The collapse of another eight English language colleges has driven home the urgent need for reform of the international education sector, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Education, says the failure of the colleges leaves more than 2000 international students in limbo, and shines a spotlight squarely on a sector at risk.

"These college closures demonstrate, once again, the need for better regulations of an industry that provides Australia's third-largest export earnings,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"2009 was a bad year for the sector, and 2010 is looking no better - if we are to stop these collapses from triggering a terminal crisis of confidence in the system of international education in Australia, the Government needs to act now.

"Overseas students place their trust in Australia, investing in their own futures through the choice of colleges to provide them with education - they must be able to rely on those colleges to stay open, or the sector as a whole is at risk of collapse.''

The Greens believe the Government's Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Bill, which is likely to be debated in Parliament later this week, deals with some but not all of the problems in the sector.

"It's vital that students are given proper support if the worst happens and their college is forced to close,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.

"They also need access to their academic transcripts and a single point of contact to seek help. "The Government must provide extra funds to refund students whose college has closed, and they must regulate to allow proper assessments of prior learning when students are accepted into alternative colleges.''

The Greens call on the Government to make passage of the ESOS Bill a priority, and to provide a swift response to the forthcoming Baird Review of international education in time for the Federal Election.