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Australia announces 5.1 m dollar safeguard for international student course fees | Australia's Minister for Education Julia Gillard
today announced a funding of Australian dollars 5.1 million to further strengthen Australia ’s international education industry. According to a Australian High
Commission release, the funding will be made available to top up the Education
Services for Overseas Students Assurance Fund (ESOS Assurance Fund) if
required.
The ESOS Assurance Fund is the cornerstone of Australia ’s international student
consumer protection framework which safeguards the course fees of international
students. The fund was established in 2000 with an Australian dollar one million
start-up amount provided by the Government. The funding is one of a number of
measures the Australian Government has initiated to provide world-class international
education services. These measures include: ·ESOS Amendment (Re-registration of
Providers and Other Measures) Bill which will require all providers delivering
education and training to international students to re register by 31 December
2010 ·The review of the current ESOS Act by the Hon Bruce Baird AM, which is
due
to report to the Australian Government shortly ·A National International Student
Strategy currently being developed through the Council Of Australian Governments
·The International Students Hotline set up in mid 2009 ·The establishment of the
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency and a national regulator for the
Vocational Education and Training sector. The Government’s decision will provide
additional certainty for students and underscores the Government’s determination
to ensure that the international education sector remains both strong and vibrant
into the future. Gillard also 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. |
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