Dear friends,
I ended "the new term" with a question mark. Well that was precisely the situation till
last week. There was a standoff between YMCA (being the managing agent of the programme in Singapore), University of Strathclyde
(the programme owner), the students (probably about 30 of us) and lastly, of course, Edutrust.
YMCA wanted the
students to sign a new contract as we pay our fees for the new term. The contract included a clause requiring students to
pay Fees Protection Insurance (about $150/-).
Some of the students refused to accept the contract on the simple
basis that YMCA has no right to impose that as we entered the programme on the basis of an agreed total cost payable by instalment
over 2 years.
University of Strathclyde has been conveniently quiet throughout the whole period of uncertainty.
A worrying thought came into our mind when YMCA said technically the University has no physical nor legal presence in Singapore.
One of us even wrote to the regional representative of University who is based in Middle East to seek assistance.
Can all parties turn to Edutrust to help us settle the gridlock? No, we were told. My classmate talked till his HP battery
is exhausted. He was told that the situation is beyond their jurisdiction and we are to seek other avenues to settle the gridlock.
Just last week, the gridlock was coming to end-game. Two of us were invited for one-to-one session with Lynette, the
GM of YMCA's education services. We had a frank and respectable exchange of views and information. She indicated that the
gridlock could be resolved soon.
A few days after that meeting, YMCA announced that YMCA and University of Strathclyde
would absorbed the costs of insurance.
Moral of the story - We have to be really careful when we make any commitment.
Keep all documentations and marketing materials. You never know what you are getting into.
P/S - phew!!
