Fact Sheet - Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority

What is the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority?

To ensure all schools, training and higher education providers are delivering a quality education we need to make certain they are meeting minimum standards so that all students have the opportunity to reach their potential. To deliver on this, the Victorian Government established the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) on 1 July 2007 under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (the Act). 

The VRQA is the peak accreditation, registration, certification and quality assurance body for school education, vocational education and training and higher education (except universities established under their own Acts).

Why should a consistent regulatory regime be required for government and non-government schools?

There is an expectation of minimum standards of registration for all schools to assure the community that its young people, whatever their personal or family circumstances and choice of school, will have access to a high quality education.

The VRQA regulatory practices are based on a style that is proportionate to risk, minimises duplication with other compliance requirements, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all education sectors and focuses on quality assurance, not quality control

What are the VRQA’s main functions?

The VRQA is responsible for:

• the initial registration and ongoing monitoring of all schools and higher education providers (except universities established under their own Acts)
• the registration of students being home schooled
• the accreditation of courses and registration of qualifications
• the authorisation of providers to conduct or award those courses and qualifications
• approving persons or organisations to operate student exchange programs
• maintaining the State Register of registered providers and accredited courses and qualifications.

Can the VRQA ‘de-register’ a provider?

Where a provider has failed to meet the minimum standards and improvement processes have proven ineffective, the Act enables the VRQA to de-register an education provider - as a last resort. However, a provider would need to go through a number of stages before such a point was reached.  One of the tasks of the VRQA is to advise the Minister on the most appropriate process for de-registration, should it be required.

More information

For more information, see: VRQA