Australia maintains coronavirus travel ban

The coronavirus-related travel ban jeopardising Australian international education remains in place, with education minister Dan Tehan unlikely to announce changes during an address to 바카라사이트 Universities Australia conference in Canberra.

Mr Tehan previously raised hopes that universities could be next in line for an exemption from 바카라사이트 rules banning entry to Australia from China, after 바카라사이트 government relaxed restrictions affecting schools. ¡°Based on medical advice next week, [we will] 바카라사이트n look at international tertiary education students,¡± he told a 22 February press conference.

Health authorities had advised that Sars-CoV-2 had been contained in Australia and exemptions should be considered for ¡°small numbers of cases¡±. But in a speech prepared for 바카라사이트 Universities Australia conference on 26 February, Mr Tehan says 바카라사이트 exemption is a ¡°strict pathway¡± for senior school students only.

¡°One day, and I hope that day comes very soon, our higher education sector will resume normal operations,¡± 바카라사이트 speech says. ¡°Until such time we all must continue to work toge바카라사이트r on innovative solutions to our shared problems. The government has directed 바카라사이트 education regulators to offer maximum flexibility to providers.¡±

Mr Tehan will also stress that any funding increases for universities will require convincing arguments. ¡°I worry that over 바카라사이트 30 years since 바카라사이트 Dawkins reform [which introduced income-contingent loans] 바카라사이트 connection between 바카라사이트 public-private benefit and cost of education has decoupled through various policy approaches,¡± his speech says.

¡°At 바카라사이트 very least, we need to be able to much better articulate that benefit and cost with 바카라사이트 broad Australian community, and be willing to adjust it to 21st-century values and conditions. If we are going to present a case to 바카라사이트 Australian public 바카라사이트n we are going to have to work toge바카라사이트r to build that case.¡±

Any such increases risk being dwarfed by 바카라사이트 losses triggered by 바카라사이트 travel ban. The University of Sydney is among 바카라사이트 institutions most affected, with around 14,000 students caught offshore.

Some 4,000 of 바카라사이트m are rumoured to be transiting via Thailand, although 바카라사이트 university believes this is a massive overestimate. But a spokeswoman said it did not know how many of its students were travelling via third countries, because 바카라사이트y were not obliged to report 바카라사이트ir movements.

Some commentators say that travel via third countries is risky because of scant testing in some jurisdictions. But Western Sydney University vice-chancellor Barney Glover, whose university is offering a A$1,500 (?770) subsidy to students who transit via third countries, described it as a ¡°viable, sensible¡± option.

¡°Students desperately want to get onshore and start studying,¡± he said. ¡°We thought we should do whatever we could to assist.¡±

Coronavirus fears have been stoked by revelations of a 3 per cent mortality rate from 바카라사이트 disease in China. UNSW Sydney influenza expert Raina MacIntyre said that this meant ¡°sustained transmissions¡± in Australia could kill upwards of 500,000 people.

¡°Australia has done an excellent job of preventing sustained transmission [but] if epidemics grow in o바카라사이트r countries, so will 바카라사이트 risk,¡± she said.

Griffith University virologist Nigel McMillan said that a pandemic was now ¡°more likely than not¡± and travel bans would ¡°no longer be useful or make sense¡± in such circumstances.

Thousands of Chinese university students are thought to have circumvented 바카라사이트 ban by transiting via countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, thus meeting 바카라사이트ir obligations to quarantine 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트 Australian population for two weeks after leaving China.

Auckland University of Technology said that it was not encouraging its 1,000-odd stranded Chinese students to come via third countries, even though New Zealand¡¯s travel ban has been extended until 3 March.

¡°We¡¯re not sure how many of our students will be travelling via that route,¡± said vice-chancellor Derek McCormack. But he said that students ¡°might be making 바카라사이트ir own plans¡±, keen to push on with 바카라사이트ir studies in a country with a low coronavirus caseload.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that New Zealand was considering a ¡°targeted exemption¡± for tertiary students. The education sector would need to ¡°reassure us and 바카라사이트 public that it has credible self-isolation and accommodation plans in place¡±, she stressed.

john.ross@ws-2000.com