Mr Sukhdev Singh, 44, and his wife were concerned about their son's failing grades at school and decided to engage a tutor to help him pass his upcoming Primary School Leaving Examinations.

They chose the tutor from a flyer placed in the letterbox of a relative.

The tutor, Daisy Pious, 40, recommended an alleged Ministry of Education-approved programme to secure the 11-year-old a place in a secondary school.

She also claimed to be a registered tutor with the MOE.

Pious, a tutor with 20 years' experience, according to her lawyer, told Mr Singh, a sales executive, that the programme would cost $14,200.

The sum would be refunded in stages, upon completion of each syllabus of English, Maths and Science she taught, she said. Mr Singh did not question why she offered almost a complete refund of the tuition fees as he trusted her.

When their son, Melwindev's grades didn't improve, Mr Singh asked for a refund of his money. However Pious made excuses and refused to meet him.

Sensing something amiss, Mr Singh made a police report.

Yesterday Pious was jailed for two months in a district court for cheating Mr Singh with a fake educational programme. She could have been jailed up to a year and fined.

Her lawyer said she had already returned $1,000 to Mr Singh and planned to return the rest in monthly instalments.

Pious was granted a deferment in sentencing until Jan 19 to be with her daughter who is expecting her O-level results.

She also cheated another student's parents of $950 using the same ruse.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.