ESOS reform process
Last month, we shared the Department of Education’s ESOS Reform discussion paper and promoted their webinar (30th- 31st March). A recording of the webinars can be found here: recording. The Department has now released a survey regarding their proposed changes to the ESOS Framework, with responses requested by 12 am Monday 8 May.
I took the opportunity to discuss the proposed changes with members at our recent English Australia Branch meetings. In general, member feedback was that the allowance of online delivery of up to 50% for ELICOS courses without further clarification around any updated definitions of online learning in the National Code would pose significant risks. Members have noted the level of innovation in online delivery that has been achieved over the past two years, which provides the foundation for a continuation of some form of regulated online delivery. However, the volume of allowable hours has been questioned, and you have reiterated your strong preference for synchronous delivery of any online allowance. I will continue to liaise with our members to ensure your views are appropriately represented in this important reform process.
Provider Evidence levels and 408 visa concerns
English Australia is aware of member concerns regarding SSVF Education Provider Evidence levels for March 2023 not being updated and I have been proactively following up on this with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). As noted in our recent update, the process has been delayed as the Department has been reviewing its data to ensure that education providers have not been adversely impacted by the fluctuations in visa processing that occurred due to the record volumes of visas that were processed last year.
DHA has also released the Bi-Annual Student Visa and Temporary Graduate Visa program report – 31 December 2022 with a lot of data on student visa processing volumes, processing times, and grant rates. The report can be accessed here.
I am strongly advocating for the 408 visa to be cancelled, or that student visa holder access be revoked. I will continue to pursue this approach with DHA and will be sure to keep you updated.
Regulatory liaison
The Chair of the Board, Kerry Sutcliffe and I met with the senior executive team of TEQSA earlier this month for our annual strategic dialogue meeting. This meeting provides the opportunity for both organisations to outline our areas of strategic priority and discuss any regulatory concerns. The ESOS reform process, return to compliance activity (TEQSA FAQs) teacher recruitment and professional development, and student well-being were the key agenda items. TEQSA also noted their focus on academic cheating (integrity) – please see the reference to the Masterclass in the monthly newsletter email.
I will be meeting with ASQA in the coming weeks for our Quarterly Provider Roundtable meeting. The agenda covers areas of provider self-assurance, improvements to processes, regulatory risk, strategic deliverables, and improvement of regulatory outcomes. We will also be discussing a number of current reform processes including with DEWR on the new Standards and Qualification reform, ESOS reform, and ASQA regulator reforms. I welcome any input from our members on matters that you would like to be raised with ASQA.
ICEF ANZA 2023
I had the pleasure of being able to attend the ICEF ANZA event in Perth this month, where I was able to meet with many partner organisations and promote English Australia member colleges to key agents. I also presented on ‘Australia’s return to a top study destination’, which included an update on the visa program from DHA. The event had record attendance with almost 500 people attending, including around 240 agents from around the world. Well done to the ICEF team on a great event with wonderful support from Study Perth. Please view a clip of the event here.
2023 English Australia Conference registrations open
English Australia is very excited about our annual conference this year, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary and look forward to recognising this important milestone with you in person at the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney. We have many exciting things planned for this special event. Register now to take advantage of our Early Bird offer. Please also get in touch if you are interested in being a sponsor for the event. Please see our prospectus here.
2023 Ed-Tech and Mental Health Symposia registrations open
Registrations are now open for our annual Ed-Tech and Mental Health SIG Symposia. These events are offered virtually and for free to English Australia members to maximise attendance and accessibility. Both events will be held over two afternoons on 14 & 15 June (Ed-Tech) and 19 & 20 July (Mental Health) and will cover the latest hot topics and discussions in these areas.
NEAS Conference
I am looking forward to attending the NEAS conference next week and presenting on a panel with the Department of Education, TEQSA, and ASQA. Sophie O’Keefe our Head of Professional Development is also presenting on a ‘Leadership in ELT’ panel. Please stop by our booth to say hi if you are attending.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss any issues affecting the ELICOS sector or your institution specifically.