Carich students hit out

By ALAN PERROTT

Meetings to enrol international students from failed Carich Training into new schools descended into a screaming match yesterday as students demanded their money back.

Most of the confusion centred on about 100 students who had been studying at Ascent Business Institute, a company bought by Carich or its director, Caron Taurima, last year.

Carich went into voluntary receivership two weeks ago after accumulating debts of more than $5 million.

But the students' futures remain uncertain because of confusion over Ascent's ownership and whether the company is now in receivership or has already been sold.

The companies office does not list the institute as being in receivership and names Caron Taurima as its sole director.

A former tutor assisting the students said that despite attending meetings yesterday, they had no idea what was happening and were planning legal action and a march up Queen St if they did not receive quick answers or their money back.

The students went to their first meeting yesterday at 9am, where they were asked to re-enrol with Ascent's former owner, who said he had taken the school back under the name Ascent Global Group.

They were then directed to a second meeting with the NZ Institute of Studies, which had bought their student records from Carich receiver KPMG.

This time the students were told if they wished to attend any other school they would have to pay to get those records back.

At 2pm they attended a third meeting organised by Carich Training's fee insurer, Contractors Bonding, where they were offered places in another selection of schools.

The tutor, who declined to be named, expressed disgust over the rush for the students' cash.

"Nobody cares about them at all."

The last meeting saw the Ascent group join a further 150 Carich students in a lecture room at Wollongong University's Auckland campus.

Another Carich tutor said former staff members were worried that students were being poached by schools with false offers guaranteeing entry to university-level courses.

Although the students' fees are protected by insurance, the insurer decides whether fees are refunded or students are offered further tuition.

The company has offered students four new schools, each approved by the NZ Qualifications Authority.

Students who choose to enrol at alternative schools risk losing their fees and possibly student visas if the schools are not NZQA-registered.

Information on enrolment sessions for domestic students is on the NZQA website.