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I was reading The Age’s article about the increase in full fee paying places at Victorian Universities. There was a link to a forum where many online readers actually participated.

One posted the following in the forum (which makes my blood semi boils):

It is a disgrace the way the quality of tertiary education has been eroded in the last 20 odd years.
Back in the good old days of free tertiary education when I did my first degree, (1985) I used to complain about paying student union fees (about $300 at the time). Since then, I have seen the introduction of HECS and have completed 2 postgraduate degrees, a diploma and a Masters degree. I currently owe around $5000 in HECS. Had I not got a HECS placement for the Masters degree it would have cost me around $28,000 in up front fees – money I just dont have. There were four Aussies in my Masters course and the rest were international students (about 18) One of my lecturers implied that the course had been ‘dumbed down’ because of all the international students and their lack of English skills. I have never in my life gotten straight HD’s but I did all the way through this Masters degree.
I personally have nothing agaist International students, but the fact that courses are being dumbed down for them and full-fee paying students (who have the money, but not necessarily the brains) is disgraceful.
And even after all that education, I am sitting here at work earning $24/hour which is roughly 50k per annum – not fantastic money in the grand scheme of things, particularly after all that education.
My American partner left College over there with over $80,000 USD in student loans. She had to pay almost the equivalent of a house loan before she could even get started in life. At the age of 44 and she was finally in a position to buy her first home. Australia is heading down the same track at a rapid rate.
And look how ‘dumbed down’ the US has become!! That says it all.
I will be encouraging my children to do a trade.

Australia don’t become America !

But the forum is now closed for comment, which is ashame, because the article was just posted today… so the only way i could vent my anger and frustration is through this blog: (here is my reply to the post)

Dear Australia don’t become America,

I noted with strong concern your rather limited view on the way Australian education industry work in this country. In particular, your rather naive perspective on the internationalisation of Australian education.

First of all, the notion that a particular couse has been ‘dumbed down’ to accommodate the needs of international students is just completely baseless. And second of all, the generalisation of international students’ lack of english ability is quite unreasonable. While i do not have hard statistics that i can present to you, the positive correlation between an increase of international student in a particular course with the increase of HD marks that people receive in that course is definitely an outrageous accusation, if not crazy at all! English while it is a medium by which a course is delivered to the course participants, bear little relationship at all with the academic ability of each prospective student. While arguments could be raised about the comparison between level of communication and participation and to some extent understanding of students from NESB from those native speakers, one could not conclude that the academic ability of a person is ‘limited’ by which language you speak.

And even if we assume that English is important in the teaching and learning environment (and i dont doubt it, as it is the only medium), what the education provider should do is ensure that the students who will be admitted to the courses would have enough and reasonable commands of the english language as such that the particular students will be able to participate ‘actively’ in the learning environment, instead of the ‘dumbing down’ of courses as you have conveniently or your naive lecturer has suggested.

Without a doubt, there are always bad apples in a basket. The same way with education providers. Lured by the millions $$ that can be raised through international students, these scrupulous and milking education providers have ‘lowered’ the english language requirements in order to admit those students (who might have the academic ability) that do not meet the english language requirements to the course. Some providers have performed their duty of care by introducing many english language courses specific to certain courses, and in some instance, they are built into the overall course structure a particular student take. Your easy take in blaming international students as a result of the reduction in the ‘quality of teaching’ clearly violates the basic notion that it is the Australian government who has continuously reduced funding available to these public universities – leaving the universities with no choice but attract other sources of income, one of which are international students.

Many international students who are in Australia come from an english speaking background. The benefits of international students coming into a country far outweighs the sorts of ‘accusations’ you have made. Take America for example, as a country that you thought has been ‘dumbed down’ as a result of taking more international students. You will realise that the American government and universities are heavily recruiting people from other countries to come and study in their country, not only because of the money, but because these people realise that their country doesnt live in isolation. Globalisation has rendered geographical boundaries irrelevant. Unless they get the best brains from all over the world, their research output (which is by the by, one of the important factor in how universities are ranked) will be stagnant.

While it is true that many international students who come to Australia are from developing worlds and emerging market, your labelling of international student in general is quite ‘pitiful’. Many scholars come to Australia from various other countries than those who ‘lack the english ability’. And even, for argument sake, i do agree with you that ALL of these students ‘lack the english ability’, the rare opportunity for fellow Australians to learn about their culture is just priceless. Furthermore, politically, these students will be able to return to their home country with a more positive and favourable view on Australia as a country – the kind of view that your government hopes to gain by spending billions of dollars in propaganda (and many other Western nations) in all these developing worlds. So you can see, Australia as a country and its population, can only benefit.

I hope you will have a greater understanding of the complexity involved in this situation. As i have pointed out, your baseless conclusion in finding international students as a scape goat is not a solution at all. Instead, it provokes the fundamental basis of multiculturalism that this country is founded upon. You can do one thing though – vote out Liberal next time if you believe strongly in government’s investment in education. Democrats are strong supporter of education. (i wont comment about Labour – coz they are the one who introduced HECS).

*UPDATE: As Adrian correctly pointed out in the comment, the Greens is also the forefront champion of free education for all, including for international students… remember that good-old-Colombo plan and the benefits its still paying back to the Australian advantage in dealing with SE-Asian political dynamics..

Sincerely Yours,

You-dumbed-down-Australia!