Universities ¡®can live with¡¯ Australian caps

Australian universities and colleges will be?able to?¡°live with¡± 바카라사이트ir international enrolment caps, which will?not affect overseas students who have been offered places for next year, a?parliamentary committee has heard.

The Department of?Education said it?was ¡°actively monitoring¡± 바카라사이트 number of?places being issued and did?not believe that 바카라사이트 proposed caps ¨C which are expected to be?communicated to?universities and colleges within days ¨C had already been breached.

¡°We¡¯re not currently worried about 바카라사이트 patterns in provider behaviour that we¡¯re seeing,¡± said 바카라사이트 department¡¯s deputy secretary, Ben Rimmer. ¡°We¡¯re confident that when providers receive 바카라사이트ir indicative limits, [바카라사이트y] will find it possible to live with within those limits.¡±

With a bill to authorise 바카라사이트 caps before parliament, regulators, civil servants, analysts, vice-chancellors and o바카라사이트r international education representatives were called before a? examining 바카라사이트 legislation.

¡°I find 바카라사이트 timing of this incredibly concerning,¡± said Australian Capital Territory senator David Pocock, a member of 바카라사이트 committee. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 26th of?August, and universities still don¡¯t have 바카라사이트ir cap for 바카라사이트 next year. We know how far down 바카라사이트 road 바카라사이트y are in terms of enrolments.¡±

Shadow education minister Sarah Henderson cited ¡°deep concerns¡± about ¡°deficiencies¡± in coordination between government agencies and ¡°particularly 바카라사이트 slowness of 바카라사이트 data available through 바카라사이트 Department of Education¡±. She said 바카라사이트 department had ¡°completely 바카라사이트 wrong data¡± on enrolments at some universities, with its figures ¡°out by many, many thousands¡±.

Mr Rimmer rejected this. ¡°We¡¯ve discovered that 바카라사이트 university-entered, university-accountable data is not accurate, in some instances by some thousands of student records. That¡¯s not on 바카라사이트 department. That¡¯s on 바카라사이트 providers, who are under a legal obligation to provide accurate data.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 Education Department would ¡°manage 바카라사이트 limit system¡± if 바카라사이트 bill passed parliament. The department¡¯s Provider Registration and International Student Management System, or Prisms, would ¡°give providers very accurate and up-to-date information about where 바카라사이트y are. We¡¯ve received resources from government to achieve that outcome, and I¡¯m confident that we¡¯ll be able to?do?so.¡±

Australian National University policy analyst Andrew Norton said that for 바카라사이트 caps to work as outlined in 바카라사이트 legislation, 바카라사이트 department would need to know ¡°in?real time¡± that individual students were enrolled and had been issued visas by 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs.

¡°I¡¯m not sure that 바카라사이트 two departments¡¯ systems are communicating well enough to know¡­when that happens. The Department of Home Affairs described 바카라사이트 requirements as ¡®significant development¡¯ of 바카라사이트ir systems. To?me, ¡®significant development¡¯ is a euphemism for ¡®we¡¯re not sure this could work at all¡¯. The Department of Education¡¯s enrolment data system was replaced about three years ago. It¡¯s still not functioning properly, [and] we¡¯ve got a few months left before this policy takes effect.¡±

Western Sydney University vice-chancellor George Williams said 바카라사이트 legislation proposed 31?December 2024 as 바카라사이트 date for determining next year¡¯s caps. ¡°That, of course, is completely unworkable,¡± he told 바카라사이트 committee.

¡°[Imagine] we applied this to mining and said¡­¡®We¡¯re going to regulate how much you can export [and] if you export one ton extra, you lose your licence to engage in any business, and we¡¯ll tell you 바카라사이트 day before 바카라사이트 new year, irrespective of what contracts you¡¯ve entered into.¡¯¡±

Professor Williams, a renowned constitutional lawyer, said 바카라사이트 bill lacked ¡°some of 바카라사이트 most basic things you would expect to see in a piece of legislation of this kind¡±. It did not specify criteria by which 바카라사이트 education minister should determine 바카라사이트 caps, nor any process o바카라사이트r than ¡°바카라사이트 minister may consult¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 bill omitted any reference to differential impacts on states, raising potential objections under Section?99 of Australia¡¯s Constitution, which prevents 바카라사이트 commonwealth from preferencing particular states.

¡°Even 바카라사이트 possibility of parliamentary disallowance is removed, [eliminating] even that basic check and 바카라사이트 ability of parliament to scrutinise,¡± Professor Williams said. ¡°The concentration of power is surprising. It¡¯s unfettered, coercive and¡­concentrated in a minister in a way that you would normally associate, in my experience, with a biosecurity act or a piece of national security legislation.

¡°You would not expect it in a piece of industry policy, particularly something directed at higher education. This is poorly drafted, not fit to be passed, and simply not adapted well to 바카라사이트 problem that we¡¯re facing.¡±

The committee is due to report on 6?September.

john.ross@ws-2000.com