At the halfway point of 2021, the current lockdowns and restrictions feel as though we’ve travelled back 12 months. The present challenges and those faced over the past year continue to add pressure on us all individually and collectively. As difficult as it seems at times, we must continue to look forward and innovate where possible, work collectively and drive the future of our sector. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and chat with many of you over the past month, which always inspires me and gives me confidence in the strength of our sector.
Branch meetings and annual roadshow
Over the past few weeks, I met with many of you both face-to-face and online through our Branch Meetings and as part of our Annual Roadshow. Although it was disappointing that I could not meet with you all face-to-face, we’ve all adapted to the virtual format and I appreciate your support in attending the meetings. The forums allowed me to provide an overview of our strategic priorities and ensure English Australia’s activities align with your needs during these challenging times and into the future.
Whilst I presented the State/ Territory specific Annual ELICOS market survey data at the Branch Meetings, I am looking forward to presenting the full national data set in partnership with Bonard tomorrow (1 July 3:00 – 4:00pm AEST). You can register for this webinar here.
Future of ELICOS Consultation
The discussions we had while exploring the results of our ‘Future of ELICOS’ survey were incredibly insightful and have given us much to consider about how our industry can best move forward. What I found most encouraging was the vast array of possibilities that the sector can tap into, particularly when it comes to online and offshore delivery. It feels that we are at the threshold of delivering new experiences for our students with a real opportunity to shape the regulatory and policy environment to support those experiences. I would like to thank everyone who participated in these discussions for your insights and I look forward to embarking on the next stage of the process.
DESE, ASQA, TEQSA and Austrade have committed to a formal dialogue on this process. We’re currently mapping the next phase to incorporate the depth of insights gathered, and we will update members in the near future.
Transforming digital delivery of ELICOS in Thailand: Learning from Australia
English Australia has been delivering a significant project on behalf of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment to the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) and the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) in Thailand over this past month.
I would like to thank all our members that applied to support this program and acknowledge Monash College, UTS College and International House, who were selected to deliver workshops. Each of these colleges led a series of workshops and received excellent feedback from the Thai government agencies.
Government relations
This month, we submitted our views on TEQSA’s proposed fees and charges model as it looks to move to a full-cost recovery approach. We are particularly concerned with a number of aspects of the costing structure and the timing of its implementation, given TEQSA is proposing to adopt this model from the start of 2022. We have called on TEQSA to change this to, at minimum, June 2022 but, ideally, 2023 given members and the sector are still experiencing significant losses due to the global pandemic. We look forward to updating you on the outcome of the consultation once we know more. You can read our submission here.
English Australia awards
I wanted to remind you that nominations are open for the 2021 English Australia awards. These awards recognise outstanding achievements across a range of areas including academic leadership and innovation. Given the challenges that our sector is facing, it is vitally important that we acknowledge those who have continued to go above and beyond for the sector and an English Australia award nomination is a fantastic way of doing this. You can find out more information about the awards here.
Membership renewal
English Australia membership aligns with the financial year and the membership renewal process is commencing for the 2021-22 year. Our team, led by the English Australia Board, has strived to deliver an increased level of service across our advocacy, professional development, market intelligence and strategic projects to support you over the past year. I sincerely appreciate all the support from our members, corporate affiliate partners and sponsors. I look forward to continuing to work with each of you to ensure the future of our sector.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss any matters.
