Key points from National Day Rally 2012

Singapore to have two more universities

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has asked Singaporeans to join him in writing the next chapter of the Singapore Story that contains three broad themes -- Hope, Heart and Home.

Key in providing hope is the investment in Singapore's future generation -- thus, the emphasis on education and providing different pathways to meet aspirations.

In the area of higher education, more university places will be set aside, focusing on applied, practice-oriented degrees -- such as those for engineers, physiotherapists and social workers.

Two institutions, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and SIM University (UniSIM) will be Singapore's fifth and sixth universities.

Come 2020, 40 per cent of each cohort will get a place in a local university, compared to just 27 per cent currently.