Push to bring international students back to SA ’within weeks’

South Australia’s $2b international education sector will be at risk if its trial to bring up to 300 international students back to Adelaide doesn’t start within weeks.

The first planeload of international students arrived in Darwin in November. Picture: Supplied

A trial to bring up to 300 overseas students back to South Australia should be launched within weeks to help revive the international education sector in 2021, a senior industry figure says.

The Marshall Government is being urged to start SA’s pilot program as soon as possible ahead of first semester, after no outbreaks followed the Northern Territory’s trial that brought 63 students back to Darwin in November.

International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood says Australia’s $40b international education sector will be at risk if students cannot return this year.

“If we lose a second full academic year, then students will give up waiting and will elect to enrol in competitor countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada,” Mr Honeywood said.

UK universities have chartered aircraft to bring in international students, the government has eased visa conditions and consultancy Study in the UK is promoting that students will be eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 “much quicker in the UK than their home country”.

The first plane on international students arrived in Darwin in November. Picture: Supplied by Charles Darwin University

Universities Minister Michelle Donelan last month published an open letter saying the UK wanted to welcome more students.

“Our borders are open for both returning and new international students,” she wrote.

SA’s trial was due to go ahead late last year but was postponed in November during the Parafield cluster.

The State Government said the pilot would resume in early 2021.

“Given that we’ve got a lead time of booking flights, arranging appropriate quarantine accommodation and ensuring COVID-safe pre-departure testing, we only have a short time frame before first semester will be upon us, so the sooner the Marshall Government can decide to proceed, the better for SA’s universities,” Mr Honeywood said.

“With some months now past since the NT brought in the first … of their international students, there is no reason why SA cannot do the same.”

He added any state which safely proved it could bring international students back would get a competitive advantage over other states.

Universities Australia acting chief executive Anne-Marie Lansdown said the higher education sector’s priority was community safety, but it would like to see more overseas students return after the success of last year’s NT trial.

“The international student pilot to Adelaide remains an important testing ground for how Australia can welcome back international students in 2021,” she said.

A State Government spokesman did not confirm when SA’s trial would begin but said it would be early this year.

“The State Government continues to work with the state’s three public universities and the Federal Government to return international students to South Australia as part of a pilot program,” he said.

A Federal Education Department spokesman said the government’s priority was to bring home Australians first, but it was still in talks with all states and territories about “continued planning for international student arrivals”.

“Larger numbers of international student arrivals will only be considered when Australians wishing to come back to Australia have returned in substantial numbers,” he said.

“International students are an important part of the Australian community, and we look forward to welcoming them back, when conditions allow.”