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Participation and funding in higher education: international

aspects

Gerald Burke

Monash Education Research Community (MERC)

Global Education Systems Day,

Faculty of Education Monash University

11 May 2010

gerald.burke@education.monash.edu.au

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Focus

1. Proportion of population participating

2. Public and private funding

3. Key issues --- illustrated by Australian reforms

Some key references or sources

OECD 2009, Education Today, Chapter 4 Higher Education

Review of Australian Higher Education, 2008 (called the Bradley Report)

UNESCO Institute for Statistics Data Centre

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Population 2009

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GDP per head Intl$, 2009 (IMF data)

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Tertiary participation 2007 (UNESCO data)

Gross enrolment ratio *

Gross enrolment ratio Male

Gross enrolment

ratio Female

Females as percentage of

total

Republic of Korea 96 114 77 38Finland 94 84 104 54

United States 82 68 96 57New Zealand 79 64 95 59

Australia 75 66 84 55Sweden 75 58 91 60

Netherlands 60 57 63 51United Kingdom 59 49 69 57

Hong Kong (China), SAR 34 34 35 50China 22 22 22 48

Indonesia 18 18 18 50India 13 16 11 39Bangladesh 7 9 5 35

Pakistan 5 6 5 45Kenya ... ... ... ...

Malaysia ... ... ... ...Vietnam ... ... ... 49

Iraq ... ... ... ...Saudi Arabia ... ... ... ...

*Enrolment of all ages as % of most relevant population 5 year age group

Tertiary participation rates 2007

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Inbound mobility rate

**

Outbound mobility ratio

% ***

Gross outbound enrolment ratio ****

Students from a given country studying

abroad '000Australia 20 1 1 10 United Kingdom 15 1 1 24 New Zealand 14 2 1 4 Netherlands 5 2 1 10 Sweden 5 4 2 14 Hong Kong (China), SAR 4 20 7 33 Finland 3 2 2 6 United States 3 - - 50 Republic of Korea 1 3 3 106 India ... 1 - 153 Indonesia ... 1 - 30 Iraq ... ... - 5 Kenya ... 11 - 13 Malaysia ... ... 2 45 Pakistan ... 3 - 25 Saudi Arabia ... ... 1 17 Bangladesh - 1 - 15 China - 2 - 421 Vietnam - ... ... 28 **Incoming as % of tertiary enrolment in the country

***% tertiary enrolments in country

****% tertiary aged population in own country

International students 2007

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Expenditure educational institutions % of GDP,

All sources, ALL LEVELS

Expenditure educational institutions % of GDP

Public sources, ALL LEVELS

Expenditure educational institutions % of GDP

Private sources ALL LEVELS

Expenditure educational institutions % of GDP All sources

TERTIARY

Expenditure educational institutions % of GDP,

Public sources TERTIARY

Expenditure educational institutions % of GDP,

Private sources TERTIARY

United States 7.7 5.2 2.5 3.0 1.0 2.0

New Zealand 6.7 5.2 1.4 1.5 0.9 0.6

Australia 6.4 4.6 1.8 1.8 0.9 1.0

Sweden 6.3 6.1 0.2 1.6 1.4 0.2

United Kingdom 6.1 4.5 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.5

Netherlands 5.7 4.7 0.9 1.5 1.1 0.4

Kenya ... 7.0 ... ... 1.1 ...

South Africa ... 5.3 ... ... 0.6 ...

Republic of Korea ... 4.0 2.8 ... 0.5 1.8

Hong Kong SAR ... 3.6 ... ... 1.1 ...

Bangladesh ... 2.3 ... ... 0.3 ...

India ... 3.2 ... ... 0.6 ...

Pakistan ... 2.6 ... ... ... ...

Education expenditure 2006 (UNESCO data)

Australia: key issues

• Australia domestic enrolments growing relatively slowly to 2008

• Concern re course quality and student experience

• Real funds per student and staff-student ratios declining

• International education, funds and effects

• Private funding/fees high compared with OECD countries*

• Importance of more graduates – for skilled workforce and

– to support a civil and just society

• Research funds deemed insufficient

• Participation of less advantaged too low

• Possible shortage of academics

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Enrolments in higher education Australia (DEEWR data)

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International students Australia 2005 to 2009 (AEI data)

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Indigenous and non-Indigenous participation by age group*

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Higher education revenues Australia 2008 total $18,400 million (DEEWR)

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Fees for domestic students Australia 2010

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Commonwealth support per EFTSL by funding cluster 2010

Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce $1,765Humanities $4,901Mathematics, statistics, behavioural science, social studies, computing, built environment, other health

$8,670

Education

Clinical psychology, allied health, foreign languages, visual and performing arts

$9,020

$10,662

Nursing $11,903Engineering, science, surveying $15,156Dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, agriculture  $19,235

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1. Expanding the system• Review of Australian Higher Education 2008 called the Bradley

Report, after the Chair, Denise Bradley www.deewr.gov.au/highereducation/review/pages/reviewofaustralianhighereducationreport.aspx

entitlement funding from the Commonwealth government to enhance workforce skills and create opportunities

Government to support entry/choice by all eligible domestic students May seek to influence distribution across fields of study

targets for participation and completion 40% of 25-34 year olds to have degree by 2020 or 2025 – from 30%

additional funds including huge infrastructure funding

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2. Assistance for disadvantaged groups

– Target - lift from 16% to 20% of lowest quarter of SES

– Extra funds for enrolling low social background students

– Better links to TAFE and schools

– Reforms to student assistance to low income students • Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy

– Income contingent loans • HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP repayable when income exceeds

$45,000 2010-11

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3. Quality and quality assurance– New national regulator Tertiary Education Quality and

Standards Agency (TEQSA) for registration and audit of providers of tertiary education

– Some public funding to be ‘Performance Based’

– More information published (e.g. course experience) to improve choice and reveal poor performance

– Stop decline in funding per student

– Improve supply of staff: more research degree completions, less casualisation, improved conditions

– Improve Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

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1919

Changes affecting international students

• Reform of the ESOS Act included in national regulation reform

• Tightening of rules for registration, increased public information on performance of providers of training, possible moderation of assessment

• Changes in immigration rules, Skilled Occupations List (SOL), points for Australian qualifications

• Proposals for research scholarships, more English support, workforce orientation