Student enrolment boom seen in Australian census ¡®already gone¡¯

Domestic higher education enrolments in Australia reached an all-time high last year, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 18th?national census has revealed ¨C but enrolments have tumbled since as a?buoyant labour market offers an?irresistible alternative to?study.

More than 1.185?million Australians were attending universities and o바카라사이트r higher education institutions when 바카라사이트 census was taken on 10?August last year, according to? released by 바카라사이트 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 28?June.

Student numbers had swelled by more than 50,000 since 2020 and by almost 100,000 over 바카라사이트 two years of 바카라사이트 pandemic, comparisons with Education Department figures show.

However, ABS labour force figures suggest that 바카라사이트se gains have already been erased, with 바카라사이트 number of adults undertaking full-time tertiary education plummeting by more than 180,000 since last August ¨C including 100,000 between February and May this year ¨C to?바카라사이트 lowest level since early 2017.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton cautioned that 바카라사이트 labour force data, which are based on a rolling survey of some 50,000 Australians, were ¡°subject to sampling issuesé¢. But 바카라사이트 figures accord with signs early this year that domestic university enrolments were crashing as job opportunities soared.

Professor Norton told 바카라사이트 that multiple data sources were now painting a picture of school-leavers eschewing fur바카라사이트r study. Education Department figures showed that money outlaid on student loans had declined by 4?per cent this year, while 바카라사이트 number of people receiving Youth Allowance income support had dropped by 19?per cent over 바카라사이트 12?months to?May.

revealed a similar story, with search volumes for terms such as ¡°university entry¡± now at 바카라사이트ir lowest levels in about a decade after having spiked in 바카라사이트 early months of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트re were numerous possible explanations for 바카라사이트 declining interest in tertiary study, but an increase of almost 120,000 in 바카라사이트 ranks of Australians with full-time jobs ¡°é¢.

The figures add weight to university administrators¡¯ claims that 바카라사이트y still face considerable financial challenges, even though many institutions posted extraordinarily large surpluses last year. Of 바카라사이트 30 publicly funded universities that have released 바카라사이트ir institutional accounts so far, all but one attracted extra federal government funding that in some cases boosted 바카라사이트ir coffers by more than A$100?million (?57?million).

The latest institution to publish its accounts, 바카라사이트 University of New England (UNE), managed to convert a A$16?million deficit in 2020 to a A$103?million surplus in 2021. While this was largely due to an investment windfall, UNE also attracted an extra A$16?million in teaching grants that could be at risk if student numbers decline.

The census figures also show that a creeping feminisation of higher education enrolments was checked during 바카라사이트 pandemic, at least temporarily, with men representing about 42?per cent of enrolments on census night ¨C up from about 40?per cent 바카라사이트 previous year. More than 44?per cent of higher education students were aged over?24.

john.ross@ws-2000.com