The Department of Education Services

In Western Australia there are two regulatory authorities, both located within the Department of Education Services:

the Higher Education Regulation Branch for higher education courses delivered by non-university institutions; and
the Training Accreditation Council for vocational education and training (VET) courses provided by registered training organisations (RTOs).

Providers of school education, VET or higher education must ensure that an award being offered meets criteria stipulated by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Certificate I
Certificate II
Certificate III
Certificate IV
Diploma
Advanced Diploma
Vocational Graduate Certificate
Vocational Graduate Diploma

If you are undertaking a Diploma or Advanced Diploma, your course could be accredited in either the VET sector or the higher education sector. For further advice about VET courses, contact the Training Accreditation Council.

All higher education courses delivered by non-university institutions in Western Australia must be accredited by the Minister for Education and Training through the Department of Education Services’ Higher Education Regulation Branch. The Department maintains a register of providers and the accredited courses they are authorised to deliver

(pdf 147k).

If you are enrolled in a higher education course that does not appear on the above list, you should contact the Higher Education Regulation Branch for further advice.

You should find out about your college or institute's student grievance policy. Generally, a student grievance policy will set out the following steps to deal with a problem:

Speak to the relevant staff member (e.g. the coordinator of the subject) or student administration officer to see if the problem can be resolved.
If this is not satisfactory, or the relevant staff member is the subject of your complaint, you should contact the Academic Director, Registrar or similar officer and set out your problem.
If, following this, you feel that your problem has not been satisfactorily resolved, you should generally write to the principal, director or chief executive of the college or institute and request a written response.

Hopefully, most problems can be resolved by your college or institute's internal grievance procedures, however if you have followed the internal procedures and feel that your problem has still not been resolved, or you have not been dealt with fairly, there are a number of external options available.

If you are an overseas student, contact the Department of Education Services’ Conciliator on +61 08 9441 1900. Further information about this service is provided in the International Education Regulation section of this website.
Mediation: The Citizens Advice Bureau runs a number of dispute resolution services. You can request mediation at one of these Centres in an effort to resolve your problem, however the college or institute will need to be named and may need to consent to being involved. Any outcomes of mediation will not be legally binding.

To find out more about mediation, contact:
Citizens Advice Bureau/Mediation Services WA (9:00am-4:00pm)
25 Barrack Street
PERTH WA 6000
Tel: +61 08 9221 5711
Website: www.cabwa.com.au

Magistrates Court – Civil Jurisdiction: If your dispute involves student fees or other charges (including where you feel that the course delivered did not match the description given when you enrolled) and the total sum is less than $7500, you may be able to bring a claim before the Magistrates Court. Lawyers are not involved in Small Claims hearings and costs are generally limited to filing fees of less than $100. To find out more about the Magistrates Court contact:

Tel: +61 08 9425 2247; (2248); (2249)
Website: www.justice.wa.gov.au (follow the links to the Department of the Attorney General)

Equal Opportunity Commission: If your problem relates to the way you have been treated by your college or institute due to matters such as your sex, pregnancy, age, race, impairment, religion, political belief or lawful sexual orientation, you should contact:

Commissioner for Equal Opportunity
Level 2, 141 St Georges Terrace (9:00am-4:00pm)
PERTH WA 6000
Tel: +61 08 9216 3900
Country callers: +61 1800 198 149 (Freecall)
Website: www.equalopportunity.wa.gov.au

Legal action: For information on taking legal action to resolve your problem, you should contact your solicitor. The Department of Education Services cannot advise you in relation to this.
Writing to the Department of Education Services: If you have exhausted the internal grievance procedures of your non-university college or institute and still feel that your problem has not been adequately addressed (or there are problems with the process) you can download and complete the attached complaint form with full details of your complaint and send it to:

Chief Executive Officer
Department of Education Services
PO Box 1766
OSBORNE PARK WA 6018