ANYONE interested in using an agency to secure a spot in a school
overseas should thoroughly investigate the potential institutions
to avoid being fooled by dodgy operators, said one experienced
service provider in Yangon.
U Kyaw Thu is chief executive officer of PMC Group and has 14
years experience the industry. He said the majority of parents
rely on education consultants or agencies and do not bother to
contact the institutions themselves.
He warned that some consultants and agencies take advantage
of this situation and advised parents and students to research
both the education facility and consultant before handing over
any money.
“Those who want to study abroad should take everything
they are told with a grain of salt,” U Kyaw Thu says. In
his experience he has heard that some agencies incorrectly told
their clients that the school to which they intended to send their
children was college standard. But when the student went to the
institution, they discovered it was actually only a commercial
school or vocational training academy.
To prevent this problem, U Kyaw Thu advises potential clients
to ask the agency for proof of the status of the intended school.
“That is one of the big misunderstandings between clients
and agencies. People need to realise that it is impossible to
attend an internationally recognised university in Singapore for
only US$2000 or $3000 per year. The minimum cost to study at one
of those universities would be $10,000 per year,” he says.
He said that some people simply do not understand how much an
internationally recognised university education costs, although
it is probably worth it in the long term.
“The main reason why most students go abroad to pursue
their education is to get a lucrative job abroad. Only a minority
return to Myanmar to work here,” he says.
U Kyaw Thu said that the internet makes it easy for students
or parents to contact international agencies via email, without
relying on brokers. And they can probably save money this way.
There are 50 education consultants or agencies operating as
connections between international institutions and potential students
in Myanmar’s marketplace today.
