Friday September 26, 2008

PEAK BODY URGE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO EXERCISE THEIR VOTING RIGHTS

The peak body for International Students in Australia, National Liaison Committee for International Students (NLC) are concerned that many of their students in the community are not aware of their rights to vote in the upcoming Melbourne City Council elections.

"International Students are very in need of advocacy and welfare related services as there have been increasing safety concerns and lack of good practice by some of the private institution businesses in the city area" President, Mr Eric Pang said.

"The Melbourne City election is a good opportunity for International Students in Melbourne to demand for an improvement of these services and the basic rights to be treated as a student to have access to public transport concession in Victoria."

24th September 2008

Australian International Education Conference 7-10 October 2008          

Ahead of the biggest international education conference in the Asia-Pacific region which will be held in Brisbane next month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported that Australia’s education exports grew by a massive 23.4% in the past year to $13.7 billion in 2007-08. 

The ABS figures, which were released this month, confirm that education is Australia’s number one services export, having widened the gap since it first drew ahead of tourism six months ago.  

“The continuing strong growth underlines yet again that international education makes a major contribution to Australia’s economic prosperity,” said conference co-host, IDP Education chief executive Tony Pollock. 

The Federal budget introduced last week has proven to the overseas student community that the new government is no better than the last government in treating overseas students as ‘cash cows’. Once again, the government’s failure to see the significance of improving overseas student’s support and services as a way to maintain Australia’s growing revenue has been reflected upon the allocation of Federal budget.

The National Liaison Committee for International Students (NLC) was pleased with the government’s move to increase the cap for skilled migration approvals, as many applicants for the skilled migrations are full-fees paying overseas students who have graduated side by side with the domestic students in obtaining Australian qualifications.

“This move will not only help many students to fulfil their hopes of permanent residency in Australia and ensure a more skilled workforce for the future of our nation; it will also help to grow Australia’s population in the long run due to the capabilities of these young demographic international graduates in settling down and expanding a family of their own,” NLC President Eric Pang said.

However, NLC is extremely disappointed to learn that no funding was spared in this 2008 budget to help restore overseas student support and services in Australian education institutions.

“A 12 billion dollar international education industry is one that requires attention; little of which was given to the overseas students in the 2008 federal budget,” NLC President Eric Pang said.

“Both local and overseas students have suffered the full onslaught of Howard government’s harsh VSU legislation over the past three years. Issues, such as housing crisis, exploitative employment conduct and tragic deaths resulting from house fires, drowning, rape and murder which concern the overseas student welfare were making headlines on medias throughout Australia.”

“Socially inclusive welfare and support services structures are desperately needed to help overseas students to adapt into Australian education communities. Without funding, these necessities will be abolished through the streamlining of student support centres within institutions hence wasting the expertise of staff who has worked many years in international education support sector,” added Mr. Pang.

In the two states which has the highest proportion of overseas student population, New South Wales & Victoria, public transport concession is not provided. The NSW Transportation Act was amended to remove the rights of overseas students to access the concession offered to students. This action clearly marks the discriminating treatment NSW state government inflict upon overseas student’s human rights as a student.

“It is time for the new Australian Federal Government to take a leadership role in acknowledging the contributions made by overseas students towards the Australian economy and human capital and not just continue to take them for granted!” NLC President Eric Pang concluded.