Manager pleads guilty to violating Private Education Act

[Klytus]

Manager pleads guilty to violating Private Education Act

Published on Mar 20, 2012

When a private school was asked to hand over records such as student particulars and receipts issued, its manager submitted only the course schedules.

On Monday, Ken Yong, 40, pleaded guilty to failing to provide records requested by the Council for Private Education (CPE) - the sector's watchdog.

The manager of Asia Learning Group (ALG) Education Centre is the first person to be taken to court for violating the Private Education Act of 2009.

His lawyer asked for sentencing to be adjourned to April 18 so he could prepare arguments to state why his client should be fined and not jailed.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[Klytus]

Man admits violating Private Education Act in landmark case

Published on Mar 19, 2012
By Khushwant Singh

The manager of Asia Learning Group (ALG) Education Centre became the first person to be brought to court for violating the Private Education Act of 2009. Ken Yong, 40, pleaded guilty on Monday to failing to provide records requested by the Council for Private Education (CPE), the sector's watch dog.

His lawyer, Mr Paul asked for sentencing to be adjourned to April 18 this year so as to prepare arguments to convince the district court that his client should be fined and not jailed. Under the Act, an offender may be fined up to $10,000, or jailed up to a year, or to both.

The court heard on Monday that in January 2011, a former student of ALG wrote in to the council to complain that his student pass was cancelled after the completion of his English course although he had signed up and paid in full to continue with a Master of Science in global business at ALG. While investigating the complaint, CPE inspectors visited ALG's premises in North Bridge Road to inspect the student's contracts and receipts.

Yong failed to hand over these documents, and the CPE subsequently issued a notice of requisition demanding all records including those of the particulars of students, courses and their attendance as well as receipts issued by ALG. He then handed over only the course schedules.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.