Australia's international education sector under review
Updated
A review of Australia's international education sector has called for tougher national accreditation and improved protection for foreign students. The Australian Government commissioned the review into the multi-billion dollar industry in the wake of attacks against international students and claims that some schools were taking advantage of foreigners. The author of the review, former Liberal parliamentarian Bruce Baird says many students have been misled by some institutions and their education agents. Mr Baird is calling for more rigorous standards for international education providers and a greater emphasis on student welfare and information.
Presenter: Samantha Donovan
Speakers: Bruce Baird, author of the Australian education review; Julia Gillard, Australian Education Minister; Andrew Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council for Private Education and Training
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SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Bruce Baird says Australia's international education sector has recently been more focussed on income rather than quality. He's urging a shake-up of the system to make it "stronger, simpler and smarter". The former federal Liberal MP was asked to review the relevant legislation last year after the collapse of several colleges and the well publicised attacks on some students.
BRUCE BAIRD: I think that has damaged the international image of Australian education both in terms of the slowness and the closures of the colleges and also the fact that we have had colleges that have been allowed to be established that shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Bruce Baird says the number of overseas students studying in Australia has more than doubled over the last couple of years. And after six months consulting with groups around the country and sitting in on student roundtables, it's clear to him many colleges enrolling overseas students haven't been properly regulated. He says students have often been provided with wrong information and there's been an over-emphasis on qualifications leading to permanent residency in Australia. Mr Baird says there's no doubt the sector has been damaged by dodgy operators.
BRUCE BAIRD: We have permanent residency factories. Those who are in that grouping, if you ask any of the good providers they'll quickly name those who they believe are the dodgy operators who are rorting the system. And it is those groups that we should be directing our attention to. And I certainly think that they represent, probably represent 20 per cent of the vocational sector.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Bruce Baird wasn't given the job of examining the reports of violent attacks against overseas students. That's being dealt with by the Council of Australian Governments. But Mr Baird says it's clear from his conversations with students that many are struggling to integrate into Australian society. And colleges and state and federal governments need to pay more attention to student welfare.
BRUCE BAIRD: What happens when they want to complain when they find that the level of courses are inadequate, where students are working excessive number of hours without being monitored, that they've being asked to work in workplaces that are aligned with the colleges for sub, for rates which are below normal Australian awards and conditions, accommodation where sometimes they're run by the college providers where we had an example in Brisbane of 37 students staying in the one place.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Mr Baird is recommending the closer regulation of education service providers with their financial records in particular to be checked more thoroughly. He wants institutions to be held responsible when an education agent provides misleading information and a crackdown on colleges poaching students for commissions. The states are also being asked to boost the number of people overseeing student welfare through initiatives like education hubs where students can make complaints and get advice. Mr Baird is also recommending changes to the assurance fund which guarantees a student a place at another college if their existing institution closes. The Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the Government will seek to amend the legislation to deal with the most pressing issues raised in the report.
JULIA GILLARD: Particularly to lift the bar for entry into being an education provider for international students and also to better regulate the way in which education agents are dealt with by education institutions here.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Ms Gillard says education providers will be consulted on several recommendations. Andrew Smith the CEO of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training says he wants more information on several points.
ANDREW SMITH: Well there's a number of recommendations about how we look after our students, how they get information and even just the nature of strengthening the regulations that we need to have a good look at and analyse a bit more closely, particularly given that there's quite a bit of activity going on at the moment in regulation in other arenas that affects these providers. We want to make sure that that's harmonised.
The other critical thing is how we look after students from a consumer protection point of view. And we think there's some very strong ideas there about how we risk assess providers and so on. And we certainly welcome those ideas because that's something we're already doing.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: If most of these recommendations are acted upon would you expect that many more colleges would go out of business?
ANDREW SMITH: Well it's very hard to know what the impact would be until we understand the actual implications and practical implications of the recommendations. Having said that from our point of view anybody who is not prepared to commit themselves to delivering high quality education has no place in this industry.
The private sector is largely committed to quality education. We've had some rogue elements who haven't been. And if they're not prepared to lift their game and operate within the rules then they shouldn't be part of the industry.
