Institutions that offer post-secondary or tertiary education without being registered with the National Accreditation Council will be liable on summary conviction to a fine of as much as $200,000 as a result of the National Accreditation Council (Amendment) Bill 2019 being passed on Wednesday.
Minister of Education Nicolette Henry piloted the bill in the House and said that it builds on existing legislation and will affect the reality of contemporary education in the country. The main purpose of the bill, she said, is to improve the effectiveness of the council as well as its enforcement. The bill, which amends the 2004 Act, intends to improve the effective administration and enforcement of the Act through the amendment of definitions of terms such as “qualifications”, “recognize” and “register.”
It also seeks to insert a new Part IIIA, which provides for various matters related to institutions and providers. According to the explanatory memorandum, “It seeks to provide for the registration of institutions and providers and makes it an offence for an institution to provide post-secondary or tertiary education without holding a valid certificate of registration issued by the council.”
