premier anna bligh meets with acpet

ACPET Q and National Chair Kay Ganley, CEO Andrew Smith and EO Michael Hall had an opportunity to meet with Premier Anna Bligh last week at Parliament House to discuss matters of significance in relation to international students.

In discussions with the Premier, it was agreed that while international students are a major contributor to Queensland’s economy fibre, the social and cultural contribution these students make and the Aussie values that the vast majority take back to their homeland once they have attained their qualifications, build on the foundation of this country as a truly global education and training incubator.

Both the Premier and ACPET have observed that the unfortunate issues (highlighted by sensationalist media coverage) involving mainly Indian student welfare and safety has been primarily confined to the southern states. Both the Queensland Government and ACPET have been working closely with local international student associations and representative bodies in monitoring the Queensland situation and ensuring that student welfare remains our main priority.

As members would be aware, there has been extraordinary growth in the international education and training sector, particularly in respect of the vocational training so required by China and India to support their equally extraordinary economic revitalisation (it is interesting to note that in 1850 China, India and Japan held over 50% of global wealth and both China and India are indeed now making up for lost ground).
 
Of late the sector has come under scrutiny due to the failure of a minority of mainly internationally - owned providers in Australia to offer and maintain the quality experience so mandated and expected by all students.  As members are also aware, ACPET and our members have provided tuition assurance to any student so impacted upon by these minorities of colleges circumvent their responsibilities.

The Premier was also informed of ACPET concerns that the entire private sector was being denigrated by opportunist and scurrilous gneralisations from a minority of other stakeholders questioning the worth of the private sector as a whole (the private VET sector in Q represents over 70% of international VET enrolments and employs tens of thousands of Queenslanders).

ACPET also had an opportunity to reconfirm our commitment to the Premier of the need for a unified, collaborative and responsive sector that will offer opportunities not only to international students coming to Queensland, but to offer opportunities for our local students to study off shore in transactional arrangements and to support Queensland institutional investment and partnerships with our international neighbors.

Further discussion included general reaffirmations as to ensuring that international students enjoy their Queensland experience and the value in offshore missions by all education and training sectors that highlight the value, diversity, quality and benefits of a Queensland experience for international students.

Our thanks to the Premier for meeting with us and please accept our assurances that ACPET will continue to advocate for members in building on what is indeed the Smart States number one asset – an educated and engaged community .