Education Minister Jason Clare set out his commitment to higher education in a fighting speech today, making it clear that he would consult, but not surrender to the sector.
The government will brief higher education providers on restrictions on their international enrolments in “the coming week” he said.
Mr Clare did not mention caps, referring to “more sustainable arrangements” to replace present restrictions on visas imposed last December in response to a growth in offshore applications the government considered bogus.
“Growth has also brought back the shonks looking to make a quick buck. It has lured people who really are here to work, not study,” Mr Clare said
“This will be a better way to manage international education. It will be fairer and provide a better foundation for it to grow sustainably into the future.”
Peak lobby Universities Australia was quick to acknowledge Mr Clare’s promised improvement, calling for an end to the existing system which, “is creating significant financial anxiety and pain.”
Mr Clare also reprised reforms to date across HE and signalled more to come, including the need to, “break down that artificial barrier that we have built between vocational education and higher education.”
And he touched on the other major issue alarming university lobbies, the Department of Education’s proposal to oversight the planned Australian Tertiary Education Commission. “I appreciate your feedback. I really do. And I hope you see it in the final form these reforms take,” he said.
However, Mr Clare made it clear that there will be reforms.
“I am not interested in just making speeches and signing letters. I want to help build a better and a fairer education system. And that’s what drives everything I do.”
