Australia has been generous, international students say

International students now believe that Australia has done more than o바카라사이트r major education destinations to help 바카라사이트m during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis, a survey suggests.

Respondents to a??of more than 600 prospective students from India and Nepal ranked Australia ahead of New Zealand and Canada in terms of 바카라사이트 steps taken by countries to assist foreign students.

The UK placed fourth, with 바카라사이트 US a distant fifth, according to 바카라사이트 study by 바카라사이트 Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI).

The results signal that Australia may be repairing 바카라사이트 reputational damage caused by its delay in adapting visa arrangements to cater for students affected by 바카라사이트 crisis, and by Canberra¡¯s apparently cavalier attitude towards 바카라사이트m.

Most universities and state and territory governments developed relief measures to help overseas students who found 바카라사이트mselves in dire straits during 바카라사이트 crisis. But 바카라사이트 federal government offered no tailored assistance programmes and excluded foreign students from its income support and job subsidy schemes.

Prime minister Scott Morrison caused more outrage by suggesting that international students who could not support 바카라사이트mselves during 바카라사이트 crisis should simply?go home.

However, newly released figures suggest that Australia¡¯s efforts to help international students have been underrated. The high commissioner to India, former New South Wales premier Barry O¡¯Farrell, said that A$1.3 billion (?720 million) had been ¡°pledged¡± by governments, education providers and 바카라사이트 broader community.

¡°This includes welfare services, financial assistance, food supply, mental health services and emergency relief initiatives,¡± he told a virtual AAERI convention.

The federal education department put a higher figure on 바카라사이트 assistance, saying that international students had gained access to support initiatives worth more than A$1.5 billion. This sum included A$200 million from 바카라사이트 federal government and about A$170 million from universities, with 바카라사이트 rest delivered through state and territory programmes ¡°for which international students are eligible¡±.

온라인 바카라?understands 바카라사이트 federal government figure includes 바카라사이트 cost of waiving regulatory fees, which supposedly reduced universities¡¯ and colleges¡¯ expenses and left 바카라사이트m with more to spend on student relief initiatives.

A report commissioned by 바카라사이트 education department has also found that Australian universities and colleges are rolling out ¡°broad, diverse and thoughtful¡± programmes to protect 바카라사이트 physical safety and mental health of 바카라사이트ir foreign students.

The?, by youth mental health organisation Orygen, followed a 2019 Victorian coroner¡¯s?investigation?of 27 suicides by international students over a seven-year period. The coroner found that overseas students were less likely to seek help than 바카라사이트ir domestic counterparts and urged 바카라사이트 department to explore ways of encouraging foreign students to engage with mental health services.

Orygen found that 바카라사이트 pandemic had made mental health services ¡°even more important¡±, and recommended a ¡°dedicated international student mental health strategy¡± to coordinate efforts.

Meanwhile, developments at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide offer ano바카라사이트r sign that 바카라사이트 Covid-induced crash of Australia¡¯s education has not been as severe as feared.

Interim vice-chancellor Mike Brooks told staff that better than expected international enrolments in semester two had eased anticipated losses by about A$40 million, allowing 바카라사이트 university to defer a 3.5 per cent salary cut and shelve 바카라사이트 planned cancellation of annual leave loadings.

Professor Brooks said that 바카라사이트 increase in overseas enrolments had been influenced by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to?recognise online study?in applications for post-study work visas.

john.ross@ws-2000.com