STRAITS TIMES
MAY 24, 2004
Complaints against private schools go up
They could derail Singapore's drive to be an education hub, warn industry players who are calling for regulation
By TEH JOO LIN and
JOANN TAN
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,252523,00.html?
THE number of complaints against private schools has been rising, sparking calls from some within the industry for action to stop Singapore's drive to become an education hub being derailed.
In 2002, the Consumers Association of Singapore received 460 complaints against such schools. Last year, it received 486.
In the first few months of this year, 101 complaints had already been made, and Case expects the rising trend to continue.
And that is just part of the story, as the Singapore Tourism Board's Education Services Department, set up expressly to get foreigners to come here and study, has been receiving complaints too - from the very people it hopes to attract.
As of last week, the board said it had received 53 complaints against 14 schools so far this year.
The $3 billion private education industry comprises about 300 schools. The latest available figures show there are 114,500 private school students here, almost half of them - 50,000 - foreigners.
The complaints included a lack of clear policy on refunds, misleading information on accreditation with other institutions, and failure to deliver on promises to students, said Case and the STB.
Attention on the practices of private schools comes in the wake of the Nanyang Institute of Management (NIM) case.
The school, one of the big players in the industry, was stripped of its quality award status last month by Spring Singapore.
A confidentiality clause in the scheme prohibits the reasons for the revocation being revealed, but complaints made against NIM include forging of students' signatures on student pass applications, and collecting unnecessary fees for uniforms.
The trust mark shows a school is recognised as a quality education provider.
Eighteen schools here have the mark, but Case said it had received complaints against four of them. The STB said it had complaints about five such schools.
This state of affairs has led some in the industry to call for more rules.
Shelton School of Commerce principal Lesley Lim, said: 'The private education industry is fast-growing, with many new players entering the scene. There is an urgent need for a common body setting a code of ethics that safeguard students' interests.'
Shelton has the quality trust mark.
Mr Rajesh Mohan, manager of the Altron Education Group agreed that a regulatory body is needed because certain standards have to be met.
Washington Commercial and Language School executive director Elaine Ng said a regulatory mechanism was 'inevitable' to take the whole industry to a higher level.
Others, however, say that there is sufficient regulation within the industry.
Asia Pacific Management Institute director Leon Choong said partner universities already carry out regular audits of the schools.
Having more rules could stifle the industry, he said.
There is also the question of who will regulate it.
The Government has said that the Education Ministry has minimum requirements in place, but that self-regulation is the preferred approach.
But two associations within the industry do not seem to have much of a say.
The Association of Private Schools (APS) wants to be the self-regulatory body, but has only about 40 members.
Last year, Singapore Education International was set up with 11 members, including seven private schools. But its focus is on tapping the education market abroad.
Combined, the two groups represent only a fraction of the players in the industry.
Case is now thinking of stepping into the breach, and wants to work with STB and APS to introduce an accreditation scheme later this year, giving students fair contract terms and a clearer understanding of refund policy.
When told of Case's efforts, Ms Ng gave the thumbs-up.
'I hope this scheme will be compulsory for all the schools, but not overly restrictive,' she said.
'We must start somewhere or nothing will ever improve.'
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