The Council for Private Education (CPE) in Singapore has announced the list of the first 13 private institutions approved for EduTrust certification, of which 6 have been officially approved and 7 are provisionally approved.
Following this approval process led by the Ministry of Education of Singapore, the local non-public education sector is expected to experience a "polarization": on one hand, the strong will become stronger—standardized and scaled operations will genuinely elevate a few quality institutions to world-class levels; on the other hand, the weak will be eliminated—those without certification will exit the industry.
EduTrust is an education trust assurance scheme established by the Council for Private Education in accordance with the Private Education Act, aimed at consolidating and enhancing the quality of private education in Singapore. The certification by the Council will involve a rigorous review of local private schools based on six key areas: management obligations and responsibilities, corporate governance and management, management of recruitment agents, student protection and support services, academic programs and student assessment, and quality assurance, monitoring, and outcomes. Some believe that the results of this certification will serve as a significant watershed for Singapore's education sector, particularly in the non-public education realm, essentially separating truly quality institutions from those that are not, with unaccredited institutions losing their recruitment eligibility both domestically and internationally once their CaseTrust expires.
Education professionals have pointed out that in the coming year, the local non-public education sector in Singapore will increasingly highlight the growing pains that arise during the industry restructuring process. For example: the closure of various low-quality institutions, mergers between schools, etc.; at the same time, the total number of private schools in Singapore is expected to sharply decrease. Singapore education consultants advise that students must be particularly cautious when selecting local schools; in addition to prioritizing schools that have obtained EduTrust certification, they should also consider the number of international students at the school and the employment situation of graduates, in order to make a comprehensive assessment.
The six institutions officially granted EduTrust certification are:
At-Sunrice Academy
East Asia Institute of Management
Parkway College of Nursing & Allied Health
PSB Academy
Singapore Institute of Management
TMC Academy
The seven institutions provisionally granted EduTrust certification are:
Ascensia Academy
Curtin Education Centre
Dimensions International College
SGP International Management Academy
Shelton International College
SSTC School for Further Education
STET Institute
