In recent years, the number of high school students applying for overseas study has been increasing dramatically. Many families send their kids to other countries to study from 10th and 11th grades.
Overseas study is usually costly. If students are from rich families, they will have no financial problem as their families will pay for their study in foreign countries. If their families cannot afford to pay for all tuition fees, the students have to look for scholarships from their schools, or seek part-time jobs to cover part of the tuition fees. But both rich and not-very-rich families can be subject to tricks of education consultant firms.
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When approaching rich families that can afford to pay for their children’s overseas study, these education consultant firms will promise to support the children to complete all legal procedures, and apply for the visas, regardless of the to-be students’ academic abilities. For families that cannot afford to pay all tuition fees for their children’s overseas study, they would promise to find part-time jobs for the potential students. But few could keep their words in the reality.
In 2018, many localities have launched inspections of the operation of oversea education consultant firms, and closed many without licenses.
In particular, the competent agencies of Nghe An Province detected 2 education consultant firms operating in the province without licenses issued by the Nghe An Provincial Department of Education and Training. They were Kokono Vinh Nghe An Company (located in Vinh City, Nghe An Province) and Thien Bao Company (located in Dien Chau District, Nghe An Province).
In Hai Phong City, the local press and media also reported that the IBA International Education and Training Institute (located in Kien An District, HaiPhong City) held events regarding oversea education consultancy without a license issued by the Hai Phong Municipal Department of Education and Training.
Recently, FOURDOZEN Ltd., located at No.40, Cat Linh Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi Province announced that they had visited and cooperated with nearly 300 schools in the US. However, FourdozenLtd. was not on the list of overseas education firms (as of the end of November 2018)published by the Hanoi Municipal Department of Education and Training on its official website at www.sogd.hanoi.gov.vn.
Notably, the Investment Registration Certificate (code 9948883179) issued by the Hanoi Municipal Department of Planning and Investment on May 11th, 2018 reads thatFourdozen Ltd. doesn’t include the oversea education consultancy service.
Fourdozen even had not metioned the oversea education consultancy service in its portfolio (business code 0108298511) applied for a license to set up a business on May 31st 2018.
According to the laws, the overseas education consultancy service is a conditional business line. A business that operates overseas education consultancy services must have a license in line with Decree 46/201 / ND-CP and Decision 05/2013 /QD-TTg. In other words, an overseas education consultancy firm must have a license issued by the local Department of Education and Training.
It is time for competent agencies to take serious action against oversea education consultant firms operating without license. All illegal companies must also be closed to restore a healthy oversea education market while ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of students and their families.
