Jason Clare MP, Australia’s Minister for Education has recently released the Australian Universities Accord Final Report. The report, touted as the “blueprint” for higher education in the country, aims to create a long-term reform plan for the higher education sector to meet Australia’s future skills needs. The final report includes 47 recommendations and proposes big changes that Australia should meet head on.
What does it mean for International Students?
According to the report, education makes an enormous contribution to Australian tertiary education by enabling Australian learning and teaching to have wider impact, helping universities to invest in important research, adding to diversity, and being an important avenue for soft diplomacy and international linkages.
In 2022, Australian higher education providers enrolled almost 450,000 international fee-paying students (more than a quarter of total enrolments), with around 120,000 of these studying Australian higher education courses from outside Australia. International student fees contributed more thana fifth of overall university funding. Now Australia’s fourth largest export, international education is a fixture of the economy.
A strong and sustainable footing is important. On the demand side, fluctuations in enrolments risk the stability
and viability of institutions. On the supply side, there have been failures in quality and integrity in some parts of the market, and these must be addressed.
The report recommends managing volatility in demand where possible, including by diversifying markets to avoid overreliance on a small number of countries.
Some international students seek a migration pathway. In line with the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy goal for a better targeted system, the report recommends that the tertiary education sector should encourage these students to study courses linked to Australian skill shortages and to study in regional locations.
The sector should protect its reputation and ranking as a study destination by lifting course quality and improving the overall student experience. TEQSA should take an evidence-based approach to ensure that providers have appropriate risk management strategies for international education to issues including managing demand volatility, course concentrations and the quality of the student experience, and access and availability of affordable housing. The financial stability and integrity of Australia’s international education system should be addressed.
This is the first broad review of the sector since 2008. “The Australian Universities Accord has recommended how to reform higher education over the next decade and beyond,” notes Jason Clare MP, Australia’s Minister for Education.
You can access the report here: Australian Universities Accord.
