More land parcels may be released to set up international schools

SINGAPORE — More land parcels, each with a lease period of 30 years, could be made available for the setting up of international schools.

A closed-door briefing will be held next month for a Request-For-Interest (RFI) exercise for foreign schools — the fourth since 2008 — said the inter-agency committee chaired by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) yesterday. Details of these sites and their specifications will be announced at the briefing, but the Government will only decide whether to proceed with awarding the sites at the end of the RFI exercise.

In a press release issued yesterday, the EDB said the exercise will ensure that there is a range of high-quality schools and curricula available to meet the diverse educational needs of children of international executives here.

“Availability of quality schools for children of international executives is a key consideration when they decide on a posting location. Foreign system schools play a part in strengthening Singapore’s position as an attractive global city and home for business,” said Mr Alvin Tan, EDB’s assistant managing director and chair of the inter-agency RFI committee.

“The long tenure of the RFI land sites will encourage schools to invest in the necessary infrastructure and resources to deliver high-quality education options.”

The first RFI was started in 2008, when demand for international schools peaked and many of these schools were either full or had waiting lists.

To relieve pressure on these schools, the Government released more land in the first and second RFI exercises in 2008 and 2010, respectively. The previous exercise in 2012 saw four sites in Depot Road, Pasir Ris, Punggol and Bedok being made available.

So far, 16 sites have been offered — some sites have been offered for more than one exercise.

International schools that were successfully awarded land sites in previous exercises included prestigious British independent school Dulwich College, Stamford American International School, as well as the Overseas Family School’s newest campus in Pasir Ris that will be ready by August this year.

Out of eight international schools TODAY contacted yesterday, only GEMS World Academy Singapore said it was interested in the latest exercise.

“GEMS Education will attend the RFI closed-door session to learn more and review whether another model of GEMS school could be appropriate for Singapore,” said the school’s head of education David Edwards. The other schools could not respond by press time or did not indicate interest in the exercise.

The EDB said applications submitted by schools will be based on the quality of the proposal, the track record of the school, its ability to meet market demand, as well as the financial ability of the foreign school operator.

More details on the evaluation criteria and RFI sites will be provided at the closed-door briefing.