Daily Brief — Australian Education

Clare and Walsh announce that legislation locking in a 15% pay rise for early childhood educators has passed, with more than 80% of eligible services already receiving government payments covering the increase, 20,000 additional educators having entered the workforce since the initial pay rise announcement, and job vacancies in the sector down 31%. Full-time educators receive an additional $255 per week; early childhood teachers receive an additional $410 per week; $3.6 billion in government funding underpins the commitment, with mandatory safety standard enforcement beginning July 2027 and 95% of services already meeting those standards. Clare: "Caring for and teaching children is some of the most important work in the country. Our early educators deserve every cent they get." (Clare, 15 September)

Education New Zealand reports the sector's export earnings reached NZ$4.98 billion in the year to June 2026 — surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of NZ$4.403 billion (2019) — with an estimated 99,000 international student enrolments projected for 2026, an 8% year-on-year increase in Jan–April enrolments, and university growth of 14% over the same period. ENZ chief David Downs: "Students today want more than a certificate. They want practical learning, good job prospects." The recovery reflects a structural preference shift rather than purely pandemic rebound — in a destination that displaced Australia as agents' top-ranked study destination for the first time in 2026. (The PIE, 15 September)

US colleges including Harvard, Yale, Princeton and others have halted new internship approvals for international students following August 2026 DHS guidance tightening Curricular Practical Training eligibility — requiring that practical training be mandatory and integral to a degree program rather than elective — affecting approximately 130,000 students who use CPT annually and compounding on the 34% F-1 issuance decline in 2025 and the Duration of Status rule effective 15 September. One university reported an 8% enrolment decline in the current cycle, with further falls projected for 2027. (The PIE, 15 September)

The Department of Education has published the National Industry PhD Program 2025–26 data highlights report, showing 448 industry PhD awards across 7 rounds from 36 universities, with 1,102 applications assessed in total as of June 2026. (Department of Education, 14 September)

12 October 2026 — 2026 National Student Safety Survey closes (opened 31 August across all 38 Universities Australia member universities; results expected 2027).

17–18 November 2026 — TEQSA 2026 Conference, fully virtual.

19 May 2027 — ASQA 12-month VET/ELICOS registration pause expires.