❓ Question regarding the Cook Labor government's efforts to diversify the WA economy through international education, and the sector's recovery post-COVID. The Minister provides data showing significant growth in enrolments and commencements, exceeding national averages.
AnsweredQoN 493Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE ECONOMY — DIVERSIFICATION —
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
493. Ms C.M. TONKIN to the Minister for International
Education:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
efforts to promote diversification of the Western Australian economy, including
through growing our international education market.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government has implemented measures to
support and grow the sector across the state?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the sector has recovered following the worldwide
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic?
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
493. Ms C.M. TONKIN to the Minister for International
Education:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
efforts to promote diversification of the Western Australian economy, including
through growing our international education market.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government has implemented measures to
support and grow the sector across the state?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the sector has recovered following the worldwide
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank
you, Speaker, for the call and thank you, member, for the question. Before I begin,
I am sure all of us in this place send our very best wishes to the
Matildas for their game coming up against France. I am sure everyone will be
very supportive of our magnificent national women's team. If members
want to know where the Deputy Premier will
be, she will be at the FIFA Fan Festival. She is a very frequent visitor there.
She is down there all the time. I keep trying to find out where she is
and she is down there, but it is great. Best wishes also to our team, member
for Fremantle, against the West Coast Eagles on Sunday.
Ms R. Saffioti : My daughter
is playing at half-time.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Well there
you are.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Time's
up!
Mr
D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member is
trying to put me off. I thank the member for Churchlands for her question.
(1)–(2) This
is a great story for Western Australia regarding international education. I am
very proud of the Cook government's commitment and investment in
international education over two budgets now that has delivered outstanding
results. I go through them because it is very important that we report to the
people of Western Australia the results of
that investment. We know now that the sector is recovering very strongly post COVID-19. We know that in the year to date to May 2023, WA recorded 47 719
enrolments and just over 23 000 commencements, representing increases of 25 per
cent and 50 per cent respectively. They are massive increases in that
statistical data. In comparison, in May 2019, prior to COVID-19, we had 38 000
recorded enrolments and nearly 15 000 commencements.
I
report also where Western Australia sits in the national picture in
international education. Western Australia's growth in
enrolments and commencements now has been much higher than our traditional
competition in New South Wales and Victoria, which is a tremendous achievement
by all those involved in the sector. When we compare those figures again in the
year to date, May 2022 to May 2023, Western Australia recorded the highest
growth in both commencements at 125 per cent and enrolments at 64 per cent of
any state or territory. This is great news for Western Australia.
I acknowledge one of the former
international students who is in fact a member of this place. My very good
friend the member for Jandakot is a great example of investing in international
students. They come here and they eventually make and grow businesses that
employ people, as the member has done, and now he is a respected representative
in this place. It is a tremendous thing.
I want to highlight, too, some of the
comments that we are now attracting because of the investment in international
education in Western Australia. I visited one of our providers for English
language intensive courses for overseas students, ELICOS, and classes are full.
There has been a great take-up of those classes. I quote Dirk Mulder, not from The
X Files , from The Koala , which is an international education news
publication —
WA leads pack in post-COVID return
This is in relation to international
students. Look a bit more enthusiastic, please! This is an absolutely
magnificent performance.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I encourage
you to stand in your place and remain there. Now I will take the point of
order. If you can just sit for a moment, I will give you the call again.
Point of Order
Mr R.S.
LOVE : This answer has been going on for a very long time and I really
implore the minister to bring it to an end so we can get on with our next
question.
The
SPEAKER : I think the minister is
going for the record for this whole session of Parliament at this point in
time.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I did not
realise that.
The SPEAKER : I ask you to
draw your answer to a close.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I get
criticised about sharing great news because it demonstrates that the opposition
is constantly down on Western Australia. I became Minister for International
Education and three weeks later, the opposition spokesperson moved a motion
against me in private member's business attacking me for my lack of
action—after three weeks!
The SPEAKER : Minister, you
digress! Please give your answer.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : This is
great news. I want to acknowledge that this work continues because of great buy
in, buy out by our key stakeholders, the universities across the state, our
ELICOS and TAFE providers and StudyPerth, which
are all working hard to deliver a great story for Western Australia. It
confirms that Western Australia really is the best place to be an
international student. That is why we are growing our market share strongly,
and we will keep on working hard to do that, despite them opposite.
The SPEAKER : Despite the
time, I will call one last question for the opposition. This is the final
question.
you, Speaker, for the call and thank you, member, for the question. Before I begin,
I am sure all of us in this place send our very best wishes to the
Matildas for their game coming up against France. I am sure everyone will be
very supportive of our magnificent national women's team. If members
want to know where the Deputy Premier will
be, she will be at the FIFA Fan Festival. She is a very frequent visitor there.
She is down there all the time. I keep trying to find out where she is
and she is down there, but it is great. Best wishes also to our team, member
for Fremantle, against the West Coast Eagles on Sunday.
Ms R. Saffioti : My daughter
is playing at half-time.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : Well there
you are.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Time's
up!
Mr
D.A. TEMPLEMAN : The member is
trying to put me off. I thank the member for Churchlands for her question.
(1)–(2) This
is a great story for Western Australia regarding international education. I am
very proud of the Cook government's commitment and investment in
international education over two budgets now that has delivered outstanding
results. I go through them because it is very important that we report to the
people of Western Australia the results of
that investment. We know now that the sector is recovering very strongly post COVID-19. We know that in the year to date to May 2023, WA recorded 47 719
enrolments and just over 23 000 commencements, representing increases of 25 per
cent and 50 per cent respectively. They are massive increases in that
statistical data. In comparison, in May 2019, prior to COVID-19, we had 38 000
recorded enrolments and nearly 15 000 commencements.
I
report also where Western Australia sits in the national picture in
international education. Western Australia's growth in
enrolments and commencements now has been much higher than our traditional
competition in New South Wales and Victoria, which is a tremendous achievement
by all those involved in the sector. When we compare those figures again in the
year to date, May 2022 to May 2023, Western Australia recorded the highest
growth in both commencements at 125 per cent and enrolments at 64 per cent of
any state or territory. This is great news for Western Australia.
I acknowledge one of the former
international students who is in fact a member of this place. My very good
friend the member for Jandakot is a great example of investing in international
students. They come here and they eventually make and grow businesses that
employ people, as the member has done, and now he is a respected representative
in this place. It is a tremendous thing.
I want to highlight, too, some of the
comments that we are now attracting because of the investment in international
education in Western Australia. I visited one of our providers for English
language intensive courses for overseas students, ELICOS, and classes are full.
There has been a great take-up of those classes. I quote Dirk Mulder, not from The
X Files , from The Koala , which is an international education news
publication —
WA leads pack in post-COVID return
This is in relation to international
students. Look a bit more enthusiastic, please! This is an absolutely
magnificent performance.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I encourage
you to stand in your place and remain there. Now I will take the point of
order. If you can just sit for a moment, I will give you the call again.
Point of Order
Mr R.S.
LOVE : This answer has been going on for a very long time and I really
implore the minister to bring it to an end so we can get on with our next
question.
The
SPEAKER : I think the minister is
going for the record for this whole session of Parliament at this point in
time.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I did not
realise that.
The SPEAKER : I ask you to
draw your answer to a close.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I get
criticised about sharing great news because it demonstrates that the opposition
is constantly down on Western Australia. I became Minister for International
Education and three weeks later, the opposition spokesperson moved a motion
against me in private member's business attacking me for my lack of
action—after three weeks!
The SPEAKER : Minister, you
digress! Please give your answer.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : This is
great news. I want to acknowledge that this work continues because of great buy
in, buy out by our key stakeholders, the universities across the state, our
ELICOS and TAFE providers and StudyPerth, which
are all working hard to deliver a great story for Western Australia. It
confirms that Western Australia really is the best place to be an
international student. That is why we are growing our market share strongly,
and we will keep on working hard to do that, despite them opposite.
The SPEAKER : Despite the
time, I will call one last question for the opposition. This is the final
question.
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