Although Mr Osborne did not come out specifically in favour of deducting the 190,000 overseas students who appeared in the latest tally of immigrants in the year to September, he told the Commons Treasury Committee that voters were mainly concerned about "permanent" migrants, not students who returned to their home countries after completing courses.The chancellor stressed that the task of deciding how the figures were calculated was the responsibility of the independent Office for National Statistics, but he acknowledged there was a "lively debate in all circles" on how net migration should be counted.Mr Osborne told the committee's MPs, "The public's concern about migration is about permanent migration, it's about people permanently or for many years staying in the country and, of course, students come and go and I think that's a good thing for the UK."The current way the UK calculates its migration numbers, they are included. But if you talk about the government's commitment on reducing immigration, I would say where that strikes a public chord and has public sympathy it is when we are trying to reduce permanent migration to the country."The possibility of excluding students from the figures was seized on by the Institute of Directors, which has long been calling for such a move.Seamus Nevin, the institute's head of employment and skills policy, said, "We welcome the chancellor's acknowledgement that most students who come to the UK to study are not permanent migrants. Government must follow through on this undeniable logic and remove international students from the net migration target."Education, particularly higher education, is one of this country's greatest success stories. Higher education is one of the UK's biggest exports, adding over £10 billion a year to our economy. If George Osborne wants to boost our universities and our economy, he should take this simple step as soon as possible."Mr Osborne also rejected the idea – reportedly floated recently by Home Secretary Theresa May – that there should be tougher English-language tests for overseas students and restrictions on post-graduates bringing dependants to the UK."Those aren't government policies," he said. "I'm not aware there's been any agreement in the government or, indeed, any hard-and-fast proposals on that."Andrew Tyrie, the committee chairman, pointed out that annual growth rate in international students had fallen from 6.5 percent up to 2013 to 0.5 per cent since then. "You've made clear you want this number to grow," Mr Tyrie said."There's been a collapse from very high levels to almost zero. Is that consistent with your aspirations for this kind of export?"Mr Osborne said he was expecting a 65,000 increase over the coming years. "I think what you have seen is a quite healthy growth in international students in bona fide institutions in what everyone would regard as proper degrees but a very tough and correct clampdown on bogus routes into the country via the student visa system. I think that's the right balance," he said.For morenews and features on education & schools, click here and for more on immigration, click here

©2020 Re:locate magazine, published by Profile Locations, Spray Hill, Hastings Road, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8JB. All rights reserved. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of Profile Locations. Profile Locations accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.