Wikipedia Wrote:Harvard College was established in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The college was named for its first benefactor, British-born John Harvard of Charlestown, a young minister who, upon his death in 1638, left his library and half his estate to the new institution. The charter creating the corporation of Harvard College was signed by Massachusetts Governor Thomas Dudley in 1650.

Little Arminius Wrote:George can barely conceal his hatred for and contempt of Knightsbridge University and everything it stands for.

Quote:So why are the clones all up in arms about all these scandals at RA universities? Oops, that's right, they haven't said a single word about any of them, have they.

ham Wrote:who would have guessed it?

Little Arminius Wrote:George can barely conceal his hatred for and contempt of Knightsbridge University and everything it stands for. Take note of the comments of the rest of the gang.

DR ANATIDAE Wrote:After George's own efforts failed to get a private educational facility off the ground he became a devout follower of JB (once a world leader in private education - not to mention the millions he made from real degree mills, such as LIAR) and G-G (who has never had any experience, and who definitely has no knowledge, of DL education),  and with it developed an inane hatred of any private educational provider that was not government financed and controlled; particular the successful private educational providers, of which there are around 3,000 world-wide. Not to mention St Clements University - which still operates out of Australia!

Quote: Guy Healy | The Australian | December 07, 2009 12:00AM

CHINA is directing its booming student trade away from "unstable and risky" private colleges in Australia, warning that those who intend to study here should enrol only in accredited universities and TAFE colleges.

An alert published by the Chinese Education Ministry and disseminated throughout China contains an explicit warning against Chinese students enrolling in private Australian colleges. Thousands of such colleges have sprung up to attract students from China and India especially.

But the collapse of several high-profile operations has damaged the reputation of the Australian higher education sector, triggering a charm offensive by politicians to convince students Australian education has been cleaned up. But in an escalation of Chinese warnings about Australia's $17 billion education industry, the Education Ministry has re-issued a list of providers that students are approved to study at.

"Students should be cautious and not choose education providers that mainly enrol international students under a short-term business model based upon education as export," the Education Ministry said.

In a further blow to belated efforts by Australian authorities to toughen regulations protecting overseas students, the Chinese government branded private providers "unstable and risky -- even if they have been approved by local authorities".

As the Australian government foreshadowed an upgraded regulatory framework to protect students from dodgy providers, the Chinese government said "students shall choose Ministry of Education-approved education agents" and declared the rest illegal.

Australia has almost 150,000 Chinese students who make up a quarter of the country's 610,000 overseas students and as a group fund an estimated quarter of all Australian university teaching.

The alert was described as "significantly influential" by Australia's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Quote:December 4, 2009
A NATIONAL police response is required to protect overseas students studying in Australia, a review of the international education sector says.

The review head, former Liberal MP Bruce Baird, identified student safety and many other areas of concern for the Council of Australian Governments in his interim report released yesterday.

It comes after a series of stories in the Herald detailing claims of racist violence against Indian students, shonky private colleges providing dubious diplomas, visa abuses and the collapse of educational institutions.

Mr Baird said a national police response was required after the $16.6 billion international student industry suffered enormous damage to its reputation from the allegedly racist attacks.

He said police needed to begin collecting reliable data on the victimisation of Indian students and other nationalities and the clean-up rate of these crimes. At present NSW and Victorian police have no mandatory requirement to identify the race or nationality of crime victims.

''We need to demonstrate that the safety of international students is being taken seriously by Australia … and that the offenders are being caught and punished,'' he said.

In August the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, appointed Mr Baird to rescue the strife-torn industry. He was charged with overhauling the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, but was given a wide brief to examine issues such as student safety, visa rorting, the health and well-being of students, accommodation shortages and a lack of access to public transport subsidies.

Mr Baird held forums with almost 200 students and providers, from the tertiary, English language colleges and schools sectors.

He has also met provider and student peak bodies, regulators, state and territory government officials, and key embassies.

In his interim report, Mr Baird suggested greater consumer protection and stronger, simpler regulation was needed to protect the industry's reputation.

Tougher scrutiny of international education providers, giving students' access to better information and the appointment of an ombudsman to handle student complaints were among key suggestions.

Education entrepreneurs will have to pass a ''fit and proper person'' test to operate in the industry, the report recommends, with laws requiring individuals running education and training institutions to disclose full financial credentials and bona fides.

''I regard as essential that there are tougher entry requirements for entering this business,'' Mr Baird said.

''At present Western Australia is the only state [that reviews] operators' finances and credentials. There should be external accounting assessors poring over their books, we should look at their track record for teaching students.

''We should know whether these people have prior convictions, their business wound up or placed in receivership and their linkages with education and migration agents.''

Ms Gillard said yesterday she welcomed the interim report and thanked Mr Baird for his work to date. She declined to comment until after the final report was handed down.