Covid-19: NUS sends foreign student home for breaching leave of absence

SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore (NUS) has booted a foreign student for breaching her mandatory 14-day leave of absence (LOA) orders and for lying when declaring where she had travelled, it said on Friday (March 7).

Addressing students, Associate Professor Leong Ching, NUS’ dean of students, said in an online post: “An international exchange student had breached her LOA and made a false travel declaration.

“The Board of Discipline has terminated her student exchange programme with NUS and she will return to her home university. She has been officially reprimanded and a report sent to her home university.”

The post did not mention the country where the student had arrived from, nor did it give details on how the university found out about the student’s behaviour.

It is also not known what the student did to breach the LOA.

When asked, an NUS spokesman declined comment on the incident, stating that student disciplinary matters are “internal and confidential”.

Last month, NUS reprimanded one of its students for breaching an LOA by attending lectures and suspended him for one month.

An NUS professor from the School of Design and Environment was also diagnosed with the disease last month. He was linked to the Grace Assembly of God cluster.

According to the Ministry of Education’s website, students are encouraged to let the school know if they are aware of anyone who failed to make a travel declaration, and that the school will follow up with checks.

Those issued with an LOA are to remain in their place of residence during the 14-day period. They are allowed to leave their homes briefly to buy daily necessities and supplies, or attend to important personal matters.

However, an LOA is not legally binding under the Infectious Diseases Act. It is unlike a stay-home notice, which is enforceable by law and carries severe penalties if there is a breach.