Educators call for clampdown on poaching of foreign students

Higher education leaders are calling for a clamp down on the “poaching” of foreign students by low fee colleges.

Troy Williams, CEO of Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia. Photo: David Geraghty

Higher education leaders are calling for a clampdown on the “poaching” of foreign students by onshore agents and tertiary providers promising low fees and substandard study requirements, saying the practice is hurting students and the wider sector.

The Morrison government is being warned that the poaching of students – who often are enticed by lighter study loads so they can work more while they are in Australia – will trap them in colleges providing substandard education and draining quality providers of their student intakes.

To curb the practice, the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia is calling on the federal government to set up a new register of onshore international education agents.

Under the proposal, agents would have to sign up to a standard code of practice and be subject to a new complaints process.

ITECA chief executive Troy Williams said on Tuesday that a minority of agents focused on short-term monetary gains, which ultimately harmed students and their quality of education.

“Some international education agents are asking for outrageous fees. A higher degree of transparency that allows students to better understand the fees being taken by the agent provide an ­informed marketplace,” Mr ­Williams said.

There also are worries in the sector that recent Morrison government moves to uncap the number of hours an international student is permitted to work has pushed them to prioritise work over study, and has encouraged some agents to push substandard education courses.

International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood told The Australian there was not enough data to track foreign students jumping from provider to provider, and that students were missing out on “world-class qualifications” as a result.

“For some years now the sector has been raising this issue with the federal government,” Mr Honeywood said. “There is a frustrating lack of data to highlight this issue. But it’s doing nobody any good by having this student poaching and jumping between providers under the radar.

“It means quality education providers find it impossible to achieve adequate enrolment ­levels and the students involved miss out on a world-class qualification.”

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke relaxed the cap on hours of work for international students in July in the hope it would help to solve labour shortages in supermarkets, farms and hospitality.

The Morrison government has been criticised previously for not extending coronavirus welfare benefits to students stuck in Australia after the closure of the international border.

Higher education sector leaders have told The Australian the two pandemic-induced factors have led to a significant increase in foreign students jumping to lower-fee courses.

Last week a Department of Education spokesman dismissed concerns about student poaching.

“Departmental analysis shows that transfer rates remain low overall and has not revealed systemic issues regarding transfers or student recruitment,” he said.

“Previous departmental analysis showed that international student transfer rates are lower than those for domestic students.

“The department continues to monitor transfers between education providers.”