[LINK] Baird Report on International Students

[Tom Worthington]

"Stronger, simpler, smarter ESOS: supporting international students" by
Bruce Baird was released 9 March:
<http://www.aei.gov.au/AEI/GovernmentActivities/InternationalStudentsTaskforce/ESOS_REview_Final_Report_Feb_2010_pdf.htm>.. 


This recommends improved regulation of Australia’s international
education sector, support for international students, improved
information improved support for for students and consumer protection
mechanisms. The report is a 108 page 1.2Mbyte PDF document.

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, welcomed the report:
<http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_100309_131013.aspx>

The Government supports recommendations to amend the ESOS Act to
increase the standard for education providers and restricting unethical
student recruitment practices. Other changes will require state legislation.

It occurs to me that many of the proposed recommendations, such as
improving information to students and consumer protection, would also
benefit Australian students. The legislation could be drafted to apply
to all students and institutions, not just international ones. Also the
government could bring forward its proposed "My University" website, to
supply better information on universities to all students and expand it
to include the vocational sector for information on TAFEs and commercial
training organisations. Rather than setting up complex and expensive
state based services for international students, the Commonwealth could
fund services available online for all students.

I have set my ANU web design students an assignment question asking them
to looking at the implications of building a web based system for
providing information about courses. I thought this appropriate as they
are the customers of such a system.

More in my blog at:
<http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2010/03/baird-report-on-international-students.html>.


-- 
Tom Worthington FACS HLM, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
Adjunct Lecturer, The Australian National University t: 02 61255694
Computer Science http://cs.anu.edu.au/user/3890