Serious integrity issues in the International Education sector identified in the Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia’s Visa System (Nixon Review) catalyse the Government announcing new measures to strengthen integrity.
As part of its response to the Nixon Review, the Government will build risk indicators across the international education system.
Minister for Education, The Hon Jason Clare MP said, “The Nixon Review identified the need to increase monitoring and compliance in the international education sector and the Government is responding.”
Note – The Koala could not find a copy of the final published Nixon Review report however, a leaked (unauthorised) version can be seen here.
These risk indicators will inform a monitoring framework that will drive targeted compliance by education regulators and will increase the monitoring of student attendance.
The Government will also amend the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) to strengthen the existing fit and proper provider test.
The measures set for change are:
- strengthening the standards required to gain and hold provider registration and prevent cross-ownership of businesses between education providers and education agents.
- Prohibition of agent commissions on student transfers between providers in Australia to remove incentives for unscrupulous agents and providers to ‘poach’ students.
- Providers will be given greater access to agent performance data such as student completion rates and visa rejection rates. These benchmarks will help providers choose quality education agents as partners.
Minister for Skills and Training, The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP said” “These changes will better enforce higher ethical standards and ensure high quality education.”
These actions build on the changes the government announced in August to remove a loophole used to move students who had been in the country less than six months to new providers to facilitate work instead of study.
A joint release issued by Ministers O’Neill (Home Affairs), Clare (Education) and O’Connor (Skills and Training) said the response is part of a larger body of work being done across government and further announcements will be made in relation to the capacity of the Vocational Education and Training regulator in the coming days.
“This is the first of many announcements this week to restore integrity to international education and to our migration system.” Said the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Clare O’Neill.
The Koala continues to monitor for further announcements.
You can follow this story and more on international education via the Koala news here.
