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A Close Watch on Output of Grads

The fears that there will be "over flooding" of professionals in Singapore because of the government's emphasis on paper qualifications have been described as unfounded. According to Mr Bernard Chen, Deputy Secretary (Development Division), Ministry of Finance, the government was keeping close watch on the percentage of professionals, engineers, technicians, craftsmen and artisans being turned out of the universities, colleges, technical and vocational institutes to the working population. He said: "By 1979, when the present restructuring of the educational system is phased into secondary schools, 50% of the students will be pursuing what is known as a general educational system while the rest will be given technical and apprenticeship type of training.

Mr Chua Soo Tian, chief of manpower and training at the Economic Development Board, said as long as a competitive situation was maintained, only the best would become professionals.