28/3/02
Education Minister Alan Carpenter will leave Perth on Tuesday for a nine-day overseas trip aimed at helping to turn around Western Australia's declining status as an exporter of education services.
Mr Carpenter said WA's expertise in education had huge potential as an income-earner.
"That potential is not being maximised," Mr Carpenter said.
"To the contrary, at a time when the size of the international market for education services is growing rapidly, we are losing momentum. Frankly, we need to lift our game."
Mr Carpenter said a recent report from the Department of Industry and Technology showed WA's share of the nation's international student market had slipped from 13 per cent to 11.7 per cent since 1998.
"Such a drop might seem small, but it means we're going backwards. World-wide, this industry has been valued at $3trillion a year, and is growing fast. We should be tapping into that growth."
Mr Carpenter said the concept of exporting Western Australia's education expertise could go far beyond the most obvious attraction of bringing international students into WA to study.
"There are many opportunities out there. We need to identify them, and act on them," he said.
Mr Carpenter's two-stage trip will involve visits to Mozambique and Dubai.
Mozambique
The Mozambique Government approached the WA Government in October 2000, seeking assistance to raise the standard of Mozambique's education system.
"That approach was made primarily on humanitarian grounds, and there has been substantial contact between the West Australian Department of Education and Mozambique's Ministry of Education," Mr Carpenter said.
"My visit to the country will enable me to familiarise myself with the work that has already been done at that level.
"But it will also enable me to examine the potential for our humanitarian work to pay economic dividends."
Mr Carpenter said Western Australia's education system was far superior to many in the world.
"We have developed a product which I believe can become an internationally marketable commodity," he said.
"The hard part is establishing how transferable our system really is - in other words, we need to find out in practical, on-the-ground terms, what we have to offer to a nation which wants to raise its standards.
"The Mozambique exercise should enable us to do that. We should come away with clear guidelines of what we have to sell. Once we've been through that exercise, we can start work on marketing."
While in Mozambique, Mr Carpenter will sign a memorandum of understanding which will formalise the relationship between the WA Department of Education and Mozambique's Ministry of Education. He will also meet with representatives from the Mozambique Government and local business and industry.
Dubai
The visit to Dubai has been arranged to coincide with the Gulf Education and Training Expo, an international event at which nations from around the world showcase their education and training services.
"To put it bluntly, we need to check out the opposition," the Minister said.
"The vice-chancellors of Edith Cowan University and Curtin University will also be visiting Dubai, at my invitation but at their own universities' expense.
"While in Dubai, I intend to meet Government representatives to look at opportunities for expanding Western Australia's links with the region, particularly in light of the direct flights soon to be in place between Dubai and Perth."
Minister's office: 9213 6800
