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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-23 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:08): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: On 11 May I advised the house that the Department of Further Education, Science and Technology (DFEEST), in accordance with the Training and Skills Development Act 2008 (the TASC act), carried out a monitoring audit in March 2010 of the Adelaide Pacific International College and found the college to be critically non-compliant with the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards. In addition, the audit found that the college was non-compliant with 12 of the 14 standards under the commonwealth's national code. Those standards are available on line.

On 7 May the delegate of the South Australian Training and Skills Commission, the Chief Executive of DFEEST, Mr Raymond Garrand, served notice on the college of his intention to cancel its registration under the TASC act. The college responded to the delegate on 4 June. Yesterday I gave an update to the house on regulatory matters. Today I am able to inform the house that the delegate, Mr Garrand, has now advised me that he has fully considered the response from APIC and has arrived at his final determination.

I have been informed that, based on the original audit findings, the registration history of APIC and the response APIC made to the findings of the March audit, the delegate has concluded that APIC has breached its conditions of registration as a training provider.

I advise that under the Training and Skills Development Act it is a condition of registration that a registered training organisation must comply with the Educational Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) national code. According to the determination of the delegate, APIC has failed to comply with 12 of the 14 standards of this code. In particular, I can now advise that it has failed:

1. to adequately monitor the enrolment of students across the scope of courses and ensure that they complete their courses within the specified duration (Standard 9);

2. to adequately monitor the progress of students and provide appropriate intervention and support strategies (Standard 10);

3. to systematically and accurately monitor student attendance (Standard 11).

It is also a condition of APIC's registration that it comply with the AQTF 2007 Essential Standards for Registration. According to the delegate's determination, APIC has failed to comply with each of the standards. In particular, it has failed:

1. to provide quality training and assessment across all of its operations (Standard 1);

2. to maximise outcomes for its clients (Standard 2); and

3. to have management systems which are responsive to the needs of clients, staff and stakeholders and the environment in which APIC operates (Standard 3).

Under the Training and Skills Development Act it is an offence for a registered training provider to contravene a condition imposed through its registration as a provider.

Based on these findings, the delegate of the Training and Skills Commission has this afternoon advised APIC that its registration as a registered training organisation will be cancelled, effective from the close of business on Monday 28 June 2010.

I am told that from the date of cancellation APIC will be removed from the National Training Information Service. This action automatically cancels APIC's registration as a provider to international students. The commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has been advised of this action.

Owing to this action, the consumer protection requirements of the ESOS Act will be activated. DFEEST and DEEWR and the Office of the Training Advocate have measures in place to support students through this process. Every effort will be made to place students in alternative colleges or with TAFE as soon as possible. I have repeatedly stated that students' welfare is of paramount concern and all available steps will be taken.

As the majority of students are from India, I have just spoken to the Consul General, Amit Dasgupta, the President of the Indian Community, Major-General Vikram Madan, and the Premier's envoy to India, Brian Hayes QC, to tell them about the decision. Students will be provided with written advice as to their rights and obligations to the South Australian Training Advocate. Under the TASC Act the college has 28 days in which to appeal the decision.

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