The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore has, yet again, received a large number of complaints from students, who have arrived in Singapore, to pursue courses of study at academic institutions. Most of these courses and academic programs state that job training and employment in Singapore or in a neighbouring country would be extended, once the course of study is completed. In this context, students expend large amount of fees, inclusive of fees for agents in Sri Lanka, accounting to S$5,000 to 8,000 equivalent of SLRs, 375,000 – 600,000. These programs and courses of study are offered for a period of six months to a maximum of one year by Institutions having less repute both in standing and in academia let alone the recognition of their qualifications.

Most of these innocent and naïve students are lured and enticed to Singapore to follow different courses of study and disciplines by agents, representing the said non-reputed academic institutions in Singapore. Often, the complaints the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore have received, in the recent past, were gross misrepresentation, distortion of the factual situation, false promises regarding employment opportunities and recognition of qualifications and undue prolonging of the courses of study, among others, thus frustrating them as well as exhausting the funds of the unsuspecting students. It is outrageous to hear and note that many of these students have been promised and assured employment in Singapore or in Malaysia, after a successful completion of the study/course.

The fact of the matter remains that once the students arrive in Singapore, often they come across a dire and a appalling state of affairs which they have never anticipated, thus making them realize that they were deceived and ‘betrayed’ both by the agents in Sri Lanka and by the Institutions in Singapore. Some of these institutions based in Singapore visit Sri Lanka and conduct seminars and briefing sessions for "on the spot admission". Most of these students arrive in Singapore to follow courses particularly in the arena of travel & tourism, hospitality, casino management and food & beverages among others. The agents in Sri Lanka, in close association with these less reputed academic institutions of Singapore, publish ‘tantalizing’ and attractive advertisements in the print media to allure unsuspecting students. Most of these students, unfortunately, hail from very modest and humble backgrounds with little knowledge of English. In order for them to raise funds of over SLRs. 500,000, they often mortgage their property, obtain bank loans and borrow money from the next-of-kin among others. The primary rationale of most of these students who pursue courses and programs on the said disciplines in institutions in Singapore is in order to secure reasonably paid employment, either in Singapore, Malaysia or in the Middle East.

The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore strongly urges and insists that the potential students, who intend to pursue any course of study in less known institutions in Singapore, particularly through an agent from Sri Lanka, to be extra cautious, vigilant and attentive. Further, the High Commission wishes to strongly advise the potential students who intend to study in the said institutions in Singapore, to conduct due diligence to establish the authenticity of those institutions by communicating with the Ministry of Education of Singapore or the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore, which could duly assist in the selection process.