Aus Govt blamed for decline in enrolment of foreign students

Updated on: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Universities and colleges in Australia are noticing a sharp drop in number of foreign students enrolment from China and India following changes in student visa rules.
According to a well known education agent from China, more and more Chinese were now looking to US, British and Canadian universities.

Li Ping, chief executive of Beijing based student Agency Aoji, was quoted by 'The Australian' as saying that Gillard government's policy mistakes have caused a sharp drop in student numbers from the USD 18 billion sector's biggest market.

Ping also slammed the government for a short-term attitude towards Chinese students.

"There have been some big mistakes made by the Australian government," Li said adding "It is not active enough. They do not have long-term view, they are very short-sighted.

Student numbers from China have dropped off after changes to immigration rules made it more difficult for students to stay in Australia after studying.

Li dismissed efforts by the federal government to pin the enrolments slump on a high value of the Australian currency, noting that the dollar had been just as high in 2008 when numbers were still booming.

"It's not about the currency, it never was," he said.

Last year, Economic modelling for the Australian universities sector warned that a worst-case scenario -- in which new foreign student enrolments in higher education
institutions would drop by 30 per cent by 2015 -- would cost 36,000 jobs nationwide.

Enrolments from the Indian student market -- which until 2009 was showing annual growth rates of up to 40 per cent and was worth almost USD 3 billion a year to the Australian economy -- have been dropping since last year.

By end of last year, commencements from India were down almost 50 per cent on previous year, due to the combined effect of onerous new financial requirements, last year's street attacks on Indian students, vocational school closures and the rising Australian dollar.

Li also revealed that during a three-day trip to China last November, Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans cancelled his meeting with a group of agents in Beijing.

"As an agent, I am studying the government's policies in depth, but I still don't understand what the real objective is," Li said.

He said Australian institutions should work together more cohesively to make a better fist of marketing and providing courses on the ground so they can catch up to rivals from Britain.

Li disclosed that in 1997 there were about 2000 Chinese students coming to Australia each year and with the easing of English language requirements, by 2004 that number had jumped up to 15,000 Chinese students each year.

"Compared to the US and Britain, there was an advantage in terms of a chance to live and migrate, as there were not many options for Chinese students to go abroad," Li said.

Li said he hoped moving the marketing of international education from the Education Department to Austrade might result in there being a more commercial focus.

Li said the US continued to improve its market share beyond 50 per cent although much of its success was built on false perceptions with Chinese people confusing American education with the American dream.

He said Britain had better co-ordination between its institutions in its marketing and at offering joint programmes in China.

Aus Govt blamed for decline in enrolment of foreign students

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