The Innovative Research Universities has data points (pointy points) to make about the Productivity Commission’s analysis of the demand driven system

The PC’s report (CMM Monday) found equity group HE participation declined slightly during the demand-driven UG entry years. But the IRU dug into the data to find the PC did not consider students over 23 impacted apparent outcomes on four issues.

* 28% of undergrads are 24 years and over and their numbers grew faster in the DDS years than school-leavers. This trend is not captured in Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth data, which the PC used

* 34 per cent of low SES students in 2016 were over 24, up from 32 per cent in 2012

*  All Indigenous students doubled (to 12 000) 2009-2016, with 43 per cent over 24 years in 2016, thus not included by the PC

* Regional and remote students aged 24 plus also accounted for 24 per cent of that equity group in ’16 and were accordingly not in the PC analysis

A demon for data suggests that the overall outcomes the PC identified would not have been much different if outcomes for older students were included but it would have added evidence that “overall the sector delivered for the 100% it enrolled.”