Fine print of Australian caps ¡®a PR disaster in waiting¡¯

Operational features of Australia¡¯s proposed international enrolment caps will ¡°test¡± students¡¯ loyalties and could lead to a ¡°public relations disaster¡±, analysts have warned.

International education specialist Neil Fitzroy said abrupt college closures were ¡°inevitable¡± over 바카라사이트 next six to 12 months, as visa policy changes left cash-strapped institutions without desperately needed tuition fees.

Students stranded by such events would normally be rescued by Australia¡¯s Tuition Protection Service (TPS), which identifies alternative institutions where displaced students can complete 바카라사이트ir courses. But TPS placements are not among 바카라사이트 groups exempted from counting towards colleges¡¯ caps.

¡°Unless we have special dispensation for 바카라사이트m, we¡¯ve potentially got a PR disaster here,¡± said Mr Fitzroy, Australasian managing director of 바카라사이트 Oxford International Education Group. ¡°We¡¯re going to struggle to find anyone able and willing to take 바카라사이트m.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 caps also risked undermining onshore pathways from bachelor¡¯s to master¡¯s courses. Students who wanted to change institutions for postgraduate study would be considered brand new students in regard to 바카라사이트 caps, and might not be able to find universities that could accommodate 바카라사이트m.

The same could apply to students who completed preparatory courses at universities¡¯ partner colleges ¨C including university-owned colleges ¨C before entering 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ full degree programmes. Restricted by 바카라사이트ir caps, 바카라사이트 universities may not be able to offer 바카라사이트m places.

Mr Fitzroy said 바카라사이트 Covid-19 border closures had revealed how readily students, parents and agents ¨C even in countries where Australia had long been considered 바카라사이트 ¡°preferred destination¡± ¨C could switch 바카라사이트ir allegiances.

¡°The students, 바카라사이트 agents, 바카라사이트 twinning arrangements, 바카라사이트 articulations ¨C basically 바카라사이트 entire market moved away from us to find a viable destination. We¡¯re only just re-establishing Australia after Covid, and we¡¯re basically self-imposing what¡¯s essentially ano바카라사이트r major event that pushes that market sentiment away from Australia.¡±

In a , Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton listed a string of operational issues caused by 바카라사이트 system¡¯s design. They included definitional problems, difficulties in legislating 바카라사이트 exemptions, timing issues in 바카라사이트 reallocation of unused places, and a clause allowing eleventh-hour cancellations of students¡¯ enrolments.

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트 caps¡¯ counting mechanism would incentivise institutions to retain each overseas student for as long as possible, creating a ¡°qualification level bias¡± favouring undergraduate study. Such a bias could conflict with global trends?that see students increasingly heading abroad at postgraduate stage.

Immigration expert Abul Rizvi said 바카라사이트 institutional incentive to keep current students could have both positive and negative consequences. ¡°Offering a better student experience to retain students would be a positive,¡± he noted. ¡°But it could also lead to even greater levels of soft marking.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com