Singapore School Vanishes In Vietnam Metro

[Viet]

Singapore school vanishes in Vietnam metro
Last Updated: Friday, November 16, 2012 Thanh Nien News

Students and foreign teachers are surprised to see a closure notice outside Melior Business School in Ho Chi Minh City Monday.


A Singapore-owned business school in Ho Chi Minh City, that was in the authorities’ sights for offering unauthorized courses, has closed down without notice, prompting them to consider canceling the licenses of two other Singaporean schools also found violating regulations.
The city Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Tuesday revoked the license of Melior Business School soon after it shut.

It had been licensed to offer only short-term courses in tourism and hotel management and business administration, but was found offering undergraduate courses.

The Ministry of Education and Training, which fined the school twice this year, ordered HCMC authorities October 11 to scrap its license.

It also instructed them to pull the plug on Education and Research Center Institute Vietnam and the Singapore Informatics & Business Management Education Ltd., which were also found committing similar violations.

But before they could act, Melior closed over last weekend.

A notice outside its building at 97 Nguyen Van Troi Street, Phu Nhuan District, left many foreign teachers and around 150 students in shock since many of the latter had paid tuition fees of US$10,500 only on Saturday.

The department said it is considering withdrawing the licenses of the two other schools to protect 381 students from a “regretful” situation like at Melior.

It has also called on the city administration to prevent Melior officials from leaving Vietnam, freeze their bank accounts until they agree to refund the fees, and inform the Singapore consulate in the city.

But it might be too little too late. A source told Thanh Nien that the school’s general director in Vietnam, Cheng Sim Kok, had left for Singapore and the school’s account at Standard Chartered has been emptied.

Some students received an email from Cheng Saturday, which said that students could go to Melior International College in Singapore to finish their undergraduate courses for free, or he could put them in other Singapore institutes but they would have to pay fees.

When Thanh Nien called Patrick Loke, the founder and general director of Melior International College in Singapore, he said he would respond later in an email.

Subsequent calls to him went unanswered.

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Singapore school vanishes in Vietnam metro

 

[Viet]

Hm...that´s something I never expect from Singapore people

The building of Singapore-owned Melior Business School (Saigon)

150 students were caught by surprise

 

[darkhero]

Hm...that´s something I never expect from Singapore people

Everybody wants money.

Similar things happened before. Most likely just a faked school. We call it handbag schools/companies.

 

[ahfatzia]

I think these are legitimate schools that are being close down by Vietnamese government for undisclosed reasons. What can they do? Of course they're going protect their cash by withdrawing them in a society that still full of uncertainties. But at least they offer: Some students received an email from Cheng Saturday, which said that students could go to Melior International College in Singapore to finish their undergraduate courses for free. (from the article above)

BTW criminals exist everywhere and Singapore is not above others. Also we shouldn't point our fingers so quick without letting the other side explains: the founder and general director of Melior International College in Singapore, he said he would respond later in an email. (article)

 

[Viet]

I think these are legitimate schools that are being close down by Vietnamese government for undisclosed reasons. What can they do? Of course they're going protect their cash by withdrawing them in a society that still full of uncertainties. But at least they offer: Some students received an email from Cheng Saturday, which said that students could go to Melior International College in Singapore to finish their undergraduate courses for free. (from the article above)

BTW criminals exist everywhere and Singapore is not above others.

If these students can go to Singapore to complete the study, than all is fine at the end of the day.
No no I don´ t blame Singapore generally.

As for this thread the Melior business school offered unauthorized courses.

It had been licensed to offer only short-term courses in tourism and hotel management and business administration, but was found offering undergraduate courses.

 

[jhungary]

If these students can go to Singapore to complete the study, than all is fine at the end of the day.
No no I don´ t blame Singapore generally.

As for this thread the Melior business school offered unauthorized courses.

Same thing happened to Australia in the early 2000 when people can get Automatic Residence in Australia onc e they finished a 2 year course. A lot of "Indian Hair Dressing School" and "Pastry School" were established in Australia and targetting the Australian Government Immigration Policy and Indian Student who solely intent to gain Permanent Residence to Australia.

People never realise how much money is playing in the education market worldwide, seems like they are reaching Vietnam

 

[Viet]

Same thing happened to Australia in the early 2000 when people can get Automatic Residence in Australia onc e they finished a 2 year course. A lot of "Indian Hair Dressing School" and "Pastry School" were established in Australia and targetting the Australian Government Immigration Policy and Indian Student who solely intent to gain Permanent Residence to Australia.

People never realise how much money is playing in the education market worldwide, seems like they are reaching Vietnam

yeh indeed the education market is booming, there are a lot of foreign schools operating in VN. 10,000 USD tutation fee for a still developing country like Vietnam is much.

 

[Viet]

Vietnam

I feel you are closer to Vietnam than China, I wonder why?

 

[Diamond_Gold]

I think these are legitimate schools that are being close down by Vietnamese government for undisclosed reasons. What can they do? Of course they're going protect their cash by withdrawing them in a society that still full of uncertainties. But at least they offer: Some students received an email from Cheng Saturday, which said that students could go to Melior International College in Singapore to finish their undergraduate courses for free. (from the article above)

BTW criminals exist everywhere and Singapore is not above others. Also we shouldn't point our fingers so quick without letting the other side explains: the founder and general director of Melior International College in Singapore, he said he would respond later in an email. (article)

These are not the only schools that were effected, way back early this year, another well established school, Raffles Education Instituation had also suffered a similar fate as them.

Vietnam revokes S'pore firm's school licence - Channel NewsAsia

BTW, the affected vietnamese students were fully compensated or offered a place to continue their studies elsewhere. In doing so, it caused Raff Edu's share to plunge to their new low.

Raffles Education falls on Vietnam woes

 

[jhungary]

I feel you are closer to Vietnam than China, I wonder why?

I am close to both, just i am also studying in a school right here in Sydney and they also have a campus in Vietnam (They are called International College of Management, Sydney, i don't know if the are under the same name in Vietnam) they invite student from their Vietnam campus to study in Australia for their third and final year to complete their degree in Business. Hence
my school have about 50% vietnamese student.

Also my mother is a Vietnamese Chinese....

 

[Viet]

These are not the only schools that were effected, way back early this year, another well established school, Raffles Education Instituation had also suffered a similar fate as them.

BTW, the affected vietnamese students were fully compensated or offered a place to continue their studies elsewhere.

I guess, some foreign schools miscalculate they will get permission later from the Vietnamese authority (through bribery for instance), so that is the reason why they offer unallowed cources. Since VN government steps up to crack down corruption, that is a hard time for those who violate the laws.

Again, Singapore still remains my favorite country after Vietnam.

 

[Viet]

Everybody wants money.
Similar things happened before. Most likely just a faked school. We call it handbag schools/companies.

handbag schools? never heard before, so similar to ghost schools?

 

[jhungary]

handbag schools? never heard before, so similar to ghost schools?

Never heard of handbag school either, but i think he means those school that as long as you pay, you can graduate (Handing out diploma like toilet paper)

That's consider a lot different tha nGhost School as there are school but no class, usually just used to as a front to trick government benefits.

 

[Viet]

th, just i was also attending a school here in

I am close to both, just i am also studying in a school right here in Sydney and they also have a campus in Vietnam (They are called International College of Management, Sydney, i don't know if the are under the same name in Vietnam) they invite student from their Vietnam campus to study in Australia for their third and final year to complete their degree in Business. Hence
my school have about 50% vietnamese student.

Also my mother is a Vietnamese Chinese....

Cool! can you speak vietnamese? is your father swedish?
I heard that currently 15,500 Vietnamese study in Australia.

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

Singapore school vanishes in Vietnam metro
Last Updated: Friday, November 16, 2012 Thanh Nien News

It has also called on the city administration to prevent Melior officials from leaving Vietnam, freeze their bank accounts until they agree to refund the fees, and inform the Singapore consulate in the city.

But it might be too little too late. A source told Thanh Nien that the school’s general director in Vietnam, Cheng Sim Kok, had left for Singapore and the school’s account at Standard Chartered has been emptied.

Can authorities coordinate with Singaporean police to solve this case through Interpol?