Yesterday the Australian Government released its response to the July 2025 Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism report. A number of actions outlined in the Government’s Eliminating Antisemitism response are relevant to the international education sector, with several recommendations already implemented.
Recommendation 3: Education, awareness and public discourse
The Government has established an Antisemitism Education Taskforce to be chaired by David Gonski AC, with its purpose being to ensure that the Australian education system prevents, tackles and properly responds to antisemitism.
The Taskforce includes representatives from Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority, state and territory educational authorities, non-government schools, Universities Australia, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and the interim Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC).
Recommendation 4: Institutional accountability and university reform
The response details a number of actions to tackle antisemitism in universities, including:
- strengthening the powers and penalties of TEQSA to ensure it is able to step in and act when it is justified in the public interest
- strengthening Commonwealth higher education regulation to ensure institutions demonstrate a commitment to addressing racism, and ensuring TEQSA can monitor compliance
- appointing the National Student Ombudsman, to investigate complaints from students, including antisemitism or any other forms of racism
- updating the TEQSA Statement of Regulatory Expectations: Student grievance and complaint mechanisms on 3 October 2025 in the context of protests on university campuses
- tasked the Australian Human Rights Commission to undertake the Respect@Uni Study, led by Race Discrimination Commissioner Mr Giridharan Sivaraman
- establishing the Expert Council on University Governance which has provided the Education Ministers Meeting with principles to ensure universities are safe and welcoming
The Minister for Home Affairs has also been given new powers to reject visas for those who spread hate and division.
The Australian Government’s response to the Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism is available here.
The Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism is available here.
