VICTORIAN Education Minister Bronwyn Pike has defended the number of school places given to paying overseas students, and says the state could take more.

Ms Pike said she was proud of Victoria's international education reputation and insisted the scheme did not rob Victorian students of a place in a public school.

The Herald Sun reported this morning that more than 2700 foreign students attended state schools this year, paying a fee of up to $11,800 each.

Some high-performing state schools took more than 100 fee-paying international students, the report said.

Ms Pike said international students enriched the school system.

"The number of international students in our public system represents about one per cent of our student population and these students do not take places of local Victorian students, they come in addition and they add a lot to the life of our school communities," she told reporters.

"I think there is capacity within our school system to take more international students," she said.

State schools must take students from within their geographical catchment zone, but could reject Victorian students from outside the zone and accept international students instead, she said.

"All students have a government high school in their area that they can go to, they do have entitlement to attend a government high school," Ms Pike said.

She denied the program was a money-making scheme for schools, and said the fees paid for the cost of educating the foreign students.

"The schools are adequately funded by the government, we've increased the resources significantly," she said.

"So, when you think about the small amounts of revenue that really just primarily cover the costs involved, compared to the $6 billion that the government provides the system, you can see that this is not about making money, this is about enriching our school system, it's about bringing in diversity and highly motivated students who sit alongside those students who are rightly there because they are Victorians."

Ms Pike said Victorian students were similarly entitled to attend schools overseas.

Documents obtained by the Herald Sun show five public schools netted more than $1 million by selling their places for up to $11,800 each.

For the first time, some high-performing schools took more than 100 fee-paying international students. Many more took more than 50.

As schools see the dollar signs, the number of international fee-paying students has jumped by more than 430 per cent in the past decade.

More than 2700 full-fee foreign students attended state schools this year, compared with just 520 in 1998.

Secondary schools took 2353 international students, while 431 went to primary schools.

Some schools with high international student numbers turn away up to 150 local applicants from outside their immediate zone every year.

State schools must take students who live in their zone, but bright students from neighbouring suburbs miss out at high-achieving schools unless places are available.

One principal, who did not want to be named, told the Herald Sun they begin marketing their school to international students as soon as zone student numbers are confirmed for the following year.

A group of eight principals from state schools with large international student numbers left on an overseas marketing trip last week.

The Herald Sun obtained documents on fee-paying foreign students after a three-month application under Freedom of Information laws.

They show schools with the most foreign students include Balwyn High School (107) and Box Hill HS (99), which are among the best-performing schools in the state.

Balwyn HS earned $1.2 million and Box Hill HS received $1.1 million from their international students this year.

Brighton Secondary College, Northcote HS and Hawthorn Secondary College also earned more than $1 million from foreign students this year.

About one-third of the students were from China, with 1161 students.

There were 403 students from Korea and 368 from Vietnam.

Foreign primary students pay $8000 in tuition fees, junior secondary (years 7 to 10) pay $10,600, and senior secondary (years 11 and 12) pay $11,850.

Discounts of up to $1200 are offered to foreign families who have more than one student in a Victorian school.

Overseas families could send their kids to a number of Melbourne private schools for less money.
Opposition education spokesman Martin Dixon said the Government needed to ensure local students were not missing out, and called for a cap on the number of international students a school can take.

"Many people would be surprised by the number of full-fee paying students at our schools," Mr Dixon said.

"There seems to be a quiet revolution going on, and there should be a stocktake of the whole system.

"These numbers should be carefully monitored, because they could be shutting many kids out."

Mr Dixon said some schools were treating the international student program as an alternative income stream.

"Their motivation is propping up government funding and building a name as niche schools," he said.

"Schools can use the money on programs and better facilities which benefits them enormously.

"We need to ensure schools take international students primarily for the positive cultural contribution they bring to the school."

A spokesman for Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said local students were not missing out.

"All Victorian schools must take kids from their local area as their first priority," the spokesman said.

"These (international) students are attracted to our Victorian government schools because of the high standard of facilities, highly trained teachers and a wide range of interesting subject choices."
Victorian Principals Association president Fred Ackerman said local students should not miss out.
"As a rule of thumb, those places should be made available to Victorian students," Mr Ackerman said.

But an international student number cap was not necessary, he said.

"These students require a lot of support from the school, and the school knows its own capacity best when it comes to being able to provide for them."

Melbourne Girls' College assistant principal Linda Brown said her school, which took 55 international students this year, did not shut out local students.

The school has put in place its own cap on international student numbers.

"Our students come from over 200 post codes. We have a diverse population, and it is a wonderful experience," Ms Brown said.

Australian Education Union state president Mary Bluett said the high number of international students showed the Government was not funding schools sufficiently.

"Certainly this has become a financial incentive for schools," Ms Bluett said.