The department is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from all school and school-council run early childhood education and care (ECEC) services wanting to form a new or vary an existing foreign arrangement in 2024.
This is in line with Australia’s foreign policy objectives under the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020.
Under the Act, all school and school council-run ECEC services must submit their proposed arrangements, or variations to existing arrangements, to the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through our department.
The department’s EOI process for new or existing foreign arrangements takes place twice a year ‒ in February and June.
Submissions for the current EOI process close 5 pm Friday 9 August 2024.
Arrangements that need approval
The legislation extends to any written arrangements, agreements or contracts between school and school-council run ECEC services, as well as foreign entities such as overseas governments, universities and other schools.
Under the scope of the Act, arrangements can be in any form and do not need to be signed or legally binding to be relevant.
Examples of foreign arrangements requiring Australian Government approval include:
- partnership arrangements with overseas ECEC services or schools
- agreements and written arrangements
- contracts
- memoranda of understanding
- educator exchange programs.
What’s the first step?
Before negotiating or entering into arrangements with foreign entities, please contact the department’s International Education Division Stakeholder Engagement team.
This is an important first step in the process, because the International Education Division will tell you what documents to complete, when to complete them by, and how to submit them.
This ensures that arrangements between state and territory government departments and their international counterparts are aligned with Australia’s foreign policy objectives.
How to submit an EOI?
If you are considering varying or entering into a new foreign arrangement between now and December 2024, you need to complete the below documents and submit to the International Education Division by Friday 9 August 2024:
Find out more
For further enquiries, contact the International Education Division Stakeholder Engagement team by email: ied.stakeholder.engagement@education.vic.gov.au.
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