Indonesian Students

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Investment and Trade. Minister, how many students from Indonesia study in South Australia?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:32): I thank the member for Wright for the question because South Australia has seen strong growth in international student enrolments over recent years. There were over 32,000 international students studying in Adelaide in 2015. You can see them every weekend walking through the CBD. This equated to $1.166 billion in export earnings for South Australia in 2015, making international education the largest services export for the state and the fifth largest export overall.

There has been a positive start to 2016, with over 9,000 international students commencing a course of study in South Australia between January and April this year. This growth has been driven by growth in key markets, like China, India, Hong Kong and Malaysia. There have been statements—misinformed statements—made in this place about the number of students from Indonesia studying in South Australia. The number of international student enrolments across all sectors from Indonesia in South Australia for the last few years has been over 400 per year: in 2012, 430; in 2013, 424; in 2014, 417; in 2015, 404.

Over three-quarters of these students are enrolled in higher education sectors. The VET sector is the next largest component, accounting for just over 10 per cent. The member for Chaffey has previously stated wrongly that there were only 286 Indonesian students. That is half; he can’t count, apparently. The member for Chaffey was referring to the number of students for April 2016, but he didn’t realise that the enrolments continue after April until the end of the year. He just stopped halfway through.

I explain to honourable members, including the member for Chaffey, that further students enrol during the year, so part-year figures are not really very wise and not comparable with the full-year figures. I am sure he will be more careful with his use of statistics in the future. I know there are some problems reading the budget papers as well, getting the facts right, but it is a work in progress on the other side.

There is certainly room to increase South Australia's share of international student enrolments from Indonesia. That is why the government is supporting South Australian universities to establish new partnerships and new ventures in Indonesia and exploring the feasibility of VET partnerships as part of our strategy to engage with South-East Asia. The recent business mission we have completed to Indonesia included a range of activities designed to increase international student enrolments from Indonesia, including international education forums run by TAFE SA to promote the importance of VET collaboration.

TAFE SA signed MOUs with three significant Indonesian colleges which will now lead to discussions on ways to further collaborate, including study tours, licensing course materials, Train the Trainer, pathways to further training in South Australia and other things. TAFE SA representatives were also invited as special guests to the graduation forum of a leading private vocational college, attended by numerous industry representatives, over 300 students and Indonesian media, where TAFE SA presented on the opportunities to study here.

There are new university scholarships, the launch of South Australia's first international research and development prospectus in Indonesia, in Jakarta—it just goes on and on. StudyAdelaide is very active in the Indonesian market, undertaking destination marketing. I am currently consulting with the international education sector on an action plan to take that further. The information that has been provided to the house and elsewhere once again is only half right. Those are the correct figures.