Austrade regional market update on impact of COVID-19 25 August

Austrade will provide weekly regional updates on the progression and impact of COVID-19 around the world, to support the international education sector as the situation continues to evolve. These reports are compiled using the latest on-the-ground information and advice. The following updates include markets and regions for:

• ASEAN
• Europe
• Middle East and Africa
• North Asia
• North America
• South Asia

ASEAN

Indonesia

• On August 21, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) participated in a virtual ‘Founders Meeting’ of the UK-Indonesia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Sciences (UKICIS) and discussed potential collaboration between universities in research related to handling COVID-19.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, several universities in Indonesia have supported government through various innovations and research. For example, more than 11 types of ventilators have been developed by universities with Indonesian research centres.

Philippines

• To complement the Philippine Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) PHL CHED CONNECT online resources platform, CHED recently launched the Hi-Ed Bayanihan program. This aims to prepare higher education institutions to transition to online teaching delivery. CHED has partnered with various universities and industry associations to provide free training to faculty members on online teaching.
• The Philippine Department of Education has deferred the start of the school year for public schools from 24 August to 5 October 2020 based on advice by the COVID-19 National Task Force. Parts of the country, including the National Capital Region, were placed back under stricter quarantine at the end of July. Whilst the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) could be lifted on 18 August, most public schools are not ready to deploy distance learning and handle the risks associated with the high level of COVID-19 transmissions. Private and Catholic Schools are still allowed to go ahead and open from 24 August onwards, provided that they only use ‘distance learning modalities’ and strictly adhere to the no face-to-face classes policy.
• The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be deploying a free contact tracing training program in September 2020. The graduates would then be employed by the Department of Health to boost the number of contact tracers in the country, especially outside Metro Manila.

Thailand

• The Singapore International School of Bangkok (SISB) recently announced it would close the Ekkamai campus in Bangkok as it was merging with the main campus located on Pracha-Thit Road effective from next academic calendar 2020/2021. SISB Ekkamai campus was its first campus, established in 2001. SISB currently owns five campuses in Thailand, which adopt the Singapore and UK curricula as the foundation for teaching and learning. The closure of their Ekkamai campus was planned a year ago due to decreasing enrolments from 80 to 40 students last academic year.
• Members of the education agents association in Thailand, TIECA, have raised concerns about commission payment delays by private English language providers in several countries, including Australia. They are seeking deadlines for payment postponements to be set by providers, so they can better manage their income and cash flow.
• Thailand is seeing an increasing trend of Thai parents moving their children from international schools in Thailand to study in bilingual Thai private schools in the current academic year due to financial impact from COVID-19. Bilingual schools are more affordable and maintain the use of English language as the medium of instruction.

Vietnam

• On 14 August 2020, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (MOET) issued an official instruction to all city/provincial education authorities on delivering STEM education at school level. The document aims to raise awareness and build capacity for managers, school leaders and teachers on STEM education with detailed suggestions on STEM models and how to build and deliver lesson plans. This presents opportunities for Australian providers interested in Vietnam’s school sector and edtech market.
• Also according to MOET, online teaching will be recognised as a formal method following months of experimenting as a result of the pandemic. The Ministry will soon finalise draft online teaching regulations for schools and education institutions. Once the regulations are in place, online teaching will be recognised as a formal teaching method. This presents opportunities for Australian International Education to share expertise, experience, best practices in delivering technology curriculum in Vietnam.
• MOET is planning to implement the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework (VQF). The objective of the VQF is to have equivalent recognition of Vietnamese qualifications to those of regional and international qualifications to enable Vietnam to become a source of manpower to the world. This will present opportunities for Australian education providers to expand partnerships with Vietnam.
• Vietnamese students abroad that returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic are permitted to study at domestic universities while they are in Vietnam. The universities are responsible for accepting overseas Vietnamese students upon their requests and capabilities to international training programs in English and joint-training programs with international universities. Universities were also considering credit exemptions for learners who had finalised similar studying programs in foreign countries in accordance with current regulations. This opens opportunities for Australian in-country delivery programs.

Europe

• With reference to a rising number of COVID cases in some European countries, the UK has reintroduced a 14 day quarantine period for people entering from an increasing number of European countries, including Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malta, Luxembourg and Austria. The US on the other hand has reopened its borders to all European students from the Schengen Area, UK and Ireland who already hold a valid study visa. The Schengen Area covers 26 European countries without border controls between them, excluding the UK and Ireland and the abovementioned continental European nations. The UK and the US are key destinations for continental European students who study abroad.

Czech Republic

• A proposed amendment to the school law is being debated, which would introduce a requirement for students to participate in distance learning as part of their obligatory school attendance. This in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when many schools were closed from mid-March until the end of the school year on 30 June. An estimated 10,000 children in the Czech Republic did not participate in distance learning during this time. The bill does not specify the form of distance learning, it only stipulates that schools should adapt to match children’s conditions.
• The Education Minister declared all schools would open in September in their regular teaching mode.
• The Education Ministry has been negotiating with the Ministry of Finance to provide extra funding to schools to purchase computers and software, as well as ensuring internet access, to support students from disadvantaged families. The funding to schools should amount to CZK 1.2 to 1.5 billion (AUD 73.5 to 92 million).

France

• A record number of students passed the Baccalaureate school leaving exam this year, generating increased demand for university places. Due to the pandemic, the final assessment for the Baccalaureate was based on a review of the year’s work, instead of exams, which were cancelled. The Minister for Higher Education has advised an additional 10,000 university places will be created to cope with the surge in applications, with strong demand occurring in nursing, physiotherapy, paramedical subjects and social studies. Health and safety guidelines have been issued to facilitate the return of students to campus, although universities are advised to be prepared to offer remote learning, should public health guidelines change.
• As one of the leading international student destinations in Europe, France is continuing to proactively promote study opportunities to prospective international students. While travel bans remain in place for some countries, international students from anywhere in the world are permitted to enter France, although some may be required to undertake a 14 day quarantine period depending on their country of origin. The government has prioritised student visa requests and implemented measures to support international students who remained in France during the lockdown period, including automatic 6 month resident permit renewals and extended working rights.

Germany

• The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) announced the coronavirus bridging aid for students will be extended by one month, meaning students in pandemic-related emergencies could still apply for a non-repayable grant online during September. The grant has a value of up to 500 euros per month. To date, the bridging aid had been limited to the months of June to August.

Russia

• From August 5 onwards, foreign students have the right to get a job in Russia without obtaining a special permit. The Chairman of the State Duma said this would assist Russian universities and vocational schools to double the number of foreign students enrolled.
• The Deputy Prime Minister advised that 92 percent of universities plan to start the academic year from 1 September; the remainder may open by mid-September. Nonetheless, universities can postpone the beginning of the academic year depending on the situation in their region, for a maximum of two months. Schools will start on 1 September, in accordance with appropriate safety measures.

Slovakia

• Schools will fully reopen in Slovakia on 1 September. The Education Ministry has been preparing guidelines for situations in which a student or teacher becomes infected, and has stated that another complete closure of all schools nationwide will not be considered as a solution to possible local COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Foreign students have already started arriving in Slovakia and are subject to the same health measures that apply to all foreign travellers. In some cases, self-isolation and a coronavirus test is required. Currently, no quarantine facilities are available, and students are left to their own devices to organise their quarantine, which they mostly do in short-term rental apartments. Universities are closely monitoring developments in the COVID-19 situation in Slovakia, which was very successful in containing the first wave but is experiencing increasing cases since the end of June.

UK

• The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) reported that despite fears the sector would see a significant decline in non-EU student acceptances due to the coronavirus pandemic, UK universities have witnessed a two percent increase in non-EU acceptances for the coming academic year taking the total to 35,010. In contrast, the number of EU student acceptances has dropped by 6.5 percent, totalling 22,420 for this year.
• China, Hong Kong and India represent the largest increases in non-EU acceptances. Student acceptances from China had a 14 percent increase from 2019, taking the total to 8,570 for this year. The number of students from Hong Kong increased by 11 percent (totalling 3,340) and student numbers from India increased by 10.3 percent (totalling 2,680) over the same period.

Middle East and Africa

United Arab Emirates

• The Knowledge and Human Development Authority has issued guidelines for reopening of universities in Dubai. One of the key highlights is that the Higher education institutions have to ensure that they provide online teaching to students who are unable to attend classes physically.
• The Sharjah Private Education Authority has allowed schools to provide 100 per cent distance learning in the new academic year commencing from 30 August. Parents who are reluctant to send their children to school can choose the online option.
• Under the “Emirati Programmer” initiative, the Emirates Talent Association and Hamdan Bin Mohammad Smart University has launched programmes focused on cloud computing, internet of things (IoT) and 3D printing. The initiative aims to increase the technology skills of Emirati national graduates.

Kenya

• Feedback from education agents in Kenya has confirmed the trial period for online classes offered by Australian universities has been well received and helped the Kenyan market explore this new learning option. Some challenges have been expressed by some students who started classes and chose to defer, including challenges with internet connectivity and time differences.

Turkey

• Schools opened to education (online) on 17 August and will continue this until at least 21 September. It is expected that after this date online education will continue rather than face to face classroom teaching.

North Asia

China

• The Ministry of Education and the National Health Commission recently issued updated guidelines on COVID-19 control and prevention for all education institutions, including universities, primary and high schools, and kindergartens, to facilitate their reopening for the fall semester. Education institutions across the country will reopen on a staggered schedule in the coming weeks, and a number of universities and colleges in cities, including Beijing, welcomed their first students back last weekend. The guidelines stated that all teachers, students and staff from low-risk areas must present a green health code to be able to return to their educational institution. Those from medium-risk or high-risk areas require a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result in the week before they can return to campus.
• In May 2020, the Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE) issued a Notice encouraging Chinese universities to offer ‘Second Bachelor’s Degree programs’ (SBD) from 2020. This is a domestic higher education scheme that allows students to pursue a second Bachelor’s degree after successfully obtaining a first Bachelor’s degree. The SBD is different to a “double degree” or “double major”, both of which are offered while students are completing their first degree. It is also not considered a postgraduate degree despite the student having already obtained an undergraduate degree. A list of approved institutions to offer SBD in 2020 was published in July. The Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) has recently published a policy update on the SBD including an unofficial translation of the notice. Please refer to DESE’s website