The changes being made by the Australian Government to Australia's international education industry have been widely reported and there are more to come. While many of these will prove challenging for tertiary students, the good news is the school sector remains more or less untouched by these changes.
Aside from testing, one of AEAS' other core services for Australian schools is in-country marketing events. For over 30 years, AEAS events have been a key engagement platform for Australian schools to market to international families and education agents, are preferred because of their school-sector only focus and excellent value for money.
There are many options for parents seeking an international experience for their child, and the number of international schools is also rapidly growing. So how do you choose between a local international school and sending your child overseas for high school?
Late last month, AEAS Testing resumed in Beijing and Shanghai – the last two cities to be released from the most recent lockdowns in China. Demand for overseas study among Chinese families is growing once again, and is AEAS is pleased to continue offering our testing to support families, agents and schools with their applications and enrolment processes.
AEAS, the Australian Homestay Network (AHN) and ISA Student Advocates (ISA) are collaborating to deliver their specialised services to Australian schools and education agents to promote Australia as the destination of choice for the academic and personal success of younger international students.
International border closures and heavily restricted travel have had a devastating impact upon ancillary service providers, which, unlike schools, rely solely on international student business for their survival. While AEAS has experienced a decline in test numbers since March 2020, we are pleased to have partnered with a significant number of new Australian schools, as well as expanding into the USA and New Zealand.
AEAS has been one of the strongest advocates for the school sector throughout the pandemic. We coordinated a group of 40 independent schools in Victoria to develop a detailed plan for student travel and quarantine, which was submitted to the Victorian and Australian governments for consideration. We have also led efforts to connect schools, agents and other key stakeholders during 2020 and into 2021, by holding online events, agent training webinars and state meetings over the course of the past 12 months.
On Friday 21 May, AEAS held its first face to face event since the pandemic begin. Hosted by St Leonard's College in Melbourne, over 60 representatives from some of Victoria's best private schools, the State Government, and business gathered at our International Education Seminar & Networking Opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and make new connections.
