6/28/2006

education hub -caveat emptor not enough!

The case for CASE in the education scene is getting more rigorous and important. CASE took on the role of playing a mediator as well as guardian in an industry that is showing promise but with a lot of shady players. There were problems and problems to be tackled. CASE went into it by setting up some systems which theoretically are very sound in protecting the interests of the students. The only little misgiving is that it expects all the good guys to come forward and forget about the bad guys. And the bad guys continue to operate freely in a different world. It is anarchy in a way. And the complaints to CASE keep growing, a few hundred cases every year. And by adopting a hands off approach, CASE is now waving the flag of caveat emptor to all the foreign students and parents. Free market, buyers beware. Now is this the right way to go, a laissez faire market and those who got conned or cheated just too bad? Let the market evolves and let market forces take care of itself. There will be winners and losers. I rather that there be some enforcement and regulations. We cannot have a system where people can be cheated if they are not careful. And how careful can these foreigners be when they are strangers in town? For a reputable education hub to exist, there are certain expectations. And one of the expectation of Singapore and the Singapore brand is trust and honesty, a system that is fair and transparent and no cheating. If we cannot live up to this expectation, then our education hub status is destined for the gutters. Caveat emptor is not enough.

4 comments:

  1. private educational institutions are simply not credible in s'pore and yet, we have thousands of foreign and local students flocking to join them.

    fools and their money are soon parted.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "And one of the expectation of Singapore and the Singapore brand is trust and honesty ..."

    Is this truly reflective of what foreigners perceive of the so-called Singapore brand. I mean that's what our leaders continually trumpet to the whole wide world and something that Singaporeans want to believe is true but whether it is believed by others outside the little red dot is truly a different matter altogether.

    ReplyDelete
  3. when education becomes a business, a money spinner, you can expect what will become of it. many western and australian degrees are now tainted by marks inflation to attract more foreign students for their education dollars.

    we are small and easier to manage the quality of the education if we wanted to, plus the people involved in the industry. but if we leave it the the wolves and hyenas, the sheep will be led to the slaughter.

    there are times when the govt must interfere and there are times when govt should not interfere. it seems that we got all these topsy turvy now. messying around when not supposed to but hands off when needed to.

    ReplyDelete