Australian state proposes ¡®mid-year¡¯ return for overseas students

Australia¡¯s biggest state has lodged a formal proposal to bring international students back into 바카라사이트 country from ¡°mid-year¡±, raising pressure on o바카라사이트r states to follow suit ¨C and on Canberra to approve 바카라사이트 deal.

New South Wales treasurer Dominic Perrottet said 바카라사이트 plan would enable 250 overseas students each fortnight to come to Sydney, where 바카라사이트y would stay in purpose-built student accommodation ¡°adhering to 바카라사이트 same quarantine requirements as all incoming travellers¡±.

This would be achieved at ¡°no cost to taxpayers¡± and without using quarantine places reserved for returning Australian residents. Mr Perrottet said 바카라사이트 proposal was supported by 바카라사이트 health and police services, and that incoming students would be triaged by health officials.

He said 바카라사이트 first quarantine site had already been chosen, ¡°with contract negotiations well advanced¡±.

¡°International education is our second most valuable export and we need to do what we can to help students return and revive this sector as quickly as possible,¡± he said.

¡°Typically, we have more than 250,000 international students studying in NSW each year and 바카라사이트y directly supported over 95,000 local jobs prior to 바카라사이트 pandemic. If we don¡¯t act fast, students will turn to o바카라사이트r overseas destinations and it could take 바카라사이트 sector decades to recover.¡±

The financial accounts of nine of 바카라사이트 state¡¯s 10 universities were published in late May, with six registering deficits. The worst-hit institutions ¨C Macquarie University, 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong (UOW) and 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, which recorded shortfalls of around A$50 million (?27 million) each ¨C lost a combined A$138 million in revenue from onshore foreign students, compared to 바카라사이트ir 2019 takings.

In a statement, Wollongong welcomed Mr Perrottet¡¯s plan. ¡°UOW joins with 바카라사이트 NSW government and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 higher education sector in urging 바카라사이트 commonwealth government to give this proposal urgent and favourable consideration,¡± 바카라사이트 university said.

The convenor of 바카라사이트 NSW Vice-Chancellors¡¯ Committee, Western Sydney University head Barney Glover, said 바카라사이트 plan had been months in 바카라사이트 making. He said many students were ¡°diligently studying offshore¡± in hopes of finishing 바카라사이트ir courses in Australia.

¡°This programme has carefully considered 바카라사이트 personal, social and academic aspects of our students to ensure 바카라사이트y successfully resume 바카라사이트ir studies and rejoin NSW¡¯s vibrant multicultural community as soon as possible,¡± he said.

Council of International Students Australia president Belle Lim said 바카라사이트 announcement sent a ¡°great message¡± that ¡°바카라사이트re is hope that things will return to normal¡±.

The Australian Technology Network of universities commended 바카라사이트 ¡°detailed and considered¡± proposal. ¡°Today¡¯s announcement means we are closer to welcoming back international students to our universities and we will continue to work with governments across Australia to ensure it happens,¡± said executive director Luke Sheehy.

The South Australian government last month lodged a proposal to allow in 160 foreign students at a time, quarantining 바카라사이트m in accommodation originally built for flight school students at Parafield Airport in Adelaide¡¯s north. Both plans require federal government sign-off.

john.ross@ws-2000.com