Australia set for reduced International student numbers

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations' President, Mr McKay, and the International Students Officer, Ms Tufvesson, are in agreement that the mounting dissatisfaction amongst international students will lead to a reduction in their numbers in Australia in the future.

It is particularly the factors of student travel concessions, exorbitant compulsory public education fees for dependents, enforced private primary health cover and employment restrictions, which cause the most discontent.

Ms Tufvesson informed that states tend to alter federal and international legislation in ways that limit international students in manners that gravely affect their time in Australia.

A CAPA paper on these issues was published in 2002 and the results show that the implications differ among international students depending upon the country they originate from.

There is an economic and intellectual promotion of "developed" affluence and furthering of "developing" poverty taking place, said Ms Tufvesson.

Additionally, Ms Tufvesson claims that the minimal access international students have to justice also legitimates violations of their Human Rights. The recent bid to further erode HREOC's jurisdiction will worsen an already bad situation.

Ms Tufvesson said that there are particular misconceptions about international students as wealthy and selectively privileged in Australia, and by individual states.

Financial backlashes and international boycotting of Australian higher institutions of learning can be expected, said Ms Tufvesson.

It could very well be, she said, that the consequences of what might be intended as ingenious economic income strategies for Australia turn out to be more like the proverbial snake consumptively biting its own tail.