Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity that this motion provides to refute some of the misconceptions that exist in relation to international students and the role they play in Australia. This motion propagates some of those misconceptions; indeed, there are others, including some that Senator Rhiannon just spoke of. There are a number of misconceptions. Importantly, it is critical in the first instance to highlight that international students studying in Australia make an enormous net positive contribution to Australia in a number of ways. They make an enormous net positive contribution to the Australian economy, to education in Australia, and, indeed, to employment in Australia.

The growth of international education provision in our universities, in non-university higher education institutions, in our vocational education and training institutes, including TAFEs, across our schools and across English language providers, has been a remarkable success story of modern Australia. It is perhaps the most significant example of the way in which our economy has transitioned to create jobs and export income through a knowledge based services economy.

The numbers are quite stark now. International education is the third-largest export earner for Australia. It generates an estimated $28 billion in activity in Australia. That's students, and their families and friends who visit while they're here, spending on accommodation in Australia, on restaurants and services in Australia, on travelling and touring in Australia and, yes, on their education while in Australia. All of those different activities stimulate, of course, jobs and other opportunities for Australians. Deloitte Access Economics estimates that international education underpins now and supports some 130,000 Australian jobs.

So, contrary to the notion put in this motion, it is very, very clear that international education is stimulating jobs and opportunities elsewhere across Australia. As an area of earning export income into Australia, it's now our third-largest international earner—the third-largest export earner for Australia—such is the role it's played in the transformation of our economy, and, of course, it is the largest such earner in the services sector.

It's important to appreciate that there are strong protections and frameworks within which international education operates. Only providers who are registered can offer international education services to foreign students. Those providers then have strong safeguards put around their operations. There are protections for those international students, but there are also protections for Australians in terms of what those international students can do whilst they're in Australia.

There are limits on the number of hours the international students can work whilst they're in Australia. Indeed, they are limited to working 40 hours a fortnight. But, notably, most don't do that. In fact, estimates predict that only around 36 per cent of international higher education students, or around 40 per cent of overall international students, seek any kind of work whilst they're in Australia. The significant majority are here to study and to live and learn the Australian experience, and that's precisely what they get on and do. And they do that while spending their money, often their parents' money or their country's money, here in Australia, creating jobs and opportunities for Australians.

We are proudly now the world's third most popular destination, after the United States and the United Kingdom, for students to come and study in. Even with limits on their work rights whilst here, and even with limits on their work rights post graduation, we still now stand, for the vast majority of students who come here, as their first-preference destination. They choose to come here, knowing that we limit their work rights, because of the quality of education and experience that we offer to those students.

In doing so, it's not just our economy that they enhance. They also enhance our educational institutions and, within that, the experience of domestic Australian students as well. They enhance our educational institutions because, yes, they are a significant additional revenue source for those educational institutions, which can enhance other activities, such as research undertakings by Australian institutions and, indeed, other investments that they put into universities and those other educational institutions. But, as I said, they also enhance the opportunity for domestic students whom they're studying alongside, because in the end they create a richer study experience—exposure to foreign cultures and different business approaches, language approaches or otherwise—which, importantly, ensures that Australian graduates get a more rounded education.

Again, those safeguards apply. Just last week the Turnbull government took steps to enhance those safeguards by ensuring that, in terms of the English language skills the international students have when they're completing an English language program prior to commencing a tertiary level of study in Australia, there are clear, required assessment processes in place to guarantee that they are able to fully participate. We do that to make sure that it's fair to those international students so that they get a quality education; to the domestic students, whom they're studying alongside, to make sure that everybody in their classes can fully and equally participate; and, of course, to the teachers in institutions at which they're studying, to make sure that they are able to give the best-quality educational experience possible.

Senator Rhiannon spoke with some negativity about the experience international students have in Australia. That's another misconception I'd like to refute. Surveys indicate that more than 90 per cent of people who study in Australia report an overwhelmingly positive experience of their studies. Work has been undertaken by the Fair Work Ombudsman and others to make sure that there is not exploitation of international students, and I would urge international students, who we now work closely with through our international education strategy, to engage with appropriate authorities such as the Fair Work Ombudsman if they have any concerns about workplace practices. Australia overwhelmingly provides a positive study experience, a positive lifestyle experience and some work experience for those who choose to take it—but a very positive, high-quality experience overall.

Recently, I note, there has been some more media commentary about the impact that international, and particularly Chinese, students may have on the operation of some Australian universities and providers. Our government has been very clear in the view that the academic integrities and freedoms—freedom of expression—at Australian universities are of paramount importance. They should be defended at all costs. Nobody should question the reality that freedom of expression exists at our universities, and everybody should fully expect to have their thoughts and ideas challenged. Equally, I'd say, in relation to misconceptions, that it's unhelpful sometimes when media outlets, in particular, decide to frame stories in a way that suggests there are profound problems, with little evidence in the stories to back up those suggestions. Just as we expect that students from China or elsewhere embrace the freedoms at Australian universities and campuses while they are here, we should acknowledge that whilst they are here they are free to gather to celebrate appropriately their national days or their national traditions as they choose and see fit.

Overall, Australia has an education system that is the envy of much of the world. That's why people vote with their feet and come here. It's a system whose contributions to our economy and to the experience of Australian students are enhanced by the international students who come here. Contrary to the impression that this motion gives, far from undermining Australian jobs, the international education industry with its $28 billion contribution creates some 130,000 Australian jobs, as I have said in estimates.

We in the Turnbull government remain resolute in our commitment to work with international education providers to give the best-quality educational experience to all possible and to continue to grow these opportunities because of the positive contribution they make to all of Australia.