A lot has been said in the media over the past week around the overseas student program and how the government and home affairs are managing it. Many of these stories lack an understanding of how international education works, and it’s hurting the perception of the sector.
Wednesday’s The Canberra Times (31 January 2024, It’s time to rethink the overseas student program) looks at what is happening with student visas, the benefits and pitfalls of policy.
Unfortunately, one question it asks undermines the entire piece: “Why are Australian universities accepting overseas students who would struggle to get into a high-quality university in their own country?”
This question clearly shows naivety around how admission works for international students and perpetuates perceptions that something underhanded occurs in international education systems. The story provides no supporting evidence that Australian universities are, in fact, doing this nor why the conclusion is that university admissions is the solution to rethinking the overseas student program.
Understanding of university admissions
The view offered may reflect a misunderstanding of how university admissions work, both domestically and internationally. Admissions processes for international students in Australia are largely based on the Australian Government’s own National Office for Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) Country Education Profiles. The processes also typically involve comprehensive evaluations of applicants’ academic qualifications, English language proficiency, and other relevant criteria.
The story asserts that “This seems to also be an issue in the UK” referencing recent articles about this topic for universities in the UK; however, no evidence is provided that this is or has been an issue for Australia. In fact, the UK has a similar function of assessing foreign education credentials via the office of UK ENIC – the UK National Information Centre for the Recognition and Evaluation of International Qualifications and Skills (formerly NARIC).
International Student Performance
An evidence-based approach should be used, and there is no data that indicates international students perform worse than domestic students. In fact, Alan Olsen (Director of Strategy Policy and Research in Education Limited), in his submission to the Australian Universities Accord Discussion Paper, asserts that:
In 2021, 315,152 students commenced bachelor degrees in Australian universities. 79% were domestic students, 21% were international students. In 2021, commencing international bachelor students passed 88.6% of what they attempted in that year, and did better than commencing domestic bachelor students, who passed 85.0%.
But it was not always so. It was not until 2008 that commencing international students did about the same as commencing domestic bachelor students (less than one percentage point difference). It was not until 2013 that commencing international students did better than commencing domestic bachelor students. Generations of academics had the experience that commencing international bachelor students dragged standards down. In 2001, commencing international bachelor students were 2.3 percentage points worse, in 2004 negative 4.2 and in 2005 negative 3.7.
The results since 2013 can be interpreted as showing that increasing numbers of Australian universities set and maintain entry standards, including English language entry standards, for international undergraduates that lead to successful outcomes, prepare international students better in English language proficiency, monitor academic performance and provide effective English language and study skills support. Of course regulation has played a role in the improvement of standards. (From http://www.spre.com.au/ ‘International Student in Australian Universities 2021’)
“Low performing students”: In asking the question about the acceptance of overseas students, it is not unreasonable for the average reader to infer that universities in Australia are admitting low performing students, although again there is no supporting evidence.
Alan Olsen’s submission provides that “it is critically important to understand and acknowledge that international students do not drag down academic performance… In 31 universities in 2021, commencing international undergraduates did better than domestic students. In 6 universities domestic students did better. In 4 universities, there was no difference (less than one percentage point)”.
Limited access to quality education in source countries: Many international students come from countries where there are limited options for high-quality education, with few or no world-class universities. For these students, studying abroad, particularly in countries like Australia, which is known for its education system, provides an opportunity for their future via a globally portable qualification, which may not be attainable in their home country.
Capacity constraints: Universities overseas also face capacity constraints. While there might be a substantial demand for education, there are limits to how many students local universities can accommodate.
Referencing my Koala News article this week, it’s not helpful for opinions with no evidence to be given airtime in the mainstream media, as it reinforces existing misinformation about international students in the community.
