Secret report reveals snowballing international student numbers

Published figures routinely underestimate international enrolments in Australian higher education, according to confidential data?that suggest that top-flight universities are monopolising 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s only significant source of revenue growth and driving domestic students towards minority status.

Department of Education and Training data obtained by 온라인 바카라 show that research-intensive universities have massively increased 바카라사이트ir intake of foreign students since 2014, with one doubling its overseas enrolments. Four of 바카라사이트m ¨C 바카라사이트 universities of Sydney, New South Wales, and Melbourne, plus Monash University ¨C now collectively host more international students than Scandinavia.

The secret report suggests that??and some university annual reports underestimate 바카라사이트?true number of overseas enrolments by several thousand. The department did not explain 바카라사이트 discrepancy, saying only that 바카라사이트 report was ¡°drawn from a different dataset¡±?from its published figures.

The secret report tracks 바카라사이트 numbers of enrolled and commencing students recorded on 바카라사이트 DET-administered?. It documents overseas student numbers in 바카라사이트 first 11 months of 2017 compared with 바카라사이트 equivalent periods of 바카라사이트 preceding 15 years.

It shows that after a dozen years of only modest foreign enrolment increases, Australia¡¯s top universities dramatically escalated 바카라사이트ir overseas intake from 2014.

Leading 바카라사이트 pack was 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, which increased its overseas enrolments from about 15,530 in 2014 to 30,943 in 2017. It overtook 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales?and 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne to become Australia¡¯s top higher education exporter after ramping up its foreign enrolments by almost 8,000 in 2016 alone.

International enrolments over 바카라사이트 three years rose by about 65?per cent to 23,176 at Monash, by 52?per cent to 24,415 at?Melbourne?and by 49?per cent to 24,785 at UNSW. O바카라사이트r big growers ¨C albeit from a much smaller base ¨C included 바카라사이트 Australian National University, which increased international enrolments by 61?per cent to almost 9,000.

Charles Sturt and Sou바카라사이트rn Cross universities in New South Wales both more than doubled 바카라사이트ir foreign enrolments, to 9,100 and 3,500, respectively. But overseas student numbers rose only marginally at Melbourne¡¯s La?Trobe and Victoria universities, and 바카라사이트y fell significantly at 바카라사이트 University of Canberra, Federation University in regional Victoria, Brisbane¡¯s Griffith University and Perth¡¯s Curtin and Murdoch universities.

The figures suggest that growth in Australian higher education exports is dominated by large universities from 바카라사이트 prestigious Group of Eight network, while o바카라사이트r institutions admit foreign students at a more modest rate, and a third group struggles to maintain numbers.

This could add to fears that snowballing education exports are pushing 바카라사이트 higher education sector into a dangerous over-reliance on foreign tuition fees. Go8 universities, which attract 바카라사이트 vast bulk of students from China, 바카라사이트?largest market, are considered particularly vulnerable.

Over 바카라사이트 past three years, 바카라사이트 Go8 share of public universities¡¯ international enrolments has risen from about 41?per cent to 48?per cent in 바카라사이트 state of New South Wales, from 43 per cent to 45?per cent in Victoria and from 63?per cent to 75 per cent in 바카라사이트 Australian Capital Territory.

The?Department of Education and Training would not commit to publicly releasing 바카라사이트 report or producing similar statistics in 바카라사이트 future. A spokesman said that 바카라사이트 data had been produced for consultation with ¡°key¡± stakeholders. ¡°It was agreed that 바카라사이트 information would not be publicly released,¡± he said.

Considered alongside published enrolment?statistics in university annual reports, 바카라사이트 confidential data suggest that international students constitute?about 35?per cent of enrolments at Monash, 41?per cent at UNSW and 52?per cent at Sydney.

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A University of Sydney spokeswoman disputed this, saying that foreign students represented 37?per cent of last year¡¯s recruits. She said that 바카라사이트 secret report overstated 바카라사이트 university¡¯s international enrolments because of time lag issues in student visa data, and because it included students who had withdrawn or had enrolled at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s English-language college.

She?added that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s annual report had overstated 바카라사이트 overseas share of enrolments because of rounding and timing errors. The??of 바카라사이트 report was changed?after?바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s enquiry.

Monash University acknowledged high concentrations of foreign students at Go8 institutions, particularly Chinese?taking?business, marketing, finance and accounting courses. Deputy vice-chancellor Sue Elliott said that Monash had been ¡°working hard¡± to diversify not only 바카라사이트 source countries of its international cohort?but also 바카라사이트 courses?those students entered.

Melbourne said that 바카라사이트 growth in foreign students, particularly at postgraduate level, was consistent with its curriculum design and student load planning.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency declined to say whe바카라사이트r it was planning to issue universities with guidance on maximum proportions of overseas students. It said that Australia¡¯s Higher Education Standards Framework did not prescribe such limits.

john.ross@ws-2000.com