THE English-language sector saw growth in three of its top 10 markets in September and a slowing in the rate of decline to just 12 per cent.

This was just a ray of hope that the worst may be over.

While not yet a trend, the positive signal arrived in the same week Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans released the long-awaited international student strategy.

The 12-point strategy focuses on improving the expectations and experiences of overseas students, as well as ensuring better consumer protection if their college goes broke.

It adopts most of the recommendations left over from a review of education services for overseas students legislation conducted by former Liberal MP Bruce Baird last year. It includes a national community engagement strategy, better information on safety and living here, and compulsory health insurance.

The strategy was first mooted at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in April last year following attacks on Indian students.

Since then, the combined effects of visa changes, the strengthening dollar, increasing competition from Britain and the US, the collapse of some private colleges and the talking down of immigration during the election campaign have gouged the market.

Mr Baird said he was delighted with the strategy but the government must address the poor perception created by changes to skilled migration visas.

"Visa changes were critically important to student numbers dropping off. They were the second most important factor after the attacks on Indian students," Mr Baird said. "However, the strategy will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the sector, but none of the benefits will be apparent immediately."

Sue Blundell, executive director of English Australia, described the strategy as a "step in the right direction", but said it was missing detail about funding, timeframes and who was going to drive it.

"It is critical that it's not just left to the ministerial council and Australia Education International because we know how things get lost in the bureaucratic tangle across jurisdictional decision making," she said.

CQUniversity professor of international education Paul Rodan said the requirement for students to have health care for the duration of their study, while well-meaning, might be interpreted as just another cost impost. The lack of an accommodation strategy was also an oversight, he said.

Ms Blundell said the September data was heartening but could not yet be construed as an upturn in the market. She said it was surprising how few English-language colleges had been forced to close to date and that the next month was critical.

"In August, the sector was losing more students than we were enrolling," she said.

"With an average course length of 15 weeks, it's essential to have a flow of new students coming through."

She said issues specific to the Chinese market needed to be addressed quickly. These included financial requirements that slowed visa processing times.

The requirement that Chinese students have IELTS level 5 to study English here also needed reviewing.