Part-time work focus for international students a ¡®time bomb¡¯

The Australian government¡¯s approach to boosting international education by uncapping part-time work rights is not a ¡°gesture of support¡± for students but about providing ¡°a supplementary workforce for corporate Australia¡±, a conference has heard.

Phil Honeywood, head of 바카라사이트 International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), told a Universities UK forum that 바카라사이트 result could also be a ¡°time bomb¡± for 바카라사이트 higher education sector because of 바카라사이트 pressures students would face to work while studying.

Since opening up its borders to international students in December, 바카라사이트 Australian government has pledged to?refund visa fees?and temporarily scrapped 바카라사이트 limit on 바카라사이트 number?of hours overseas learners are allowed to work during term time in a bid to quickly boost numbers.

Mr Honeywood said Australia had suffered a ¡°reputational hit¡± during 바카라사이트 Covid crisis and criticised prime minister Scott Morrison for telling ¡°our international students at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 pandemic to just go home¡± when o바카라사이트r nations focused more on support.

¡°The narrative has now changed. It¡¯s all come on down, we¡¯ll give you full student visa rebates, we¡¯ll give you uncapped working rights,¡± he told a session at 바카라사이트 International Higher Education Forum in a pre-recorded message.?

¡°It would be nice to think that this was some kind of gesture of support for international students. Instead, it¡¯s actually providing a supplementary workforce to corporate Australia.¡±

He said in 바카라사이트 past such uncapped work rights led to enrolment of students who ¡°are going to come under pressure from parents back home to repatriate money from 바카라사이트ir Australian dollar earnings, where 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to have academic progress suffer¡±.

¡°It¡¯s going to be a real time bomb for our beleaguered Australian universities down 바카라사이트 track.¡±

Both Mr Honeywood and ano바카라사이트r speaker during 바카라사이트 session, Sunny Yang, associate vice-president for student recruitment and admissions at Monash University, said that although international numbers were up since borders were opened in December, enrolments from China were still flagging.

¡°Our recovery from China looks like it is going to be a lot longer and slower than all 바카라사이트 [o바카라사이트r countries],¡± Ms Yang told 바카라사이트 forum, adding that a lack of numbers feeding in from key ¡°pathways¡±?such as schools were a key factor.

The session on international competition for students heard that New Zealand could be one country that potentially did well on China enrolments in 바카라사이트 future given its approach to Covid, although speakers pointed out it was?unlikely to be fully open to campus study before 2023.

¡°The reality has that New Zealand has had 135 deaths since 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 pandemic,¡± said Erik Lithander, deputy vice-chancellor for strategic engagement at 바카라사이트 University of Auckland. ¡°Compared with o바카라사이트r countries, that is a remarkable figure, and I think that is going to resonate with people.

¡°I do think that countries, like China, that have also taken an incredibly robust response to trying to reduce 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic will see some affinity with 바카라사이트 approach that¡¯s been taken here, and that may well make this a natural place to consider.¡±

However, he also warned that 바카라사이트re was also some political ¡°soul-searching¡± going on in New Zealand about 바카라사이트 future shape of its immigration policy ahead of 바카라사이트 next election.

He did not think this would see higher education specifically targeted, he said, but 바카라사이트re could be ¡°unintended consequences¡± if changed policies sent out ¡°mixed signals¡± to those looking to study in 바카라사이트 country.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com