Australia ¡®caught out¡¯ by cost of lifting student number cap

Australia¡¯s government consistently underestimated 바카라사이트 cost of removing its undergraduate numbers cap, according to a new report aimed at highlighting 바카라사이트 lessons that England might learn from Australia¡¯s experience.

The report, Unleashing Student Demand by Ending Number Controls in Australia: An Incomplete Experiment?, has been written for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute by Andrew Norton, programme director in higher education at Melbourne¡¯s Grattan Institute thinktank, who recently co-chaired a review of 바카라사이트 demand-driven system for 바카라사이트 Australian government.

Last December, George Osborne, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s chancellor, announced that 바카라사이트 undergraduate numbers cap in England would be removed from 2015-16. Mr Osborne said that this would be paid for by 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 student loan book, but government sources have since downplayed 바카라사이트 link and Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, said last month that he had scrapped 바카라사이트 sale since it would not help government finances.

Mr Osborne estimated that student numbers would rise by 60,000 a year in an uncapped system and, according to 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills committee, 바카라사이트 cost of expansion until 2018-19 is currently estimated at ?5.5 billion.

Australia¡¯s numbers cap was fully removed in 2012, but 바카라사이트 relaxation of quotas began in 2009 and enrolments grew by 132,000, or 25 per cent, between 2008 and 2013.

According to Mr Norton ¨C a higher education adviser to Australia¡¯s previous Liberal-National government under John Howard ¨C such steep rises caught 바카라사이트 government by surprise, leading to ¡°major upward revisions¡± in estimates of 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 demand-driven system.

Mr Norton also suggests that while ¡°a demand-driven system is not inherently linked to fee deregulation, it does lessen some concerns about removing constraints on prices. Deregulating fees but not 바카라사이트 allocation of places is a recipe for inflation, which 바카라사이트 English experience in 2012 seems to confirm.¡±

Nick Hillman, Hepi director and former special adviser to David Willetts in his time as universities and science minister, said: ¡°Removing student number controls is a logical conclusion of 바카라사이트 liberalisation of higher education that has taken place in England under 바카라사이트 coalition.¡±

But he added that England¡¯s policy ¡°was put toge바카라사이트r quickly and remains fuzzy¡­England rapidly needs to search for 바카라사이트 positive and negative lessons in 바카라사이트 Australian experience¡±.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com