Private education centre running advertisements for courses despite threat of legal action
A private school that has been banned from operating is continuing to run courses despite threats of legal action.
Advertisements for the Tutelage Education Centre in Wellington Street, Central, continued to appear in newspapers yesterday recruiting students for information technology, construction engineering, business management and health-care courses.
The adverts appeared despite the Education Department's refusal to renew the school's registration after August 31 because it has allegedly submitted false or misleading advertisements about unapproved programmes. The centre has been ordered to suspend all courses.
Director of Education Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said the advertisements were misleading and that the department had been unable to locate the school's principals.
He said the department had been investigating the school for more than six months.
It had only approved the school to run some American-style high school courses, which ended in February, adding that the school registered campus had only one classroom.
'I very much doubt how it can run some large-scale courses,' said Mr Cheung.
Senior education officer Karina Wu Wong Kit-wai said: 'The school is not giving accurate information and some of the courses advertised are actually not offered.'
The Vocational Training Council said last night the school had improperly used its logos in its adverts and stressed it had no direct link with Tutelage.
The department has demanded the school stop enrolling students and refund tuition fees. It says it is considering legal action.
But Marco Yip, Tutelage's executive director, said: 'We've stopped all courses now but will resume by running some vocational programmes, such as design and beauty treatment.' He promised to reimburse students who had enrolled. Police estimated $6 million had been collected from more than 1,000 students.
Students can also obtain refunds through the Consumer Council and the Education Department.
According to Tutelage's advert, the organisation has 11 branches, including the head office in Wellington Street.
Hotlines on 2863 4678 and 2863 4671, set up by the Education Department to handle inquiries from students, were swamped with more than 580 calls yesterday.
Tutelage is the second private school to be either shut down or threatened with closure within a month. Three founders of the Infonet Education Centre were arrested on July 26 for allegedly duping students into paying lump-sum fees illegally.
