Australia’s International Education Sector

Enhanced support for international students has been the cornerstone for strengthening our international education sector in Australia. Institutions are required to provide international students with support services to adjust to life in Australia and provide reasonable support for overseas students. Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and online platforms can also play a significant role in supporting international students.

Image by Cecilia Fernandez

Australia offers international students a unique opportunity to obtain a world class education and develop as a global citizen in a beautiful oasis. Australia’s education providers give students the opportunity to study innovative courses and develop key skills to succeed. The international education sector is also supported by various levels and departments of Government. Australia, and Queensland in particular, is lucky to be supported by “Study Clusters” with Study Queensland, Study Brisbane, Study Gold Coast, Study Cairns and Austrade leading the Study Australia Partnership.

An Australian education provides many students an opportunity they may not otherwise have had. Many families have saved their whole lives to be able to afford their children the privilege of an Australian education, to be able to acquire knowledge skills and a global perspective, then return and apply this to their home community.

The decision to expand an educational institution into the international education sector should not be one focused on profits. International students have a unique role to play within our classrooms and our society. However to prioritise profits over outcomes can lead to significant issues. Concentration risk is the issue of dominance from one source that can be unsustainable or problematic. This can be in any context, reliance on Government funded students, VSL students, international students, or in this context, international students from one source market. The over reliance on a single country or source can be subtle and occur over time however can lead to significant consequences. This has become unfortunately evident throughout COVID-19 where many providers do not have the same level of access to student numbers from key markets and now their business is unsustainable.

Dominance of one market also impacts the overall level of quality of delivery and support services. The general rule is that no one cohort should be more than 30% of the total number of students (anecdotal only).

International students have a vital role to play in Australia’s economy and for many providers, the success of their business. However international students have a much greater contribution than just their economic value. International students bring a diverse knowledge from their home country and contribute to the fabric that makes Australia unique.