Harith Wickramasingha
The report’s emphasis on “quality over quantity” extends to the university sector, where the committee observed a reliance on international student fees to fund research and private investment portfolios.
Australia’s position as a premier higher education provider is facing a formidable challenge from intense global competition, according to a Senate inquiry. The recently released 200-page interim report emphasises the need for the tertiary sector to prioritise quality and integrity to sustain growth in international student numbers within Australia.
Julian Hill, a committee member and Labor MP, stressed the necessity for reform, particularly in regulating private vocational education training providers, to prevent a decline in the sector. He emphasised the need to “prune the tree to save the tree and let it grow.”
The report identifies various factors reshaping international education, including fierce global competition, economic changes in source countries, escalating living costs, negative student experiences, and unsatisfactory graduate outcomes influencing students’ choice of study destination.
Report recommendations
A key recommendation from the report is the implementation of a five-year national plan named “Team Australia.” This plan aims to strengthen the international education brand and diversify the market, with a specific focus on attracting students from sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South and Central America.
However, the report also puts forth stringent recommendations to address persistent integrity issues within the vocational education and training sector. It advocates for a 12-month pause by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) in accrediting new overseas student education providers. Additionally, it proposes that providers seeking to offer courses to international students must have operated and delivered to domestic students for at least 12 months. The report also suggests increasing ASQA’s compliance and enforcement resources for more robust oversight.
Hill defended these “bold suggestions” as necessary to shine a “blowtorch” on unscrupulous education providers and agents. He expressed concerns about the sustainable growth trajectory of student numbers and the quality of providers, particularly in the lower end of the private market.
The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia, representing independent providers, acknowledged the importance of Australia’s international education sector’s quality reputation. However, CEO Troy Williams argued that the report’s recommendations would be detrimental to the sector and should not be accepted.
The report’s emphasis on “quality over quantity” extends to the university sector, where the committee observed a reliance on international student fees to fund research and private investment portfolios. The committee called for federal government intervention, through the university accord, to reduce dependence on “outside market forces” and international student revenue. It further urged collaboration with states and territories to streamline approaches and attract international student interest.
