School scams no surprise - immigration adviser

More than a dozen education providers sold up or cancelled their registration when NZQA started investigating (Getty)
More than a dozen education providers sold up or cancelled their registration when NZQA started investigating (Getty)

Immigration advisers aren't surprised by the amount of corruption in schools catering to international students.

Figures obtained by Newshub show 81 schools have been under investigation by NZQA, and more than half have been found to have broken the law or other NZQA rules.

"This is an utter shambles - the system is in meltdown," says Labour's associate tertiary education spokesman David Cunliffe.

Immigration adviser Toni Alexander says corruption in international schools is well-known.

"If you have a look at these schools that are catering to international students, the question really arises in my head: why are there no New Zealand students in these schools, if they are providing quality courses?"

Ms Alexander says the industry has long called for unlicensed agents to be registered, but that hasn't happened.

"These schools are already happy to break the law… making another law doesn't mean they're going to follow it."

Documents show more than a dozen providers just sold up or cancelled their registration when NZQA started investigating.

She says it's a bad look for the country.

"Frequently their families borrow money, they sell farms, property. They pin their hopes on these students being able to come… and they think they'll get residence. They're told lies."

Newshub.