Coronavirus: chance to get in first to lure overseas students

Australia has a chance to gain a ‘first-mover advantage’ for its $40bn-a-year education export industry if state governments unite.

‘It is critical to get international students back to Australia as quickly and safely as possible ­because the education sector … will be vital to ensuring we can ­recover strongly and create new job’: Jennifer Westacott. Picture: AAP

Australia has a chance to gain a “first-mover advantage” for its $40bn-a-year education export industry if state governments unite in a joint push to restart the entry of international students to Australia, according to industry leader Phil Honeywood.

The UK government’s decision to shut its borders in a late ­effort to prevent more cases of COVID-19 entering the country is likely to stop international students from travelling to the country for the northern hemisphere academic year, which starts in September.

Aside from the border closure, the Johnson government’s failure to control the pandemic will deter students from wanting to study in Britain, which is traditionally a popular education destination.

The British move comes at the same time as the NSW, Victorian and South Australian governments, as well as the Group of Eight universities, put forward plans to reopen Australian borders to limited numbers of overseas students in the coming months. They hope this pilot program will be a precursor to large numbers of international students arriving for the first semester next year.

“If the federal government is pragmatic enough to accept the separate state government proposals for pilot intakes (of international students) then it will prove the model for Australia to have first-mover advantage come February next year,” said Mr Honeywood, who is chief executive of the International Education Association of Australia, as well as chair of the joint government-industry taskforce ad­vis­ing on the education sector’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has already taken a proposal to the national cabinet to bring international students into his state. NSW and Victoria have not yet taken submissions to the national cabinet but have developed detailed plans for restarting international student arrivals.

However, neither Queensland nor Western Australia, where state elections are due soon, have joined the push for the early return of international students.

Mr Honeywood questioned whether the coming elections, and union influence on the Labor state governments, were factors influencing the states in their stance.

“Questions need to be asked about whether pending state elections or trade union pushback is having any influence on proposals not coming forward,” he said.

The Business Council of Australia has also joined the drive for an early resumption of inter­national student arrivals. “It is critical to get international students back to Australia as quickly and safely as possible ­because the education sector … will be vital to ensuring we can ­recover strongly and create new jobs,” said BCA chief Jennifer Westacott.