One key focus of the Ministry of Education (MOE) is to provide more opportunities for students to get a degree.
MOE said it has formed a review committee, headed by Minister of State for Education Lawrence Wong, to study and recommend ways to expand the university sector.
"We know we have to proceed carefully. This is not just a numbers game; it's not just about expanding heedlessly and growing university places without regard for the quality of education and employment outcomes," Mr Wong said.
Mr Wong added the committee will consult extensively, noting too that the committee comprises not just representatives from the private sector and education service, but also includes former ITE and polytechnic graduates.
This is to provide as wide a range of perspectives as possible.
The committee is expected to deliver its report at the end of 2012.
One focus will be to develop new courses, such as in urban solutions and financial services, that meet the future needs of the economy.
Another is to raise the proportion of degree places for each Primary One cohort, above the 2015 target of 30 per cent.
However, no concrete targets have been set.
One group that will benefit is polytechnic graduates, who account for a growing demand for degree places, in recent years.
At the National Day Rally on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said 2,000 degree places will be added from now till 2015.
Elaborating on this on Tuesday, Minister for Education Heng Sweet Keat said half of the spots will come from the Singapore Institute of Technology, which offers degree programmes with foreign universities.
The other places will be provided through degree programmes offered by the new Singapore University of Technology and Design, as well as institutions such as NAFA and the upcoming Liberal Arts College.
For the next four years, the number of foreigners in Singapore's universities will be capped, bringing the proportion down from the current 18 per cent, to about 15 per cent.
But Mr Heng made his case for keeping foreigners in the higher education system, noting that about 80 per cent of foreign scholarship holders serve out their bonds in Singapore companies.
"If our students do not take advantage of the diversity in our university campuses, to learn more about other cultures and to learn more about other countries, particularly in our region, then I think we are wasting a very important opportunity," Mr Heng said.
"Think about the millions of graduates who are being produced around the world, and we have to ask ourselves this question, 'how are our graduates different?'"
MOE will offer more scholarships along with other government agencies and industry partners, aimed at spurring growth in emerging industries.
Details have not been mapped out yet, but Mr Heng said scholarship holders could possibly serve out their bonds in the public and private sector.
In the long run, MOE's focus will be on making it easier for working adults to go back to school.
So polytechnics are shortening and reorganising their diploma programmes for adults so that they can be completed in half the time.
Admissions criteria will also be adjusted to take into account the experiences and backgrounds of these students.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic will be the first to offer the revised diploma programmes, with classes starting in October.
These are, its Diploma in Business Practice (Logistics Management), Diploma in Engineering (Electrical), and Diploma in Engineering (Mechanical).
-CNA/wk - By Hoe Yeen Nie
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