What the regulatory frame requires
Private education institutions: Private schools offering courses must register with the Committee for Private Education (CPE) under the Private Education Act 2009 and meet its requirements on governance, student contracts, fee protection and refunds.
Tuition and enrichment centres: Centres teaching groups of students may be required to register with MOE under the Education Act 1957.
Preschools: Childcare centres and kindergartens are licensed by ECDA under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017, which sets standards on staff suitability, child safety and record-keeping.
Children's data: The PDPA applies to student and parent data. The PDPC's Advisory Guidelines on the PDPA for Children's Personal Data in the Digital Environment (2024) expect organisations handling children's data to take extra care over consent, security and retention.
Everything else still applies: The Employment Act and tripartite guidelines (teachers and staff), the Protection from Harassment Act 2014, and the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (fees, refunds and marketing to parents).
Why you need it
An education business runs on reputation, and one incident involving a child can end it. When a parent alleges inappropriate conduct by a teacher, a student is injured, or a fee dispute escalates, the first questions are always the same: what did your policies say, did your staff know them, and did you follow them? A centre that cannot produce a safeguarding policy, a staff code of conduct and records of how the complaint was handled has nothing to show the parent, the regulator or the police.
Fee and refund disputes are the most common source of complaints. Student contracts and refund terms that are unclear, or that do not match what was said at enrolment, invite complaints to CPE, CASE or the Small Claims Tribunals, and for private education institutions can affect registration or certification. Staff issues are the other recurring problem: teachers dismissed after a complaint without a proper inquiry can claim wrongful dismissal, even where the complaint was well founded.
Children's data needs particular care. Class photos, assessment results, medical and allergy records and parents' contact details all sit in group chats, shared drives and learning platforms. A leak involving children is treated more seriously by the PDPC and by parents.
How we help
We draft the documents an education business actually relies on: student and parent contracts with clear fee, refund and withdrawal terms; safeguarding and child protection policies; staff codes of conduct covering one-to-one teaching, physical contact, photography and messaging students; complaints procedures; and data protection documents built around how you really handle student data.
When an allegation is made against a teacher or staff member, we run the investigation under legal privilege, fairly to the staff member and with the child's interests protected, and advise on interim measures, communication with parents, and whether the matter must be reported to the police or the regulator. If the matter escalates to the police, a regulator or the courts, the same team can act for you.
We also train teachers and centre managers on safeguarding, handling complaints and what to do when an allegation is made, in English or Mandarin.
FAQ
Review your school’s policiesContact us to arrange a confidential discussion.
The information on this page is general information only and is not legal advice. The law changes and develops over time, and nothing on this page creates a solicitor–client relationship. For advice on your own situation, please contact us.