Budget Blues: the International Ed Sector Reels (But One Ray Of Bright Light)

Out of the blue, just a week or so ago, the Australian Government dropped a bombshell: a new international education strategy that raises the spectre of caps on international students. It could be argued that caps could one day have a place in Australian international education, but the industry has once again been blindsided. We've also been left confused, as Tracy Harris writing for The Koala News points out: "In what some might say is a direct contradiction to the measures announced and anticipated, the Budget Overview states: 'Services exports are also expected to contribute to growth as the recovery in the number of international students and tourists continues.' Those in the sector may, quite rightly, say ‘not for much longer’." In this week's episode of the international education news, Rob Malicki (Global Society) and Dirk Mulder (The Koala News) get into the detail of what's been announced, where it's come from, and where it's possibly going to end up. We also dig into other announcements from the budget, including the continued funding of the New Colombo Plan.