PA/19/09 2 July 2009
Australia announces new international student strategy
Australian Prime Minister Rudd announced today (2 July) that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) had agreed to adopt a number of additional measures to enhance the well-being and safety of international students (communiqué attached).
The Council welcomed the range of additional initiatives to improve student safety including the recent high profile, visible police crackdown on crime around metropolitan transport hubs and heightened community engagement by police. They agreed such initiatives should be maintained.
The Council agreed to develop a comprehensive national International Student Strategy to improve international student pre and post arrival information, enhance interaction between international students and the broader Australian community, adopt measures to promote cultural understanding and tolerance, and consider the quality of education providers.
The Council underlined the importance of extending Australian hospitality to international students and agreed to support greater levels of interaction between international students and local communities.
To this end, the Prime Minister, announced AUD $50,000 for the Darebin City Council, in the north of Melbourne, to engage international students within the community of Darebin through social and sporting events. This would be used as model for further such initiatives. The Prime Minister called on all governments, education and training providers and student unions, as part of a national International Student Strategy, to support greater levels of interaction between international students and local communities.
The Prime Minister also announced that an International Student Roundtable will be held in Canberra on 14-15 September 2009. International students will be able to discuss directly issues affecting their study experience – such as accommodation, welfare and safety – and propose ideas for their resolution at the International Student Roundtable. These ideas will then be considered by Ministers at the inaugural Ministerial Council on Tertiary Education in November 2009.
The Council strongly supported the Australian delegation to India that will meet with key government officials in Delhi on 6 July 2009 and then travel to major Indian cities to meet with state governments and others to hear their concerns and reassure them that Australia remains a safe destination for Indian students.
Together these announcements demonstrate the resolute commitment of all levels of Australia Government to improve the experience of international students in Australia so they find Australia a welcoming, safe and supportive place to study and live.
Note: The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is Chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, and includes the Premiers and Chief Ministers of all States and Territories of Australia. COAG meets regularly to discuss matters of national importance and to coordinate policy between the states and the centre.
For further information, contact: Mr Tim Huggins, First Secretary (Public Affairs) on 011 41399997.
COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS (COAG)
Meeting in Darwin – 2 July 2009
COMMUNIQUE
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT STRATEGY
International students are welcome in Australia. They provide diversity and richness to our education and training institutions and enrich the communities in which they live. Now and in the future, Australia grows as a nation as a result of students coming here and Australians studying abroad.
In recent years, Australia has confirmed its reputation as a destination of choice for international students seeking a high quality education. The rapid increase in international students’ numbers is welcome and has been encouraged.
COAG noted that all jurisdictions have implemented a range of additional initiatives to improve student safety including a crackdown on crime around metropolitan transport hubs and heightened community engagement by police. COAG agreed such initiatives should be maintained.
COAG strongly supported high profile, visible police initiatives, where required, to respond to attacks on international students, targeting metropolitan transit hubs and other priority areas to ensure the general safety of students and the traveling public that frequent the areas, and will maintain this commitment for as long as it is required.
Today COAG agreed to develop a comprehensive national International Student Strategy. The strategy will improve the experience of international students in Australia and in turn benefit all of Australian society.
The development of a national International Student Strategy will promote a broader vision of international education to encompass the broader benefits to Australia and the home nation and place Australia's international education on a more sustainable basis. It will also:
- improve the international student experience through improved pre- and post-arrival information and engagement with the ethnic and broader Australian community;
- enhance general educational offerings that develop cultural understanding, tolerance and language skills;
- achieve a clearer articulation between international education and migration policies; and
- consider the quality of education providers.
Development of the strategy would proceed in parallel with the review of the Education for Overseas Students Act 2000 to enable alignment of amended legislation and the new strategy by June 2010.
Today all governments also agreed on the importance of extending Australian hospitality to international students and agreed, as part of a national International Student Strategy, to support greater levels of interaction between international students and local communities.
The Prime Minister announced today $50,000 for Darebin City Council, in the north of Melbourne, to engage international students with the community of Darebin through social and sporting events. The Commonwealth will use the Darebin initiative as a model for further initiatives and will also publish a guide, based on successful activities and programs run by education institutions, so that all institutions with international students can enhance social interaction between communities and international students.
The Prime Minister said it was important to extend Australian hospitality to international students and calls on all governments, education and training providers and student unions, as part of a national International Student Strategy, to support greater levels of interaction between international students and local communities.
COAG also noted its support for the Australian delegation to India that will meet with Indian Government Ministers and key officials in Delhi on 6 July 2009 and will travel to major Indian cities to meet with state governments and others to hear about their concerns and reassure them that Australia is a safe destination for Indian students. It will be led by a senior Commonwealth official and comprise officials from the Commonwealth, New South Wales, and Victorian Governments, Victorian Police, and representatives of the vocational and higher education sectors.
COAG also supported the Prime Minister’s announcement of an International Student Roundtable to be held in Canberra on 14-15 September 2009. International students will be able to discuss directly issues affecting their study experience – such as accommodation, welfare and safety – and propose ideas for their resolution at the International Student Roundtable. These ideas will then be considered by Ministers at the inaugural Ministerial Council on Tertiary Education in November 2009.