PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (Regulations to protect students' interests)

Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Education whether there are adequate regulations governing the conduct of private, commercially-run educational institutions, to ensure that the interests of their students are fully protected.

Mr Lim Kim San: Sir, the Education Act, 1970, and the School Regulations, 1957, contain adequate provisions for regulating the conduct of private commercial educational institutions to ensure that the interests of their students are protected. These regulations provide, inter alia, that no private school shall operate until it is registered and registration is granted only when the syllabuses, the qualifications of teachers and the rates of fees have been approved, and the health and safety regulations have been complied with. However, in the past, some private school operators circumvented the regulations by registering their school as a business with the Registrar of Business Names and commenced operations without applying for registration as a school. Arrangements have been made with the Registrar of Business Names not to register any private school as a business until it has been registered as a school.

It is also true, Sir, that in the past some unscrupulous private school operators have exploited unsuspecting students eager to acquire certain skills. A case in point was the Academy of Technical Studies in Thomson Road which closed down after a brief spell of operation when the principal absconded with the fees collected from the students. The supervisor of the school has agreed to make full restitution of the fees collected and the police are still inquiring into the matter.

My Ministry will in future exercise tighter control in processing applications for registration of private schools to ensure that only bona fide schools will be registered. Any private school violating the Education Act and the Schools Regulations will be deregistered and, if necessary, its sponsors will be prosecuted.