International education rules
Julia Gillard
posted Tuesday, 23 February 2010
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today welcomed the strengthening of rules for education providers of international students by requiring all colleges to re-register under new, stronger criteria by the end of 2010.
The new rules come under the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Re-registration of Providers and Other Measures) Bill 2009 which passed the Senate yesterday and will help weed out dodgy providers from the industry.
This will mean that all education and training providers currently registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) will have to re-register under the strengthened criteria by 31 December 2010.
This is intended to reinforce confidence in the quality of the Australian international education sector and to strengthen the registration process. Only those who have met the strengthened entry requirements will remain on the register from 1 January 2011.
Providers will also have to prove that education is their principal purpose and that they are able to deliver that education to a high standard.
The Australian Government is deeply committed to ensuring international students who choose to study in Australia receive a quality education and training.
While the vast majority of education providers are delivering quality education, unfortunately the sector has been tarnished by the activities of a few.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is working hand-in-hand with each state and territory to ensure the re-registrations are managed efficiently and they are implemented consistently.
The new Act will bring in further changes to strengthen the regulation of the international education industry. For example, there will be greater accountability placed on providers for the actions of the agents they use and there will be increased reporting on action taken to assist students when a provider closes.
These amendments are one of a series of measures the Australian Government is taking to ensure Australia continues to offer high-quality international education.