Gold Coast education: Weird quirk in class of 2019 to hit unis

Gold Coast universities have been on a recruitment drive for interstate and international students to cover Queensland numbers falling off a “cliff” next year.

GOLD Coast universities have been on a recruitment drive for interstate and international students to cover Queensland numbers falling off a “cliff” next year.

Some tertiary heavyweights expect Queensland freshman numbers to drop up to 30 per cent because this year’s Year 12s are the first group of Prep students to finish 13 years of schooling.

Just half a cohort of Prep Year students were introduced in 2007 to align with the new school starting age from 2008. This meant many children who were due to go to Year 1 instead joined prep, resulting in a historically smaller cohort.

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New Study GC boss Alfred Slogrove. Picture: Glenn Hampson

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Education experts believe the numbers will reset for 2021 university enrolments.

About 38,000 Queensland students finished Year 12 last week, including 4978 from the 41 schools in the Gold Coast region.

Last year, 51,868 students finished secondary school.

Study Gold Coast CEO Alfred Slogrove said universities and tertiary trainers on the Gold Coast had long prepared for the statewide drop.

“One of the strategies they have used is attracting more international students to study to work alongside domestic students, in particular programs,” Mr Slogrove said.

“What we have seen is most universities focus on quality not quantity.”

For the class of 2019, the smaller numbers can only be a good thing as there is less competition for scholarships and in demand courses.

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Griffith University Gold Coast Campus. Picture: Richard Gosling

“If they are aspiring to be in a particular field there may be a little less competition,” Mr Slogrove said.
“The numbers will work itself out in the wash as some don’t always go directly from high school to university.

“You will find that apprenticeship and traineeships will need to be focused on.”

Southern Cross University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Tyrone Carlin said while a drop in numbers was expected state-wide, their cohort of predominantly mature or international students may not be affected.

“Southern Cross University has been aware of the 2019 cliff of school leavers for many years and has a historically higher proportion of non-school leavers among our student body, many of whom are part-time,” Prof Carlin said.

“Our Gold Coast campus continues to see high demand and early indicators for 2020 show we can expect continued growth in most areas.”

Griffith University said “our expected decline in numbers is in line with forecasts for other universities”.

“Griffith has always invested in diversifying its student body, by actively building its non-school leaver cohort, by recruiting international students from a broad range of countries and by maintaining alternative pathways that encourage students from a wide variety of backgrounds to access tertiary study.

“With fewer Year 12 students graduating, there is likely to be less competition for

preferred courses. Griffith has revised and extended its Guaranteed Admissions

Scheme to include OP1-10 students and school leavers and non-school leavers with VET qualifications who meet course prerequisites.”

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Southern Cross University has a higher proportion of mature age students so is less likely to be effected by the class of 2019 “cliff’. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Hopeful Bond University students should not expect any bonuses from the smaller field.

“While we welcome applications to study at Bond, our entry standards – which are applied equitably – are not negotiable,” a spokesman for the private university said.

“Bond University has been planning for several years for the smaller cohort of school leavers in 2020 and is well prepared for this one-off event.”

The graduating year 12s are also the last ones to receive an Overall Postion (OP), with the introduction of ATAR in 2020.

Final Year 12 results, including OP scores, will be made available in student online learning accounts from 9am on Saturday, December 14.