No more cash cows

Hundreds of international and domestic students rallied on 2 Sept demanding immediate action by the New South Wales and the federal governments on a host of educational issues including travel concessions.

A number of Indian students who joined the march, stressed the need for stringent action against colleges and universities that exploited students and demanded strict regulation on the quality of education in Australia. This call follows the recent closure of a few colleges including the Sterling College that left nearly 600 students, mostly Indians, in the lurch.

The rally coincides with Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard’s visit to India, where, according to media reports, she has assured Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, that Australia is taking steps to ensure Indian and international students’ safety.

The student protesters called on the government to re-establish travel concessions for international students on par with their domestic peers, stop racist attacks and exploitation, provide safe and affordable accommodation, cap education fees and release students in detention for breaching visa conditions.

Students from a plethora of private and vocational colleges marched from the University of Sydney up to the NSW Parliament House, stopping only at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) on the way.

faced by international students and said granting travel concessions was a first step in resolving many student woes.

Addressing students outside the Parliament House, Federal Greens Senator Sarah HansonYoung, said, “I believe education is a right. We need to see students’ support improved. I am calling on the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister immediately. However, in due course, students will have access to much more information on their own and hopefully will not have to depend completely on agents to decide for them,” Singh added.

When asked if the workshop was a result of the recent allegations of racial abuse by Indian students, Kerkyasharian remarked, “I don’t know if it is a result of that or not. Obviously there is a lot of public discussion and it is one of the issues that came out of the meeting the Premier had with Indian community leaders.”

Student representatives from the Sydney campus of the Sterling College that shut down recently were also present at the workshop. “Nearly 25 days have passed since the college shut down and we are yet seeking answers on our next course of action,” said Hardeep Kaur, a former student from the college. “We are all so frustrated as we spent so much money to come here. We are just waiting for a decision on the issue”.

“I think this workshop is beneficial and will hopefully help prospective students, if not us,” added a dejected Kaur.

The Commission is trying to assist students from the college access pro-bono legal support and has also provided its office for their use.

The CRC had also held a major forum for international students from India on June 18 at the Parramatta RSL. The forum was a platform for the students, state and commonwealth government agency representatives, business owners and Australian Indian community members to discuss concerns relating to the students and collectively formulate measures.

Preeti Kannan

of Education to have an agreement on a national

“We know international students have had a raw deal from Australia. Julia Gillard is in India today. We need to see her come back and do something and the first step would be a national concessions card,” added the Senator.

Hardeep Kaur, a former student at the Sterling College, also addressed students and urged the government to press ‘criminal charges’ against academic institutions like her own and crackdown on unscrupulous agents, who take

“Nearly 600 students and 35 staff have been left high and dry by the Sterling College after increasing fees by 40 per cent. We were given a 28-day deadline for the issue to be resolved. We are now past that deadline and nothing has been done,” alleged an angry Kaur, demanding that the affected students be immediately transferred to other colleges, their fees reimbursed and academic transcripts be returned. She added they were not ‘cash cows’ and education stakeholders should stop exploiting and discriminating against international students, as many had taken exorbitant loans to study

Students, on the other hand, shouted slogans in an attempt to ‘shame’ the government in to action and signed a petition to stop the discrimination against international students.

Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) was one of the organisations, along with other college associations across NSW, that helped mobilise students for the rally.