Julia Gillard – Rudd Government welcomes Roundtable results
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today thanked the 31 international students who have participated in the two-day Roundtable at Parliament House and said she looks forward to their representatives accompanying her to the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) later this month.
Ms Gillard acknowledged the students’ hard work and thoughtful response to the issues facing international students. The various levels of government will now consider the actions suggested by the students.
The Roundtable assessed the challenges facing International Students and their experience in Australia, including pre-arrival information and visas, the quality of education, access to services, social integration, fair treatment and the cost of education.
The students recommended a number of actions, in particular the establishment of International Student Information Centres as one-stop shops for international students to access services vital to their education and welfare while in Australia.
They also made recommendations regarding an ongoing connection between the Government and representatives of international students, including an annual roundtable. The students will continue to work with representative bodies like the National Union of Students and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations to establish a continuing voice for international students.
The communiqué will also be presented by three representatives from the Roundtable to MCTEE later this month, where the issues can be considered by all levels of government.
The students at the Roundtable are currently studying at universities across all Australian state and territory and represent 19 home countries. They are studying qualifications from diplomas to doctorates and were selected from more than 1300 applicants.
A copy of the communiqué is attached
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