The Australian government has put a ban on the concurrent study that allowed students to take admission into cheaper vocational courses in addition to their core subjects. After the implementation of the ban, students will not be able to enroll themselves in vocational courses during the first six months of their principal course of study.
The government said earlier that the move will close the loophole in its visa rules that allowed international students to enrol for cheaper vocational courses as soon as they arrive in the country.
The decision to put a ban on the concurrent study came after recent investigations revealed that many students were misusing this rule to ditch their university courses and permanently switch to cheaper courses.
As per news agency Reuters, there has been a sharp uptake in the use of the concurrent study in the recent years. Around 17,000 concurrent enrolments were created in the first half of 2023 as against 10,500 for the same period in 2019 and 2022 combined.
Reuters further quoted Education Minister Jason Clare as saying that the change will work to stop predatory 'second' providers from enrolling students before they have studied for the required six months at their first provider. International education is Australia's fourth-largest export industry and maintaining the sector's integrity was critical for the country's economy, he added.
What will change after the new rule
The new rules do not impact international students who are already holding concurrent enrolments. The impact of the rule will be borne by new students who are looking to take admission in the second course concurrently. These students will have to wait for first six months of their principal course of study and take approval from their education provider to take admission in two courses concurrently.
The new move could delay the graduation plans of the students and it may also make it more difficult for them to find part-time work to support themselves. Enrolling in two courses at a time helped the students to prepare themselves for the job market through short courses.