Australian Counsellor for Education in China reveals the real reasons for the closure of private colleges.

From the end of 2009 to the beginning of 20 10, negative news in Australia continued. After the collapse of private schools, international students were attacked again, and the signal of tightening the skilled migration policy followed. Is Australia still a hot spot for studying abroad? How should international students deal with this series of tightening policies? 65438+ 10 17, at the 25th anniversary celebration of Kai Tak Education and the official New Deal conference, Pei Yuting, Education Counselor of the Australian Embassy in China, was interviewed by reporters on relevant hot issues.

● The first question

At the end of last year, many private schools in Australia closed down. Will this wave of bankruptcy last until 20 10? What negative effects will it bring to studying in Australia?

A: The collapse of colleges and universities is caused by excessive expansion, and the quality of education is still guaranteed.

Pei Yuting: Some private colleges closed down, not because the quality of the courses they offered was not up to standard, but because they were poorly managed, or their scale expanded too fast and their capital investment was insufficient. In fact, Australia has very strict regulations on the educational quality assurance of institutions that recruit overseas students. Private schools will be disqualified from teaching courses once they find that they fail to meet the prescribed educational standards.

In terms of ensuring the quality of education and protecting the rights and interests of students, this is not bad news, but good news-Australia has done better than any other country in protecting the rights and interests of international students. If the institutions where international students study are closed, students can choose to transfer to other schools to continue their studies only by registering with the relevant departments of the Australian government, or ask for a refund of tuition fees through the Australian Student Registration Guarantee Scheme or the Overseas Student Education Service Act Guarantee Fund Scheme.

At present, the closure of private schools has not affected the number of international students in Australia, and the number of international students who choose to study in Australia has not declined. According to relevant data, the total number of international students studying in Australia is still growing strongly.

In addition, the Australian government is currently reviewing and amending the Overseas Students Education Service Act 2000, which will ensure limited protection for international students through the national legal framework and set strict industry standards for educational institutions that recruit overseas students to teach. The government also requires all institutions offering courses for overseas students to complete strict re-registration procedures by the end of next year. Institutions that do not meet the new registration requirements will not be allowed to recruit overseas students.

Pei Yuting: Some private colleges closed down, not because the quality of the courses they offered was not up to standard, but because they were poorly managed, or their scale expanded too fast and their capital investment was insufficient. In fact, Australia has very strict regulations on the educational quality assurance of institutions that recruit overseas students. Private schools will be disqualified from teaching courses once they find that they fail to meet the prescribed educational standards.

In terms of ensuring the quality of education and protecting the rights and interests of students, this is not bad news, but good news-Australia has done better than any other country in protecting the rights and interests of international students. If the institutions where international students study are closed, students can choose to transfer to other schools to continue their studies only by registering with the relevant departments of the Australian government, or ask for a refund of tuition fees through the Australian Student Registration Guarantee Scheme or the Overseas Student Education Service Act Guarantee Fund Scheme.

At present, the closure of private schools has not affected the number of international students in Australia, and the number of international students who choose to study in Australia has not declined. According to relevant data, the total number of international students studying in Australia is still growing strongly.

In addition, the Australian government is currently reviewing and amending the Overseas Students Education Service Act 2000, which will ensure limited protection for international students through the national legal framework and set strict industry standards for educational institutions that recruit overseas students to teach. The government also requires all institutions offering courses for overseas students to complete strict re-registration procedures by the end of next year. Institutions that do not meet the new registration requirements will not be allowed to recruit overseas students.

● The second question

The recent attacks on Indian students have once again aroused people's concern about the safety of studying abroad. Is Australia still a safe country to study abroad? What effective measures will be taken to ensure the safety of international students?

A: The attack on international students is a case, and the Australian side has stepped up its police force to ensure safety.

Pei Yuting: The Australian government and people are also deeply shocked by the recent violence against overseas students and strongly condemn it. These attacks are isolated criminal cases, and the police are taking action to arrest the suspects as soon as possible.

The Australian government attaches great importance to maintaining Australia's reputation as a safe destination for studying abroad and will never tolerate any discrimination or infringement on international students.

In fact, Australia is considered excellent in having basic security. It has long been recognized that Australian campuses and communities provide a safe environment for international students to live, study and grow up. In 2008, there were more than 430,000 international students studying in Australia. Inevitably, so many students come to another country, and a small number of them will encounter different accidents for various reasons. As a popular destination for international students, Australia is no exception.

At present, the police have also strengthened additional police forces-especially in Melbourne and Sydney-and police patrols can be seen at any time in areas with security risks. Most university campuses have strengthened 24-hour security patrols.

In addition, the education offices of the Embassy and Consulate of China in Australia are working with the Ministry of Education of China to prepare a student safety guide for China students in Australia. The guide will provide information on personal safety and emergency rescue for international students in China. Every student studying in Australia will have a tour guide when he gets a visa. At the same time, this guide will also be distributed to all legal study agents registered in China-to ensure that all China students have fully understood the ways to protect their personal safety when they come to Australia.

I believe Australia is still a safe country. As safe as 10 years ago or even 15 years ago.

● The third question

Australia has introduced a series of new policies on skilled migration, which has generally tightened skilled migration. What do you think of this? Will it affect the enthusiasm and plans of overseas students in China?

Answer: The relationship between immigration policy and educational courses is indirect, so students should not choose courses through immigration bonus points.

Pei Yuting: Australia's economy developed well in 2009 and was relatively unaffected by the global financial crisis in 2008. We can see sustained economic growth and rising employment rate; In some industries and regions, people are discussing the shortage of skilled workers in important economic fields and the demand for more professionals.

The new policy of Australian industry appraisal institutions will ensure that those who come to Australia to study skills in short supply have the opportunity to gain long-term development in their industries, thus recruiting talents. This policy allows graduates to gain 65,438+02 months of paid work experience in Australia, helping them better meet the requirements related to work experience when applying for skilled immigrants, better start their careers and integrate into Australian society. We think this is a more practical and attractive way to immigrate to Australia.

We want to tell parents and students that they chose to study in Australia, and it will be several years before graduation. At that time, no one could guarantee that Australia's immigration policy would be the same as it is now. Australia's skilled migration policy reflects the current needs of employers, and its connection with education courses is only indirect. Jobs in Australia that are currently in short supply may not be in short supply after one year. Therefore, students should choose courses according to their own career vision, not according to the factors of extra points for immigrants.

Similarly, students should not take obtaining permanent residency as the main goal of studying in Australia. Students should choose courses within the framework of Australia's world-class education system according to their future career development plan.

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The number of China students studying in Australia reached 6.5438+0.5 million.

According to Pei Yuting, in fiscal year 2008-2009, China issued about 35,000 student visas. Among them, the number of student visa applications in Guangdong ranks first in China, accounting for 10% of the total number of student visa applications in China. As of June, 2009, 5438+065438+ 10, the total number of China students studying various courses in Australian universities exceeded150,000, with a year-on-year increase of 18.6%. Among them, the enrollment of higher education and vocational education and training has increased substantially. Pei Yuting said that it is expected that the number of China students studying in Australia will continue to maintain this growth momentum in 20 10 and in the future.

Regarding the changes in the 20 10 study abroad policy in Australia, he said that the current study abroad policy has not changed significantly except for the appropriate adjustment of the minimum living expenses for Australian visas.