13th Aug 2024, 5:37 PM – Representatives Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 - Consideration in Detail - Power to cap international student enrolments

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by Curtin MP Kate Chaney (Independent), which means it failed. The amendment would have removed parts 7 and 8 from the bill.

What do parts 7 and 8 do?

According to the bills digest:

Parts 7 and 8 introduce new Ministerial powers to regulate the provision of education to overseas students. They include allowing the Minister, via legislative instrument and with the agreement of the Minister responsible for Vocational Education and Training (VET) to:

• limit the enrolments of overseas students by provider, course or location, over a year

• automatically suspend and cancel specified courses on the basis of systemic issues, their value to Australia’s skills and training needs and priorities, or if it is in the public interest.

What is the purpose of this amendment?

Ms Chaney explained that:

I move this amendment to ensure that this bill, which is supposed to be about improving the quality and integrity of the higher education system, doesn't go beyond its intention and create new ministerial powers that could have catastrophic repercussions for universities. This amendment, very simply, removes schedules 7 and 8 from the bill. As we know, schedules 7 and 8 give the minister the power to cap international student enrolments by course and by university.

I've already spoken at length about my concerns with schedules 7 and 8. In summary, first, I'm not convinced that the ministerial power to implement caps is about quality, integrity or sustainable growth of the sector. I'm concerned that it's in response to our domestic housing crisis; reducing the number of international students will, at least theoretically, free up some accommodation. Second, I've heard significant concerns from universities about how the application of these drastic powers will affect the sector. Universities rely on fees from international students to fund research and development capabilities. More than half of the financial investment in Australian research is funded by international students. Third, I'm worried about the ramifications for our international reputation and our economy. Given that education services are our fourth-largest export, changing the rules will affect education providers, students and their families.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 1, Parts 7 and 8, page 23 (line 1) to page 44 (line 25), omit the Parts.