Students and academics oppose Big Brother

The BBC today reported that academics and foreign students have together presented a petition containing 4,500 signatures to Downing Street in opposition to new laws that will require universities to monitor the attendance of foreign students at tutorials. See full story

According to the BBC many academics have complained they are being asked to "spy" on students in a quasi immigration officer role.

It is understandable that there is concern about these new measures, but the content of the laws is hardly surprising. The current student visa system appears to be very open to abuse and it was really only a matter of time before the UK Government responded with stronger regulation. As a matter of interest the BBC also reported today on an extensive student visa scam that had been operating quite openly for some time - see full story.)

The UK Government is not breaking new ground here. Australia has had laws regulating the provision of education to international students in place for several years. A National Code of Practice introduced in 2007 places strict quality controls on institutions.

Certainly there is a compliance burden and cost to be met by UK institutions, but they are also benefiting handsomely from the international students that they enrol.

Regulation like this is not all down side for educational institutions. A robust regulatory regime which improves the quality of the provision of education to international students can do a lot to improve the perception and reputation of a given market. The US, UK, and Australia remain the key competitors for international students, but many more players are gaining ground. In this internationally competitive market laws which improve the international education services that the UK provides may deliver long terms gains that outweigh the short term pain that they inflict.