Study Travel News – Opinion… from the Editor, 21.11.24

On Monday, Australia’s Senate began debate of the government’s Bill to reform the ESOS Act, a Bill that would give the Minister of Education the power to cap international student enrolments.

Other measures in the Bill include expanded definitions of agents, sharing of commission arrangements, and the ability to pause new provider applications and revoke applications more easily.

A surprise came when the opposition Coalition said it would not support the Bill, meaning that it was effectively “dead in the water”, as one Senator said. The government will not have the support to get the Bill passed without amendment, and with only four days left in the last parliamentary session of the year it may not even put it forward for a vote now it seems.

While the end of caps may be welcome, there can only be a cautious celebration. Firstly, it means that the much-hated Ministerial Direction 107 remains in place, and we could return to the visa refusal spike that engulfed the sector earlier in the year – something that felt like an unofficial cap to some commentators at the time.

In a related move, new Evidence Levels will now be updated. In what looks like an ideological gesture, only private vocational and ELICOS providers will be allowed to have their level reduced. Any public institution that should be reduced based on the government’s criteria will be frozen at its current level. It is difficult to see much justification for this move.

The other thing to be fearful of in the longer term is why the Coalition refused to back the Bill. They are arguing that it didn’t go far enough. It is quite likely they will propose something even more destructive in a race to the bottom on immigration policy ahead of elections due by May.

Matthew Knott, News Editor of StudyTravel Magazine

On a happier note, the USA reached a new record high of international higher education students in 2023/24, topping 1.1 million for the first time, according to the latest Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Those students contributed some US$43.8 billion to the economy, according to the related impact analysis by NAFSA Association of International Educators .

The data isn’t quite the success it first seems though. The increase mostly comes from a big jump in students staying longer to engage in the post-study Optional Practical Training (OPT) scheme – the number of newly enrolled students was almost exactly the same as the previous year.

In other government updates, Canada has confirmed previously proposed measures on part-time work, switching providers and reporting compliance, while a public opinion survey by Education New Zealand shows strong support for international students.

Elsewhere we have launches in the UK, including a new summer school for The King’s School Canterbury ; new specialist summer programs by Bede’s Summer School ; and a new pathway partnership between INTO University Partnerships and Bayes Business School.

Lastly, we were all saddened and shocked by the recent floods and devastation near Valencia, Spain. An agent affected Pepa Ferrer and partner school Wimbledon School of English have created a fundraising page for relief efforts – see here for more details of how to help.