There are complaints when it is less, and also when it is more. To say the least, Australian authorities are not happy in any form. What we are about to elaborate on in this article will clear the mist as to why we are making such a statement, and pointing someone at it.
Recently, an Australian university has been cornered by the country’s higher education watchdog blaming inappropriate means for enrolling international students. It has been blamed for being soft in its recruitment practices and having low standards for admissions.
What raised the alarm bells for the standards agency was the rapid increase in enrolments. Since it enrolled more international students than usual, an issue has been raised that it did not utilise appropriate measures to recruit international students.
More Admissions Attract More Scrutiny
Torrens has been blamed for offering huge discounts to international students and it has attracted a significant number of students towards it. Torrens’ tactics are not liked by some public institutions in the region. These are the ones who have raised the hue and cry and have accused Torrens of malpractice. They feel that Torrens has stolen international students from them.
An allegation that is worth noting here is that the high visa refusal rate in recent times has been because of the “corrupt behaviour” pinpointing India as one of the markets where it is happening. Torrens has also been blamed for its sales staff deciding on student admissions. In the first place, how does such inside information as to who is making admission decisions in a university get into the hands of outsiders? Those who are putting up the allegations are more interested in what others are doing than mending their own business.
Something difficult to digest is that accusers are specifically blaming India for this. Given that a large number of students heading for Australia are from Punjab (more than 40%) means they are directly being blamed for such practices. Hundreds of students from Punjab have moved to Australia on student visas and have settled there permanently. They have been contributing productively to the economy of the country for long.
Of late, Punjab and Haryana are under increased scrutiny from Australian authorities, and many universities have decided to not accept applications from these states. Those working in certain sectors have also been barred from studying in Australia. Here Australia needs to understand the basic employment structure of Punjab.
Understanding the Working Structure of Punjab
As per the last census, the population of Punjab is estimated to be 3.17 crores, of which the percentage of those employed in government jobs is only 1 per cent. The percentage of the total population that is employed in the agriculture sector is more than 4 per cent. The labour force engaged in economic activities stood at 40 per cent as per the current census, this means that the majority of the population is absorbed in the private sector.
A good percentage of the population that chooses to study abroad or in Australia is from the agriculture sector. Denying this population the right to study in Australia is a clear revocation of basic human rights. The reason for placing such a restriction is not specified, which as per our observation, is mostly likely associated with the uncertain earnings in the agriculture sector.
Admission Based on The State You Live In
The selection procedure of Australian universities has reached a new level; if we were to describe it, it would be nothing short of biased. They do not want to give admission to students coming from some states. So, now this means that if you want to study in Australia, you will have to change your state along with fulfilling other requirements.
This forces us to consider what the international students are getting in return after adhering to so many requirements. What is the actual reputation of Australian universities across the globe? If we take a look at the world university rankings for 2024, only six universities are in the top 100.
Australia is expecting so much from international students, that they have laid out several unreasonable requirements such as not accepting students from particular states and those who have income from particular sources. Looks like their complete focus is on pointing at others, even though their universities are moving down in the ranking. Australia should be thankful that so many students from India still prefer to head there.
Australia should look at the United States and other countries whose universities rank consistently among the top, yet they are not as picky in giving admission to international students. For the most part, they have never laid out worldly conditions on your place of residence or your income source. Other countries are only concerned about the merits of students and that the source of income is legible.
Offshore Agents Another Easy Target to Blame
In its madness to blame others, Australia needs to remember who is beneficial and is making efforts to recruit international students. We are talking about offshore agents who are scanning the local area to find legible students, preparing them to fit into the new education system and helping them move overseas. After going through all this, they have to push themselves to meet the targets set by Australian universities or they may lose their representation.
Yet, after passing through this tumultuous path, they are being blamed for the rising visa rejection rate. In essence, it is the onshore agents who are manipulating things and putting in the least amount of effort to recruit international students. Australia rarely questions the working of onshore agents, putting the sole credit for things going wrong on offshore agents.
Moreover, history suggests that the challenges students face are often attributed to onshore agents rather than offshore agents. Offshore agents play a crucial role as partners in promoting international education in Australia. Do you want fair education? Talk to immigration consultants in Chandigarh.
The Takeaway
It’s accurate to say that quotas have been in place for various things for ages in India, and Australia is no exception. Australia has lost its focus in its effort to make the international education system more efficient. In place of correcting the shortcomings that it has found, it has resorted to blaming others, including students, and the offshore agents. All the efforts are directed towards correcting them rather than mending their ways.
