New English language standards for international students
International students will now be tested on their fluency of the English language under a new scheme that the Federal government is all set to introduce in 2018.
The announcement was formally made by Education Minister Simon Birmingham last week.
English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) will now have to formally assess students where they provide direct entry to a tertiary course, he said.
What will change?
- At the moment, students can pass a course without proof and then start university studies. However, after the new standards are applied, the requirement will be extended for the first time beyond universities to vocational education and training courses.
- All ELICOS courses will have a minimum of 20 face-to-face contact hours per week and a maximum teacher-to-student ratio of 1:18.