The Albanese Government has announced plans to boost the powers of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), nearly 15 years after its creation as Australia’s higher education regulator.
Education Minister Jason Clare said TEQSA needed a broader range of regulatory tools.
“At the moment TEQSA has a sledgehammer and a feather, and not much in-between,” Mr Clare said.
“There is a good argument that TEQSA needs better tools to step in when it’s in the public interest and to respond to systemic risks, not just individual providers.”
Currently, TEQSA can cancel the registration of universities, impose conditions on accreditation, apply to the courts for fines, or publish statements of expectation. These powers have remained largely unchanged since the agency was established in 2011.
In the coming weeks, the Government will release a consultation paper exploring ways to modernise the TEQSA Act, with a focus on:
• Strengthening student protections,
• Giving the regulator modern tools to address systemic challenges,
• Streamlining compliance for providers, and
• Supporting a more joined-up tertiary system.
TEQSA Chief Executive Dr Mary Russell said the review was critical in light of new challenges facing the sector.
“Governance failures, risks to student safety and wellbeing, financial pressures, and the impact of new technologies point to the need for a framework that lets TEQSA respond quickly and proportionately,” Dr Russell said.
Chief Commissioner Professor Kerri-Lee Krause welcomed the announcement, describing it as a timely step.
“This is a clear commitment to ensuring Australia has a regulator equipped to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving higher education sector.”
The consultation process will open in the coming weeks, with reforms aimed at ensuring TEQSA can protect students and maintain public confidence in Australia’s universities.
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