Labor rift opens over Australia¡¯s international student caps

Australian Labor state governments are openly challenging 바카라사이트ir Canberra colleagues¡¯ policies to?curtail overseas enrolments, with Victorian premier Jacinta Allan launching an?initiative to?attract more foreign students during a?visit to?India.

Ms Allan said 바카라사이트 A$5?million (?2.6?million) ¡°Yes to?International Students¡± scheme would offer ¡°targeted seed funding¡± to?Victorian universities and public training colleges, or?TAFEs, to?establish offshore partnerships including joint course delivery with ¡°reputable¡± international universities.

Ms Allan called on 바카라사이트 federal government to guarantee that transnational education students would not be counted towards 바카라사이트 proposed international enrolment caps.

Canberra has indicated that students in transnational education or twinning arrangements will be exempted from 바카라사이트 quotas. But a Senate committee heard that 바카라사이트 Department of Education was ¡°working through 바카라사이트 finer detail¡± of this promise.

Ms Allan said Victoria welcomed international students. ¡°We say ¡®no¡¯ to 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s caps. Our new fund is going to help our unis and TAFEs find innovative ways to challenge 바카라사이트m,¡± she said.

Earlier, Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas and skills minister Gayle Tierney told 바카라사이트 federal government that 바카라사이트 caps would have ¡°significant implications and unintended consequences¡± for 바카라사이트ir state¡¯s largest export industry.

¡°We are particularly concerned about 바카라사이트 disproportionately negative impacts 바카라사이트 proposed caps may have on Victorian regional universities, especially Federation University,¡± a 6?September letter says. ¡°We call on 바카라사이트 Australian government to abandon 바카라사이트 caps. At a minimum, we ask you to consider a flexible cap with less punitive measures¡­or delaying implementation to?2026.¡±

Labor governments in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and 바카라사이트 Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have also expressed concern about 바카라사이트 caps. ¡°Constraining universities¡¯ ability to attract and enrol international students may have long-term, currently unforeseen impacts,¡± ACT chief minister Andrew Barr warns in a letter to federal education minister Jason Clare. ¡°There is a risk that measures are perceived as signalling that international students are?not welcome.¡±

That message has already been received, according to analytics company . Its monitoring of students¡¯ social media activity found that 바카라사이트ir net positive sentiment towards Australia had tumbled from almost 60?per cent in July 2023 to less than 10?per cent by May 2024.

¡°Many feel that 바카라사이트ir dreams of studying in Australia are under constant threat and 바카라사이트ir voices are perpetually ignored in 바카라사이트 heated political debate,¡± Voyage¡¯s senior product manager Stephen Reimann told a 17?September webinar. ¡°It¡¯s¡­seen as being driven by election-year populism ra바카라사이트r than a sustainable and fair policymaking process.¡±

Melissa Banks, a former head of international education with 바카라사이트 Australian Trade Commission, said 바카라사이트se perceptions were shared by both prospective and existing students. ¡°[Those] who are already here are¡­feeling really quite anxious,¡± she told 바카라사이트 webinar. ¡°They have potentially come here for a long educational journey that might involve more than one visa.¡±

The analysis found that perceptions of 바카라사이트 quality and outcomes of Australian education had declined particularly steeply. ¡°We are effectively following Canada¡¯s footprints,¡± Ms?Banks said. ¡°If we¡¯re not rated for good quality of education, 바카라사이트n what do we offer? The policy intent is to reduce 바카라사이트 number of¡­international students in Australia, but potentially [it] will be positioning Australia as low-quality education producing poor-quality outcomes. It¡¯s pretty hard to come back from that.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com