The Singapore Education Specialist (SES) certification scheme has expired as of 1 November 2011. Please refer to the following Frequently Asked Questions related to the expiry of the SES certification scheme.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Why has the Singapore Education Specialist certification scheme expired?
The SES certification programme commenced in 2005 and through it, a good number of education agents in 10 different countries have been trained over the years. In light of this, the certification programme will not be renewed upon its expiry on 31 October 2011. In addition, the Council for Private Education (CPE), which was established in December 2009, has introduced the EduTrust certification scheme which has requirements linked to the management of respective Singapore private education institutions' (PEIs) overseas recruitment intermediaries and agents. Students should access the list of agents that are official representatives from the PEIs' websites.
2) What are the implications for a student who is in the midst of processing his/her application to study in Singapore through a SES agent following the lapse of the SES certification scheme?
The SES certification expiry has no direct bearing on the quality of the education agent or the education agency that a student may be engaging to process his/her study application. Students are advised to practise due diligence when selecting agents to assist them with their applications. If students have doubts, they should visit the official websites of the institutions that they are applying to, or approach the institutions directly to verify the information provided by the agents.
3) With the expiry of the SES certification scheme, how can international students assess which agents to approach to find out more information about Singapore Education?
If an international student is considering studying in a Private Education Institution (PEI), the Council for Private Education (CPE) publishes, on its website, a list of PEIs that are allowed to recruit international students. Part of the requirements for these institutions to obtain the CPE's EduTrust certification pertains to the external recruitment agents that the PEIs are linked with; it is a requirement for PEIs to list their external recruitment agents on their websites. International students would thus be able to ascertain if a particular agent is endorsed by the PEI that they are interested to apply to.
International students are encouraged to verify the information provided by these education agencies by looking up the Ministry of Education or the Council for Private Education websites. These government websites contain impartial information as well as links to education institutions where students may find information on course fees, semester start dates, entry requirements and other information on Singapore Education.
There are certain institutions which do not recognise the concept of external recruitment agents. In such instances, it is recommended that students either correspond directly with the institution that they are interested in, whereby the institutions may direct students to their appointed representatives; or visit the respective institution's website where the appropriate procedures for an online enrolment application and/or other procedures would be indicated.
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