Synopsis and analysis by Susan Tan, Marketing Services Manager, British Council Singapore

The Singapore government has introduced new measures to strengthen the protection of students in the private education sector and increase information transparency for prospective students.  This applies to all private schools offering External Degree Programmes (EDPs).  

New measures include:

1. Mandatory participation in Committee for Private Education’s annual Graduate Employment Survey for Private Education Institutions (PEIs) offering EDPs
   A recent poll revealed that private school graduates find it harder to land jobs but, on average, they also command noticeably lower starting salaries.  The intention is to ensure prospective students can make better informed education and career choices. The results of the annual graduate employment survey will be made public, and could therefore have a bearing on students’ choice of institution. A key consideration for UK TNE providers will be to ensure that programmes delivered in Singapore have good employment outcomes.
2. All PEIs that offer EDPs will be required to obtain an EduTrust (4-year) certification. Currently only institutions that want to recruit international students have to apply for the EduTrust award.  (This is like the UK’s Highly Trusted Sponsor status that allows institutions to sponsor Tier 4 visas.)  To get that certification, there are stringent checks and requirements.  This is also why we have always encouraged UK universities to look for local partners with the EduTrust award.
3. There will be a minimum paid-up capital for all new PEIs, while the current ones need to meet a minimum credit rating.  This will improve student protection as schools will have adequate financial capabilities to operate.  In addition, there will be enhancements to the current requirements for the EduTrust certification, which means PEIs need to have even higher standards in order to obtain the certification.   
4. Fresh school-leavers joining private schools will need to meet minimum entry requirements. For instance, those applying for degree programmes must have at least an A-level certificate, a polytechnic diploma or a qualification that provides direct entry.  By establishing these benchmarks clearly, prospective students will be better informed about pre-requisites for courses.  PEIs will however have flexibility to admit mature students with relevant work or learning experience.

Currently there are 293 PEIs registered with CPE, of which 110 have the EduTrust awards.  75 of these have the four-year awards.  With these new measures, we would expect some of the smaller institutions to close down, as they may struggle to meet these requirements. UK universities that are currently offering their degree programmes may need to work with their local partners to meet these new requirements.  For those that are looking for a new partner, these tighter controls will mean a stronger private education sector here in Singapore, with the more established ones to continue.