Nursing course withdrawn
A private college in Brisbane offering nursing courses to foreign and Australian students has had its accreditation to teach the course withdrawn.
Students who had each outlaid more than A$5,000 (HK$35,000) as a down payment for the course learned last month they would have to transfer to another college and study as external students.
Shafston Nursing is a branch of Shafston College, which runs English-language and IT courses on two campuses in the city.
Fees for the 55-week nursing course were set at up to A$16,000 but students were told last week they would have to study externally through an Adelaide-based institution. Only 100 of 490 who paid the initial Shafston fee have had the money refunded.
Accreditation to teach nursing at Shafston expired on December 31, although the college continued to enrol students throughout the year knowing it might not be re-accredited after an audit found a series problems with the course.
The investigation was conducted by the Queensland Council of Nursing. Former teachers told investigator David Price they had been ordered to pass all their students, regardless of their performance.
Professor Price heard the college allowed students with poor English to graduate with nursing diplomas last year, enabling them to work in Queensland hospitals.
The council last month ruled that recent Shafston graduates would have to be supervised in hospitals for at least six months so their abilities as nurses could be assessed.
Although students enrolled in the course are supposed to transfer to Adelaide-based Kranz International College, it appears no definite arrangements are yet in place for teaching them via the internet, the post or over the telephone.
Shafston Nursing's general manager, Carol Miller, did not reply to calls but said in a statement the joint venture with the college would allow students to continue their education.
'With the assistance of Kranz International College, students will be able to complete their programme without any major financial or time imposition,' Ms Miller said.
'Additionally, it gives students another option when considering their education pathway.'
The Queensland council said there were no guarantees every student would be granted 'mutual recognition' to work as nurses in Queensland if they qualified through the South Australian college.
The college has taken the council to the Supreme Court in an effort to have the restrictions on its graduates lifted.
In court documents it claims statements made by former teachers were wrong because they did not understand the 're-sit' requirements if students failed an examination.
