'Australian International Education Climate' appears turbulent

Australian international education is facingthe current situation described as "a perfect storm". This is the result of a host of negative factors for Australian education all operating at the same time. 

Of course, the global financial crisis, which has weakened has demand because parents and students have found themselves under financial stress. 

The weakening American dollar - and strengthening Aussie dollar - has made Australia more expensive while, at the same time, America has become a less expensive destination for foreign students.Students, particularly those from China, students who would have formerly come to Australia are now choosing to study in the USA. Because of the financial crisis, American universities have become more interested in attracting fee-paying international students. 

Indeed, they are now using IDP, the marketing agency originally founded by Australian universities, to compete with Australia. They are also employing other agents; in many cases, the same agents used by Australian universities. 

The fees at many American state universities are lower than Australian Counterparts. The US government is helping universities by relaxing visa requirements and greatly speeding up visa processing times. The UK, the second most popular study destinationafter the USA, has also freed up its visa system and it also makes visa decisions faster than we do in Australia. 

Australia is also suffering from the terrible publicity surrounding attacks on Indian students, the collapse of private providers (which sometimes leaves students stranded and out of pocket) and the just completed review of the ESOS Act, which gives the impression that Australian education has been poorly regulated. Not surprisingly, many agents have lost confidence in Australian education, preferring to send students to the USA and UK instead. 

Alas, this is not the end of our problems. The Australian government surprised and worried international students by cancelling the old list of occupations acceptable for immigration and then, after several months of uncertainty, replacing the list with a new and much smaller one. Students are now worried that the rules may change again. 

While our competitors are relaxing their visa requirements, the Australian government has tightened ours requiring Chinese students (who make up one-third of higher education enrolments) to show that they have $18,000 in the bank for every year of proposed study. 

All this factors are creating a stormy environment in which Australian education will definetly suffer. 

Courtesy onlineopinion.com.au

Right Approach is the key to ‘Learn English’.

During the last few decades, English has acquired a powerful hotseat in communication throughout the world .All over the world people from different nationalities and communities communicate in English.In India, there has been a quiet ubiquitous rise in the awareness among the people for learning english, but what has been the final result out? Let’s see.

During the last so many years I have experienced as a faculty hearing many cases from my colleagues(since I am just a faculty for Mathematics) and even from my friends, that the students do want to learn English but they lack a zeal to learn it.An interesting  fact is  that many students leave within few weeks after joining the classes unable to speak the English fluently and condemning the teachers for it.

What do you think ? You want to learn English within 3 months something which contains more than 8,00,000 words and the most vast grammar.
 

The language which can be moulded to write a poetic paragraph or to command conversation with a firm tone cannot be easily put into your blood so easily.The core of the issue is that no body understands that it takes years to develop a sound reasonable mind to start speaking a new language.They try to compete with those who speak very well but they forget that they are not learning from last three months rather they have been using it from last 3 years and watching those genuine news channels unlike others who watch those idiotic soap operas , talk in local language all over the day and come to class and expect the teacher to spoon feed them or put a chip in their brain , so that they start immediately.

No body wants to push himself or herself hard to practice and learn the language.

My dear fellows it takes years to be a master of something.Ok  you can be given a good initial start by the teacher but not the brain which he or she has.I will be ultimately you who will have to memorise the words, learn the language from it’s roots, develop the creative ways to deliver the language ,develop an analytical approach to find the reasons where to use what and how, avoiding the misleading people in the market who are using wrong English sometimes.
 

Then only you will be able to put yourself on right track and lead this process of learning for the nest few years until you become a very good conversationalist.
 

That is the reality of learning a language.The more you avoid this fact , the more you are trying to deceive yourself mentally.If anybody says that you can become a master in few days or weeks or months is a deceiver in his profession or a fool but the one who simply believes such people is the biggest fool.Isn’t it ?

Think over it.

Australia tries 'Wooing' back students

A welcome desk has been established for Indian and other international students at the airport at Melbourne airport as declared by Australian government official.

Victorian Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation Bronwyn Pike said that students will receive a warm welcome at the International Student Welcome Desk located in the arrivals hall at Melbourne International Airport. 

"A team of local volunteers will now be at the desk during peak arrival times to hand out welcome packs to international students arriving inMelbourne, with information on living, working and studying in Victoria."

"Information and advice about housing and consumer rights will also be provided to international students upon their arrival at Melbourne airport," a statement quoted Pike as saying. 

Australia is trying to woo international students after its image was battered following a string of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney. The assaults have already strained relations between New Delhi and Canberra. 

Pike said the government will provide an Aus $2.7 million support and information package over four years for international students as part of the Aus$14 million 'Thinking Global: Victoria's Action Plan for International Education'. 

The airport welcome desk is open during a four-week period when most international students arrive in Victoria to prepare for the start of the education year. 

courtesy indiaedunews.net

USA needs Higher Education Students, Marketing and Quality

SCORES of cash-strapped US state universities are preparing to open their doors to foreign undergraduates, posing a serious challenge for Australian universities, as declared by US Study centre chief Geoff Garrett.

Another issue for Australian international education sector which is under focus for restriction of migration pathways , increased student visa financial requirements, student welfare, perceived racism and associated shortfalls in marketing of international education,and the high Australian dollar has made Australia much less competitive.Now this can be a real challenge to Australia’s ELICOS, university preparation and under graduate market in India, China and other Asian markets.

British students agitate for teaching quality. HUNDREDS of Manchester University engineering students have become the latest British undergraduates to stage a revolt against poor-quality teaching.
Predictable, if you charge fees students,clients, users or stakeholders demand a service as opposed to turning a blind eye. 
The number don’t add up in maths class. AUSTRALIA has a numeracy problem and they are not addressing it. TAFE(largest vocational education and training provider in Australia ) can help meet participation target. VICTORIA is being urged to create a fund for TAFE to finance delivery of degree programs with universities.

Universities suffering from decreasing international enrolments would surely be tempted to cooperate on degrees with TAFE. And It is good for TAFE sector with its resources to deliver degrees with practical internships, in addition to pathways.