Private education institutions now bound by stricter advertising code

Use of superlatives like "No.1" and "100% student satisfaction" need to be substantiated, among other new rules.

The tougher rules governing private education institutions (PEIs) are meant to protect consumers against misleading advertisements relating to courses and education services, according to the Council for Private Education (CPE) which issued the advertising code.

The advertising code takes effect on July 9, and will come with stiff penalities which include fines of up to $5,000 or up to 6 months imprisonment for violators.

“The Advertising Code clarifies the mandatory requirements relating to advertising, and provides a set of guidelines that will help PEIs to be more factually accurate and responsible in the claims that they make in their advertisements. Ultimately, our aim is to ensure that students and prospective students are given accurate information upon which they can then make informed decisions," said Mr Henry Heng, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Private Education.

CPE added that aside from exagerrated claims through use of superlatives, other frequent occurrences of misleading advertising comes from references to Singapore and the Council for Private Education, information about the PEI, use of information from external sources, information on course fees and other monies payable to the PEI, promises and guarantees, use of disclaimers, information on courses, and language.

Here's the full list of guiding principles for private education institution (PEI) advertising:

Truthful representation: Advertisements must not contain false or misleading claims about the source or recognition of a course, or about the course fees payable by the student.

Substantiation: The PEI must be able to provide documentary proof of the claims it makes in its advertisements.

Fair competition: Advertisements must not discredit, denigrate, imitate, or exploit the goodwill of competitors.

Observance of social values: Advertisements must not subvert Singapore’s shared values or exploit controversial national or international issues. Nor should they contain words or pictures that are offensive.

Integrity and responsibility: Advertisements must not exploit the lack of experience or knowledge of prospective students. They must also not attempt to play on the fears or concerns of prospective students.