Part-time grads want to prove they are just as good

I refer to the letter “Unrealistic to think universities are all equal” (Nov 25). As a graduate of a part-time degree programme, I disagree that the course requirements of our public universities are higher than those of private part-time degrees.

One should look into the admission criteria of many of the programmes conducted by Singapore Institute of Management Global Education. Many require applicants to have a minimum of Grade B in their polytechnic diploma courses before they are enrolled.

Many programmes in the United Kingdom offer direct honours.

Hence, a comparison between our local system and a private degree from a home country with a different education system is not particularly appropriate.

The programme I enrolled in was conducted by lecturers from the UK campus. It is unfair to the university and its students to say that the part-time graduate is exposed to a lower level of academic training than a local full-time graduate.

The part-time students in my degree programme are required to complete the same assignments and essays as those given in the UK campus.

Also, there are students who qualify for foreign universities but do not have the finances to go abroad. Many of them hold a full-time job while studying.

Although this is demanding, it teaches discipline and time management skills.

In my current workplace, I work with many part-time degree holders who are as competent as the local graduates.

While I agree that some part-time degree holders have unrealistic salary and job expectations, I appeal to the writer to assess each job applicant individually during interviews. He may perhaps consider a written test for assessing an applicant.

It is not about the salary. What the part-time degree holder wants is to prove that he or she is as good as the next applicant, who may be a local graduate.