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05-08-2012, 08:20 AM
I was reading this with disgust - this guy has simply to integrity at all, lying about his qualifications like this!
*For the full article, please visit the website.
The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.com
Published on Aug 05, 2012
Not in gifted programme.
Not a maths grad either...
NUS confirms tutor was never its student; he got a diploma in physiotherapy
By Jane Ng
Things just keep getting worse for Mr Kelvin Ong, the tutor who ran a lucrative business promising to help children ace the Gifted Education Programme screening tests.
First, the Education Ministry exposed him for lying that he was in the gifted programme as a child, and that he later taught in it.
He was never in the programme - as a pupil or a teacher. In fact, he did not even have teaching qualifications.
Now the National University of Singapore has confirmed that Mr Ong, 36, was never a student there.
He had long claimed to be a "double mathematics major" from the science faculty, and said as much in the author's note for an assessment book he wrote.
"Based on our records, Mr Kelvin Ong Wee Loong did not attend or graduate from NUS," the university spokesman told The Sunday Times.
In fact, he went to Nanyang Polytechnic from 1997 to 2000, and obtained a diploma in physiotherapy before working as a physiotherapist at the National University Hospital.
An NUH spokesman would confirm only that he is a former employee and left in 2004, but The Sunday Times understands he was asked to go because of "integrity" issues.
Those who knew him at the time recalled that he was always trying to find ways to earn money, including through tuition.
Mr Ong set up his Aristocare tuition centre, charging high fees of up to $500 a pupil for a three-hour lesson.
He built up a reputation not least with his claims, dating back several years, that he had been through the gifted programme himself and had more than 10 years' experience teaching in the programme at Anglo-Chinese School (Primary).
But after the ministry and the school exposed his lies two weeks ago, he claimed that he had in fact been a relief teacher who "helped out" in gifted classes from 2002 to 2003 - the same period it now emerges he was a physiotherapist at NUH.
Asked last week why he had lied about being an NUS graduate, Mr Ong declined to comment.
He said the bad publicity had forced him to shut his school on Tuesday and he was making refunds to some people who sent their children to him.
"I've closed down Aristocare and won't be teaching any more. I don't want to comment about the other matters. The case is closed," he said.
As for the assessment book with false information about his degree, he said the book was no longer on sale as of last week.
"The information on it is an error," he added.
"Whatever is done cannot be undone and I've faced the consequences already."
Meanwhile, several parents who were angry to discover the truth about him have demanded refunds of the fees they paid.
Madam Anu S., 36, a technical director whose child attended Mr Ong's gifted preparation tuition for the past year, said she had paid about $15,000 in fees.
He has refunded part of the fees.
"I'll never be kiasu again in my life," she said, reflecting on her eagerness to help her child get into the gifted programme.
-------------------
*For the full article, please visit the website.
The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.com
Published on Aug 05, 2012
Not in gifted programme.
Not a maths grad either...
NUS confirms tutor was never its student; he got a diploma in physiotherapy
By Jane Ng
Things just keep getting worse for Mr Kelvin Ong, the tutor who ran a lucrative business promising to help children ace the Gifted Education Programme screening tests.
First, the Education Ministry exposed him for lying that he was in the gifted programme as a child, and that he later taught in it.
He was never in the programme - as a pupil or a teacher. In fact, he did not even have teaching qualifications.
Now the National University of Singapore has confirmed that Mr Ong, 36, was never a student there.
He had long claimed to be a "double mathematics major" from the science faculty, and said as much in the author's note for an assessment book he wrote.
"Based on our records, Mr Kelvin Ong Wee Loong did not attend or graduate from NUS," the university spokesman told The Sunday Times.
In fact, he went to Nanyang Polytechnic from 1997 to 2000, and obtained a diploma in physiotherapy before working as a physiotherapist at the National University Hospital.
An NUH spokesman would confirm only that he is a former employee and left in 2004, but The Sunday Times understands he was asked to go because of "integrity" issues.
Those who knew him at the time recalled that he was always trying to find ways to earn money, including through tuition.
Mr Ong set up his Aristocare tuition centre, charging high fees of up to $500 a pupil for a three-hour lesson.
He built up a reputation not least with his claims, dating back several years, that he had been through the gifted programme himself and had more than 10 years' experience teaching in the programme at Anglo-Chinese School (Primary).
But after the ministry and the school exposed his lies two weeks ago, he claimed that he had in fact been a relief teacher who "helped out" in gifted classes from 2002 to 2003 - the same period it now emerges he was a physiotherapist at NUH.
Asked last week why he had lied about being an NUS graduate, Mr Ong declined to comment.
He said the bad publicity had forced him to shut his school on Tuesday and he was making refunds to some people who sent their children to him.
"I've closed down Aristocare and won't be teaching any more. I don't want to comment about the other matters. The case is closed," he said.
As for the assessment book with false information about his degree, he said the book was no longer on sale as of last week.
"The information on it is an error," he added.
"Whatever is done cannot be undone and I've faced the consequences already."
Meanwhile, several parents who were angry to discover the truth about him have demanded refunds of the fees they paid.
Madam Anu S., 36, a technical director whose child attended Mr Ong's gifted preparation tuition for the past year, said she had paid about $15,000 in fees.
He has refunded part of the fees.
"I'll never be kiasu again in my life," she said, reflecting on her eagerness to help her child get into the gifted programme.
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