Basketball coach allegedly charged parents S$30,000-S$50,000 to help their kids enter prestigious S'pore schools via DSA

A former basketball coach allegedly charged parents S$30,000 to S$50,000 for securing a spot in top schools for their children.

He is under investigation.

Tip-off

On Jul. 24, 2024, Shin Min Daily News reported that the coach allegedly used his connections to get children into prestigious secondary schools through Direct School Admission (DSA).

DSA allows Primary 6 students and those taking the O-level exams to try and apply to certain secondary schools based on their talents in sports, co-curricular activities (CCA) and specific academic areas.

Coached at several primary schools

Shin Min Daily News stated that they received a tip-off from a member of the public regarding the basketball coach, identified as Mr Lin (transliteration), who allegedly coached pupils at several primary schools.

The tip-off provider told the Chinese media that he had recorded a phone conversation with the coach, who reportedly claimed to have more than 10 years of experience in ensuring students entered the schools of their choice.

According to the tip-off, the coach apparently charged parents a fee of S$30,000 to S$50,000 depending on the school they hope to get their child into.

It was unclear which were the schools he had managed to get the students into via the DSA route.

However, Shin Min reported that the coach had apparently quoted a fee of S$50,000 to get into Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), S$45,000 to get into Dunman High School, and S$30,000 or so for Hwa Chong Institution (HCI).

The cost for HCI was lowest as the student was required to pass an in-person interview to be accepted.

Coach no longer working in any MOE school

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is aware of the case.

In response to Mothership's queries, MOE said the individual has been deregistered since April 2024, and is no longer working in any MOE school.

MOE pointed out that while schools have their own DSA selection processes in place, they are required to adhere to MOE's DSA selection guidelines.

This includes upholding key selection principles of transparency, objectivity, inclusiveness and student-centricity.

MOE explained that schools are required to form DSA selection panels, which are led by the school leadership team, to evaluate applications as part of the selection process.

Non-school staff, including coaches, can "play a supportive role" but do not have the final say on admissions.

Coaches are also required to declare potential conflicts of interest, if any.

The ministry said: "MOE will continue to ensure that the DSA selection process is fair and accessible to all students. MOE takes a serious view of such reports and will investigate to ensure that DSA selection was conducted in accordance with our selection guidelines."

In response to Mothership's queries, the Corrupt Practices Investigations Bureau (CPIB) said it could not "provide information on whether any individual or entity is being investigated for corruption" due to confidentiality issues.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News