More and more people will be enrolling in home-study or part-time distance-learning courses to further their knowledge and career skills.
• Christopher Chen finds out why
Here's the revised text with corrected spelling:
The movement started with a trickle a decade ago, but in recent years, the thirst for better academic qualifications has gathered such momentum that the Government is starting more part-time degree/diploma courses as well as an Open University here next July to cater to the increasing demand.
The popularity of continuing education is a fairly recent thing. Says Mr Albert Ang, a Principal Consultant for Al-tenon Management Centre, a management and education consultancy firm: "I remember those days when students enrolled under the Lembaga (Adult 'Education Board) would be considered as failures. Now, one is 'enterprising' if one is studying for an extra diploma or degree by correspondence or part-time study. Fifteen years back, only one in ten of my friends was doing part-time studies. Now, about eight out of 10 are studying for one degree or another."
According to Mr Ang, the greatest demand for part-time courses is in management, law, and computer studies. "First on the list is managerial studies, specifically business administration and marketing. Law is an attractive alternative while computer courses also have a large following.
"I'd say that of the three, managerial courses produce the most marketable graduates. Law seems to be the choice of professionals planning a career switch and for many a lawyer's clerk, it is an upward thrust.
"What is baffling is that while there is a pressing need for more computer professionals, not enough students have chosen computer studies. They opt for management courses instead.
"He added: "There could be a better matching of employers' and employees' preferences over choices of study courses." Why do people take up part-time studies?
Mr E.L. Lim, a human resource manager said, "The drive to keep upgrading oneself makes many people willing and eager to study part-time. In my case, I would like to equip myself with the skills to eventually run my own business. I therefore decided to do law, confident that when I graduate, I shall have a satisfactory legal practice as I can also apply my experience with human resources."
Better career prospects are the driving force behind Singaporeans' thirst for continuing education. And the many technological, economic, and environmental changes here set the right climate for further education. But a minority take up another degree for the sake of knowledge. Said Dr Myint Soe, Honorary Director of Legal Studies at the Singapore Institute of Commerce, which tutors students sitting for the external degree in the Bachelor of Laws program from the London University: "I have engineers, doctors, architects, and surveyors studying law to get a better grasp of the routine legal procedures which they encounter in their work. These people want to education for the masses
Adults are trading in their heir better control of situations which could give rise to litigation against them. Then there are some who study law to expand their minds, to challenge their powers of rea-. Part-time students have their share of problems in their studies. I think the main hurdle is finding the time to study,". said Mr R Karuppan Chettiar, Chairman of John Winfield Consultants, which owns the Singapore Institute of Commerce. "Many mature 'students have to contend with family commitments, work obligations, and initially, getting into the studying mood after such a long time," Mr Karuppan is a former law clerk who studied to be an advocate and solicitor by taking the Solicitor's Clerk's Examinations back in 1971. Nowadays, part-time students have many learning aids to help them. There are tape-recorders, audio-visual equipment, facsimile machines, and personal computers linked by modems to exchange notes. These "links" are valuable in improving time management and circumventing the lack of available reference materials needed for academic work.
Mature students, it is believed, have some distinct advantages that help to counter the rigors of part-time studies. Said Dr Myint Soe, "Mature students have more worldly experience and a broader understanding of reality. This helps them in the decision-making process which lawyers face every day. The mature student may be a little less energetic than younger counterparts, but he or she has a broader and deeper understanding of things; this helps in grasping legal principles better, as law is usually common sense." Is one ever too old to study? A hotel front office manager, Mr Kenneth Lim, an executive in a hotel, feels that "it's always better to start young, but never too late to do so. We should never write off an older person merely because of the age factor. In the West, it is common for adults in their forties or fifties to go back to college. Employers are beginning to respond to the needs of these people and their younger colleagues by encouraging them to advance themselves academically. One such employer is Mr Peter Lye, Managing Director of Hay Management Consultants Singapore, an international human resource management firm. Mr Lye said, "My employees are encouraged to take up a relevant course of study in their own time. This helps them do better in their work, whatever their age. "For instance, staff who have to collect a tremendous amount of data and salary analyses are urged to study computer software systems and design. And for our experienced consultants, there are various courses to upgrade themselves with, like management and computer studies." Due to the increasing demand, the scope of part-time education here has been widening. One catalyst is the flexibility of adult education,
night lives for night classes like this one at the Singapore Institute of Commerce. Language courses are also winning popularity as Singapore plugs into the international market. But there are some areas of study that have been
Dr Soe of the Singapore Institute of Commerce said: "Adult education knows no boundaries. Thus, we have doctors, engineers, and architects taking up law, and lawyers studying • economics, finance, or management. In fact, some lawyers have MBA degrees while others have degrees in building or accountancy."
shunned. According to Mr Albert Ang of Alberton Management Centre, "It seems that the study of transportation and logistics is not receiving the attention it should be accorded. This course is relevant to Singapore, which is an entrepot port and a regional hub of airways and shipping lines. "Perhaps with time, more Singaporeans would take up such courses even if they are not as glamorous." Many would-be part-time students wonder if an external degree or diploma will be just as recognized as a full-time qualification? "Certainly, with time," said Mr Kenneth Lim. "There are no compromises in standards where part-time degrees or diplomas are concerned. "I might be even be a little biased towards the person who obtained his degree through part-time study. It certainly needs true grit."
