MY SON completed his final-year examinations at Singapore Polytechnic in February. However, his call-up for national service (NS) is not due until October: a stretch of eight months.

Local universities begin their academic year in July. So, by the time my son completes his NS, it will be too late to join any local university.

The best he can hope for is July the following year. That is another 10-month wait.

So my son will have wasted a total of 18 months from the end of his polytechnic education to the start of his undergraduate degree course because of poor synchronisation between the ministries of Education and Defence.

Opportunities to enrol in Australian universities are similarly unsynchronised as intake there starts typically in February and July.

While entry into American and British universities is less impeded as they begin in September and October, the schedule is extremely tight. New undergraduate students will probably miss the first few weeks of the academic year.

I hope the Ministry of Defence will review its schedule of NS call-up.

Polytechnic graduates should be called up by June. After all, junior college students are typically called up two to three months after completing their A-level exams.

Lee Kok Meng

This article was first published in The Straits Times.