Private school closed for issuing diplomas without testing students
Kings International Business School. Photo: Matthias Tay
SINGAPORE — A private school offering diplomas and a range of business and language courses has been ordered to shut down by the Council for Private Education (CPE).
The school, Kings International Business School (KIBS), was found to have issued diploma certificates to some students pursuing the school’s Maritime Studies diploma course without class attendance or assessment requirements. The CPE did not say how many students received diplomas this way.
The school had its registration revoked and was ordered to stop conducting or offering courses. This is the first time a private school has been deregistered for awarding diplomas without requiring attendance or testing. The school has also been told to either find its students places in other institutions to continue their studies or offer them a full refund of their course fees by May 5.
The school, which opened in 2011, said it has a current enrolment of more than 40 students, a majority of whom are pursuing a diploma in Maritime Studies, which is awarded by the school. The CPE said its records show that 10 students are taking diploma courses at KIBS as of Feb 11, but it was still determining the final figure.
The school also claims to be an approved training centre for London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) qualifications. But the LCCI Asia and LCCI UK websites do not list it as a registered training centre.
When TODAY visited KIBS’ premises in Bukit Merah today (April 20), there were no students present. KIBS co-owner Denise Pek said the school intends to appeal against the CPE’s decision, saying it was a misunderstanding and denied that any of its students were awarded diplomas even if they skipped classes or tests.
“A majority of our Maritime Studies cohort are shift workers ... They are working round the clock. The thing is that when they cannot attend, they will inform the school and we will provide them make-up lessons ... and the students are actually accommodating with their (schedules) and meet up with us so they can pass their assessment,” said Ms Pek.
She hopes the deadline for compliance could be extended so the school could make an appeal. The management also intends to spend the next few days explaining the situation to the students. Ms Pek said the school will accommodate the students’ wishes, whether it be to transfer to another school or have their fees refunded.
In a statement, CPE chief executive Brandon Lee said: “While the vast majority of private education institutions are bona fide education providers, we must continue to be vigilant to guard against such egregious players.” The council added that it will not hesitate to take errant operators to task should they violate the Private Education Act.
