THE federal government has been asked to consider pushing international students closer to the front of the immigration queue, sparking potential concerns of a re-emergence of the "visa factory" colleges that flourished under the Howard government's skilled migration policies.
The International Education Advisory Council, chaired by National Australia Bank chairman Michael Chaney, proposes a doubling of the bonus points available to would-be migrants with Australian qualifications.
The council's report, released yesterday, also suggests spending more of the foreign aid budget on education and giving international students equal access to hospital treatment and transport concessions.
Mr Chaney said international education, Australia's fourth-biggest export industry, was "on the cusp of embracing a changed global future". He said an "appropriate focus" on the report's 35 recommendations could help boost overseas student numbers by 30 per cent, to more than half a million by 2020.
Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen said he expected the government to accept most of the recommendations. He has already adopted the first two: a co-ordinating council of federal and state ministers and a five-year strategy for the industry.
Insiders said they supported the recommendations but had hoped for "more meat on the bones" in terms of timelines, funding and government involvement. The International Education Association of Australia said a ministerial council that met just twice a year was "frankly not enough", and it had expected the report to contain a strategy rather than a proposal to develop one.
But IEAA president Helen Zimmerman said the bonus-point proposal for skilled migrants was "sensible" and wouldn't revive the past decade's immigration-driven skewing of international education. Until 2008, students were virtually guaranteed residency if they graduated with Australian qualifications in areas such as hairdressing and cooking. Enrolments snowballed but there were major concerns about the quality of these courses.
The new proposal would give would-be residents with Australian credentials 10 of the 60 points they need before they can apply for skilled migration. Points are also awarded for youth, English-language ability, high-level qualifications and work experience.
"There's nothing in there which is about using education as a quick pathway to migration," Ms Zimmerman said, adding that only 5 per cent of colleges had rorted the old migration rules.
Australian National University vice-chancellor Ian Young said the proposal was "more moderate" than the old rules, and didn't concern him, provided "we can guarantee the quality".
"As long as you've got a regime in place that can ensure we're not going to damage the Australian brand, that's fine," he said.
The Council of International Students Australia said students wanted consistency and clarity, after years of abrupt changes. "If the policies are clear and have a set quota, then the people applying for these courses are not misled when they complete," said CISA president Aleem Nizari.
But he said policymakers should not be overly concerned about waves of migrating students. "People don't like to stay in one country nowadays for too long," he said.
Peak higher education body Universities Australia said it supported the Chaney report's "sustainable growth model" of a 5 per cent annual increase in student numbers.
The International Education Advisory Council, chaired by National Australia Bank chairman Michael Chaney, proposes a doubling of the bonus points available to would-be migrants with Australian qualifications.
The council's report, released yesterday, also suggests spending more of the foreign aid budget on education and giving international students equal access to hospital treatment and transport concessions.
Mr Chaney said international education, Australia's fourth-biggest export industry, was "on the cusp of embracing a changed global future". He said an "appropriate focus" on the report's 35 recommendations could help boost overseas student numbers by 30 per cent, to more than half a million by 2020.
Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen said he expected the government to accept most of the recommendations. He has already adopted the first two: a co-ordinating council of federal and state ministers and a five-year strategy for the industry.
Insiders said they supported the recommendations but had hoped for "more meat on the bones" in terms of timelines, funding and government involvement. The International Education Association of Australia said a ministerial council that met just twice a year was "frankly not enough", and it had expected the report to contain a strategy rather than a proposal to develop one.
But IEAA president Helen Zimmerman said the bonus-point proposal for skilled migrants was "sensible" and wouldn't revive the past decade's immigration-driven skewing of international education. Until 2008, students were virtually guaranteed residency if they graduated with Australian qualifications in areas such as hairdressing and cooking. Enrolments snowballed but there were major concerns about the quality of these courses.
The new proposal would give would-be residents with Australian credentials 10 of the 60 points they need before they can apply for skilled migration. Points are also awarded for youth, English-language ability, high-level qualifications and work experience.
"There's nothing in there which is about using education as a quick pathway to migration," Ms Zimmerman said, adding that only 5 per cent of colleges had rorted the old migration rules.
Australian National University vice-chancellor Ian Young said the proposal was "more moderate" than the old rules, and didn't concern him, provided "we can guarantee the quality".
"As long as you've got a regime in place that can ensure we're not going to damage the Australian brand, that's fine," he said.
The Council of International Students Australia said students wanted consistency and clarity, after years of abrupt changes. "If the policies are clear and have a set quota, then the people applying for these courses are not misled when they complete," said CISA president Aleem Nizari.
But he said policymakers should not be overly concerned about waves of migrating students. "People don't like to stay in one country nowadays for too long," he said.
Peak higher education body Universities Australia said it supported the Chaney report's "sustainable growth model" of a 5 per cent annual increase in student numbers.
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