I REFER to last Wednesday's report by Ms Sandra Davie ('270 Shines College students here in a fix') and Dr Peter C.N. Hardstone's letter on Thursday ('I commend Ms Davie...'). I applaud what Ms Davie has done as it is high time these misdeeds were exposed for all to know.

I agree with what Dr Hardstone said in his letter. The parents of many foreign students are not rich and really have to slog and save their hard-earned money for their children to come to Singapore to study. Singapore aims to be an education hub and for the education sector to be an income earner of the Singapore economy. To date, the Government has not done enough in this respect to cement this status. It is true that small steps have been taken to protect the interests of foreign students, such as setting up CaseTrust accreditation. But what the Government needs to do is regulate the industry to prevent fly-by-night operators. I have tracked the private education scene with interest for a number of years and there are still two problems unresolved.

First and foremost, there is a gradual increase in schools awarding their own diplomas and degrees. The credibility of these diplomas and degrees is suspect at best. Moreover, it is unlikely that employers will recognise these diplomas and degrees. This increasing trend stems from two reasons. First, schools are unwilling to pay the licensing fee for collaboration with a recognised university. Second, they are unwilling to be tied down by the tougher standards (in students passing exams) of the university they collaborate with. Most foreign students are recruited by agents outside Singapore and often they do not know what they are in for. Unscrupulous agents are only in this industry for the money. We should not let these agents misrepresent the Singapore brand of education by promising things they cannot deliver.

Second, most lecturers in private schools have 'degrees' from suspect universities. In some cases, they may even add some degree they do not have from a brand-name school to boost their credibility. Although this may put the lecturer in high esteem initially, eventually students will find out the truth when the so-called lecturers start to teach. I would like to know what controls are in place to prevent this happening. In addition, what can be done to verify that the qualifications of a lecturer are genuine before he starts teaching?

Looking at the milk powder scandal unfolding in China, the authorities waited too long before admitting there was a problem with food regulatory laws and control in China. By then, it was too late and this fiasco has impacted on other made-in-China products. I hope the Singapore Government will hasten its pace to regulate this industry as we cannot wait for people to do the 'right' thing. The news unfolding in recent days has not helped but reinforces the view that regulation is the way to go. I urge the Government to act before the Singapore brand of education is smeared beyond redemption.

Poh Boon Hong