Despite denials of wrongdoing and an ongoing appeal process, further investigations into Study Group Australia have come to light following The PIE News report that ASQA has revoked the registration of SGA’s vocational training arm.
It has now emerged that Australia’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency is also assessing SGA, but importantly its investigation focuses on the provider’s higher education offering.
The questions are again being asked about SGA’s “compliance” with the Australian agencies’ regulations and standards.
“We will continue…assessment of Study Group Australia’s compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework”
SGA’s operations in Australia are focused on HE, and the organisation has not enrolled any new students in its VET programs since mid-2017.
A spokesperson for the agency revealed to The PIE this assessment was taking place outside of regular provider re-accreditation or re-registration timeframes and began in August 2017.
“TEQSA is aware of the ASQA decision to cancel Study Group Australia’s registration as a Registered Training Organisation,” TEQSA said in a statement.
“We will continue to work with ASQA and Study Group Australia to determine the impact of this decision on its higher education activities and students as part of an assessment of Study Group Australia’s compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework.”
The agency did not comment on what prompted the decision to begin the assessment.
Speaking to The PIE News on January 16, the day prior to TEQSA developments, CEO David Leigh said that only the VET division of SGA is affected by the AQSA decision.
“The key point I’m making is that this doesn’t relate to any part of our organisation that we’ve been enrolling students in during the course of 2017 and 2018.”
“It would be a mistake for anyone to infer from this anything about the rest of what Study Group is doing,” Leigh continued.
However, the statement released by TEQSA links the two inquiries into SGA, raising questions as to which parts of the Study Group business may have been non-compliant in 2017.
The PIE News has contacted SGA in regards to the latest revelations.
