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SINGAPORE: Some charge their foreign clients exorbitant fees to secure places at government schools in Singapore; others feed potential students falsehoods.
Student agents are supposed to help foreign students ease into private and government schools here — but, lured by a quick buck, more than a few have taken to cheating their clients.
And with much-needed steps announced recently to tighten the regulation of private schools here, in line with Singapore's aspiration of becoming a global education hub, some industry players are asking if an equally firm hand with student agents is needed.
"In Myanmar, agents have a bad name because of the high fees they charge students," said student agents James Aung and Nelson Nay, who bring Myanmarese students to Singapore. "Parents don't think they can trust agents, who might try to cheat them into paying and then not deliver."
While both men are among the 207 Singapore Education Specialists accredited by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), there are many more agents out there who operate with virtually no oversight.
Last year, Singapore played host to 86,000 international students and is targeting to have 150,000 by 2015. For many of them, agents are their first point of contact.
And there is good money to be made from helping to secure school placements, serving as translators and arranging for accommodation.
Those who place students in government schools typically charge their clients S$3,000 to S$6,000 each, said agent Peter Hu of Hymn International.
According to Mr Aung and Mr Nay, this is because agents take advantage of foreign parents' ignorance. "Students get into government schools on their own ability and merit. So, why do students need to pay fees to agents at all?" said Mr Aung.
Agents who work with private schools earn between S$2,500 and S$6,000 for a placement. Up to S$2,000 comes from the students and the rest is paid by schools as commission (5 to 20 per cent of the course fees), said freelance agent Tan Chye Soon, 45.
And agents who do not charge private school applicants any fees are not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts; some recommend schools that pay the highest commission, instead of those with quality courses and good facilities.
Dr R Theyvendran, secretary-general of the Management Development Institute of Singapore, believes this is how some smaller schools attract students. "Agents can be very persuasive and students will believe them," he said.
Mr Tan also cited "fly-by-night" operators who cheat their clients outright — by making them pay up to S$1,500 in agent fees but failing to place them in schools. When these foreigners' social visit passes expire, they go home empty-handed.
As such, serious industry players hope for government intervention to deter dishonest dealers.
"We try to do everything the right way but there are many other agents that make false promises and hurt the reputation of all," said agent Stella Liu, director of the Huaying Overseas Study Centre in Chengdu, China. "If the Ministry of Education tightens regulations, as it has done with private schools, it would give parents peace of mind. People in China trust the government more."
Earlier this month MP Lily Neo had asked in Parliament that the credibility of student agents be "looked into". But others feel self-regulation is the way to go.
Mr John Conceicao, director of the STB's education services division, said: "We want to see a more mature industry where the agents can regulate themselves and take pride in doing their work." The board encourages its overseas markets to use its accredited education specialists.
On its part, the Association of Consultants for International Students (Aciss) is keen to work with government agencies to implement quality control measures. President Daniel Chu said 300 to 400 agents are currently active and about 30 are Aciss members.
Mr Tan suggested rules spelling out what information must be provided to students, fee guidelines and a standard contract that agents and their clients should sign.
Some schools here already have quality control measures for their agents. For example, Kaplan evaluates agents every three months based on their track record, financial stability, students' feedback and promotional practices.
"If the student visa rejection rate of their referred students is exceptionally high, we will investigate. This could mean the agent tried to push through a student without the proper certificates or with bogus qualifications," said Mr Alvin Teo, Kaplan Singapore's deputy marketing director.
Students also wish for a clearer way to distinguish the wheat from the chaff. Chinese national Ding Yu Jie, 24, who graduated from a private school last year, said she had friends who were enrolled by agents in schools far below their expectations.
Some agents became uncontactable after the students arrived in Singapore. "Agents should come under the law, as there are so many of them now," said Ms Ding. - TODAY/ac
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