Aside from handling complaints, the Ombudsman’s Office also publishes information on trends and systemic issues that it observes in complaints and gives guidance to providers on best practice complaint handling.

Klara Major works in the Industry Investigations team at the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Commonwealth Ombudsman, who is also the Overseas Students Ombudsman, can consider complaints from international students about problems they are having with private education providers.

Common types of complaint issues that International Students raise to the Ombudsman include the following:

• refunds of fees paid to education providers when students cancel enrolment or withdraw from study
• wishing to transfer to another education provider (during the restricted period)
• being reported for unsatisfactory course progress or attendance
• being unhappy with a grade received and feeling that the provider didn’t follow the correct process when reviewing the grade, and
• being unable to access a provider’s internal complaints and appeals process.

This workshop will explore the following:

• How to recognise complaints
• Barriers to international students making complaints
• What do international students complain about?
• Why are complaints important?
• The role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman
• Issues apparent in complaints to the Commonwealth Ombudsman