Another one bites the dust

Beauty training college becomes latest Aus college to collapse

Even as Australian deputy prime minister Julia Gillard prepares to fly to India this weekend, another training college collapsed in Melbourne last week, leaving about 56 international students in the lurch.

The closure has come just days after the federal government initiated a national crackdown on "dodgy" education providers that is expected to lead to a spate of closures.

The collapse of the Totally Indigo Hairdressing and Beauty College came as it was announced that Gillard would embark on a five-day trip to India, where she will try to repair her country's damaged reputation following the violent attacks on Indian students in Australia.

Totally Indigo has filed for bankruptcy after state regulators discovered it had enrolled more than double the number of international students it was registered to handle. It was also training 25 local students.

The latest collapse is the third closure in two months after Sterling College in Sydney and Melbourne International College affecting a total of more than 850 international students..

However, Totally Indigo students have been assured that they would be found alternate places or offered refunds.

Following reports of immigration scams and student exploitation at private training colleges earlier this year, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority started an audit of 17 high-risk education providers. Totally Indigo was not one of those.

Last week education minister Julia Gillard introduced legislation requiring all 1300 providers teaching international students to re-register under tighter criteria by the end of next year.

During her five-day visit, the deputy prime minister will promote the government's efforts to improve the quality of education for overseas students.

Australia's education industry earns a whopping Aus $15 billion but the attacks on Indian students and the failure of some rogue operators has jeopardised relations between the two countries.

Ms Gillard will meet Indian students, Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal and other government officials.

Indian students cautioned the deputy prime minister that she would face demands for answers from those who had been mistreated in Australia.
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They also urged her to use the trip to ensure a crackdown on rogue education agents operating in India.

Australia's prime minister Kevin Rudd plans to visit India later this year.