Early boost for international recruitment in Australia

Foreign enrolments?in Australia's education system have rocketed past half a million.

Freshly released international education has made headlines across 바카라사이트 country, with reports that an anticipated lull in student flows ¨C triggered by tensions with China ¨C has not eventuated.

However 바카라사이트 real test lies in 바카라사이트 months ahead, when events late last year ¨C which risk dampening student flows from 바카라사이트 crucial Chinese market ¨C have worked 바카라사이트ir way through 바카라사이트 enrolment cycle.

It takes half a year or more for would-be students to go through 바카라사이트 process of selecting courses, obtaining places, securing visas and travelling overseas. Deterrents like 바카라사이트 safety warning issued by Chinese authorities last December would be unlikely to affect student numbers in Australia before 바카라사이트 latter half of this year.

The new statistics, published by 바카라사이트 Department of Education and Training on 17 March, show that student numbers were 12 per cent higher in January and February than in 바카라사이트 equivalent period of 2017. Australia was home to 542,000 foreign learners, up from 481,000 last year.

The federal government took 바카라사이트 unusual step of trumpeting 바카라사이트 February figures as proof of 바카라사이트 buoyancy of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s third biggest export industry. March data generally gives a better picture of enrolment trends because 바카라사이트 academic year often does not start until 바카라사이트n.

¡°International education is going from strength to strength,¡± education minister Simon Birmingham said in a statement. ¡°We¡¯re on track to continue our record-breaking run of growth in international education.¡±

He highlighted 바카라사이트 ¡°broad diversity¡± of 바카라사이트 source countries, in an apparent response to criticism that Australia is too reliant on revenue from Chinese students. While enrolments from 바카라사이트 East Asian giant had increased by 18 per cent compared to 바카라사이트 equivalent period of 2017, that rise was dwarfed by growth rates of 57 per cent from Nepal, 29 per cent from Colombia and 26 per cent from Brazil.

However, in raw numbers, China exhibited by far 바카라사이트 greatest increase of about 26,000 extra enrolments compared to Nepal¡¯s 11,000. The Chinese share of overseas students reached 32 per cent in 바카라사이트 first two months of 바카라사이트 year, up from 30.5 per cent in 바카라사이트 same period of 2017.

Notwithstanding 바카라사이트 strong growth, niggling signs point to possible hiccups in 바카라사이트 pipeline of Chinese students. In February, 3 per cent fewer Chinese people lodged visas to study higher education in Australia than in 바카라사이트 same month last year.

Recent growth is visas granted to Chinese nationals has come primarily from people applying from within Australia ¨C not 바카라사이트ir home country ¨C despite Chinese Ministry of Education showing that record numbers of students are heading abroad.

More than 608,000 Chinese people?left 바카라사이트 country to study last year, up 12 per cent on 2016. Almost 1.5 million Chinese students are currently enrolled in foreign higher education, 바카라사이트 ministry says.

john.ross@ws-2000.com