Is it one of your dreams to start a private school in Singapore? The education sector is one of the potential growth sectors and talent nurturing worldwide. If you plan to start a school with ten or more pupils, you need to register the school as either a partnership or sole proprietor business. You’ll register with the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) of the country. After which, you then register with the Ministry of Education. This registration gives you the go-ahead to start your school.
This article guides you through the process of starting a private school in Singapore.
1. Choosing a name for the school
It’s essential to choose an appropriate name for the school. This name should be the same name you used to register the ‘business’ at ACRA. Remember that private schools in Singapore don’t have words like Singapore, university, and international in their names. You can opt to use the word academy in the name of the school. However, this will only apply if your school offers post-secondary or tertiary education and can accommodate up to 500 students.
2. Choosing a premise
Before choosing a premise, you should consider the educational facilities rules and guidelines like the classroom’s size to student ratio. You also require the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s permission to avoid losing your accreditation. After acquiring your premises and building or renovating the school, you’ll need to get a certificate of statutory completion from the Building and Construction Authority. When building your school, you need a fire safety certificate which you can obtain from the Civil Defense force of Singapore. Certified and licensed architects and contractors should perform all the construction and renovations.
3. Registering the school
It’s a must for all private schools in Singapore offering External Degree Programs to register individually with the Ministry of Education. During the school registration, you also need to register your teachers and the school curriculum. The ministry also requires you to submit the education plan, including; teaching methodology, class schedules, resources, and materials. Remember also to submit the qualifications of the teachers you employ to conduct the courses.
Also see: How to run a local company in Singapore
4. Committee of management
As part of the requirement, any private school should have a committee of management. This committee should consist of a minimum of one person and a maximum of nine members. The committee members are tasked with ensuring the school complies with the provisions provided by the ministry of education.
5. Enrolling of students
You can enroll students freely into your school, both the local students and the international students. However, to open programs that will also accommodate the international students, you need to apply from the education ministry a Case Trust. Without this, your school won’t be allowed to enroll any international student in your programs.
Conclusion
The education sector presents a lucrative and attractive business. Most individuals have invested in private schools in Singapore. To open and successfully run a private school in Singapore, you should follow the guidelines and rules from the various government agencies. After which, you should get accreditation from Singapore’s government and follow the guidelines to avoid losing the accreditation.