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.
