All about a fair go

PREETI JABBAL reports on the work undertaken by the overseas students network support centre in Melbourne

Is Australia the right choice for Indian/ International students? In his recent trip to India, Premier John Brumby assured everyone that it certainly is, however, the 1500 calls received by a newly formed overseas student’s support network belies the claim that things are entirely satisfactory with Australia’s international education sector.

Rob Palmer Executive Director of OSSNA claims to be inundated with calls from students after an article on OSSNA, written by Sushi Das, was published in The Age recently. OSSNA also came into the limelight for supporting the case of Jaspreet Kaur, an Indian student who is seeking deferment from a private college in Melbourne.

According to reports Jaspreet Kaur, 24, arrived in Australia in April this year to study information technology. She paid in advance for the first two terms of the course. She says she discovered she was pregnant after two weeks of starting her course, and then fell ill with what was later diagnosed as a recurrence of malaria. She was only able to attend for a few weeks and switched to patisserie cooking for the second term when she found the IT course too tough, and paid a further fee for equipment and the next term of the new course.

Jaspreet and OSSNA claim that her Institute was more interested in the $7000 worth of fees she has paid, rather than her welfare. But the college claims she should have sought a deferment earlier, and they started the process of reporting her to immigration for non-attendance as per their standard procedure. The Immigration department asked Jaspreet to seek deferment from her course, however her college rejected her initial appeal for deferment.

Jaspreet and her husband Kulwinder Singh are keen to go back to India so that Jaspreet can have the baby and receive treatment for her recurring fever, however, without a deferment she could lose her student place and risk having her visa cancelled, besides being banned from returning for three years. Jaspreet’s college has since confirmed a deferment of nine days and Jaspreet was expected to resume classes by 28/09. At the time this report was written, the matter was still under dispute.

“There are many stories of discontent amongst the International student population here in Australia. Countless overseas students fleeced by offshore agents and unscrupulous local private college operators Students are commonly tricked and ripped off. Some are placed in courses they did not enrol for, and threatened with deportation if they refuse to pay extra money or pay in advance,” informed Tess Lawrence, journalist and advocate who recently joined OSSNA as a consultant.

OSSNA was incorporated in May this year, soon after the much-publicized spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia. “At OSSNA we provide information and advice to the students who approach us and we liaise with immigration department, colleges, ombudsmen etc in an attempt to reconcile these issues” she added.

Rob and Tess shared their concerns about several issues that they have come across. According to them, besides shonky operators the key issues for international students include concerns about social inclusion, safety and accommodation. Vitoria holds the record for on a rotational basis. A place in St Albans was reported to have 38 students using the same facilities. The place has since been closed down. Safety is another concern, according to Robert; there are still colleges that will not pass muster if they were scrutinized carefully for their emergency/evacuation procedures. These colleges are in breach of section 9B, which is a regulation in place by the Government to ensure safety of the premises. “Some students I spoke to did not even know what a fire drill was, leave alone having participated in one,” said Tess. “Some thought I was talking about a Black and Decker drill,” said Rob.

Then there is the issue of social inclusion. Many students feel isolated without a support network. Students come here with expectations that are not always met. Jobs are not easy to come by, there are several instances where they are underpaid or overworked. Robert recounts an incident of a student from Punjab who worked in a restaurant owned by another Indian. He complained that his employer did not pay him his full wages if he did not smile at the customers. Incidents like these are rampant and unfortunately students are not aware of their

“At OSSNA we are looking at induction programs of about 41 colleges, not to be critical of them but instead, to make sure every aspect is covered appropriately. We don’t expect colleges to become ‘nanny colleges’ but there are still 10% of colleges who are not doing a lot of things to enhance the student’s experience. The other 90% are fine, however, these irresponsible 10% are letting the whole lot down,” claimed

OSSNA’s operations are largely voluntary according to Rob. OSSNA charges a one-off membership fee of 250 dollars or a fee of $50 for online support only. According to its website, OSSNA offers a range of services from immigration advice to helping students switch courses and colleges, a job placement network and support to address financial difficulties and emergencies.

“At OSSNA we want to promote all that is good about Australian Education and Training. It’s all about a fair go for everyone,” said Rob Palmer. “I walk the students through just as a friend not as an agent, nor as a lawyer. We don’t offer legal advice at OSSNA. We inform students about their rights and make sure they know that rights come with responsibilities” he said.

As an independent organisation OSSNA is perfectly positioned as an unbiased intermediary to serve the international student community. Hopefully they will be unbound by any political or commercial agenda and be as effective as they claim.