Parliamentary Replies
Private Schools and Special Needs Education Centres
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Ms Denise Phua, MP for Jalan Besar GRC
Question
To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the registration criteria for private schools and special needs education centres; and (b) what can be done by the Ministry to clarify to consumers that registration does not equate to endorsement or recommendation.
Response
Private schools in general must be registered with MOE before they are allowed to operate. To do so, they must meet certain basic requirements including building and fire safety standards, and have appropriate facilities and qualified teachers.
As pointed out by Ms Denise Phua, registration by MOE is not tantamount to endorsement, accreditation or recommendation of the school or its programmes by the Ministry. MOE has stated this clearly on its website. MOE’s website further advises prospective students to find out more about the private school, the quality of its courses and the terms of the programme before they make a decision.
SPED schools run by voluntary welfare organisations or VWOs are subject to additional oversight to ensure accountability for the use of public funds as they receive funding from MOE and the National Council of Social Service or NCSS. MOE also provides support to these schools in areas such as curriculum development and teacher training. There are 21 such schools and they are listed on MOE’s website. They publish brochures which provide details of their programmes and fees.
All other private schools offering special education programmes, except these 21 listed on MOE’s website, are only subject to the normal basic registration requirements and MOE registration does not equate to nor imply endorsement or recommendation by the Ministry.