Withdrawal of registration from City Language Academy Ltd

29 Jan 2010

The New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) has withdrawn the registration of the private training establishment City Language Academy Limited (CLAL) of Auckland.

It came to NZQA's attention that CLAL appeared to be falsely advertising that it was accredited to provide approved courses, and that CLAL had not notified governance changes to NZQA, as required.

It also came to NZQA's attention that CLAL director Tom Lee was the same person identified in an Illegal NZ television programme screened on TV2 last year as being involved in arranging the sale of a false NZ Diploma in Business through the NZ Academy of Studies Limited (the registration of which was cancelled in December 2009).

NZQA looked into these matters, and was satisfied on reasonable grounds that CLAL was no longer a suitable body to be registered, and so commenced the cancellation process in early October 2009.

Subsequently it came to NZQA's attention that foreign students were being enrolled in a manner contrary to the Education Act. CLAL was not a signatory to the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of International Students (contrary to section 238E), nor were the courses approved and CLAL accredited to provide them as required by section 232(1) for foreign students to begin study. This gave further grounds for cancellation.

On 22 December 2009, after following the cancellation process and taking into account submissions from CLAL, NZQA remained satisfied that the cancellation grounds applied, and so gave notice of withdrawal of the registration of CLAL. CLAL had until 22 January 2010 to appeal to the NZQA board. No appeal was received and so the cancellation is now complete.

For more information contact:

Steve Rendle
Communications
Tel: 04 463 4240
Mob: 0274 5757 83
Email: steve.rendle@nzqa.govt.nz