Raising concerns

Complaints, concerns and appeals about providers can be sent through certain channels. Find out which channel you should use to address your concern.

Listen

Complaints and appeals concerning school providers

Approved school providers must have a complaints and appeals procedure in place. If a complaint or appeal concerns a school provider, the provider is required to follow its policies and procedures and seek to resolve the issue.

Contacting the Australian Government Overseas Students Ombudsman (OSO)

The OSO is an independent external complaint handling body for overseas students. Complaints about private registered school providers may be raised with the OSO.

Contact details for the OSO are:

Commonwealth Ombudsman
phone (within Australia): 1300 362 072
phone (outside of Australia): + 61 2 6276 0111.

Contacting NESA

Under the Education Act 1990, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for approving NSW school providers to deliver courses to overseas students in order to be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

NESA monitors compliance of school providers with the requirements for approval as detailed in NESA's Guidelines for Approved NSW School Providers Delivering Courses to Overseas Students (the Guidelines).

Complaints can be made to NESA at any time provided:

there is clear evidence that options for pursuing the complaint with the school provider have been pursued without resolution or
that there is a compelling reason that this would not be appropriate.

An individual or organisation may contact NESA for advice on how to raise an issue or proceed with a complaint.

Complaints to NESA must be made in writing and include details of:

the name, address and contact details of the individual(s) or organisation making the complaint
the individual(s) or organisation against whom the complaint is being made
the issue or matter to which the complaint relates
how the complaint relates to the requirements for approval as detailed in the Guidelines
evidence that
- options for pursuing the complaint at the school have been pursued without resolution, or
- an outline of the compelling reason(s) why this would not be appropriate
an account of any other action already taken in relation to the complaint.

Complaints may be directed to School Registration Unit, Regulation of Schooling:

email: schoolrego@nesa.nsw.edu.au
phone:+61 2 9367 8866
post:
- NSW Education Standards Authority
  GPO Box 5300
  Sydney NSW 2001