In November 2022, Australia’s two main tertiary education regulators – the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA), and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) – each issued a “sector alert” reminding all higher education providers of their obligations when using education agents.
Why two alerts from two regulators? TEQSA is Australia’s national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education, while ASQA is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector.
In 2023, both regulators have maintained their focus on education agents and the requirements imposed under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 and associated legislative framework (the ESOS framework) on institutions that work with agents.
In a letter to educational institutions on 11 August 2023, TEQSA Chief Commissioner Professor Peter Coaldrake AO identified “significant risks to the compliance of education providers in the areas of
recruitment, admission, and support of overseas students”, including “unethical recruitment behaviours by some education agents”. The letter urged educational institutions to reflect on whether they are “exercising effective oversight and management of the behaviour of education agents engaged to recruit overseas students, both onshore and offshore.” The Sector Alert issued by TEQSA on the same day recommended that institutions should be “undertaking pro-active identification of concerning behaviour by education agents followed by prompt corrective action.”
In her July 2023 update, ASQA CEO, Saxon Rice, said:
For several months I have emphasised ASQA’s continued focus on delivery to overseas students, including unethical recruitment practices of third-party education agents. July marks the end of flexibility arrangements for providers delivering courses to overseas students. From 1 July we expect CRICOS providers to meet their legislative obligations under the ESOS Act and National Code. We have published a range of information to support providers to comply with their requirements and will continue to actively engage across government to support compliance activities, surveillance and monitoring activities where concerns around provider practice are raised.
ASQA CEO, Saxon Rice
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