International Education Needs to Protect

The states and territories, which are responsible for the registration process, have agreed to process the highest risk operators by July 1.A list of education agents used to attract students from abroad and within Australia will need to be provided, too.Labor frontbench senator Kim Carr said the laws would boost confidence in Australia's third biggest export industry."This is an important piece of legislation, which seeks to ensure confidence in this critical industry and to give certainty to providers and to students," he told parliament on Monday.An amendment to the bill, moved by independent senator Nick Xenophon and Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, was passed by the Senate earlier this month.It would have seen international students reimbursed for "consequential costs" when a provider failed.But a Labor-dominated lower house rejected the change and the Senate decided not to insist on it.Senator Carr said Education Minister Julia Gillard carefully considered the cross-bench senators' proposal but found it would put too great a financial burden on future governments."While it is the case that some students - through no fault of their own - are left out of pocket when a provider closes, they are not left high and dry," he said.

"The comprehensive consumer protection framework ... has worked to date well in placing students in alternative courses and refunding their fees in a timely way."To read more please Click The Sydney Morning Herald