School closure: Help S'poreans who have no protection

The following letter is from ST Forum of the Straits Times dated 25 October 2010, Monday.

MY SON was one of the students affected by the closure of the School of Applied Studies ('Private school closes suddenly'; last Friday).

At a meeting last Wednesday evening, the school's chief executive and representatives from the Council for Private Education (CPE) and a bank had briefed students and parents on the situation.

I hope the CPE and the relevant authorities would resolve some of the issues raised and ensure that the promises made by the school's CEO are kept.

The Straits Times report quoted a CPE spokesman as saying that the private school was working with the insurance providers and escrow banks to work out how much money would be returned to students.

There are a number of Singaporean students who paid their fees last year before the implementation of the fee protection system, and they are left with no recourse.

One such student, the child of a single parent, paid $32,000 (total sum for courses leading to a degree) after taking a bank loan. Now, the parent does not know how to get the remaining fees back, and the student has just a diploma.

Another Singaporean student who paid $36,000 last year is also not protected under any system.

When the new fee insurance system was implemented, such students should have been provided protection. Will anyone be punished for this oversight?

Steps should also be taken to improve the new protection system and plug its loopholes.
Upon checking my son's insurance certificate sent to us after he had completed two semesters, I noted that the limit of indemnity for the fee paid had been under-declared by the school.

Lim Siew Imm (Ms)