Australians will go to the polls in 2025 in a federal election widely tipped to be held in May, although some commentators think February is also a possibility. As we reach the end of what can only be described as a tumultuous year in politics and policy for the international education sector, three education peak bodies have released their federal election statements – Universities Australia, Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA) and Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA).
It shouldn’t surprise anyone in the sector that all three statements from the peak bodies include calls for reform in international education. Ensuring sustainability is a key feature for all.
Also on their wish lists for the next government, UA wants consultation with the sector to develop a new international education strategy, IHEA wants access to performance data on agents, and ITECA wants an International Education Commissioner (an interesting proposition, although we once had an international education minister and that didn’t go very well).
Universities Australia (UA)
Universities matter to Australia’s future is how the UA statement begins, and it goes on to highlight five priorities for the higher education sector:
- Stabilising sector finances
- Immediate skills needs
- Driving innovation through research
- Engaging with the world
- Indigenous advancement
The international education sector is covered under priority four, Engaging with the world, as UA calls for strengthening “the foundation of Australia’s world-class international education sector, recognising its importance to our economy and universities”:
- Work with universities to develop a new international education strategy
- Grow Australia’s international education sector sustainably without reducing its size or value
- Expand the delivery of international education offshore
- Support more students to undertake study and research in the region
“We have no choice but to grow and improve our university system – Australia needs more of what our institutions do on behalf of all Australians, and quickly,” said Luke Sheehy, UA Chief Executive Officer.
“But we need our universities to be match fit to deliver for the nation, which is why we want to work closely and collaboratively with both major parties to ensure our sector is supported into the future.”
The full UA statement can be found here.
Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA)
The independent sector is a vital part of Australia’s higher education landscape, says the 2024 IHEA Federal Election Platform, delivering high-quality education outcomes for both domestic and international students alike. “International education is important to not only independent providers, but the whole higher education sector, the workplaces these students undertake part time jobs in whilst studying, such as hospitality, retail and parts of the gig economy”, it says.
IHEA proposes fourteen pillars of reform for a better higher education sector, five of which relate to international education.
Sustainability, and specifically ensuring the sustainability of international education, is IHEA’s first international education pillar. It accuses the current government’s proposed approach to enrolment caps of failing to recognise the critical role of international education in Australia.
It also says that there “is a significant equity issue that needs to be considered in restricting international student enrolments. It needs to ensure that it is done in a fair way across the entire sector, including independent providers, and not just supporting enrolments at public universities”.
In what could be seen as a controversial pillar, IHEA also wants what it calls Protections, to allow onshore commissions for international education agents. Controversial because parts of the sector have called for the abolition of onshore commissions for agents due to concerns about poaching and course hopping.
The current government promised to make changes to the ESOS Act to prevent onshore commissions over a year ago but tied it to the passage of the ESOS Amendment Bill (even though the two are not interdependent). As the Bill didn’t pass through Parliament it is unclear what the Albanese Government’s position will be on this going forward.
The remaining three IHEA pillars for international education reform are:
- Accessibility and Competitiveness: Reduce fees for student visas for Australia to remain competitive
- Transparency: Access to performance data on international education agents
- National Benefit: Greater pathways to permanent residency for graduates in priority disciplines
The 2024 IHEA Federal Election Platform is available here.
Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA)
In its ITECA Federal Election Manifesto, ITECA calls for students to be at the heart of tertiary education. It says that for Australia to support a growing economy it will need a highly productive, skilled and education workforce, and the “next Australian Parliament needs to adopt a student-centric approach to tertiary education reform”.
For international education, ITECA says that we must embrace change and prioritise diversification to ensure a thriving and sustainable sector. It says that we need a closer focus on the students in the sector, and that this will “ensure that more emphasis is placed on student wellbeing, source market diversity as well as strengthening academic support”.
Given the current government’s clear preferencing of the public education sector, ITECA wants the future government to respect the rights of students and their study choices and to “recognise the complementary role of independent and public institutions”.
ITECA’s International Education Policy Priorities
- Streamline student visa processing with timely and transparent outcomes.
- Introduce a registration scheme for international education agents to enhance quality and accountability.
- Align Australia’s international education and migration strategies for a cohesive approach.
- Adopt a ‘Team Australia’ approach for international education marketing to strengthen Australia’s global appeal as a study destination.
- Appoint an International Education Commissioner to provide a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to promoting international education.
“[The Manifesto] calls for reforms that allow students to study with the provider best equipped to meet their educational and career goals, be it an independent Registered Training Organisation (RTO) or a higher education institution,” said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive.
A copy of the ITECA Manifesto is available here.
End note: If anyone needs a history lesson on how the short-lived appointment of Australia’s first and only Minister for International Education went, feel free to DM me separately.
