By Amelia Tan

A PRIVATE language school in Tanjong Pagar closed down suddenly, leaving about 20 students high and dry and hoping for refunds on their fees.

Britannia School of Education in International Plaza had posted notices outside its premises early last month that said classes would restart on Feb 2.

None of its students had been told in advance about the break.

Feb 2 has come and gone, and the shutters are still down - and school director Zuliana Ibrahim, 38, is missing.

The abrupt shutdown comes after a year-long lull in such incidents which had hampered Singapore's bid to become a hub for private schools - plans were for 150,000 foreign students to be enrolled in them by 2015.

Froebel School of Education was the last private school to get in trouble here. Following complaints by both students and staff, it lost its licence to operate in October 2007.

In recent years, several other private schools have shut down suddenly, amid complaints about poorly qualified teachers, unsatisfactory teaching materials and programmes of dubious value.

In the case of Britannia, four students who could not contact Ms Zuliana have gone to the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) for help in getting a refund.

Two of the students are making claims totalling $5,329. In addition, Vietnamese sisters Dang Thuy Chi, 21, and Dang Thuy Linh, 19, are each owed $9,425.

The sisters had signed up for an English-language programme that cost $14,000 and was supposed to run for 11/2 years, but had attended only four months of classes. They suspected something was wrong when, after a week home in Vietnam, they turned up for class on Jan 5 and found the school shuttered and the notice declaring the unscheduled break.

The sisters are desperate to get a refund. In fact, they approached Ms Zuliana last October and told her that they wanted to pull out of the course as their parents back home were in serious financial difficulties. They asked for a refund and Ms Zuliana agreed to give them the money in December but did not do so.

Case advised them to make a claim through the Small Claims Tribunal. A hearing was set for Feb 2, but Ms Zuliana did not show up.

Nevertheless, a judgment was passed ordering her to pay each sister $9,425 by Feb 16. The refund was already four days late as of yesterday.

Ms Dang Thuy Chi said in halting English: 'My mother calls me every day to find out if we can get a refund. My family's restaurant business is not doing well. We need to get the money back.'

Things are not looking good: MsZuliana has cut off her mobile phone line, and one of the three units that the school used to occupy in International Plaza has been leased to a new tenant.

A draft law will be introduced in Parliament later this year, proposing tighter regulations for the private-school sector.

ameltan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times.