Australia’s overseas education sector, one of the most lucrative businesses in the country, is emerging largely intact but certainly the wiser from a difficult 12 months.

Attacks on students from India received unwelcome headlines around the world. And a spate of highly publicised failures of private colleges meant 6000 students had to fall back on the government-backed Overseas Student Tuition Assurance Scheme, which guarantees students can finish courses if their schools fail.

Finally the federal government stepped in to scrap the links between vocational courses and the skilled migrant program – often seen as a back door to a permanent residency visa.