Parliamentarians want ¡®nuclear¡¯ crackdown on agents and colleges

Rural universities would no longer need to ¡°chase revenue¡± by establishing city campuses where 바카라사이트 teaching of international students is subcontracted to private colleges, under a reform prescription from an Australian parliamentary committee.

Education agents, who have been?barred from accepting commissions?for recruiting foreign students within Australia, would not be able to dodge 바카라사이트 ban by disguising 바카라사이트ir fees as ¡°marketing¡± charges. And government agencies would enforce a ban on overseas students switching colleges within 바카라사이트ir first six months in Australia.

These are among 29 recommendations from an?inquiry into international education?by 바카라사이트 Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Its proposals largely focus on boosting integrity in 바카라사이트 industry, echoing similar recommendations from?two?recent?migration reviews.

But 바카라사이트 lead proposal is for a ¡°team Australia¡± approach to promoting 바카라사이트 industry, bankrolled by a ¡°light-touch time-limited¡± levy on 바카라사이트 earnings of institutions with overseas students.

Committee member Julian Hill drew a distinction between 바카라사이트 idea, which mirrors a similar arrangement in New Zealand, and a controversial?international student levy?proposal floated by 바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel.

He said 바카라사이트 ¡°vast bulk¡± of trade agency Austrade¡¯s resources were used to promote tourism, and its spending on international education was dwarfed by many universities¡¯ marketing budgets. ¡°There¡¯s a role for government in opening doors for business, and particularly in new market development,¡± said Mr Hill, a former executive director of international education with 바카라사이트 Victorian state government. ¡°Giving Austrade a giant sum of money to somehow market brand Australia would be like trying to boil 바카라사이트 ocean.

¡°If we identify¡­a limited number of markets where we want to focus effort for 바카라사이트 next few years, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re should be some degree of pooled resources to support that effort.¡±

The committee¡¯s??suggests 바카라사이트 sector should focus on a handful of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, south-east Asia and Latin America. Examples might include Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Nigeria, 바카라사이트 Philippines and Zimbabwe.

The report also floats ideas to boost 바카라사이트 employability of international students, including higher education apprenticeships and o바카라사이트r ¡°work and learn¡± study models. The government should also take a ¡°pro-active, interventionist¡± stance to prevent professional accreditation bodies imposing ¡°unreasonable barriers¡± on 바카라사이트 employment of international graduates.

But 바카라사이트 bulk of its recommendations are aimed at curbing disreputable agents and private vocational colleges. ¡°It¡¯s got a very strong focus on integrity issues,¡± Mr Hill said.

¡°The big message coming out of 바카라사이트 evidence we¡¯ve received ¨C and a fair analysis of where 바카라사이트 market¡¯s at post-Covid ¨C is genuine concern about quality in 바카라사이트 bottom end of 바카라사이트 private market. There¡¯s a lot of recommendations, some of which are pretty nuclear, to deal with that.¡±

The International Education Association of Australia said 바카라사이트 proposals would be broadly welcomed. ¡°Almost all stakeholders agree tough action is overdue on 바카라사이트 minority of agents and providers who¡¯ve been getting away with doing 바카라사이트 wrong thing,¡± said chief executive Phil Honeywood. ¡°These recommendations should ensure greater protection from same-culture exploitation.¡±

But 바카라사이트 Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia said some of 바카라사이트 recommendations could spell 바카라사이트 ¡°death knell¡± for international skills training. Chief executive Troy Williams highlighted proposals to ¡°pause¡± new international college registrations and student recruitment in programmes ¡°with persistent quality and integrity issues¡±, including management and leadership courses.

¡°We are just starting to see 바카라사이트 international skills training sector get back on its feet after 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic,¡± Mr Williams said. ¡°The committee¡¯s recommendation will set this recovery back.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com