Educonnect April 2025 Wrap-up Edition
POPULAR STUDY DESTINATION UPDATES
| United States | Justice Department Reverses Course After Courts Slam Mass Student Dismissals The Justice Department made the blanket about-face in federal court Friday following weeks of intense judicial scrutiny and dozens of restraining orders imposed by judges who found the mass dismissal of students from a federal database — employed by universities and the federal government to monitor foreign students in the US— flagrantly illegal. Read more here. United Kingdom | Government’s RISE Teams to Drive Up School Standards The RISE (Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence) teams of the government are increasing their coverage from the first 32 schools, to over 200 covering over 120,000 children. Thousands more children will be helped by the government’s new flagship school improvement teams, as the scheme hugely increases in size this week. Read more here. Australia | Australia’s Labor Party Proposes Visa Fee Hike The opposition Coalition is being emulated by the Labor party in its promise to raise student visa charges if it wins the federal election. The action represents the second instance of the Labor government attempting to render Australian education unaffordable for most overseas students, with the first having been last year’s raising of study visa fees from AUD$710 to AUD$1,600 in July. Read more here. Canada | Canada’s Skilled Francophone Immigration Strategy Canada is revising its 2025 immigration plan, adding a new education stream under the Express Entry system to respond to labour needs in key sectors like healthcare, construction, and education and also targeting more Francophone immigration to enhance French-speaking communities and boost economic growth. Read more here. |
ASIA UPDATES
- The Prime Minister of India emphasized the government’s commitment to modernizing the education system, enhancing access to modern education and new career pathways to prepare youth for their own as well as the country’s bright future.
- Vietnam is set to establish English as the second language for all general education students by 2035, with full implementation continuing through 2045 and it is structured across six levels of implementation, designed to integrate English throughout Vietnam’s educational system.
- The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE on Monday announced a revamp foreign qualification recognition process that enhances the educational journey for students by making the recognition process more seamless and efficient while maintaining the integrity and authenticity of foreign qualifications.
- In a bid to bolster its digital workforce and economy, China has jointly issued a new plan outlining priorities for boosting national digital literacy and skills by 2025, and it calls for developing a comprehensive system for cultivating digital talent, expanding the digital economy’s growth potential, and building a more inclusive digital society.
- The TUI Care Foundation has launched two new programmes to provide access to inclusive and equitable education, engage adults, teachers, parents and unlock the full potential of young Sri Lankan people through a variety of educational opportunities, including webinars, networking events, and online courses on eco-friendly practices and sustainable living.
AFRICA UPDATES
- Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, has launched the second phase of the “Be Ready” initiative under the slogan “One Million Qualified Innovators” (Be Ready – 1M), to provide support to our students through a comprehensive and integrated system to qualify them for the job market.
- The Nigerian Government has announced the official discontinuation of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, saying it wastes public funds and offers courses already available in Nigerian universities.
- Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation inked a new strategic collaboration with Huawei Morocco that defines a mutual commitment to enabling Moroccan youth to master the required skills to face and lead the future in an ever-changing digital environment.
- Online education and accredited online courses, as well as virtual campuses, is facilitating learners in remote parts of Africa to overcome impediments such as inadequate infrastructure and a lack of teachers, giving access to foreign universities and professional opportunities, and enable self-paced and individualised learning.
- The Minister of Education, at the inauguration of the new Board of Trustees for the Students Loan Trust Fund in Accra has directed the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to raise its funding for student loans from GHC60 million to GHC150 million to support more students, especially those in private universities.
- The Government of South Africa announced a 5.5% salary increase for public servants in 2025, including teachers which aims to stabilize the system, which has faced pressures from both population growth and economic constraints.
- Some of the nation’s public institutions of higher education in Mauritius, are already partnering with global platforms such as American global massive open online courses, or MOOCs, provider Coursera to provide credit-bearing online learning that can be stacked into formal qualifications.
- Kenya experienced a 28% increase in UK student visa applications, indicating that East Africa is increasingly keen to pursue UK education with the exorbitant living expenses and stringent policies compelling African students to seek alternative destinations for study such as Canada and Germany.