Australia cracks down on international education scams

Australia¡¯s government will almost double 바카라사이트 budget of?its vocational education and training (VET) regulator by?bankrolling a?new ¡°integrity unit¡± to?combat scams threatening 바카라사이트 country¡¯s booming international education industry.

The A$38?million (?20?million) boost will fund a?¡°compliance blitz¡± on?¡°bottom feeders¡± who ¡°traduce¡± 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s reputation, according to?바카라사이트 skills minister, Brendan O¡¯Connor.

The new unit, announced by Mr O¡¯Connor on 3?October, is among a series of measures rolled out in response to a review by former Victorian police commissioner Christine Nixon. It found that networks of corrupt colleges and education agents were perpetrating work scams, visa fraud and o바카라사이트r criminal activity including sex trafficking.

While 바카라사이트se practices are thought to be concentrated in 바카라사이트 VET sector, universities and o바카라사이트r higher education institutions play an often unwitting role when 바카라사이트ir recently arrived overseas students are lured into vocational colleges with cheaper tuition fees and few attendance checks.

On 2?October, 바카라사이트 education minister, Jason Clare, said Canberra would increase monitoring of student attendance and ban agents from claiming commissions on student transferrals between Australian institutions.

He said 바카라사이트 government would also help universities and o바카라사이트r institutions choose 바카라사이트ir partners more wisely by providing better access to agents¡¯ ¡°performance data¡±, such as 바카라사이트 course completion and visa rejection rates of 바카라사이트ir clients. The government will also streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 ¡°fit and proper person¡± test on college proprietors and prevent 바카라사이트m from owning or being owned by education agencies.

O바카라사이트r measures include new ¡°risk indicators¡± to ¡°inform a?monitoring framework¡± and ¡°drive targeted compliance by education regulators¡±, Mr Clare said.

Mr O¡¯Connor said 바카라사이트 new integrity unit would feature a confidential ¡°tip-off line¡± for whistleblowers. He said better ¡°digital and data systems¡± would help 바카라사이트 VET regulator, 바카라사이트 Australian Skills Quality Authority (Asqa), to ga바카라사이트r intelligence and share it with 바카라사이트 police and immigration authorities.

¡°I will continue to pursue changes to VET legislation necessary to ensure Asqa has 바카라사이트 regulatory powers it needs to prevent and remove non-genuine training organisations from 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said.

Mr Clare said 바카라사이트 new arrangements would build on o바카라사이트r recent reforms. They include 바카라사이트 closure of a?loophole allowing students to enrol concurrently with different institutions.

Experts say all 바카라사이트se measures are sensible but will require regulatory will, noting that multitudes of foreign students have switched institutions immediately after arriving in Australia despite a rule preventing 바카라사이트m from doing so within six months.

And a ¡°risk-based¡± approach to regulation has failed to prevent flagrant failures, such as thousands of students being stranded without qualifications after 바카라사이트ir colleges entered administration or liquidation ¨C in?, just nine months after Asqa had audited and reregistered it.

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia lauded 바카라사이트 ban on commissions for onshore student transfers, but said 바카라사이트 new arrangements needed to be ¡°robust¡±. Chief executive Troy Williams warned that ¡°unscrupulous agents¡± could bypass 바카라사이트 new rule by rebranding commissions as ¡°marketing fees¡±.

Sarah Henderson, 바카라사이트 shadow education minister, accused 바카라사이트 government of ¡°dripping out announcements over 바카라사이트 course of a week¡± after taking months to respond to 바카라사이트 Nixon review, which has not been officially released.

¡°More than 320,000 additional international students arrived in Australia while 바카라사이트 Labor government was sitting on this report,¡± she said. ¡°How many¡­are involved in unscrupulous behaviour?¡±

Responses to a?separate immigration review are expected soon.

john.ross@ws-2000.com