Australian Education Minister Jason Clare to be granted authority to reduce the number of international students in the country
Labor is preparing to introduce new legislation that could reduce the number of international students, as there are currently over half a million foreign students in Australia.
Starting next week, the education minister will have the authority to limit the number of foreign students at Australian universities. This initiative, proposed by the Albanese Labor government, aims to stabilize foreign migration numbers and crack down on dubious education providers.
The new law will empower the minister to set a cap for the maximum number of new international student enrollments that education providers can offer. For vocational education, these allocations will be determined based on advice from the minister for skills and training.
Education Minister Jason Clare’s office did not disclose the ideal quota of students or the extent to which current enrollments might be decreased.
As per the Australian government’s education department, there were approximately 662,895 foreign students in Australia between January and February 2024. The majority of these students were from China, with 145,720 students.
Following China, Indian students comprised the second-largest group with 109,989 students. The numbers then declined to 53,294 from Nepal and even fewer students from other nations.
Conversely, countries like Georgia had only five students in Australia.
Cracking Down on Education Agents
The proposed legislation would also grant the minister additional powers to prevent education providers from owning educational agencies and to halt applications for registration from new international education providers and new courses for up to 12 months.
New providers seeking registration must demonstrate a record of providing high-quality educational services to domestic students before recruiting from overseas.
The minister will have the authority to cancel dormant provider registrations to prevent them from being misused and prevent providers under serious regulatory investigation from enrolling new international students.
The legislation will enhance the sharing of data about education agents and prohibit agent commissions on student transfers between providers to eliminate incentives for student “poaching.”
The announcement coincided with the release of a draft of the International Education and Skills Strategic Framework on May 13.
If universities want to enroll international students beyond the established limit, they will need to create additional purpose-built student accommodation to alleviate pressure on the rental market.
Minister’s Comments
Mr. Clare emphasized the necessity of the new legislation in combating fraudulent practices in the sector. He stated, “Our international education sector is vital to our country, but we must address the unethical actions that threaten its integrity and sustainability.”
Mr. Clare highlighted the importance of ensuring the quality and sustainability of the international education sector. Similarly, Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil echoed these sentiments, underscoring the need to manage international student numbers strategically for long-term sustainability.
Additionally, Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor expressed concerns about unscrupulous education providers and stressed the importance of maintaining the reputation of the sector.
Group of Eight Backs Limit
The Group of Eight (Go8), a major education consortium, supports efforts to enhance the credibility of the industry. Go8 Chief Executive Vicki Thomson emphasized the complexity of the issues involved and the need for nuanced policy approaches to addressing them.
Furthermore, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a significant increase in migrant arrivals in Australia in 2022-23. In response, the Labor government developed a new migration strategy aimed at reducing migration levels and focusing on skills that benefit the nation.
