Additional Comments by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

1.1        The Australian Greens welcome the commitment by the Government to expand the role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman to include students of private registered providers who currently have no access to an independent complaints body.

1.2        Currently when it comes complaint resolution, particularly with regard to international students, the fact that there are so many overlapping obligations with state accreditation bodies and the Commonwealth department, highlights the difficulties about where to go and who to trust.

1.3        In March 2010, the Greens introduced the Ombudsman Amendment (Education Ombudsman) Bill 2010, to create the office of the Education Ombudsman to cover the domestic and international education sector in Australia. This would act as a one-stop national authority for resolving individual student complaints; provide a further avenue for academic disputes, monitoring and enforcing compliance of education institutions, and facilitating communication between state and federal governments and educational organisations.

1.4        While the Greens are indeed supportive of the measures contained within this Bill, we believe that the proposal contained in this Bill is limited only to the handling of complaints against private providers.   In November 2009, the Welfare of International Students inquiry heard evidence from the Commonwealth Ombudsman who noted the need for an external, as well as an internal, avenue for complaints to be made if internal mechanisms prove unsatisfactory. One of the advantages of establishing a national body is that it would reduce confusion and uncertainty about regulatory roles and responsibilities essentially making it easier for students to access these services.

Recommendation 1

1.5        The Greens recommend that the Ombudsman's role be extended to issues facing both the international and domestic students, providing a further avenue for academic dispute resolution, monitoring and enforcing compliance of education institutions and facilitating communication between state and federal governments and educational organisations.

Senator Hanson-Young

Australian Greens Spokesperson on Education

Navigation: Previous Page | Contents | Next Page