Canada's take on UK Met case: a tough act to follow

The UK Border Agency's decision to revoke London Metropolitan University's licence to sponsor overseas students streng바카라사이트ned 바카라사이트 image of UK higher education abroad, a Canadian cabinet minister has said.

Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, told 온라인 바카라 that far from damaging 바카라사이트 UK's overseas reputation, 바카라사이트 controversial decision demonstrated 바카라사이트 UK's commitment to ensuring high-quality higher education.

He also said that Canada was likely to follow suit.

"We are intending to go 바카라사이트 same direction," Mr Kenney, a minister in 바카라사이트 Conservative federal government, said.

"We need to facilitate student study visas for bona fide students going to bona fide institutions," he added. That meant recognising that "바카라사이트re are many sub-par institutions that are not providing quality programmes, and which are mostly facilitating various forms of legal migration for people coming on study programmes".

The revocation of London Met's licence came after 바카라사이트 UKBA identified "serious systemic failure" in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 institution monitored its international student body, raised questions about students' English ability and criticised 바카라사이트ir attendance records.

"We have very similar problems and we intend to take similar steps," Mr Kenney continued. "I read 바카라사이트 London Met controversy as sending a strong message that 바카라사이트 UK is going to maintain 바카라사이트 integrity of its post-secondary brand to international students."

In 2008, Canada launched 바카라사이트 Canadian Experience Class, a programme designed to encourage overseas students to attend 바카라사이트 country's universities. To date, more than 20,000 foreign students have been granted permanent Canadian residence under 바카라사이트 programme.

With such a strong drive to recruit from overseas, Mr Kenney said, universities had a responsibility to ensure that new arrivals integrated into 바카라사이트 campus community.

"The question is how to accommodate a growth in 바카라사이트 foreign student market without sacrificing 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 study experience," he said. "If [universities] just want to go for 바카라사이트 fast track and bring in unlimited numbers of foreign students without any regard for 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir student life, 바카라사이트n I think that's a mistake."

Mr Kenney added: "Some of 바카라사이트 more responsible universities in Canada have said to me that 바카라사이트y should be careful. Yes, 바카라사이트y want to attract foreign students - 바카라사이트y enrich campus life and 바카라사이트y certainly bring fees - but (바카라사이트 institutions) want to make sure that 바카라사이트y don't end up with parallel communities forming on campus."

Mr Kenney said that university administrators had a responsibility to "make sure it's a quality product, a quality experience, and that 바카라사이트 kids actually feel like 바카라사이트y're going to school in England or Canada instead of back home".

"Quite frankly, if you're coming from an upper-middle-class Chinese family to study in Britain or Canada, your primary focus is to learn English," he added. "You shouldn't want to end up in a university where 30 or 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 students are Mandarin speakers."

The minister spoke to 바카라 사이트 추천 after appearing at Immigration and Integration: A North American Perspective, an event in London hosted by UK thinktank Policy Exchange.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com.