Friday, July 08, 2011

Only 328 left

After an 18 month time frame for all private schools to meet the stringent criteria laid out by the Council for Private Education and to register with the Council, only 328 met the deadline on 20 June 2011. This is a shrinkage from about 1000 private schools. Some merged with bigger schools and some simply folded up.

The 328 left are schools that are much well organised and reliable to take on the role of providing good private educations to students who are paying good money and a high expectation that the money and time will be well spent.

Going forward, the private schools are expected to stabilise and with lesser upheavals or risk of closing down though such an eventuality cannot be totally ruled out. Private school students could now study in peace knowing that the govt is there to ensure that the schools are up to it to deliver what they set out to.

Students who have problems can always approach the CPE and various other govt agencies for assistance.

Friday, July 01, 2011

CPE flexing its muscles

The newly founded Council for Private Education, a statutory board, has started to flex its muscles to rein in the misconducts and malpractices in the industry. It has hauled up Cambridge Business School to court for running a pre masters course without its written consent. As reported in the ST, 'Former managers Dennis Tan Cheng Hoe, Sunny Tan Cheng San and Guo Qiaoli are accused of failing to keep proper records.'

After years of lawlessness, the CPE has been given powers to impose fines and penalties to private schools for flouting its rules or failing to maintain minimum standards for courses. At stake is the reputation of Singapore as an international education hub and the country's reputation as a safe and reliable place for all enterprises.

With this start, more trespassers of its regulations can be expected to meet the same fate and possible closure. Cambridge apparently has closed its doors. Local and international students can now feel more at ease that those allowed to continue operating are less likely to leave them in a lurch.

The CPE is something waiting to happen while the govt experimented with the idea that the players can self regulate and set a high standard for themselves. It has now been proven that a business enterprise where profit is the main motivating factor cannot be left alone on its own device. Profit crazy organisations will throw caution to the wind and strive for the bottom line at all costs, often forgetting the missions of their organisations. This is the ugly side of human greed.

The CPE is something late than never.