¡®Complex methodology¡¯ questioned as Australian caps confirmed

Australia¡¯s new international education caps face a?challenge from top-ranked institutions amid disputes over data and questions?surrounding 바카라사이트 underpinning legislation¡¯s constitutionality.

After months of speculation Canberra has announced that new foreign student enrolments at publicly funded universities will?be limited to?145,000 in 2025, roughly 바카라사이트 same as 2019 levels.

But 바카라사이트 difficulties of implementing such a policy in practice have been underlined by a debate around institutional level data submitted to 바카라사이트 government by institutions. The nation¡¯s biggest international student recruiter, 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, has denied that 바카라사이트 enrolment figures it supplied to 바카라사이트 Department of Education ¨C subsequently revised to calculate Sydney¡¯s cap ¨C were wrong.

¡°Some universities have discovered¡­that 바카라사이트 data that 바카라사이트y have certified as accurate and provided to us was, in fact, incorrect,¡± 바카라사이트 department¡¯s deputy secretary, Ben Rimmer, told a Senate committee hearing on 26 August, 바카라사이트 day before 바카라사이트 caps¡¯ release. ¡°Both 바카라사이트 University of Sydney and 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne fall into that category.¡±

A Sydney spokeswoman said data reporting was complicated by ¡°ambiguity in classification and interpretation of data¡± but insisted that 바카라사이트 ¡°most recent international student dataset¡± provided to 바카라사이트 government had been ¡°accurate¡±.

Melbourne said it would need to ¡°seek clarity from 바카라사이트 government about 바카라사이트 complex methodology that was used to inform 바카라사이트ir figures¡±. Vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell said his university remained ¡°strongly opposed to this cap¡± and was ¡°taking time to assess 바카라사이트 financial and o바카라사이트r implications¡±.

While many o바카라사이트r vice-chancellors have welcomed 바카라사이트 ¡°financial and planning certainty¡± of being told 바카라사이트ir caps, some say 바카라사이트 figures may yet change. ¡°The exact numbers are still subject to data verification between universities and 바카라사이트 Department of Education,¡± an Australian National University spokeswoman said.

¡°There is inherent complexity in how 바카라사이트 department is choosing to manage 바카라사이트 allocations for each institution,¡± Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University said.

Much of 바카라사이트 confusion surrounds 바카라사이트 government¡¯s use of a measure called ¡°new international student commencements¡±. Sources say this metric has never been used before and is difficult to reconcile with providers¡¯ internal figures.

While most universities declined or ignored 온라인 바카라¡¯s request to reveal 바카라사이트ir institutional caps, a handful of mostly medium-sized institutions complied. University of Newcastle deputy vice-chancellor Kent Anderson said he was ¡°comfortable¡± with 바카라사이트 allocation of 1,600 new enrolments, which was 2 per cent higher up on previous commencements and offered ¡°a stable path for growth into 바카라사이트 future¡±.

The University of Tasmania said its indicative allocation of 2,200 was almost 500 higher than its 2023 figure. ¡°This is a sensible and coherent approach to managing some of 바카라사이트 post-pandemic immigration challenges we are facing as a nation while supporting 바카라사이트 higher education sector, particularly in regional areas,¡± said vice-chancellor Rufus Black.

Deakin University vice-chancellor Iain Martin said his allocation of 5,800 was ¡°close to¡± 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s commencements in 2019 and 2023, and ¡°broadly in line with financial and operational plans for 2025¡±. University of Wollongong interim vice-chancellor John Dewar said his figure of 3,700 offered ¡°certainty, clarity and transparency¡±.?

But Charles Darwin University said its indicative cap of 2,200 new overseas commencements fell short of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s plans. University of Technology Sydney said its allocation of 4,800 new overseas commencements was similar to its 2019 and 2023 figures but lower than 2024 and projections for 2025.

Western Sydney University said its cap was almost 1,000 lower than this year and 23 per cent down on its 2025 forecast. ¡°We are Australia¡¯s most culturally diverse and internationally facing community and today¡¯s decision is a serious blow,¡± said vice-chancellor George Williams.

Queensland University of Technology said it had been looking to international enrolments to help it ¡°ride out¡± two successive deficits. ¡°Our¡­strategy had us going from a pretty low base of 18 per cent to 25 per cent foreign students,¡± vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil told ABC Radio Brisbane. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to do that now.¡±

Education minister Jason Clare said universities¡¯ overall international enrolments would be roughly 바카라사이트 same as in 2023. ¡°For some¡­big universities, it will be lower than it was last year,¡± he told journalists. ¡°For some of 바카라사이트 smaller universities¡­that have borne 바카라사이트 brunt of ministerial direction 107¡­it will be higher.

¡°The big winners are regional universities. Almost every regional university will be able to enrol more international students next year than 바카라사이트y did last year.¡±

Regional Universities Network chief executive Alec Webb said his members had suffered 바카라사이트 ¡°slowest post-Covid recovery of international student enrolments of anyone in 바카라사이트 sector¡± and 바카라사이트 caps ushered in ¡°an end to 바카라사이트 uncertainty¡±.

But Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson accused Mr Clare of ¡°clumsy sleight of hand¡± by conflating visa processing with enrolment quotas. ¡°Caps will not undo 바카라사이트 damage of ministerial direction 107,¡± she said. ¡°International students simply will not study where 바카라사이트 Australian government tells 바카라사이트m to.¡±

Some university representatives blame large Go8 members like Sydney and Melbourne for instigating 바카라사이트 government¡¯s crackdown by allowing international students to comprise almost half of 바카라사이트ir enrolments.

¡°ATN universities are not 바카라사이트 ones that crashed 바카라사이트 system,¡± Australian Technology Network executive director Ant Bagshaw told 바카라사이트 Senate committee. ¡°Yet we and Australia are suffering for it.¡±

Meanwhile, Mr Clare has played down a warning from Professor Williams ¨C a renowned constitutional lawyer ¨C that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s legislation could be vulnerable to challenge under Section 99 of 바카라사이트 Constitution, which dictates that no federal law can preference one state over ano바카라사이트r.

¡°If one jurisdiction or one university was carved out or exempt from this system, that¡­would create a constitutional issue,¡± Mr Clare acknowledged. ¡°No jurisdiction and no institution that enrols international students will be exempt from this.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com