Australia gets poor score on international students: By Royce Millar and Ben Schneiders
Guilherme Sena, a hospitality student and chef from Brazil, is among thousands of foreigners stranded in Australia with no access to direct assistance from the federal government.CREDIT:SCOTT MCNAUGHTON
Source: The Age
Australia is risking its standing as a $40 billion education destination because of lack of support for international students stranded by the coronavirus pandemic, experts warn.
Analysis commissioned by the federal government shows some countries have provided much more support to international students during the coronavirus pandemic.
The analysis, obtained by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, details how Britain, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland have backed international students in hardship, including through access to government welfare – some paying close to $600 a week – and through flexibility on visas.
In Australia, international students are not eligible for federal welfare or JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments. The main federal assistance has been through allowing students to access superannuation, and for those employed in health, aged and disability care to work more hours.
How Australia compares to other countries in its treatment of international students through the pandemic
Increasingly, state governments have stepped in to help international students, with Victoria on Tuesday announcing a $1100 one-off payment to those who have lost income because of COVID-19.
In a statement, the Victorian government noted many students had “fallen through the cracks of federal government programs – unable to access the support they need to support themselves”.
The international comparisons have fuelled concern that Australia may be trashing its almost $40 billion international education industry and its reputation as a country that welcomes and supports international students and workers.
In a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, seen by The Age and SMH, the NSW government’s International Education Advisory Board last week pleaded for federal assistance for international students and warned of an “emerging public health and humanitarian risk”.
“If we fail to support them (international students) in their time of need, the international education sector, and Australia’s international standing, will suffer lasting reputational damage,” wrote advisory board chairman Stephen Cartwright.
The International Education Association of Australia is also pressing for greater federal support.
“Our key competitor study destination countries are showing far more generosity of spirit than Australia,” chief executive Phil Honeywood said.
“Australia is compromising the recovery of this industry while showing many of our neighbouring countries that we have little regard for the wellbeing of their young people.”
Many international students have lost part-time or casual jobs as as result of the pandemic, and are struggling to pay fees, rent, and even buy food.
Brazilian hospitality student and chef Guilherme Sena started working casual shifts in a new restaurant when coronavirus hit and ravaged Australia’s hospitality industry.
Now, like so many, he is out of work, without an income, and fearful for the future. He has some savings but they are dwindling fast. Returning to Brazil is not a realistic option.
Mr Sena shares a house in Northcote with three other hospitality workers. They have told their real estate agent they may not be able to pay rent.
He said it seemed unfair that international students who worked hard and contributed to the Australian economy were not entitled to some assistance. “This country sees students as a business. We are good for the economy. We also pay taxes and spend our money here like everyone else.”
Australia’s treatment of its more than 650,000 international students has been controversial, especially after the government told them to “go home” if they were unable to support themselves through the pandemic.
In March the government announced that $200 million would be provided to charities and community organisations to help with emergency and food relief. The package was promoted as being for “vulnerable Australians” but international workers and students are eligible.
Some states and territories have announced their own support packages and most universities are offering assorted emergency relief.
To date the Australian government has resisted calls from states, territories, councils and education lobbies for a national hardship fund for international students and for better federal coordination and promotion of the limited support available.
By contrast, international students in Britain are eligible for payments of up to 80 per cent of their usual wage under a special Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and in Canada assistance of up to $A580 a week for up to 16 weeks is available.
New Zealand international students are covered by a wage subsidy of up to $569, and in the Republic of Ireland by a special Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Britain and New Zealand have also been more flexible than Australia with visas, including offering free visa extensions to students unable to return to their home countries.
But other countries, including the United States and Japan, offer minimal, if any, assistance.
The Council of International Students Australia has called on the Morrison government to better coordinate and promote the assistance that is available.
“Like other countries we need to come up with a clear statement and package saying that ‘this is what Australia is giving international students’,” the council’s national president, Ahmed Ademoglu, said.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan wants Victoria to reopen schools before May 11.CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the government was working with the education sector to minimise the impact of the pandemic.
“We are aware that like the rest of the Australian and global community the university sector is not immune from the financial impact of the virus and that it covers a breadth of people within its communities including professional staff, academics, casual staff, domestic students, and international students,” Mr Tehan said.
Home Affairs data shows that the number of student visa holders in Australia peaked at almost 652,500 in October 2019, up 34 per cent from three years earlier.
