The Overseas Students Ombudsman has produced a fact sheet for international students setting out the process for dealing with complaints during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement the Ombudsman said that due to the impact of the pandemic on the overseas education sector, his office had seen an increase in complaints.
“The view of the office is that international students and education providers should look for mutually agreeable resolutions as a first step when disputes arise,” the Ombudsman said.
“Our office understands that providers have been significantly impacted by the downturn in international education as a result of the pandemic, and that students are also impacted by the disruption to their study, work, and experience of life in Australia.”
Despite this, he said, the protections for students under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 remained in force.
“When the office receives a complaint, we consider each case on its individual facts, including what both the student and the provider have done to resolve the dispute, when forming our view,” the Ombudsman said.
He said students dissatisfied with any part of their course must first raise their concerns with their provider and if this failed to produce a satisfactory response a complaint to the Ombudsman’s office could follow.
The Ombudsman said the Department of Education had published guidance for providers outlining provider obligations to students impacted by travel restrictions, exclusion periods and on-line learning, where providers were unable to teach students face-to-face.
The Ombudsman’s six-page fact sheet can be accessed at this PS News link.
