The Implications of Australia’s Ban on Concurrent Study for Indian Students

New Delhi:

The Australian government has banned concurrent study, preventing students from enrolling in additional vocational courses alongside their core subjects. Under the new rule, students will be unable to pursue vocational courses during the first six months of their main course of study.

The government’s decision aims to close a loophole that allowed international students to enroll in cheaper vocational courses immediately upon arrival in the country.

The ban on concurrent study comes in response to investigations revealing that many students were exploiting this rule to abandon their university courses and permanently switch to cheaper alternatives.

According to Reuters, the use of concurrent study has significantly increased in recent years. In the first half of 2023, there were 17,000 concurrent enrollments, compared to 10,500 combined enrollments for the same period in 2019 and 2022.

Education Minister Jason Clare, as quoted by Reuters, stated that the change aims to prevent predatory “second” providers from enrolling students before they have completed the required six months at their first provider. Safeguarding the integrity of the international education sector, which is Australia’s fourth-largest export industry, is crucial for the country’s economy.

Impact of the new rule

The new rule does not impact international students who already have concurrent enrollments. However, new students seeking to enroll in a second course concurrently will now have to wait for the first six months of their primary course and obtain approval from their education provider. This change could delay graduation plans and make it more challenging for students to find part-time work to support themselves. Enrolling in two courses simultaneously helped students prepare for the job market through short courses.