Solutions to the Dilemmas and Concerns of Teaching International Students in Universities

[Extract] The decision by the Australian Department of Trade in 19853 to allow Australian tertiary institutions to offer places to Full Fee Paying (FFP) international students, following the release of the Goldring and Jackson Reports, resulted in large numbers of FFP students studying in Australian institutions. By 1991 such students had increased to 34,408. The nature of Australia’s objectives in its international education programs (discussed by Harris and Jarrett and others,) vary considerably. In general, for sponsored students there is an expressed policy that “education and training programme(s are) designed to assist recipient countries to develop the human resources needed for their economic and social advancement...(and which might draw on) areas where Australia can offer a high standard of relevant expertise.” Harris and Jarrett further discussed the focusing of this aid program by the International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges. On the other hand, for Full Fee Paying students, the Jackson Report recommended that “Education should be regarded as an export industry in which institutions are encouraged to compete for students and funds.” This more entrepreneurial approach to higher education, subsequently adopted by the Government, has since been applied to the export of education to overseas countries and now is the main aspect of the international education program.