AS SINGAPORE'S population grows, the chances of A-level students who pass well enough to qualify for a place in a local university are decreasing.

Information booklets from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University state that for students to qualify for their courses, the minimum requirement is two H2 passes, a pass in the General Paper and an S grade for Chinese language.

But students who do attain such results do not realistically have a fighting chance of getting a place in a local university.

As a country which practises meritocracy, students who do well should receive their just rewards, and those who attain grades that are average or that have fulfilled the minimum requirement should be given a place at a local university.

It is understandable when students who pass brilliantly get places in the medical or law faculty.

But students who have met the minimum requirement for a place should be accommodated in faculties such as Arts and Social Science, or Real Estate and Business.

As the Prime Minister said recently, one in four students must further his studies overseas because he is unable to get a place in a local university.

He also stated that these students who have gone overseas are a vital resource for a small and growing country like Singapore where our only resource is manpower.

More should be done to guarantee such students a place in a local university.

Alicia Phua (Miss)

This article was first published in The Straits Times on May 8, 2008.