Page 3602 - Week 12 - Thursday, 13 October 1994
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EDUCATION SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS (REGISTRATION AND
REGULATION OF PROVIDERS) BILL 1994
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Heritage and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (10.58): Madam Speaker, I present the Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration and Regulation of Providers) Bill 1994.
Title read by Clerk.
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The ACT Education Services for Overseas Students Bill 1993 has been withdrawn and I am now replacing it with this Bill which incorporates a number of amendments. These proposed amendments will help protect overseas students.
It is appropriate that, as proposed in this Bill, the Territory assume the major role in the regulation and registration of the provision of services to overseas students who come to Canberra. The proposed amendments accord with recent changes to Commonwealth legislation. Some of the proposed amendments arose from the recommendations of an inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training and related negotiations between the Department of Employment, Education and Training and industry bodies. Additionally, this legislation is consistent with the Code of Practice in the Provision of International Education and Training Services developed by a working party of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. The legislation will facilitate the development and maintenance of high standards of service provision to students who are visiting the ACT from overseas.
In presenting this legislation, the ACT Government is recognising the importance of education to the cultural and economic life of the local community. It is also showing its commitment to promoting a strong and viable international education and training services sector. To do this, we must protect the students we encourage to come here. Members of the Assembly will be aware of the financial collapse of private providers and of unscrupulous practices which have occurred in the past. Such incidents leave students and would-be students out of pocket, and severely tarnish our reputation in their nations of origin. Within the industry and throughout government there is general agreement about the need for regulation to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Here in the ACT private providers have been consulted about the proposed regulatory mechanisms and transitional arrangements, and they are aware of the implications.
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