Study Tours

Policy

This policy outlines the roles and responsibilities for schools when coordinating a short-term study tour for students from overseas.

Summary

• Study tours are available for overseas primary and secondary school students aged 10 and above. Study tours include a minimum of 10 students and range from one day to 4 weeks.
• Study tours are coordinated by International Education Division (IED) in the department in conjunction with host schools and accredited study tour operators (DOCX).
• Schools must not accept a study tour without consulting the department. Schools do not need to consult the department when hosting visits from their sister schools as these are not considered study tours.
• Schools are not authorised to accept fees for hosting a study tour. All fee payments must be coordinated and received by the department in accordance with Ministerial Order 819 – Fees for Overseas Students in Government Schools (PDF).
• For information on hosting a study tour, refer to the Guidance tab.

Details

Study tours are available for overseas primary and secondary school students aged 10 and above. Study tours include a minimum of 10 students and range from one day to 4 weeks, with 2 weeks being the most common length.

Study tours are a great way to improve global learning and engagement at your school and support students to develop their intercultural understanding in line with the Victorian Curriculum F–10.

Study tours provide groups of visiting overseas students with the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge through integrated lessons with local students, English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes, themed study, cultural exchange, buddy program and excursions. Study tour themes may include science and technology, performing and visual arts, and leadership and sport. Some study tours include homestay accommodation and welcome and farewell ceremonies.

Becoming a host school and hosting a study tour

Schools must not accept a study tour without consulting the department. Schools must forward all queries from study tour operators to IED, which manages the study tour program.

Schools must organise an integration program for study tour students, including EAL classes and appropriate educational activities with local students. Some schools may decide, or be requested by the study tour group, to house the visiting students in homestay family accommodation, or conduct excursions and welcome and farewell activities.

Schools must advise the department prior to hosting a study tour and sign an agreement when hosting each study tour group. The agreement is facilitated by the department and includes:

• the roles and responsibilities of the school, accredited study tour operator and the department
• information on the services required to be provided by all parties
• the responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of overseas students within school hours and out of school hours.

Schools must ensure homestay families and the accommodation are appropriate for the students’ safety and wellbeing during their stay. This includes selecting a family from the school community that is of good character, coordinating and monitoring the accommodation for each overseas student and ensuring all homestay family adults, including other students, have a valid and current Working with Children Check (WWCC).

Schools must manage unexpected issues and emergencies, including providing crisis management and 24 hours emergency contact.

Schools are requested to provide feedback to the department on study tours they host and on accredited study tour operators so that the department can continue to improve the study tours program and the support offered to schools.

Fees

Schools are not authorised to accept fees for hosting a study tour. All fee payments must be coordinated and received by the department in accordance with Ministerial Order 819 – Fees for Overseas Students in Government Schools (PDF) (Ministerial Order 819) which specifies the fees payable by overseas students enrolled in study tours.

Host schools receive a disbursement, via the department, for providing educational and homestay accommodation services which cover the operation and delivery costs of the program

Definitions

Study tour
A study tour is a fee-for service short-term inbound educational program ranging from 1 day to 4 weeks for overseas students for which fees are prescribed in Ministerial Order 819. Study tours allow groups of overseas students to have a rich educational and cultural exchange in a Victorian government school. The experience incorporates a combination of English language learning, themed study, classroom integration, cultural exchange, buddy program, and edutourism excursions study tours are different to reciprocal student visits from a sister school partnership and the international student program, which are governed by separate policies.

Related policies

• International Student Program (ISP)
• Sister School Partnerships
• Student Exchange Programs

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)
• Ministerial Order 819 – Fees for Overseas Students in Government Schools (PDF)

Guidance

This guidance provides information on how to become a host school for study tours, and on hosting a study tour, including pre-arrival orientation for homestay families, English language learning, integrated classroom learning, excursions, and welcome and farewell ceremonies.

Becoming a host school

Schools can express an interest in becoming a study tour host school to the department by emailing International Education Division (IED) at: international@education.vic.gov.au

Hosting a study tour

IED in the department is responsible for managing inbound study tours in conjunction with schools and accredited study tour operators. When an application from a study tour group is received, the department assesses the application and contacts appropriate host schools with a request to place the group.

Schools decide to host the study tour group depending on the type of educational program required, the timing and number of participating overseas students.

Should the study tour group be accepted by the school, the department will develop a program and quote for costs to be paid by the study tour group, in consultation with the host school.

An agreement is developed and signed by the host school and the accredited study tour operator.

The department then works with host schools to coordinate placement of the overseas students and supports the schools to finalise their program for the study tour group.

The department will issue an invoice to the study tour operator and receive study tour fees prior to the visit occurring. The department then disburses these fees to host schools.

Other guidance

Pre-arrival orientation for homestay families

If schools are arranging homestay accommodation for overseas students, a briefing to homestay families for each study tour group must be provided approximately one week before the students' arrival. Briefings need to include the following information:

• child safety legislation
• students’ cultural, language or religious backgrounds
• needs of young people away from their home environment
• need for a clear, flexible approach to matters of discipline, house rules and cooperative living
• types of meals to be provided (the student profiles from the accredited study tour operator will include dietary requirements)
• school complaints procedures
• distribution of a list of all homestay families with their assigned overseas student to all hosts, which includes the contact details of the:
  • family hosting the accompanying adult
  • contact details of the school contact person
  • a copy of the student’s program including dates and destinations of excursions, required clothing and if lunch will be provided.

English as an Additional Language classes

Schools provide intensive English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes by qualified EAL teachers in appropriate classrooms with no more than 20 students.

Integrated classroom learning

Study tour students are required to be integrated into normal school classes (where language is not the main focus of the lesson) with local students to ensure educational and social benefits to the school community by having overseas students studying alongside Victorian students.

Excursions

• If requested prior to the study tour group’s arrival, schools are required to organise excursions for the visiting group. The department will notify the host school about any requested excursions at the time of issuing the request to place. Any alterations to excursions are to be negotiated between the department and accredited study tour operator.
• A host school staff member and local students are required to accompany the study tour group on any school-organised excursions.

Welcome and farewell ceremonies

• Schools can arrange a welcome or farewell ceremony for the visiting group involving the overseas students, staff, and the local students. Some schools may choose to hold the ceremony out of school hours and invite homestay families.
• Overseas students often like to be presented with a certificate to commemorate their educational experience in Victoria.

Resources

Useful links

• Global Learning Programs
• Study Tours
• Ministerial Order 819 – Fees for Overseas Students in Government Schools (PDF)