The Sydney Morning Herald Undertakes an Investigation of Australia's Quality of University Teaching. (May 7, 2005)

    The lead for a series of articles in the Saturday May 7 issue of The Sydney Morning Herald reads "Australia's universities have become so financially dependent on foreign students that their viability hinges entirely on that market."

The articles written by Herald staffers Debra Jopson and Kelly Burke cover:

Unis dumb down for foreign cash

Rescued by foreign fees

Uni standards cut for foreign students: staff

Campus critical: privatisation has come at a huge cost

In their words

Too many doctors in the house

The overall tenor of the articles is that the quality of Australia's university sector and its focus are being corrupted by it being forced to rely ever more heavily on attracting students from overseas whose primary interest is in vocational courses. And the current reduction in foreign student numbers with its consequent reduction in the revenue generated is exacerbating the problems.

We had labs last year meant to be for 12 students and we had 60. You had people crowding around trying to see a chemical reaction.

Gemma Winlo, second-year Sydney University medical student

 

The universities are competing commercially and they need to have extremely good business management. It isn't good enough to simply provide high-quality education.

Dr Brendan Nelson, Minister for Education, Science and Training