Queensland government schools receive over $30 million in tuition fees per year from international students, with 2,500 students from overseas enrolled in 75 government schools around the State. ABC News reports that international students pay $12,000 a year to study in specially accredited government schools, concentrated mainly around Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

These students are part of the $20 billion industry surrounding international students in Australia.

International students in Queensland

The Queensland Government has invested $8 million in attracting international students to Queensland schools and it will continue to work to increase the number of schools which are accredited to provide the international student education framework from 75 to 100 (a 33% increase). The number of international students attending Queensland government schools has doubled in the past decade and the increased investment in this area aims to continue to grow the industry.

The principal of a Queensland school that has 50 international students from a variety of countries spoke to the ABC about the benefits of the program, stating that the presence of international students has benefits for the entire school based on the cultural and language diversity that these students bring to the school. Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones also spoke in favour of increasing the number of international students in schools, as it provides additional benefits to education apart from the financial boost to schools. Ms Jones described the program as allowing Queensland schools to participate in the global economy through the cultural exchange between students.

Regulating the industry

Australian education has a global reputation for excellence, which makes the export of education a large and lucrative industry. The Federal Government has taken steps to regulate this industry, notably through the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007.

As noted above, schools must be accredited before they are able to enrol international students. Although there are regulatory requirements in place to protect international students, there have been recent amendments to the ESOS Act that aim to reduce this burden on educational institutions. The Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Streamlining Regulation) Act 2015 alters the regulations surrounding the payment of fees in changes that have already commenced. These new procedures, that will create a more streamlined registration process, will commence on 1 July 2016. Although the changes only affect schools registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), they are relevant to all schools who are considering enrolling international students.

Impact on the Australian economy

Although the size of the industry is impressive, it is also important to note that the figures reported by the ABC do not include non-government schools and are based only around tuition fees. The impact of international school students on the Queensland economy is likely to be more than $30 million. The Australian Financial Review recently reported that the revenue generated from education as an export is around $20 billion. This takes into account the total boost to the economy that these students bring, through the costs of their tuition and the other costs they incur whilst living and studying in Australia.

In 2014, there were 18,451 international students enrolled in Australian schools. The fall in the Australian dollar has made Australia an even more attractive destination, and so current enrolments are likely to be higher. Industry and government leaders predict there is significant potential for growth in this industry and have put initiatives in place to attract even more students to Australia. One such initiative was the Biggest English Lesson, an event held in Sydney on 12 February 2016 that aimed to showcase Australia as a high-quality destination for overseas students. This event was sponsored by tertiary institutions and the NSW Government.

The measures taken by the Queensland and NSW Governments demonstrate that the ability of schools to attract international students is increasingly being seen as a core strength of the education sector. As more governments and schools strive to attract international students, it may become increasingly important for schools to successfully register on the CRICOS and comply with the legal requirements surrounding international enrolments.