The Albanese Government today introduced legislation to strengthen the integrity of the international education sector, expand access to medical places for Indigenous students and improve information we collect about early education and care.
Integrity in international education
International education brings tens of billions of dollars into the economy each year.
It builds friendships and long-term connections around the world.
But it is also a target for unscrupulous individuals trying to turn a quick buck.
The Government is determined to strengthen the integrity of the sector and ensure it maintains its social licence.
This legislation will help to crack down on dodgy practices with a number of changes including:
- strengthening the fit and proper requirement for providers,
- enabling the banning of commissions to education agents for onshore student transfers,
- requiring prospective providers to first deliver courses to domestic students for two years before they can apply to teach overseas students as evidence of their commitment to quality education,
- cancelling the registration of providers that fail to deliver a course to overseas students for 12 consecutive months to help deal with 'phoenixing', and
- giving us the power to limit or cancel a providers' ability to deliver courses where it is in the national interest or there are systemic quality issues.
Under the legislation, education providers will also require authorisation from TEQSA to deliver Australian degrees offshore.
This means that students who study with an Australian provider overseas will have the same confidence in the quality of an Australian qualification as those who study here.
The TEQSA changes are light-touch, set transitional arrangements and utilise information that providers already hold.
This is about safeguarding our reputation as a world leader in education.
Boosting places for Indigenous medical students
Indigenous Australians are significantly underrepresented in our health workforce. They are 3.8 per cent of the population, but only 1.25 per cent of the health workforce in total and less than 1 per cent of doctors.
In the election the Albanese Government promised to act on the Universities Accord recommendation to uncap Commonwealth Supported Places for Indigenous medical students.
This legislation delivers on that promise.
Under the legislation, every Indigenous student who meets the entry requirements for medicine will receive a Commonwealth Supported Place.
We've already uncapped funding for all Indigenous students enrolling in other degrees.
Last year the number of Indigenous students enrolled in a university course increased by five per cent. This year it increased by a further three per cent.
Next year we will take the next step and expand this demand driven system to all Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Better information in early education and care
Every year we invest more than $16 billion in the Child Care Subsidy.
The Albanese Government is committed to building a universal early childhood education and care system that is safe, affordable and accessible.
To do that we need a better understanding of the costs of delivering early education and care.
In MYEFO last year we committed $10.4 million over two years for the Early Education Service Delivery Prices project and we are backing that with this legislation.
The legislation will help ensure we have information about delivery prices that is accurate, comprehensive and representative.
Getting a better understanding of the costs to deliver early childhood education and care services around the country will help us to deliver evi
dence-based reforms.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
"This legislation gives us more tools to stop unscrupulous individuals in the international education system trying to make a quick buck.
"The legislation will also help more young Indigenous people to become the doctors our communities need.
"And this is another step in building a universal early childhood education and care system that is safe, affordable and accessible.
"These are important and necessary reforms as we build a better and fairer education system."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy:
"More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors will strengthen the health system and help grow its capacity to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
"In creating more opportunities for young Aboriginal people to become doctors, we are working towards Closing the Gap in education and in health."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh:
"To build a universal early childhood education and care system, we need the best information on how services are delivered and funded.
"This legislation will give us the evidence we need to make smarter decisions.
"When we understand the real costs, we can build a system that works better to support families."
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill:
"International education has delivered profound economic, social, and diplomatic benefits to Australia for decades. It's a $51 billion sector that Australians can be proud of-educating future global leaders, strengthening international ties, and enriching our communities.
"Australia's future success requires a focus on quality, integrity and a great student experience.
"That's why today we're introducing amendments to crack down on exploitation, increase transparency, and safeguard the reputation of our sector-after previous reforms were blocked in the Senate by the Liberal and Greens parties.
"These changes will protect genuine students and support our high-quality providers."
