Private higher education providers want fair competition for students. A new national regulatory body will be formed and universities will have to undergo the same accreditation process as private providers. The measures were welcomed by Andrew Smith, CEO of the Australian Council for Private Education & Training.
The collapse of a number of private Australian vocational colleges over the past year is damaging the nation's image abroad, according to angry students, many of them Indian, who have been left high and dry with their visas at risk.