Questionable Vocational Education in Australia

123jump.com Staff
10 Aug, 2009
New York City

Australia continues to struggle in eradicating rogue vocational institutions as students from around the world question recent demise of two institutions. Australian education industry is the second largest foreign exchange revenue source and increasingly students are vocal about the quality.

[R]3:00 PM New York – Australia continues to struggle in eradicating rogue vocational institutions as students from around the world question recent demise of two vocational institutions.[/R]

Sterling College Pty Ltd based in Sydney is the second vocational institution that collapsed after it ran out of money and stranded 500 students and laid-off 35 staff. All students lost their tuitions.

Only three weeks ago Melbourne International College was handed over to administration and 350 students are likely to be victimized.

Neither Australian education ministry nor regulators have offered help or taken actions to calm the rising tensions among international students.

The so called degree mills may represent a significant and growing segment of foreign revenue source for Australia.

Australia has more than 1,000 universities and vocational institutions and has attracted the third largest contingent of foreign students after the U.S and UK. Australia has some of the finest universities in the world but it also has a growing population of degree mills that prey on international students.

Nearly 500,000 international students pay $12.9 billion in tuition and other fees to study in Australia. Students from China and India represent nearly 50% of international student body.

Many students take high interest rates loans to fund their education in Australia that they many have come to regret. What is surprising is that how little is done by the education ministry to provide a transparent institutional audit on a regular basis that students can access.

No ranking on these schools and universities is available from the ministry.

Education is the third largest export for Australia and is one of the most profitable international trade activities. Yet, very little monitoring of these establishments is done to guarantee education quality that students can rely on.

Australia has never provided on a consistent basis the record of these schools, the audit of the facilities and quality of course work at these schools. Very little is known about these schools which primarily operate with little government supervision.

The quality of education received by students at many universities has come under sharper focus as allegations rise about rogue operators, lack of enforcement and weak audits by the education ministry.

Julia Gillard, the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister today appointed former Federal Member for Cook, Bruce Baird to review international education in Australia.

Most students and international watchers view the action too late and very little and comes four months after more than 1,000 Indian students have been attacked in Melbourne and Sydney.

India’s Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna on his visit to Australia today urged Australia to tighten educational regulations. Indian students in Australia have been lured to several Australian universities with misleading claims and questionable credentials and often promising prospects of permanent residency.

Australian Education Minister Julia Gillard has yet to take concrete steps to control or close down a single university that lacks international credentials.

Many vocational institutions have questionable educational practices and are acting as mere front to lure students with misleading claims and high fees.

Australian education is the third choice for most international students and for many students in China and India.

U.S. and Canada are the first choices for most international students from China and India followed by universities in Europe and UK.

Many students in India and Hong Kong that we spoke to considered applying to Australia only when they failed to secure student visas to the North America and Europe.