Sydney, Aug 19 - The Australian government is bringing in tougher rules to protect international students from dubious operators, a minister told parliament Wednesday. The move follows a string of attacks on Indian students and reports of overseas students being exploited.

'The message to providers is, if you're not providing your students with a quality education in a safe environment, clean up your act or risk being shut down,' The Age quoted Education Minister Julia Gillard as telling parliament Wednesday.

Gillard was introducing amendments to the law regulating schools that provide courses to the nearly half a million overseas students who come to Australia each year, the report said.

She said the industry had grown too fast, with insufficient checks and balances, which attracted a small number of unscrupulous operators.

'We need to weed out the shonky operators,' she said.

It will now require all institutions registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students to re-register under tougher criteria by the end of next year and make the use of education agents 'more transparent and accountable'.

Gillard said requiring re-registration would restore confidence in the quality of Australian education.