Australia¡¯s international education sector faces six months of unprecedented policy chaos, with a Senate stalemate increasing uncertainty on three fronts.

Students¡¯ role in migration is set to become a battleground issue in next year¡¯s election, after the opposition resolved to?block the Labor government¡¯s bill?to?cap overseas enrolments. The coalition parties¡¯ stance also prolongs the visa processing delays caused by the widely reviled?ministerial direction 107?(MD107), which education minister Jason Clare has described as a ¡°de facto cap¡±.

The bill¡¯s obstruction has also raised a cloud over its other proposals. They include new regulatory powers, transparency requirements and a strengthened ¡°fit and proper¡± test for registered colleges.

The bill¡¯s explanatory memorandum says these reforms will ¡°limit collusive and unscrupulous business practices¡± that have encouraged ¡°organised channels of labour exploitation and?human trafficking¡±. The legislation also contains measures to monitor education agents¡¯ involvement in onshore ¡°transfers¡±, following rampant?poaching?of university students by cheaper training colleges.

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Government senator Tony Sheldon warned that the blocking of the bill would give a ¡°free pass¡± to ¡°the rip-off merchants, the agent commissions and the shonky operators¡±. He told parliament that an?inquiry into the bill?by the Senate¡¯s Education and Employment Committee, which he heads, had found ¡°widespread support for these integrity measures¡±.

The prospect of caps arguably exacerbated integrity issues in the sector, as administrators sought implementation or exemption loopholes. Anecdotally, some institutions were artificially accelerating courses¡¯ start dates and combining undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in the same degrees, among other ploys.

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While universities bemoan MD107¡¯s retention, forthcoming efforts to limit international enrolments may cause them bigger problems. Shadow education minister Sarah Henderson told the Senate that the coalition parties would trump the government¡¯s proposed caps ¡°by getting the migration policy settings right¡±.

Ms Henderson has bitterly criticised the ¡°secrecy, uncertainty and unfairness¡± of the government¡¯s caps, and particularly its impact on private colleges. But she said her main objection was that the proposal ¡°will not even touch the sides¡± of ¡°the immigration and housing crisis¡±.

Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton said he would not seek amendments to the legislation, stating: ¡°I just don¡¯t think you can make such a bad bill better.¡± He told journalists that the opposition would announce its approach to capping international student numbers ¡°in due course¡±. ¡°There will be deeper cuts because I want housing for Australians,¡± he added.

Australian National University policy analyst Andrew Norton said the opposition¡¯s version could limit the international share of students at each institution to perhaps 35 per cent, the ceiling?advocated?by Deakin University. ¡°The coalition has also signalled it may restrict visas for the partners and children of students,¡± Professor Norton wrote in?.

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Mr Clare said the opposition should release its plans. ¡°It¡¯s time for the Liberal Party to cough up and provide some details on what they¡¯re going to do if they win the next election,¡± he?.

Migration expert Abul Rizvi said the blocking of the caps proposal was a welcome development. ¡°But if the industry thinks this means a higher level of student visa grants, it¡¯s kidding itself,¡± he posted on X. ¡°[Mr] Dutton¡¯s net migration target requires a much bigger cut to students than the caps were ever going to deliver.¡±

The bill was listed for debate in the Senate¡¯s 19 November notice paper but omitted from a subsequent programme.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com