National Economic Impact Report
I am pleased to announce our latest research reports on Australia (and state-based) economic impacts of the pandemic during 2020 and 2021, which were produced with our research partner BONARD and supported by state government agencies (Study NSW, Study Perth, Study Queensland, and Global Victoria).
These reports document the effect of the pandemic on the ELICOS sector in Australia both in 2020 and 2021. This data continues to be incredibly important as part of our industry advocacy efforts and provides insight into the overall economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on our sector and via the pathway impact.
Visa update
I have been working closely with the Department of Home Affairs on a number of student visa-related matters over the past month. I represented members’ interests at the Education Visa Consultative Committee and noted specific concerns with the case assessment for applicants from Myanmar. I’ve held separate meetings with the Department focused on the spike in rejections and the use of template responses for applicants from Turkey, and I’ve sent several case refusals that appear inappropriate. DHA is actively looking into each of these items, and I will continue to pursue these matters. Please let me know if you have any issues or observe any concerning trends with visa processing where I can provide support.
Commonwealth Inquiries Submissions
Submissions for the recent Commonwealth inquiries/reviews have now closed. Thank you to all members who provided feedback on these two inquiries. After carefully considering all comments, English Australia has completed our submissions, which can be found in the newsletter.
English Language Barometer results
Results should now have been received by your institution. Thank you for participating in this crucial survey. We will be releasing national findings in the New Year. The discussions that I’ve had with members to date have indicated that student satisfaction remained high during the period of the pandemic with the offshore/ online cohorts indicating that they were well supported in their studies.
English Australia 2023 Action Research Program
Please take the time to consider joining our 2023 Action Research Program, themed ‘Exploring feedback for ongoing learning.’ See the newsletter for more details and how you can apply.
Innovation Development Fund 2021-22
The Final Report and Reconciliation from grantees closed on 30 November 2022. The secretariat has assessed all submissions, and the final report to the Department of Education has now been submitted.
I would also like to thank the Australian Government via the Department of Education for their foresight and support in establishing the program, which has contributed to the ELICOS sector’s ability to operate in offshore and online environments. This was a signature initiative that English Australia advocated for and we have been proud to act as the Program Administrator for this program and the previous Innovation Fund.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Dirk Mulder who worked closely with all the grantees throughout the program. We hope this initiative has long-term benefits for all the grantees.
Final State Branch Meetings for 2022
I was pleased to be able to attend many of our last state branch meetings of the year in person throughout 2022 and catch up with many of our members at the final meetings that were held in December. I look forward to seeing you at the meetings in 2023.
Christmas Office Close-down
Please note that our office will be closed from 12 pm on Friday 23 December until Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Once again, thank you for your support over the past year. I would like to personally wish you, your teams, and your families a wonderful festive season. I am looking forward to working with you all in the new year.
CEO Report December 2022
