Vocational education providers appear to be another victim of the Gillard government's push against foreign workers after it failed to implement a promise to streamline visas for overseas students.
This contrast between elite private colleges and public schools should have reignited the debate over state aid. But that was effectively shut down 40 years ago when a federal Labor government began propping up poor Catholic schools until, over time, every private school was receiving grants.
VIctoria's mercurial training market has hit a wall, with enrolments declining for the first time since government training funds were fully opened up to private colleges.