Government Treating International Students As Cannon Fodder

Maani Truu, Reporter — 11 September 2024

.

Article Extract:

The federal government's plan to cap international students will hinder their efforts to increase the number of Australians with tertiary qualifications, the head of Universities Australia will argue in a speech on Wednesday, as he accuses both major parties of politicising the sector.

Universities Australia chair and University of South Australia vice-chancellor David Lloyd will appear at the National Press Club later today, where he will call on both sides of government to treat higher education as a policy priority rather than a political pawn.

In a preview of the speech provided to the ABC, he accused the government of "wilfully weakening" the economy with the caps and of using international students as "cannon fodder in a poll-driven battle over migration".

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), which represents private higher education and vocational providers, has also slammed the caps, warning that up to 300 colleges could be forced to close their doors.

The government informed private vocational providers of their indicative caps on Friday.

In response, ITECA said they had been inundated with messages from members who were "perplexed, bewildered and deeply worried".

"College closures are now inevitable and ITECA members lay the blame squarely at the feet of Australian government politicians responsible for international education policy," ITECA chief executive Troy Williams said in a statement.

Read The Full Article Online At:
[ABC News]