Australia's multiculturalism: Salad bowl or melting pot?

If you’ve never come across these two terms before, you might be wondering what on earth I’m talking about. Let's explore what they mean within the context of Australia's international student population.

Australia, and indeed many other countries with an ethnically diverse population, may often be referred to as ‘cultural melting pots’. That has nothing but positive connotations, right? A melting pot implies everyone getting along, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. Everybody is made to feel included - and I would like to think that, for the most part, Australians feel this pretty accurately describes them.

But at the same time, it also implies that each individual or cultural group (ingredient, if we’re staying true to the metaphor) loses its distinctiveness to the masses - blending together to form one homogenous entity. A salad bowl, on other hand, consists of oftentimes wildly different ingredients brought together to form a better whole. Similarly, a society of many different cultures doesn’t have to lose their individual identities to blend in - their differences work harmoniously with one another, each with unique contributions to make to the ‘salad’ that is society.

That’s why it’s better to be a salad bowl, not a melting pot.

Australia’s salad bowl

The Australia we know and love today is one that thrives on a multicultural society. Nearly 30% of all Aussies were born overseas, and international students in particular formed almost a quarter of all migrant arrivals for the 2019-20 financial year, according to the most recent migration statistics published by the ABS.

If we compare states and territories, Melbourne experienced the largest net gain of overseas arrivals, with 56,100 people coming to either study or work in this same period. However, as we all know, these figures have taken a hit since international travel has effectively been suppressed for the past two years due to the pandemic.

Why do so many students choose Australia to study?

The quality of education and rich cultural diversity that Australia offers remain highly attractive to international students and their families. They know that when they study with an Australian institution, they are receiving a highly reputable education which employers globally will look upon favourably, access to premium facilities and excellent student support services, all whilst enjoying a high standard of living in one of the safest countries in the world.

In 2019, 509,160 international students came to Australia to study - placing us in second behind the United States with 976,853 international students, and ahead of the UK with 489,019 international students - according to statistics published by the United Nations.

Although the majority of international students who come to Australia do so to pursue higher education, of the 1.2 million students studying VET, 230,000 of them are international.

Courses for international students

The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), handled by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, lists all educational providers and courses that are approved to teach overseas students. You can learn more about it here, on What is CRICOS?

Every institution that wishes to offer VET courses to international students must be approved by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). Every provider and course is given a CRICOS code, which should be easily found on the bottom of the institution’s website, or on any information pages regarding the course:

Fresh Futures is here to help

We understand that studying as an international student comes with its own unique advantages and challenges, and it can be confusing to navigate through the plethora of information available to you. That’s why we’re dedicated to making things simpler for you by providing you with personalised advice pertaining to your own individual circumstances, discussing your personal interests, the enrolment process, what courses may best suit your existing skill sets, and even eligibility criteria for fee reductions. So please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always up for a chat!