International students to face English language tests

Sky News 20 October 2017

International students will be tested on their grasp of the English language under a scheme to be introduced in 2018. Education Minister Simon Birmingham recently told an education conference in Hobart the government will introduce new English language standards for students from next year, reports Sky News.

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students or ELICOS will have to formally assess students where they provide direct entry to a tertiary course. At the moment, students can pass a course without proof and then start university studies.

Birmingham said the government does not know exactly how many of the 150,000 ELICOS students last year weren't up to scratch, although the vast majority achieved high-quality outcomes. “But we know there are a number of anecdotal instances, that you hear of students not being able to fully participate in group work or struggling through the class work that is set for them,” he told ABC radio.
Full report on the Sky News site

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