TODAY Reader Mail: Feeling marginalised in own country

I enjoyed reading mr brown's "Life is getting scary, Mummy" (Feb 18).

It was very funny. But the underlying issue — the "threat" posed by foreign talents — is not.

As a parent of two teenaged children, I am not particularly bothered if my children do not top their class, losing out to a foreign talent. Neither would I be upset if they lost, say, their badminton match to another foreign talent.

However, I am concerned if they are denied access to a good school or university. I fear that this is already the case in Singapore.

When the Government announced it would set up a Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore (now known as the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music), I was very pleased.

My thought then was that Singapore would finally have its own conservatory offering formal music education at tertiary level.

This would enable local students less academically inclined, but with a passion for music, to pursue their interest.

Later, I read a report about the make-up of the first student intake. I noticed a significant percentage were foreigners.

I can appreciate the need to attract the best talent into Singapore. I can also appreciate the argument that entry into the Conservatory is by merit. However, it is disturbing if Singaporeans are denied entry in the process.

It is fine if our children have many conservatories in Singapore to choose from. But we have only one and its intake is small.

I consider myself a patriotic Singaporean. However, I can't help feeling that sometimes, as a Singaporean, I am marginalised, all in the name of attracting the best talent.

I now wait to see how the proposed Arts School will shape up — and if foreign talents make up the bulk of its students.

Haslinda Shamsudin