Australia's elite universities could pay a heavy price after the attacks on Indian students and allegations of racism in Australian suburbs.
Australia's elite universities could pay a heavy price after the attacks on Indian students and allegations of racism in Australian suburbs.
Reports of the incidents in the Indian media have heightened concerns among Indian middle-class parents for the safety of their children.
The number of Indians studying in Australia has more than doubled since 2006 to 93,000, with about 20,000 enrolled at universities, and estimates put Indian students' contribution to the economy at about A$2 billion during the last financial year.
But all this could change following a spate of media reports.
Inquiries go down
Enrolment inquiries from Indian students at Australia's leading tertiary institutions are said to have halved, even though much of the negative publicity has centred on students attending private vocational training colleges.
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According to brokers who recruit and help students with their university enrolment, Indian parents are no longer considering Australia a safe place, with many students now opting for degree courses in Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, here in Sydney, migration agents have been approaching international students of the Sterling College, which unexpectedly went into voluntary liquidation on Tuesday, offering to find them better deals overseas.
Sandeep Kaur, a community welfare student at Sterling, is quoted as saying she was annoyed at consultants who were offering better deals on education in Canada.
"Everybody's here to make money. Nothing for us. No emotions, nothing," she said.
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The president of the National Union Students called for greater regulatory protection for international students said: "This country has been treating international students like cash cows.
"Everywhere you go where there's (sic) international students, there's (sic) people trying to take advantage of them."
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Worth more than $15 billion a year, the international education sector is Australia's third largest earner behind coal and iron ore.
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(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
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