SLA and EDB collaborating on schoolhouse project

Schools save costs by making use of existing disused state buildings

By LIZA LIN

THE Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is working with the Economic Development Board (EDB) to see how roughly a hundred vacant state properties can contribute to EDB's global schoolhouse project.

The move is part of EDB's plan to create a world-class education hub in the country over the next five years. Through this, the government aims to generate economic spin-offs by providing education services.

Singapore currently hosts 13 world-class institutions and 60,000 international students. EDB aims to increase this to 150,000 students by 2012.

Under the partnership, the SLA will identify suitable disused state premises and the EDB will market them to interested pri vate education institutions.

Since late 2003, SLA has been in discussions with the EDB to market such disused state buildings for use and they include former school premises, hospitals, army camps, and government offices.

To date, five schools have accepted the invitation and more than 113,000 sq m have been taken up.

They are: Anglo Chinese School (International), Delhi Public School, Bhavan's Indian International School (BIIS), the Management Development Institute of Singapore, and the Centre of Early Childhood Education and Development.

An advantage of this scheme is that schools could save the high capital investment they would initially have to fork out for land and construction.

These savings, such as in the case of BIIS, could translate into lower schools fees for students.

Atul Temurnikar, chairman of BIIS, said the school saved more than $36 million in land and building costs by moving into its current location at Mei Chin Rd, the former Mei Chin Primary and Secondary School. This allowed BIIS, which follows the India national curriculum, to keep fees for its 1,300 students aged 3 to 15 low.

He said BIIS spent only $4 million on renovation and refurbishing works, instead of the $40-50 million it had planned to spend on a new campus.

Mr Temurnikar is more than happy with their new premises, which has a floor area of 120,000 sq m, triple the 40,000 sq m of its original premises at Mount Sophia.