15 September 2021 |
Minister opens English Australia Conference with renewed sense of Optimism for Australian International Education
The annual English Australia Conference began yesterday with Minister for Education and Youth, the Hon. Alan Tudge opening the Conference. The Minister, while acknowledging the hard road the sector has travelled for the past eighteen months with borders being closed, pointed towards Australia’s efforts in vaccinating the population, leading toward boarders reopening in the not-too-distant future, including for international students.
The Minister’s acknowledgement of the difficult times faced by the English language sector was welcomed by the Conference. The Minister stated the English language sector has been “hit as hard as any part of our economy” and “English enrolments are down 70% to where they were in 2019”.
The government has supported the sector not only via the roll out of initiatives such as Jobkeeper and other economy wide business support initiatives but also through the roll out of the Innovation Fund, which was negotiated with English Australia. The fund allowed for grants up to AUD$150k specifically targeting the sector and were awarded to 63 private English Language and Higher Education providers.
Optimism was a key message of the address. Increasing vaccination rates and alternate quarantine measures that are currently being investigated are hoped to open up capacity for entry. These initiatives, including vaccination certificates being connected to passports, provides certainty in knowing who is coming into the country and their vaccination status.
The Minister said, “we are getting perilously close to hitting the key vaccination targets of 70% and 80% and that’s when the economy opens, and international borders can be more open including for international students which are specifically mentioned in the national plan”. He went on to say, “there is a lot of hope the on the horizon”.
The Minister concluded his remarks by reassuring Conference delegates that the English language sector is a key part of our society, “educating people who come into this country, building up their skills for further study and many of those go on and become great Australians.”
Brett Blacker, CEO of English Australia thanked the Minister for his support of the sector and ongoing support of English Australia and said “English Australia looks forward to working with the government to ensure further assistance is available to providers as required until such times as the borders reopen and students can return.”
About the English Australia Conference
The English Australia Conference has continuously run for the past 34 years and is the premier gathering of English Language practitioners in Australia.
This year the conference is being held virtually and has 750 plus delegates registered and provides 40 plus sessions with over 60 speakers.
About English Australia
English Australia, formerly known as the ELICOS Association, is the national peak body and professional association for the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector of international education. English Australia represents over 100 member colleges across Australia with most overseas students who study English in Australia doing so with an English Australia member college.
English Australia represents over 110 member colleges throughout Australia that provide quality English language programs to students and professionals from around the world.
