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Deferral, Suspension, and Cancellation (International) Policy

Our Purpose

This policy helps us ensure Pal Buddhist School (PBS) manages student enrolment changes with care and clarity, in line with the National Code 2007, Standard 13. This includes:

  • Supporting students who request to defer, temporarily suspend, or cancel their enrolment.

  • Addressing situations where student actions require short-term suspension, long-term suspension, or enrolment cancellation.

Our Responsibilities

The Principal or Deputy Principal is responsible for:

  • Implementing this policy, making sure staff and students understand it, and that we all follow its guidelines.

  • Carefully considering requests for deferment, suspension, or cancellation and communicating the outcomes to students.

  • Managing student behaviour that may lead to temporary suspension, long-term suspension, or enrolment cancellation.

Our Policy


Deferring Study Commencement (Student Requests): Under the ESOS Act 2000, we can only allow international students to defer or suspend their studies for compassionate and compelling reasons, such as:

  • llness, with a medical certificate confirming the student cannot attend classes.

  • The loss of close family members (parents or grandparents), with a death certificate if possible.

  • Significant political upheaval or a natural disaster in the student’s home country requiring urgent travel.

  • A traumatic experience that impacts the student, ideally supported by police or psychologist reports.

The Principal makes the final decision on granting deferment.

We will record the deferment on PRISMS, and keep evidence of our assessment in the student’s file.


Suspending Study (Student Requests): Once a student has started their course, we will only approve a suspension of study for compassionate and compelling reasons, similar to those for deferment.

These include:

  • Illness, with a medical certificate.

  • Bereavement of close family members, with a death certificate if possible.

  • Major political upheaval or natural disaster requiring emergency travel.

  • A traumatic experience, ideally with supporting reports.


We will record suspensions on PRISMS, and they will not affect attendance calculations.

The Principal makes the final decision on granting suspensions.


Assessing Deferment or Suspension Requests: The Deputy Principal will carefully assess applications within seven working days.


Exclusion from Class (1-28 days)

  • A student’s enrolment may be suspended or cancelled due to unsatisfactory academic progress, poor attendance, academic misconduct, or inappropriate behaviour, as outlined in the 166-PP-PBS Code of Conduct.

  • Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarism, or any dishonest actions in assessment tasks.

In examinations, students must:

  • Not give or receive assistance from others.

  • Not borrow or lend materials or devices.

  • Not bring unauthorized materials.

  • Not use unauthorized software or devices.

A student may be excluded from a final examination for:

  • Unauthorized absence.

  • Failure to meet unit requirements.

  • Academic misconduct.

  • General misconduct.

For other assessments, students must:

  • Not copy or paraphrase without proper conventions.

  • Not use another’s work and present it as their own.

  • Not submit collaborative work as individual assignments.

  • Not ask another to complete an assessment.

Our guidelines for fairness:

  • We treat students fairly, with dignity, and respect their privacy.

  • Students are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

  • We do not assume past misconduct will repeat.

  • We consider each case individually, with leniency for first-time misconduct.

Penalties will reflect the misconduct’s nature and the student’s program stage. 

Repeated offences will result in more severe penalties, potentially leading to exclusion. 

Penalties may include:

  • warnings

  • grade reductions,

  • failing the unit.

Students will receive written notification of penalties and can appeal within 20 days for procedural errors or factual inaccuracies.


General Misconduct

We expect students to respect others and school property, creating a safe learning environment.

General misconduct includes:

  • Dishonesty

  • Harassment

  • Disruption

  • Damage to property

Other Examples include violating rules, harming the school’s reputation, disrupting others, not complying with contracts, disobeying orders, refusing identification, misbehaving, obstructing staff, and providing false information.

We will report criminal acts to authorities.


Penalties will reflect the misconduct’s nature. Repeated offences may lead to exclusion.

  • The Principal may impose charges for damage or temporary exclusion.

  • The Principal may impose permanent exclusion for abuse, severe misconduct, or criminal acts.

Exclusion from Class (1-28 days) - Continued

  • Excluded students must follow the Deputy Principal’s conditions, considering welfare and accommodation.

  • Students must continue to meet course requirements if given homework.

  • Exclusions will not be recorded on PRISMS or affect attendance.

Exclusion from Studies (28 days +)

We may exclude students for misbehaviour as per the 166-PP-PBS Code of Conduct.

  • Excluded students must adhere to the Deputy Principal’s conditions.

  • Students excluded for more than 28 days may need to return home, unless there are special circumstances.

  • In special circumstances, students must follow the Deputy Principal’s conditions.

  • Exclusions will be recorded on PRISMS and not count towards attendance.

  • Students may discontinue studies, but we are not obligated to reinstate them.

We are responsible for students under 18 for seven days after their course ends, until another provider accepts them, they leave Australia, or other arrangements are made.


Scope

This policy applies to all students, both international and domestic.


Legislation

This policy aligns with the ESOS Act 2000 and the National Code 2007.

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