Don't Believe Everything You Read in Promotional Material

Prospective students are reminded to be cautious of information or testimonials presented in promotional material used to market private education courses. These may include advertisements, advertorials, newspaper special features and supplements, print collateral such as brochures and posters, or online content on websites and social media platforms such as blogs, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

Such materials may carry claims that are exaggerated or untruthful, and may not give you a correct impression of or complete information on what the course or private school actually offers. Misleading claims could potentially be found in the areas of:

• a. Recognition of qualifications;

• b. Employment outcomes;

• c. Cost and duration of courses; and PEI’s facilities

To avoid being misled by such claims, you should read and ensure that you understand all the ‘fine print’ explaining or qualifying each claim. Be skeptical, especially when presented with bold claims. You should call the private school concerned for clarification if you are not sure what the published information means before signing up for any course with any private school. Private schools must be able to substantiate all the claims that they make with documentary evidence.

SSG takes such misleading claims seriously. All advertisements by private schools are regulated by the Private Education Act and are guided by SSG's Advertising Guidelines.