Confusion Surrounding IH Administrator/Greenwich Announcements
From https://thekoalanews.com/confusion-around-ih-administrator-greenwich-announcements/
The international education sector was dismayed on Monday afternoon upon hearing the sudden closure of IH Sydney Training Services, with final classes delivered that same day across all nine IH locations (TKN 091224). The initial shock quickly gave way to confusion and concern following a joint announcement by Administrator Glenn Franklin from PFK Melbourne and Greenwich College’s General Manager, Roxana Ene, stating, “We have arranged for all current and future IH Sydney Training Services students to be exclusively transferred to Greenwich College, effective immediately.”
This announcement was followed by a media release from NextEd Group, owner of Greenwich College, confirming that it had “acquired exclusive rights to communicate with students impacted by the recent closure of IH Sydney Training Services.” Earlier that day, NextEd Group had requested a trading halt on the ASX, pending the release of an official announcement.
The news appeared to be positive for international students impacted by the closure, as Greenwich indicated that most students would be transferred to equivalent courses matching their IH enrollments, and tuition fees paid upfront to IH would be honored.
However, the reaction from the international education sector was swift. Education agents and other stakeholders questioned the IH/Greenwich agreement under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and the rules of the Tuition Protection Service (TPS), raising concerns about students’ rights.
A quick review of the ESOS Act and the TPS guidelines for students shows that when a provider closes or fails to deliver the enrolled course for any reason:
The provider must:
- Offer the student an alternative place in a course that the student accepts in writing; or
- Provide a refund for any unspent tuition fees.
The TPS has stated, “If you are not satisfied with the replacement courses your provider has identified, you can ask to receive the refund instead.”
Many students and agents who read the administrator’s message contacted The Koala, expressing confusion, thinking that students had no choice and were unclear on how TPS works or the refund process.
Although the announcement stated that “the TPS supports the transfer agreement to Greenwich, as its goal is to ensure a seamless transition for students,” by Tuesday morning, English Australia (EA) had issued a preliminary statement.
EA announced that it was “actively working with the TPS, regulators, and the appointed administrator to identify and implement solutions for those affected. Further updates will be provided in the coming hours and days to guide students and stakeholders on the next steps.”
Later that afternoon, EA released another statement, saying it had been “in communication with IH Sydney’s executive team, the appointed administrator, TPS, and ESOS regulators to address concerns, identify solutions, and provide support for those impacted. As a result of these efforts, new communications have been issued to publicly correct the initial messages sent to students and agents by the administrator and other parties.”
The EA statement outlines the steps the administrator must take as required by legislation, and it urged all providers to “ensure they fully understand their obligations under the ESOS Act, ESOS Regulations, and the National Code, particularly regarding communications with students and agents and student enrollments.”
English Australia is hosting a webinar for its members tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 12, which will include a presentation by the TPS covering details of provider obligations, student obligations, and students’ rights.
The full EA statement is available here and includes details about the webinar.
