SINGAPORE: The School of Applied Studies (SAS), a private education institution, has decided to cease operations, citing financial difficulties as the reason.
It has sought help from the Council for Private Education (CPE), a statutory board that regulates the private education sector.
The CPE said to date, 195 Private Education Institutions (PEI) have been granted registration under the Enhanced Registration Framework for the private education sector.
It said another 115 PEIs were currently undergoing evaluation.
The CPE estimates that about another 150 PEIs will be coming forth to seek registration before the transition period ends in June next year.
Of these, 12 have attained the EduTrust Award which is valid for four years.
Another 34 have attained the EduTrust Provisional Award with one—year validity.
Both parties held a joint briefing to affected students on Wednesday at the school premises.
The students were briefed on administrative details, such as procedures to claim outstanding course fees from insurance companies and banks, and place—out options.
Rilwan Latheef, aged 24 from the Maldives, has spent $19,000 pursuing his degree in tourism at the school since 2009.
"SAS promised me that I’ll be getting my degree in one year, that’s why I joined. But now I don’t know what to do. Last night I came here and the director just said that he’s sorry for everything, but I don’t think he can do anything. I’m trying to find if there are any colleges willing to take me in for their degree course," he said.
His housemate, 18 year—old Nabeel Hussain, also from the Maldives, is also a former student of SAS.
He said: "I feel... (sighs)... I don’t know where to go. I have to find another college and I have to start all over again. All the money I’ve spent is going to a waste. I feel like a failure. I have not accomplished anything now.
"I’ve been here for two years and I didn’t get a cert. Now I’ve to start all over again in another college. It’s going to be hard."
SAS said it has 300 students, of which 85 are international students on student passes.
According to the school’s website, these students hail mainly from Southeast Asia, China, India, Mongolia and Germany.
Besides offering English proficiency programmes, the school also offers diploma programmes in business, psychology, and hospitality.
A local student, 21—year—old Mary Dimple, said she was told on Monday that the school was undergoing renovations, and would be closed for two weeks.
"Then yesterday (October 20), we received a message saying that the school is closing down. I feel very lost; I don’t know what do to next and there’s no proper answers, plus the money issue and everything," said Dimple.
The CPE said it is working with fee protection insurance providers and banks to work out the amount of payouts to each student.
This is to facilitate their placement in other private education institutions.
"The amount of payout for each student will depend on the amount of unconsumed fees based on the stages of the academic programme which the student was at," a CPE spokesperson said.
It also stated that the priority is to find places for the students in other private education institutions.
Henry Heng, Chief Executive Officer of the CPE, said: "We have a clear course of action to facilitate their placements in place, and will be doing everything we can to address their concerns."
While the students are getting help, Channel NewsAsia understands that the school still owes some of its employees’ salary.
The CPE said SAS was registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) in March 2002.
It has not been awarded the EduTrust Certification.
Since January this year, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) received eight cases regarding the SAS, not relating to its closure.
CASE said the nature of the complaints ranged from the following:
— the course that the consumer signed up for was not approved by MOE, and they wished to seek a refund with the school;
— the students did not receive the refund from school as promised;
— the school was unable to deliver the course;
— the student was unable to get certificate from the school and wished to seek a refund.
— CNA /ls
By Channel NewsAsia, Updated: 21/10/2010
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