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Source:
www.moe.gov.sg |
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Enhancing Regulation of the Private Education
Sector |
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Regulation of the private education sector
will be consolidated in the Ministry of Education (MOE) and enhanced, to
further improve the reputation of Singapore’s private education sector.
This will be calibrated to allow new players to enter and develop, while
providing incentives for market players to raise standards over time. |
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MOE will introduce a new Private
Education Act to strengthen the existing registration framework
and enforcement provisions; establish a Council to implement the
regulatory framework; and introduce a quality certification
scheme called “EduTrust”. This will build on the improvements in
standards that have been achieved through CaseTrust for
Education, which will be replaced by the new scheme. These
measures will seek to ensure a baseline of quality in the
industry, while preserving a marketplace that allows for student
choice. |
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Rationale |
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The private education landscape in Singapore
has evolved rapidly over the years. The number of private schools has
grown very significantly, from 305 in 1997 to 1,200 in 2007. The number
of foreign students enrolled in private education organisations grew
four-fold from 9,000 in 1997 to 37,000 last year. |
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With such rapid growth in numbers, standards
differ considerably within the industry. As emphasised by Minister of
State for Education, Mr Gan Kim Yong, in his speech at the FY2008
Committee of Supply Debate, the private education industry should
“further develop to compete on quality, rather than faster time or ease
of obtaining a degree”. |
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Council for Private Education |
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MOE will establish an independent
Council for Private Education to oversee the regulatory framework
for the private education sector. MOE also intends to amend the
regulatory framework to require that registration be renewed
periodically so as to encourage private schools to consistently
maintain standards. In addition, MOE will introduce changes to
strengthen its enforcement capabilities. |
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The Council will be chaired by Mr Lin Cheng
Ton, former Principal and CEO of Nanyang Polytechnic. The Council
membership will be drawn from individuals with expertise in education,
quality assurance and business. |
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MOE will remain responsible for setting
policies for the sector, but it will empower the Council to decide on
all applications for registration and certification. The Council will
also direct investigative and enforcement actions to be taken against
errant private schools, where required. Aside from its regulatory
function, the Council will also promote best practices in the private
education sector. |
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Government agencies involved in developing
Singapore as an education hub, including the Economic Development Board
and Singapore Tourism Board, will be represented in the Council. The
Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) will also be represented. |
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Enhanced Registration |
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Currently, private schools are
required to obtain one-time registration with MOE before they are
allowed to operate. To do so, they must meet baseline requirements
such as building and fire safety standards, and having appropriate
facilities and qualified teachers. |
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MOE intends to impose a validity
period for registration by the Council and make it renewable,
subject to certain conditions. This regular renewal process rather
than a one-time registration will encourage private schools to
consistently maintain their standards. |
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Under the enhanced regulatory
framework, threshold registration requirements and conditions will
be clearly spelt out, so that private schools know exactly what
practices are considered unacceptable. |
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MOE will also strengthen its capability to enforce
the registration requirements. Currently, a private school can only be
de-registered and only under extreme circumstances. |
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To better deal with schools that violate the
conditions of registration, MOE will introduce graduated penalties, including
fines, for errant private education providers. This will allow the Council to
impose penalties that are in proportion to the severity of the offences. It will
serve as useful deterrence against poor standards or behaviours while giving
errant schools opportunities to rectify their violations. |
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EduTrust Quality Certification Scheme |
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The CaseTrust for Education scheme, currently
administered by CASE, focuses mainly on protection of fees paid by students.
EduTrust will introduce new requirements over and above those required under
CaseTrust, including minimum standards of academic processes. After EduTrust is
implemented, CASE will cease to offer CaseTrust for Education. |
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Industry players can choose whether or when to be
certified, according to their own assessment of readiness and their choice of
business model. However, as with the existing CaseTrust, EduTrust will be
mandatory for private schools that wish to enrol foreign students. |
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EduTrust-certified schools will be held accountable
for maintaining certain student welfare and academic standards across the board
for all students, whether local or foreign. Examples of academic requirements
include having qualified academic supervisors and teachers, as well as
well-defined structures for programme development, assessment, progression and
performance review. In terms of student welfare, EduTrust-certified private
schools must protect students’ fees by depositing fees into an escrow account or
purchasing student insurance. They will also be required to have reasonable fee
and refund policies, effective complaint resolution procedures and adequate
student counselling and support services. |
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An EduTrust-certified private school which is unable
to demonstrate adequate financial capacity will be required to make
precautionary arrangements for its students to transfer to equivalent courses in
other schools, at no extra cost to the students. These transfer arrangements
will only be effected in the event of the school’s closure to ensure that
students can continue their studies. |
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Implementation |
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To establish the Council for Private Education, and
to effect the new regulatory framework, MOE plans to introduce a Private
Education Bill in Parliament by end 2008. |
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The EduTrust scheme will be launched by the Council
for Private Education in early 2009. MOE will work with CASE to facilitate
CaseTrust-certified private schools to transit to the EduTrust scheme smoothly. |
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The public and industry stakeholders will be
consulted before finalisation of the Bill and the implementation details of
EduTrust. To assist private schools to transit smoothly to the enhanced
regulatory framework, MOE will allow for a transition period and work closely
with industry associations. |
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Source:
www.moe.gov.sg Press Release 4
Mar 2008 |
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Important
Notice |
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FrontPage Edition: Mon 10 March 2008
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