Education faces tests in world of change

Education Minister Alan Tudge will launch a new strategy to rebuild Australia’s international education industry.

Education Minister Alan Tudge. Picture: Gary Ramage

Education Minister Alan Tudge will launch a new strategy to rebuild Australia’s international education industry in the global environment of geopolitical uncertainty and greater willingness by students to go digital.

Mr Tudge released a consultation paper for the new strategy on Wednesday, which aims to guide the industry, worth over $40bn in export revenue in 2019, through the next decade in which there will be “unfolding geopolitical challenges, increased global competitiveness and economic unpredictability”.

In a speech at RMIT University in Melbourne, Mr Tudge said “industry would will come out of the crisis in a stronger position by investing in new models and engagement approaches that focus on meeting the challenges and opportunities of a post-pandemic world”.

Mr Tudge is urging universities, colleges, English schools and other institutions enrolling international students to think digitally, and become more competitive in the growing market for online courses. “The global online e-learning market is forecast to grow from $130bn to more than $470bn by 2026 … driven by students around the world seeking lower-cost education, as well as greater flexibility in how and where they learn,” he said.

One major change that occurred during the pandemic is that China’s cultural barrier to accepting online education at school and tertiary level has broken down. Previously, Chinese families put high value on face-to-face teaching, but the upheaval of COVID-19 has the potential to open up many new opportunities in online education in this major market.

Universities Australia welcomed the consultation paper.

“The pandemic has accelerated innovation in education delivery models, with a combination of face-to-face and digital delivery gaining ground. This rich hybrid models present Australian and international students with new opportunities. They also present a competitive edge for our sector,” said UA chief executive Catriona Jackson.

The strategy will be drafted by the government’s Council for International Education, convened by International Education Association of Australia CEO Phil Honeywood, which has a membership of six federal ministers as well as industry representatives.

Mr Tudge also called for a shift in the student mix to a greater range of countries and away from universities’ reliance on China and India – the source of more than half of their international students – and a spread away from business subjects to a greater range of study areas.

He wants to see more international students in areas where Australia has skill needs – such as health, information technology and engineering.

The Group of Eight universities also welcomed the development of the new strategy.