Media Release: Universities to Benefit from Knight Review
The Government’s announcement yesterday that it would adopt all 41 recommendations of the Hon Michael Knight’s Strategic Review of the Student Visa Program 2011 is good news for Australia’s universities, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said today.
“NTEU is particularly pleased that Michael Knight’s recommendations in relation to the international student visa issues reflect those we have made in our submissions and discussions over recent years,” Jeannie Rea, National President NTEU, said today.
“NTEU has argued that many of the problems associated with declining international student numbers in recent years have been a direct consequence of the unethical behaviour by a small number of rogue providers that have poisoned the well for the vast majority of educational institutions involved in the international student market.”
“Up to this point the risk profile associated with international students was tied directly to their country of origin, regardless of where they were enrolled to study. NTEU argued that this process failed to recognise universities and other reputable providers had a responsibility to impose entry standards that acted to screen out students who were ‘high risk’, in terms being ready to successfully complete the course.
“The Government has now accepted the view that risk should not be assessed solely in terms of country of origin, but should also take into account the level of study and where the student intends to enrol.”
“What pleases the NTEU most about these changes is that the Government has finally acknowledged that not all higher education providers are the same.
In recent years NTEU members have argued that the honour and reputation of Australia’s public universities is being undermined by declining levels of public investment along with an over emphasis on market based polices, which see higher education as little more than a commodity rather than as a public good offered by public educational institutions, not large corporations,” Ms Rea concluded.
Media contact:
Jeannie Rea, NTEU National President, 0434 609 531
Paul Kniest, Policy and Research Coordinator, 0418 170 622
Post a comment
Branch Contacts
Branch Office
Room L425 L Block Toowoomba Campus
University of Southern Queensland
Phone: 07 4631 2616
Fax: 07 4631 2332
nteuusq@usq.edu.au
http://www.nteu.org.au/usq
Brad Astbury
Branch President
astbury@usq.edu.au
Ivan Phillips
Branch Organiser
iphillips@nteu.org.au
Comments
There are no comments. Be the first to have your say!