Australian Embassy in Kathmandu advises AIBT students to continue attending classes
KATHMANDU, Feb 22: The Australian Embassy in Kathmandu has advised the all the students studying at the Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) to continue attending the classes.
The fate of more than 800 overseas students studying nursing in Australia became uncertain after they were told their education at Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) would not be recognized with reports that the provider had enrolled students in the Diploma of Nursing without accreditation from Australia Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).
The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) decided to cancel the Education and Training accreditation and the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for International Students or CRICOS registration of Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) on Tuesday saying the education provider failed to demonstrate that its marketing practices were accurate and factual.
ANMAC accreditation is a must for the students to work as an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse in Australia.
“The Australian Embassy Nepal is aware that on 19 February 2019 the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) notified Brighton Pacific Pty Ltd, trading as the Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT), that it had made the decision to cancel AIBT’s Vocational Education and Training registration and Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registration,” said the Embassy issuing a press release on Thursday.
“The Embassy acknowledges these issues could have significant impacts for the hundreds of students enrolled in the institute, many of whom are Nepalese,” stated the Embassy.
AIBT says it is intending to defend the decision of ASQA.
“We have engaged a legal team to appeal the recent ASQA decision,” said AIBT’s company director Ms Fiona Ke, as reported by SBS.
The cancellation decision will take effect from March 26 unless the AIBT seeks a review and is granted a stay of the ASQA’s decision.
The AIBT has 28 days to seek a review of the decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). It also seeks to have ASQA’s cancellation decision stayed while AAT determines the review.
“AIBT has indicated to the media that they intend to seek a review. Until the review is determined, the institute is permitted to continue operating, including conducting classes,” the Embassy said.
“The Embassy advises that any students studying with AIBT should remain enrolled and continue to attend classes, to ensure that the conditions of their visa are met and their recourse to the Tuition Protection Service is assured should the provider cease delivering its courses.” It added.
The Embassy has also said that if AIBT stops operating, it would be their responsibility to find students an alternative course or pay them a refund of their unspent tuition fees.
If an alternative placement is not possible, the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) will seek to place the institute’s students with an alternate provider or if that is not possible, consider refund of the students’ unspent tuition fees, the Embassy further stated.
According to SBS, the AIBT, in a statement has said that it is proffering pupils support and was discouraging them from switching to a new provider as many students “nearly got their qualifications”.
Meanwhile, more than 200 impacted students gathered in Sydney yesterday stakeholders including Nepali embassy officials, the Consulate General Nepal to NSW, education agents and representatives from The Council of International Student Australia to discuss the crisis.
TWO MORE COLLEGES ENROLLING NURSING STUDENTS WITHOUT ACCREDITATION: REPORT
Two more institutes have been found to have enrolled students in nursing without accreditation from ANMAC, according to a report.
“The Sydney-based Australian Health and Management Institute and Nurse Training Australia are found to have enrolled dozens of students in nursing program. Most of the students are from Nepal,” reported The Kathmandu Post.
There are about 80 students pursuing nursing courses at Nurse Training Australia and around 200 students in Australian Health and Management Institute, according to the Post.
The Post also said that 47 consultancies in Nepal have sent students to the colleges who do not have accreditation.
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