students are not permitted to apply more than six months before their
expected start date at a US institution. Right now, hundreds of students in
India are still going for visa interviews at all five consular offices every
day," said Blumenthal.
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Source: c2clive desk
Date: 31st August 2010
News: Germany - Ukraine: an important neighbour for the EU |
Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle has continued his intensive exchange with
the Ukrainian Government, meeting President Viktor Yanukovych and Foreign
Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko in Berlin. Westerwelle shared the two men’s view
that German-Ukrainian relations stand on a solid foundation. Guido Westerwelle
last met Kostyantyn Gryshchenko in Berlin at the beginning of July. Prior to
that, Gryshchenko had been a guest at a meeting of the Weimar Triangle (Poland,
France, Germany) in Bonn at the end of April. The talks addressed a wide range
of bilateral and regional issues, for instance Ukraine’s engagement in the
Eastern Partnership.
The main aim of the Eastern Partnership is to bring the EU and its partners
closer together in political and economic terms. At a summit in Prague on 7 May
2009 the 27 EU member states established the Eastern Partnership with six of
their neighbouring countries to the east and in the Caucasus: Ukraine, Belarus,
Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The most recent meeting under the Eastern Partnership umbrella was an informal
foreign ministers meeting in Sopot, near Gdańsk, on 24 May this year. During his
visit to Berlin, President Yanukovych also met Federal President Christian Wulff
and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. The talks with the Federal Government also
touched on issues relating to legal certainty, freedom of the press and freedom
of opinion.
Developing economic cooperation Possibilities for intensifying economic
cooperation were also on the agenda. Germany is already Ukraine’s second most
important trading and investment partner. A German-Ukrainian energy forum will
be taking place in Kyiv and Donetsk this autumn. Germany can, for example play a
positive role in the restructuring of the Ukrainian gas market and in improving
energy efficiency.
Drawing even closer to the EU The new Ukrainian Government has repeatedly
committed itself to European values and to the continuation of the process of
moving closer to the EU. It is in negotiations with the EU on an association
agreement designed gradually to bring Ukraine closer to the EU in economic and
political terms. This process also encompasses negotiations on a comprehensive
free trade agreement. * The Eastern Partnership of the EU
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Date: 31st August 2010
News: Singapore must remain open for foreigners! |
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made immigration a central theme in his National
Day Rally speech on Sunday. He set out three reasons why Singapore must remain
open to foreigners: to top up its talent pool, its labour force and its
population. He also assured Singaporeans they would always come first. He
announced policy changes to address some of the most pressing concerns of
citizens. Here are excerpts of his address.
View more photos THIS year with a booming economy, we will definitely need more
foreign workers so we can create our jobs in Singapore. A few months ago, I
mentioned to the press that we could need more than 100,000 foreign workers this
year. Since then, we've recalculated. Maybe we'll get by with a few less,
perhaps 80,000 workers. But I said this to highlight the trade-off which we face
and which we cannot avoid. You want higher growth which will benefit our
workers, that also means accepting more foreign workers to come and work in
Singapore. You choke off the foreign workers, the economy is stifled, growth is
not here, our workers will suffer.
This is a very hot topic in Singapore, foreign workers and also immigration.
We've held many dialogue sessions with the grassroots, with the residents and I
think Singaporeans understand logically why we need foreign workers, why we need
this immigration. But they are still concerned about competition for jobs, about
crowding, competing for housing or for transport on MRT and deeper things like
the character of our society. Of course there's the psychological aspect too,
the sense that they want to be valued and that Singaporeans are more valued than
foreigners.
And these concerns come through many other channels as well: union leaders,
newspapers columns. When we build workers' dormitories, we remember the
sensitivities which can be aroused. Serangoon Gardens, two years ago, got very
upset because things were not explained well enough. I understand these
sentiments. These are legitimate concerns, which we take seriously.
We don't brush them aside but we have to weigh them against the plus side of
having the foreign workers and immigrants, why it is necessary for us to let in
a controlled inflow so we can derive benefits from it. Tonight, I can't solve
the whole problem, but I will try and explain why staying open is going to
benefit us and how. First, because we need to gain talent. It makes a tremendous
difference to us, doing critical work in our economy, helping Singapore to
become an outstanding city. We have very good people but never enough. And
therefore we need to draw from all over the world, to supplement our local pool.
You take professionals, for example, architects.
There are lots of talented young architects in Singapore. The majority of the
architects are native Singaporeans, although quite a few are foreign-born. And
the foreign-born ones include the two architects who built The Pinnacle, a
husband-and-wife team. The husband, Mr Khoo Peng Beng, is from Ipoh, now a PR.
The wife, Belinda Huang, is from Selangor, now a Singapore citizen. They won a
design competition to build on the Duxton Plain site and the result is one of
the most sought-after HDB projects in Singapore. For the local architects, you
might consider this foreign competition too fierce, unfair. But for
Singaporeans, and especially for the residents of Pinnacle, we benefit.
We get a better living environment, we get a more beautiful city and I think
even our own architects benefit because from the competition, from that
stimulus, they will do better and produce better works too. Take sports talent
as another example. We are grooming our own. Our young sportsmen have done very
well in the YOG, the young Olympians. And in some sports, we are near the top in
the world rankings, like sailing or bowling. But in other sports we still need
to draw on new citizens, like table tennis.
The second reason is we need reinforcements to grow our economy and create
better jobs for Singaporeans. The foreign workers supplement our ranks and
enable us to build successful companies. You take Keppel and SembCorp. They are
world beaters. Together they employ 20,000 people in Singapore, of whom 5,000
are Singa-poreans. The other 15,000 are foreign workers, professionals. Without
the foreign workers, the Singaporean jobs wouldn't exist. Of course, the
converse is true, too. Without the Singaporean brains working the system and
bringing the foreign workers together and organising them, the foreign worker
jobs wouldn't exist either.
The final reason we need immigrants is to make up for our shortfall in babies.
Our efforts to produce more Singaporean babies have not yielded results, not
yet. Two years ago, I made a long speech in the National Day Rally about new
measures. Last year, we produced fewer babies than in 2008. So for this type of
productivity, please work harder. Foreign workers versus immigrants BUT I think
we should make an important distinction between foreign workers and immigrants,
which means PRs and citizens.
Foreign workers are transient, we need them to work in the factories, in the
banks, hospitals, shipyards, construction projects. When the job is done, they
will leave. When there are no jobs here, they will go. So temporarily, the
economy is hot, I think we can accept higher numbers. For the longer term, we
are pushing to raise productivity so we can rely less on foreign workers. But
meanwhile, we want to build flats, MRT lines, IRs, so please bear with the
larger numbers for the time being.
That's foreign workers. Immigrants: The PRs and the citizens are far fewer. We
are very careful whom we accept. Not only must they contribute to our economy
but they've also got to integrate with our society and strike roots here. We've
moved quite fast over the last five years. We've accepted a larger inflow of
foreign workers and we've taken in more new citizens and PRs. Conditions were
good, we caught the wind, we moved forward. But now I think we should
consolidate, slow down the pace. We can't continue going like this and
increasing our population 100,000, 150,000 a year indefinitely and we should
give Singaporeans time to adjust, and our society time to settle and integrate
better the new arrivals. But we must not close ourselves up. The basic principle
for us is always, citizens come first and that's how our policies are designed:
citizens before PRs, PRs before other foreigners and non-residents.
Last year, we reviewed the policies, we changed the subsidies to make this
distinction sharper, so education fees, health-care subsidies, housing subsidies
all adjusted, so it's quite clear that the Singaporeans get the best deal. But
not everything is reduced to subsidies and dollars. There are other less
tangible issues, too, which I will also talk about, not to dismiss them but to
explain how we can manage the problems and enjoy the benefits of the inflow by
limiting the down side. Citizens come first FIRST of all, competition from
foreigners.
I think many Singaporeans accept the economic logic that the economy needs these
foreigners but they fear the impact on them. What if a foreigner takes my job?
What if my own wages get pushed out? I understand this, I empathise and in fact
we take measures to help to protect Singaporeans. We don't allow the foreigners
to come in uncontrolled because otherwise, we would be swamped. We restrict the
foreign workers with dependency ratios, with the foreign worker levies. The
employer pays an extra foreign worker levy to discourage him from hiring the
foreigner and look for a Singaporean instead.
The levies are going up, they are going to go up further. Some employers may
feel the pinch but it is necessary because we need to manage the inflow and not
have an indefinite number. On the other side, we have Workfare, which helps
low-income Singaporeans so when they work, they get a top-up to their wage from
the Government. That makes it more worth their while to work and improves what
they receive and overall, they end up better off compared to the foreigner who
gets no Workfare. This year, we're going to spend $400 million on Workfare,
giving it to 400,000 Singaporeans. That's a lot of money and I think it's a lot
of help to our lower-income group. But the protection can only go so far. If you
lack the skills or you're not competitive, then it doesn't matter how high the
foreign worker levy is or how generous the Workfare is, the jobs are still going
to go elsewhere. I've discussed this question with the union leaders regularly
and they understand the logic.
They were more worried a few years ago when the flows were growing and they were
not sure of the impact on Singapore workers, but now their members are quite
convinced that their companies benefit from being able to hire foreign workers.
At the firm level, within each of the companies, the foreigners and the
Singaporean workers work well together. In one hotel, the housekeeping
department employs both locals and foreign workers. The locals are the aunties,
the more experienced ones, and the foreign workers are the younger ones. The
aunties treat the foreign workers like their own daughters or nieces. So when
they arrive in Singapore, they help to orientate them, even help them to cook or
pack their food for them.
The heavier physical tasks like turning over mattresses, younger foreign workers
would be able to do and between the two, they've worked out a good working
relationship and become firm friends. When one of the foreign workers applied
for PR, a supervisor and the union representative asked the management to assist
in the PR application. The second worry of Singaporeans is whether the new
arrivals will integrate into our society.
Will they identify with Singapore? Will they grow roots here? After all, they
speak and dress differently, their social norms are different and they may speak
no English or very little English. So it's harder to fit in and communicate,
particularly with the non-Chinese. We encourage the immigrants to learn English.
Our community centres will offer basic English courses and I think if they'll
come up and pick up a few words, this proficiency will help them to integrate
and therefore, become more ready for permanent residence or citizenship later on
should they apply for it. But more important than language or social graces, the
immigrants have to get along with the different races here and adopt our
egalitarian norms. This is a multiracial society. Our Chinese are used to
getting along with Malays and Indians.
Our Indians are used to getting along with Malays and with Chinese. The
immigrant Chinese who come, the immigrant Indians who come, may not be used to
this and it takes some time for them to adjust, but they should make the effort.
Some of them have got along fine. We have foreign workers now working as bus
drivers in SBS. I asked the CEO how it is getting along. And he said: 'Well,
it's not bad. They sometimes get flak but sometimes it works out very well.'
And he gave me an example of Ms Zhao Xiaodong who comes from Dalian and she's
the bus captain of Service 109 from Serangoon Interchange to Changi Village
going through Pasir Ris and she is well liked by her passengers, especially the
Pasir Ris residents. So at one point she had to go away for a week, several of
the commuters wrote to SBS. They said: 'What's happened to our bus driver? She
is polite, she's caring, she's considerate to pregnant women and the elderly.
Have you transferred her to another route or maybe she's left SBS?
Whatever it is, please bring her back to Service 109', which I think is where
she still is. So I think at the personal level if you can get on and the
relationships can be established, that's a tremendous help. Singaporeans, too,
should do their part to understand and integrate the new arrivals. The key to
this is not just your arguments and the principles and the logic, but the
personal ties and the friendships. On the immigrants side, I think it's very
helpful if the new citizens and the PRs can also make the effort to engage
Singaporeans, to give back to Singapore society.
And some of them are doing this. For example, in Sinda, there's Project Read, a
programme where volunteers adopt kids from disadvantaged homes and spend time
with the kids, reading to them, mentoring them, helping them to make progress.
And it's benefited over 4,000 kids. And almost half the volunteers are PRs and
new citizens. I think both sides have to make the effort. Growing roots takes
time. You can't plant an instant tree and tomorrow, expect it to have taken
root. It takes time but gradually the new arrivals will connect, identify with
Singapore and finally, we hope some will make the decision to commit themselves
and become Singapore citizens.
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Date: 17th August 2010
News: University of Bolton (UK) places available to high achievers
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The University of Bolton has seen a large increase in applications in 2010 The
University of Bolton is bucking the trend of higher education by making more
places available for exceptional A Level students. This summer has seen numerous
high achieving school leavers being left without offers for university places.
However, Bolton are offering 50 places to students who hold three A grades.
Vice-Chancellor Dr George Holmes said high achievers "should have the
opportunity to pursue a university career."
Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday 8 August, the Universities and
Science Minister David Willetts said that while there would be more University
places than ever before , as more people applied, not all will be able to go to
the institutions of their choice. He added that there "are young people who,
sadly, are not going to get a place, including some young people who really have
got good A Level grades."
The University of Bolton has responded directly to that by freeing up extra
places at their institution. Up to 50 students who have not previously applied
to the University and who have three A grades at A level or equivalent will be
guaranteed a place in Bolton if they apply by Saturday 21 August. Dr Holmes said
that "students achieving three 'A' grade A-levels should have the opportunity to
pursue a university career." Adding: "It is in all our interests that such
academic potential should be nurtured through higher education.
"At Bolton, we demonstrate this by awarding excellence scholarships to this type
of student." As with the rest of higher education, Bolton has seen demand for
places from UK and EU students increase this year by over 20 percent, a figure
nine percent higher than the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service's
national average.
That figure is dwarfed by the applications from overseas candidates, which have
seen an increase of over 100 per cent this year. Dr Holmes said that the
University was doing its best to meet the demand and were guaranteeing a place
to anyone who had either a firm offer or an insurance offer from the
institution. He said that the University was "committed to supporting all our
students, full and part time, to do great things as they develop their academic
and professional futures; and we look forward to welcoming new students in
September."
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Phone: (91) 44 45000036
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Mobile: (91) 97899 78816
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