@poetryandwine I too think a post-qualifications is preferable, and I also agree with you about the absolute necessity for preserving our research capacity.
I’ve worked two countries with different systems - never completely post-qualification though. I also have a pretty good view of the German system from family working in it there.
When I worked in the US I wasn’t very involved in Admissions (I taught thee for a couple of years alongside a Fellowship, so not really fully embedded). Neither was I when I worked in Australia, although I knew much more about how the system worked. It’s a far far less personalised system. You apply for a broad degree programme and you can apply anywhere. You find out whether you’ve met the overall number needed a day or so after you receive your final exams results (known as the HSC, the Higher School Certificate ).
But we never knew how many undergrads to expect in our first year courses (this was the Humanities). I can remember that one year we had 900 first years enrolled. I was teaching in the leading department for my discipline (in the Humanities)at the oldest university in its hey day.
The Australian system is also very different socially- most students I taught lived at home, many were supposedly full-time but actually worked for money almost full time. Once you got a place, if you needed to move away from home, you were on your own. There are few halls of residence in the UK sense.
A very different system.
I think @Katbum ’s point about the way that people who know very little about the system seem to want to tell us how it all works …