Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume. 34, Number 9. 1971
Enrolments
Enrolments
In June 1968 Victoria set out, in its quinquennial submissions, its expected enrolments for 1969 and the period 1970-1974. (These submissions form the basis on which the University Grants Committee allocates funds to Victoria.) The enrolment forecasts were derived from projections for the period 1967-1980 presented by the Minister of Education to Parliament.
Year | Forecast | Actual |
---|---|---|
1968 | 5245 | 5133 |
1969 | 5455 | 5424 |
1970 | 5720 | 5808 |
1971 | 5925 | (6300-6350) |
1972 | 6110 | |
1973 | 6350 |
The actual enrolment for 1971 has attained the figure forecast for 1973: instead of increasing at the expected rate of 15% between 1968 and 1971, enrolments are increasing at a rate of 24%, which could not in any way have been expected on the basis of the official forecasts. The simplest and immediate explanation is that the Government's official forecasts have been too low (applause). This applies equally for the total enrolments nationally:
Year | Forecast | Actual |
---|---|---|
1967 | 23,800 - 24,000 | 24,431 |
1968 | 25,100 - 25,500 | 26,794 |
1969 | 26,300 - 26,700 | 29,209 |
"Whatever may be the reasons, the University appears to have entered into a period of unprecedented and unforeseen increases in enrolment and a continuation of the present rate of growth could mean a total of about 8,000 students by 1974,"