KATHMANDU, Feb 20: Nepali Congress has urged the government to focus on rescuing Nepali students pursuing a nursing degree at the Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) after Australia's vocational education and training sector decided to cancel AIBT's registration.
The main opposition said that it had already asked its contact office committee to gather more information and initiate required coordination.
"We hope the Nepal Government takes necessary steps to address the issue with its Australian counterpart," a press statement issued by the party said.
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The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) said the decision to cancel AIBT's Vocational Education and Training accreditation and the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for International Students or CRICOS registration was based on the provider's failure to demonstrate that its marketing practices were accurate and factual, according to SBS.COM.AU.
It further stated that AIBT could not demonstrate that “its training and assessment practices enabled each learner to meet all requirements of their course, it had sufficient resources including qualified staff and facilities or it had implemented an assessment system to ensure learners had the skills needed.”
However, AIBT said that it would defend its position and appeal in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), which includes a stay of ASQA’s decision.
"AIBT intends to strenuously defend the decision of ASQA and has already instructed specialist lawyers and senior counsel".
“AIBT is able to continue to operate its business until this matter is heard by the AAT and until the AAT hands down its decision, which may not be until later this year/early next year”, said the email response to SBS.COM.AU.
The issue came to a head after more than 800 overseas students enrolled in the Diploma of Nursing (HLT54115) were told their education at AIBT would not be recognized with reports that the provider had enrolled students in the Diploma of Nursing without accreditation from ANMAC - the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.
Operating as AIBT, the provider is registered under the name Brighton Pacific Pty Ltd with the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) number 41138.
