Tag: operators

  • Integrity Bill passes as government vows crackdown on “quick-buck” operators

    Integrity Bill passes as government vows crackdown on “quick-buck” operators

    The Albanese government has passed legislation that it says will strengthen the integrity of the international education sector, despite sector concerns about some elements of the reforms set to impact higher and international education.

    The Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 proposes amendments across several key acts within education, including the Education Services for Overseas Students Act (ESOS). 

    “With the passing of this legislation, we now have more tools to stop unscrupulous individuals in the international education system trying to make a quick buck,” said education minister Jason Clare.

    In a statement on the Bill’s passing, the federal government chose to highlight some of the changes it is set to bring about, including:

    • Enabling the banning of commissions to education agents for onshore student transfers
    • Requiring most prospective VET providers excluding TAFEs to first deliver courses to domestic students for two years before they can apply to teach overseas students as evidence of their commitment to quality education
    • Cancelling the registration of providers that fail to deliver a course to overseas students for 12 consecutive months to help deal with ‘phoenixing’
    • Giving ministers the power to limit or cancel a providers’ ability to deliver courses where it is in the public interest or there are systemic quality issues

    Education providers will also now require authorisation from TEQSA to deliver Australian degrees offshore. The government described these changes as “light-touch, set transitional arrangements and utilise information that providers already hold”.

    “Australia’s future success requires a focus on quality, integrity and a great student experience. That’s why we’re cracking down on exploitation, increasing transparency, and safeguarding the reputation of our sector,” said Julian Hill, assistant minister for international education.

    We’re cracking down on exploitation, increasing transparency, and safeguarding the reputation of our sector
    Julian Hill, assistant minister for international education

    According to Hill, the changes will “protect genuine students and support high-quality providers”.

    Ministers say the reforms are about “safeguarding” Australia’s reputation as a world leader in education but certain parts of the Bill garnered fierce criticism from the sector. A public call for submissions gathered concerns about changes to the definition of an education agent and whether ministerial intervention powers were appropriately balanced, among other changes.

    The Bill is set to tighten oversight of education agents by broadening the legal definition of who qualifies as an agent and introducing new transparency requirements around commissions and payments.

    Elsewhere, one of the most significant points of concern related to new ministerial powers over provider and course registrations. The Bill would allow the minister to make legislative instruments suspending the processing of applications for provider registration – or registration of new courses – for periods of up to 12 months.

    The new Bill closely mirrors last year’s version but drops the proposed hard cap on international student enrolments that contributed to the earlier Bill’s failure in parliament. Instead, the government is managing new enrolments through its National Planning Level and visa processing directive MD115, rather than legislated limits.

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  • Student caps could help shoddy operators – Campus Review

    Student caps could help shoddy operators – Campus Review

    Commentary

    Scams and rorts are relentless and adaptive, resurfacing even after operations are shut down

    Ed SeafordSeptember 17, 2025Last Updated: September 17, 2025

    0

    Caps on international student places, set at 270,000 for 2025 and rising to 295,000 in 2026, are intended to manage growth and safeguard integrity in the sector.

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  • Sensors help building operators detect vaping

    Sensors help building operators detect vaping

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    Facilities managers can use air quality sensors to detect vaping in restrooms and other areas in which video cameras can’t be used, says a video systems company that has released a sensor product. 

    “Sensors are ideal for monitoring sensitive areas … such as restrooms, locker rooms, health care facilities and secure storage areas,” Eagle Eye Networks says in an announcement. 

    The company touts the sensors as especially suitable for schools, where vaping isn’t allowed. 

    The “sensors help school officials address vaping by detecting, alerting and providing … information about incidents while maintaining privacy,” the company says.

    The sensors integrate with the company’s flagship product, a cloud-based video management system. By combining the information provided by the sensors with information provided by video cameras outside of sensitive areas, officials can gain a more complete picture of unauthorized activity to determine if action is necessary, the company says. 

    air sensors

    The Eagle Eye Sensor, shown here, is capable of detecting vaping, noise, temperature and humidity in sensitive area like locker rooms and bathrooms, the company says.

    Courtesy of Eagle Eye Networks

     

    If a “sensor detects vape smoke in a school locker room, the system automatically triggers an alert,” the company says. “School authorities verify the event and gain additional information from security cameras located in hallways or outside of the locker room.”

    The sensors can be used in other contexts, the company says. They can track noise, temperature, humidity, and other factors that can impact indoor air quality, like volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and smoke. Other types of sensors can detect the presence of water, which can aid in detecting leaks, and whether doors are being left open. Alerting managers to open doors can help reduce energy use, especially in climate controlled locations like server rooms. 

    Mike Intag, managing partner at Gardient, a systems integration company, says he’s introducing the sensors to schools to help them control vaping, a “longstanding challenge in K-12 settings.” The sensors will also be used to monitor temperature, humidity and door use. “This advances our offering [to school clients] beyond security,” he said.

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