International students entering into tertiary education in Australia will soon need to pass a mandatory English exam before beginning their courses of study.
The tough new Federal Government crack down is set to be brought into action from January next year.
Specific course-based testing will be geared towards making overseas students’ involvement in study material more meaningful, according to Education Minister Simon Birmingham, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The reform is expected to be used to ensure foreign students have adequate English language skills before undertaking their study.
International students will need to pass an English exam from January next year, with Simon Birmingham (pictured) saying the move will strengthen the country’s reputation
Plans to commence the testing is set to be announced by Mr Birmingham at the Australian International Education Conference in Hobart on Thursday.
Foreigners looking to gain from Australia’s system migrate in numbers upwards of 150,000 every year – making up $28.6 billion of the nation’s education export economy.
But there are currently no enforced standards in place to dictate whether international students possess adequate language skills for their chosen fields.
Senator Birmingham says the new rules will pave the way for greater long-term success for the overseas students.
‘The new standards the Turnbull government is introducing will ensure more students have the right level of English language skills to interact, to contribute, and to ultimately succeed in Australia,’ Mr Birmingham said.
The reform is expected to be used to ensure foreign students have adequate English language skills before undertaking their study
‘Some students simply don’t have the English language skills they need to succeed. It means they draw away from getting involved in lectures, tutorials and group study work while their classmates and teachers struggle to bridge the language divide.’
He said the country’s reputation as a powerful international force would be strengthened if the quality of education acquired was improved.
‘Our incredible success attracting international students to Australia is reliant on our reputation for quality education, which will be significantly strengthened by these changes.’
Affected students will be forced to undergo a minimum of 20 hours of intensive face-to-face teaching every week for about 13 weeks.
Course providers will then formally asses the students before they can be admitted to their chosen studies.