SINGAPORE- Two private education institutions (PEIs) will have their registrations cancelled after failing to meet the latest regulatory requirements that were needed by June 1, 2017.

This comes even as most private schools have complied with the latest requirements introduced by the Committee for Private Education (CPE) in October 2016 to further protect and increase information transparency for prospective students.

In a media statement on Thursday (July 20), a spokesman for SkillsFuture Singapore, which appointed the CPE, said that Fur & Away School of Pet Stylists and Stansfield College did not meet the minimum financial credit rating requirements and will have their registrations cancelled.

Fur & Away School, located in Sembawang Road, registered with the CPE in December 2015. It offers dog-grooming courses and allows students to pursue certificates or sit examinations in pet grooming.

The other school which will have its registration cancelled is Stansfield College, which was founded in 1993 and is a provider of the University of London international programmes in Singapore. It offers undergraduate degrees and diplomas in disciplines such law and the humanities.

"To protect the interests of these students, CPE has directed the (institutions) to place out these students or give them a full refund," said the spokesman, who added that 21 students will be affected.

According to the new requirements, private schools that offer external degree programmes (EDPs) or programmes that articulate into EDPs need to obtain a four-year EduTrust certification. It was found that 17 such schools, including Stansfield, did not have the required certification, of which 12 applied for certification by June 1, 2017, and will have until next year to attain the four-year EduTrust certification.

The statement also said that four private schools have not applied for certification. They will be wrapping up the remaining programmes with existing students and will not be accepting new students. These schools are FY Institute of Technology (Singapore), Informatics Global Campus, Institute of Chinese Medical Studies and SEED Institute.

As of June this year, there are 290 PEIs registered with the CPE.

Mr Brandon Lee, director-general (private education) at SkillsFuture Singapore, said: "These new measures aim to better protect the interests of students who are pursuing their studies in PEIs. Nevertheless, we encourage prospective students to consider their options carefully before enrolling into a PEI."