[Greens-Media] Greens say international education Senate Inquiry will inform Govt's internal review

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Greens say international education Senate Inquiry will inform Govt's
internal review
Saturday 8 August 2009

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed the Federal Government's
move to review Australia's international education, saying the Senate
Inquiry into the sector that is currently underway can inform the
internal review.

A review into the international education sector's laws and regulations
is to be brought forward from 2010, it was announced today, following
concerns about the welfare of students and the quality of education.

"The Greens welcome this review as  a long-awaited response from the
Federal Government recognising that international education in Australia
is in a very serious predicament," said Senator Hanson-Young, Greens
spokesperson for Education and Immigration.

"International education is an area where we have needed to pull back
the rug and have a good, open look at what's underneath for some time.

"That's why - with wide support from international education
stakeholders in the community - the Greens called for a Senate Inquiry
into the welfare of international students back in May, which was
established in June.

"This accessible, transparent Senate Inquiry is currently collecting
evidence that the Greens hope the Government will use as part of the
Government's own internal review that has been announced today."

Senator Hanson-Young identified three main areas of concern in
international education in Australia that she saw the Senate Inquiry
shedding light on.

"We need to make sure that education institutions are doing the right
thing by students, and are being regulated properly," she said.

"We also need to have a close look at the nature of student visas, and
what sort of counter-productive restrictions they may have on them.

"And we need to define the benchmarks that educational institutions can
use to ensure that they are providing good quality student support
services, advice and information, because at the moment it is left up to
individual providers to decide what is sufficient."

Senator Hanson-Young said the unfettered explosion of international
education in this country happened without thorough planning or
long-term policy direction.

"The piecemeal responses from the Rudd Government to this international
education crisis of recent months indicates a similar lack of
consciousness or vision," she said.

"The Greens hope the Government's review will mark the start of a more
hands-on, long-term approach to international education."

Submissions to the Senate Inquiry into the welfare of international
students close Friday 14 August. 
More
info:http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/international_stude
nts/index.htm

Media contact: Gemma Clark on 0427 604 760