CAN there be a rule to ensure that newcomers to the private education industry have at least $500,000 of start-up capital and provide a certain number of classrooms?

And is it necessary to set up an examination board within a private school, when the courses offered are entirely accredited by an external agency?

These are among the 150-odd comments received by the Ministry of Education (MOE), following an eight-week consultation exercise on the Private Education Bill, which will be tabled in Parliament this quarter and come into effect by year-end.

Under the bill, an independent Council for Private Education will be set up to oversee the regulation of the industry.

A mandatory enhanced registration framework and a voluntary quality assurance framework called EduTrust will also be implemented.

In the first consultation exercise, between March and May this year, 587 people from 339 different private schools attended a briefing at which the features of the new regime were explained.

In addition, four focus group discussions were held for some private schools and their students, and an on-line channel was set up for members of the public to submit views.

MOE responded to the comments in a statement yesterday. On the issue of minimum start-up capital, for instance, the council will not be prescribing any entry requirements for new private sc the registration process and be more consistent, all private schools that want to register will have to be formed either as companies or societies. Currently, an estimated nine in 10 such schools are formed as such.

MOE is seeking feedback from the public and key stakeholders from now until July 21.

The consultation guidelines, a summary of the draft bill and a copy of the bill itself can be found at either www.reach.gov.sg or www.moe.gov.sg.