The chair of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training has written an open letter to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, urging her to extend student visa reform to non-university providers. Despite Australia’s ongoing international education downturn, Martin Cass said Gillard was seeking only to "reward large, homogenous public institutions”. The chair of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training has written an
open letter to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, urging her to extend student visa reform to non-university providers.
Despite Australia’s ongoing international education downturn, Martin Cass said Gillard was seeking only to "reward large, homogenous public institutions”.
"Your government acted to make it simpler for international students to come to Australia but not at institutions like mine"
“After the turmoil that hit the sector in 2008-2009 your government acted to make it simpler for international students to come to Australia and study at universities, but not at institutions like mine," he said.
“Your government’s reluctance to support small, niche, education providers and their students is alarming.”
The call comes after
a report by Deloitte claimed the vocational and English language sectors had been hit hardest by a slump that has cost Australia A$4 billion in lost revenue in the past two years.
“Non-government” providers – 83% of which are private ELICOS and VET outfits – saw enrolment fall 20% between 2009 and 2011 compared to 2% for government providers, it claimed.
Cass accuses the government of ignoring the report and others it has commissioned itself, jeopardising a sector that employs 130,000. These include the 2011 Knight review and 2013 Chaney report, which call for streamlined visa processing for all sectors. So far only
the HE sector enjoys this benefit.
He gives the example his institution, JMC academy, which delivers multimedia programmes in three states, to more than 2,000 Australian and 100 foreign students.
“There are many success stories in the Australian education sector similar to mine," he said. "It saddens me that JMC Academy’s success would be unlikely with the policy settings we have today.”
The government could agree to further visa reform when it responds to proposals from the National Skills Standards Council on regulatory standards for small providers in April. But observers say it is wary, as private providers were most susceptible to visa fraud during the sector’s boom years from 2002-2009.
Failure to attract more students will cost the sector, however–ELICOS and VET accounted for 52% of all provision in 2009.
According to Australian Education International, foreign enrolments have fallen by a fifth in Australia since 2009 to just over 400,000.
The chair of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training has written an open letter to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, urging her to extend student visa reform to non-university providers.
Despite Australia’s ongoing international education downturn, Martin Cass said Gillard was seeking only to “reward large, homogenous public institutions”.
“Your government acted to make it simpler for international students to come to Australia but not at institutions like mine”
“After the turmoil that hit the sector in 2008-2009 your government acted to make it simpler for international students to come to Australia and study at universities, but not at institutions like mine,” he said.
“Your government’s reluctance to support small, niche, education providers and their students is alarming.”
The call comes after a report by Deloitte claimed the vocational and English language sectors had been hit hardest by a slump that has cost Australia A$4 billion in lost revenue in the past two years.
“Non-government” providers – 83% of which are private ELICOS and VET outfits – saw enrolment fall 20% between 2009 and 2011 compared to 2% for government providers, it claimed.
Cass accuses the government of ignoring the report and others it has commissioned itself, jeopardising a sector that employs 130,000. These include the 2011 Knight review and 2013 Chaney report, which call for streamlined visa processing for all sectors. So far only the HE sector enjoys this benefit.
He gives the example his institution, JMC academy, which delivers multimedia programmes in three states, to more than 2,000 Australian and 100 foreign students.
“There are many success stories in the Australian education sector similar to mine,” he said. “It saddens me that JMC Academy’s success would be unlikely with the policy settings we have today.”
The government could agree to further visa reform when it responds to proposals from the National Skills Standards Council on regulatory standards for small providers in April. But observers say it is wary, as private providers were most susceptible to visa fraud during the sector’s boom years from 2002-2009.
Failure to attract more students will cost the sector, however–ELICOS and VET accounted for 52% of all provision in 2009.
According to Australian Education International, foreign enrolments have fallen by a fifth in Australia since 2009 to just over 400,000.
