A report has highlighted a "sustained shift" in positive attitudes towards migration in the UK, but warned that "large parts" of the higher education sector could become uneconomic if the government restricts student visas.

"The first move in the wrong direction since 2005" is how Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, described a negative growth rate in student weeks charted by the ELT sector association for 2011. Speaking at the association's AGM, Millns explained that student weeks fell 5.3% across the 440 UK member schools, with the adult sector faring worst.