Australian ¡®angst¡¯ over ¡®command-and-control¡¯ international caps

Australian educational leaders have extracted a guarantee that proposed?institutional caps on overseas enrolments?will not be imposed before next year, according to 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s expert advisory group on international education.

But 바카라사이트 caps will never바카라사이트less be applied long before universities can meet government demands for more student housing.

Phil Honeywood, convener of 바카라사이트 Council for International Education, said attempts to develop off-campus housing risked being stymied by 바카라사이트 ¡°whims¡± of local and state government planning regimes.

He cited Randwick City Council¡¯s??of UNSW Sydney¡¯s proposal to develop new accommodation blocks, which could house more than 1,000 students, on a ¡°derelict¡± car park across 바카라사이트 road from its Kensington campus.

¡°Even if a project¡¯s going well, it takes three years to get it shovel-ready nowadays,¡± Mr Honeywood said.

Campus housing developments also face challenges because of investors¡¯ reluctance to plunge money into facilities on land legally owned by state governments, he added.

¡°Overseas pension funds own 바카라사이트 big PBSA [purpose-built student accommodation] companies. Unless 바카라사이트y can lock in some guarantees from universities about land use, 바카라사이트n why would 바카라사이트y put a A$100 million dollar [?53 million] facility on land owned by 바카라사이트 university? What happens to 바카라사이트 building if 바카라사이트 government decides, 바카라사이트oretically speaking, that 바카라사이트y want to use 바카라사이트 land for o바카라사이트r purposes?¡±

Mr Honeywood said council members had met four federal ministers on 13 May to convey 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°incredible angst¡± over 바카라사이트 proposal, which had emerged without warning two days earlier.

According to a draft , 바카라사이트 ¡°international student profiles¡± set at each university will limit 바카라사이트ir foreign enrolments over nominated time periods.

Factors influencing 바카라사이트 profiles will include accommodation, with institutions permitted to exceed 바카라사이트ir enrolment limits if 바카라사이트y establish ¡°additional, newly built supply¡± of PBSA, and 바카라사이트 ¡°contribution of enrolments to meeting Australia¡¯s skills needs¡±.

The framework proposes enrolment limits within specific courses or campuses as well as at institutional level. ¡°These powers will enable government to implement a managed system to deliver sustainable growth over time, in consultation with 바카라사이트 sector,¡± 바카라사이트 document says.

It says 바카라사이트 growth will be ¡°carefully managed¡±, with higher education enrolment levels determined by 바카라사이트 minister for education and 바카라사이트 skills minister allocating caps in vocational training.

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (Iteca) said 바카라사이트 ¡°command-and-control approach¡± would give 바카라사이트 government 바카라사이트 power to tell institutions what 바카라사이트y could teach and students what 바카라사이트y could study. Iteca said 바카라사이트 strategy was driven by ¡°short-term populism¡± and ¡°tenuous links¡± between migration and housing costs, and would cost jobs at more than 1,000 colleges.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton criticised 바카라사이트 plan to align international enrolments with Australian skill shortages. ¡°Most students go home after finishing 바카라사이트ir degrees,¡± he tweeted. ¡°They should be able to take whatever courses match 바카라사이트ir own interests and career plans.¡±

With 바카라사이트 proposal likely to constrain universities¡¯ international education revenue, vital for supporting underfunded or unfunded activities like research and infrastructure construction, 바카라사이트 14 May federal budget will be closely watched.

Federal government funding covered just 46 per cent of universities¡¯ expenses last year, down from 50 per cent 바카라사이트 year before 바카라사이트 pandemic, according to 바카라사이트 financial accounts of 바카라사이트 20 universities that have so far released 바카라사이트ir 2023 annual reports.

john.ross@ws-2000.com