A latest examine by the College of South Australia has cleared worldwide college students of any position within the rising value of hire, debunking the declare that their growing numbers contribute to Australia’s ongoing housing disaster.
The examine, which examined rental knowledge from 2017 to 2024, has challenged claims by some politicians who blame worldwide college students for contributing to the nation’s rental disaster.
In keeping with ABC Information, the College of South Australia’s examine analyzed longitudinal knowledge from authorities departments and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Lead researcher, Professor Michael Mu, defined that there was no statistically important correlation between the variety of worldwide college students and the price of hire in main Australian cities.
“Submit COVID, all through Australia, and in all of the capital cities we researched, there was no statistically important correlation between worldwide scholar numbers and rental prices,” Mu mentioned.
Professor Mu famous that worldwide college students have totally different housing wants in comparison with native residents, which can clarify why they’re usually blamed for rental points.
“A few of them had been in scholar lodging, a few of them would select shared bedrooms, so clearly their housing wants had been considerably totally different from the native folks,” he mentioned.
His analysis included a literature evaluate which discovered that worldwide college students are ceaselessly scapegoated for broader societal issues.
As Australia approaches the election, political rhetoric round worldwide college students is heating up. Professor Mu argued that worldwide college students turned a straightforward goal for politicians as a result of they didn’t vote.
He known as on each side of politics to base their coverage selections on proof, moderately than utilizing worldwide college students as a political software.
“Politically they had been the straightforward goal as a result of they don’t vote. I feel all these components got here collectively and so they had been thrown beneath the bus,” Mu mentioned.
Nevertheless, opposition politician Senator Sarah Henderson criticized the examine’s findings, claiming that worldwide college students are certainly contributing to housing pressures in inner-city areas.
“Even the Division of Schooling has acknowledged that there are ‘important housing pressures in inner-city areas with a better focus of worldwide college students,’” she mentioned.
Henderson additionally pointed to knowledge that reveals a lot of worldwide college students occupying non-public rental houses.
The college sector has warned that reducing worldwide scholar numbers may have critical penalties for Australia’s financial system.
The chief government of the Group of Eight universities, Vicki Thomson, which depends closely on worldwide scholar charges, cautioned that decreasing scholar numbers may stretch college analysis efforts.
“What we’ll begin to see specifically is an actual stretch on our analysis effort,” Thomson mentioned.
“That is extremely crucial in the intervening time as a result of what we’ve already seen is the Trump administration has notified a number of of our universities that analysis grants are being withdrawn or withheld.”
She emphasised that worldwide schooling is Australia’s third-largest export trade, contributing considerably to the nation’s financial system.
Thomson additionally expressed concern that political rhetoric concentrating on worldwide college students may hurt the broader financial system.
“It [international student education] helps the financial system, it was chargeable for [a large part of] our financial progress in 2023 … so there’s a huge impact on the broader financial system,” she mentioned.
She urged politicians to be cautious, warning that any adverse affect on the worldwide scholar sector may have long-lasting results.
Studies inform that worldwide college students have expressed frustration at being blamed for the housing disaster. A global scholar on the College of South Australia shared her expertise;
“We pay our personal contribution … numerous worldwide college students really pay twice or triple the schooling than the locals.”.
“We additionally pay taxes after we work. Among the blame for the housing is somewhat bit unfair as a result of we’re right here on authorized visas.
“It does make it sound like they don’t need extra worldwide college students right here,” She mentioned.
In response to the controversy, college leaders are urging warning. Vicki Thomson warned that any political transfer to cut back worldwide scholar numbers would have far-reaching financial penalties.
“Watch out what you want for. Don’t put our third-largest export sector in danger.
“A $51 billion financial system and, greater than that, a sector which really builds our abilities base [and] doesn’t injury the financial system however enhances the financial system.
“Don’t put that in danger for affordable political level scoring,” she mentioned, highlighting the essential position worldwide college students play in Australia’s financial system and analysis efforts.
