Category Archives: International students

May 1 2012

Why IB (INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE) doesn’t fit into the INDIAN scheme of things?

Before you assume that I am opining that Indian year 12 boards especially the ISC to be better than IB, allow me to indicate in clear terms that I am not saying that at all. IB possibly is an advanced curriculum and superior program. The contention of this blog is to talk of IB’s suitability to India… Thats it. Read it and make your own decision.

I am often asked by parents on whether they should opt for a school that offers IB curriculum for their wards. This blog hence is an attempt to consider this question from an Indian perspective.

In Indian Schools that offer the IB Diploma, the curriculum steps in post the Year 10 Indian board. Hence it is safe to conclude that the students who take the Year 10 Indian board have studied in a different delivery model as compared to the IB. It should be easy for most to do this adjustment though can tell you that since it differs from the way many of us are taught through our earlier ten years, it will require some adjustments for some of us.

Many new schools that offer IB give an impression that it is easier to get admission into an Overseas University because of IB as compared to ISC. Having counselled students to overseas options for over 21 years now, I can tell you with full certainty that this is a mere perception only and not really backed by facts. There will only be a few (very few such as Cambridge) Universities and few (very few such as Medicine) courses at certain Universities around the world which may not accept the ISC or the CBSE. Let me also indicate that the admission to the US Universities are based more on the SAT than on the Year 12 board of exams. Hence an ISC student with good SAT has the same chance of getting into an US option as an IB student with the same SAT. ISC is well accepted around the world especially where the admission is based on Year 12 board results such as in UK or Australia or NZ or another commonwealth country. For the students who are still not sure, take a look at the website of a “Russell Group” UK University or “Group of Eight” Australian University and you will find the ISC percentage requirement and the IB Score requirement. Compare the two and some may even conclude that the ISC percentage required for admission to be more achievable for an Indian as compared to the IB score required for the same institution especially for an Indian student. (With a percentage of 85-90% in Indian Boards, one can get into most Engineering programs in Commonwealth Countries and is this % difficult to get for a student seeking Engineering!!! If you have 75-85%, most of them will still take you in through pathway options. Hence if this is not so difficult to get in, how does IB make it easier. For US all have to take the SAT.)

The acceptability of the IB Diploma for admission in India is also a huge issue. While the IB website indicates that AIU recognizes IB Diploma as equivalent to Indian Year 12 and also provides us with a copy of the document that states its equivalence, the AIU website still provides an equivalence document that doesnot list this. This can either be due to an un-updated AIU document but at the same time it is clear that the IB is not being given priority by AIU, enough for it to be listed along with other equivalent Year 12 qualifications from around the world. You take a look at the AIU equivalence document as provided on AIU website.

As an Indian student, you may still go by IB claim and accept it as equivalent. However, now comes the issue of acceptability by the various Universities in India. Most Schools that actively took up the IB program are coming to grasp with some cold realities.

  • Only a handful of Indian Colleges (not even all Colleges under an University) accept the IB. Where it is accepted too, there is no clear idea on the equivalence of IB score to the Indian board percentage. These colleges are primarily in Mumbai and some in Delhi. One of the Schools based in NCR provides a list of colleges that accepted the IB students in recent past and that list doesnot include even St Stephens which has possibly the more flexible of the entry requirements and which is aspired to by school leavers from elite schools.
  • In some cases even if the IB score is accepted, a student is looking at entry only a year later. The reason is that most Indian Colleges close their applications well before the IB results are declared. IB does indicate that there are predited scores provided to the students but doesnot indicate that most of the colleges in India donot accept the predicted scores.
  • The schools that offer the IB indicate that students should be able to take the IIT entrance as IB is acceptable. This is also mentioned on the FAQ on their websites. I wonder at this half information. Most IITs will want the final results to be in by June, I understand and this is not possible under IB system. Secondly, IB doesnot prepare the student in the way IIT or most Indian Engineering institutions admit the students and hence the chances of entry is poor and I am yet to come across a student who has joined an IIT after an IB board. It may be difficult after an ISC too but it is not impossible. With IB it seems closer to impossible.
  • The entrance exams to various options from Engineering to others happen in the month of May and IB exams clash with these dates. This is another reason for unsuitability of the IB for an Indian student.

Let me put out some posers…

  • Did you know that British Engineering Undergrad degrees which are of 3 years duration mayn’t be accepted by AIU to be equivalent to and Indian Engineering degree? You may consider taking a look at my earlier blog on this and also note the comments of the British Council that indicate that the situation “may” change in future.
  • Did you know that if you want to work as a Lawyer or Doctor in India, you rather do your first degree which is the eligible qualification in India? Post graduation can be overseas. Overseas qualification will pose a challenge with eligibility in these professions.
  • There are talks that the electoral reforms may mean that those contesting an election in India should be “at least” a Bachelors… This may mean that many of the current politicians who have undertaken 3 year Engineering degrees or degrees that resulted due to study partly in India and partly overseas and hence not the full 3 year of normal degree or 4 year of Engineering be considered as “not a Bachelors”. This poses and interesting situation with regards to degrees of elsewhere conducted elsewhere and their validity in India.
  • Diplomas in Hotel Management at top Hotel Schools worldwide that also offer an additional component of one year post the diploma that leads to a distance run Bachelors degree are also not considered as Bachelors by Indian guidelines.
  • And such equivalences are relevant even to those Indians who are not seeking a job back in India. Yes, even an entrepreneur who wants to set up a Petrol Pump in India (an example) needs an equivalence certificate to demonstrate that his Engineering degree is valid in India and there is a case that I am aware of that even after studying at a top University overseas he has not managed to get one.

It is hence important to refer to the AIU guidelines. Fair or Unfair, this is India.

One of the rationale given by elite schools in India in cajoling their students to opt for the IB curriculum is that it is very difficult to get into Indian top institutions due to low capacity with them and hence it is safe to opt for IB and then proceed on overseas. This is a damaging advise generally. Increasing Capacity of Indian Institutions: The capacities in India for Undergrad options are increasing. The number of IITs, IIITs, NIFTs… have increased and many of the new campuses have begun to admit students. Their quality will improve. There are reforms taking place in India that will give credence to the Year 12 board in Engineering entrance to IITs and reduce the focus for specialized coaching. Must add quickly that the coaching for admission tests are not likely to disappear but with increased requirement also for school percentage, it will decrease. This is the intent. Many of the colleges are also beginning to increase their capacity. For example, St Xaviers in Kolkata has started an evening session for B Com and hence in turn doubling the capacity. This works wonderfully in keeping the cut-offs in check. BIT Mesra has now offered non-Engineering degrees. Similarly there are some quality providers in private sector whose degree has been given equivalence by the AIU. Such as of Amity. Setting up of Universities of Technologies within several states have helped regulate a number of private institutions too and lift their standards. Happening already and the example are the various colleges under WBUT which did not exist a few years ago. More work is to be done but it is indeed the current focus. Don’t rule your Indian options out. Don’t assume that you will only be studying overseas for your undergrad when you are in Year 9 or 10. Maybe you will or maybe you will study overseas at the Postgrad level. This decision should be taken a little later. 

My summary comments:

ISC or CBSE are far preferable to an IB for an Indian student. All options in India are open for such a student while almost all options open internationally to IB students are also open to them. For admission to better US Universities, students from ISC or CBSE have to take the SAT and so do IB students. No differential. Some say that IB students take less time to undertake the degree overseas as they get credits. This is nothing but a marketing hype. The credits don’t ‘normally’ lead to less time. In some cases, students replace the credits with other subjects or other interests and I am told that boys from ISC and CBSE can also get the same credits if they claim the same. An Indian student who is planning his school education with the aim to study overseas thereafter is alright but one who is planning his school education knowing clearly that he may not be able to apply in India is making a huge mistake. For some students, the costs for overseas education means that it is considered only at the PG level. The cost for Undergraduate education overseas can be anywhere from Rs 50 Lakhs to Rs 1 crore and beyond which only a few families can budget. Others keep this saving for use at the Masters level. There are students who can afford this without much issue but I have not come across a school that clearly prepares the parents of boys in Year 10 for it in terms of this expected funding prior to selling the IB option to their boys. For all professional fields such as Engineering, Medicine, Law … it is far more advisable to keep the Indian options open at all times as these professions requires you to do the first degree in India or else you have to later clear screening requirements which is not easy. And the final thought that even with all planning it can happen that some emergencies or visa difficulties may lead to your plans for overseas education to be altered at the last moment and then you may have to consider doing your undergrad in India. I have seen it in reality. Hence, despite the fact that IB “may” be a better board and curriculum, ISC or CBSE are more suited for India and Indian students. Maybe it will all change in five years but at this time This is what I advise as a counsellor.

Mar 27 2012

Australian Streamlining implemented, Post Study Work detailed… imperfections continue to linger!

This is an interesting week indeed. I have also just returned to the chaos after spending a few weeks in Australia that allowed me to hear and share the viewpoints of several others in the industry…

Flashing the disclaimer of it remaining a “developing story”, both the concepts evolving out of the Knight recommendations are laudable and certainly aimed at propping up the languishing industry. It is certainly the caffeine that International Education wanted and now it’s the time for looking into the nuts and bolts of the details  since there are several anomalies that needs fixing before it is too late.

Streamlining “key” Anomalies:

With no template or prototype available to Universities, there are several approaches to the streamlining. This is a possible cause for some chaos.

The “grander” Universities believe that they donot need so many checks since “wrong students” donot come to them at all. This is possibly true to an extent since stricter entry requirements, stricter attendance norms and higher fees do work as a screening by itself. MY WORRY: It is possible that there may be some students who begin with the grander University to be able to get an easy visa and then change institutions… What is the insurance? Catching the agents will not be a good idea since the students can be exposed to other influences once they are on-shore and may find the studies easier or fees cheaper elsewhere…

Most Universities are working on redrafting their forms so that they can collect some financial commitments from the students and know on how the studies will be funded. This is totally in line with the requirement but MY WORRY: Some of the Universities want the financial sponsorship details along with the initial application when the student at that time is not even 100% sure that he will get in and/or he will choose this institution from the various other options that he has. This is a wrong move and will actually deter the applicants. The better idea is what some others are implementing… which is : The initial application doesnot ask financial details… The offer letter thus generated is conditional to financials and hence before the issue of eCOE, the University is able to satisfy itself.

A linked issue is with regards to checks and the role of agents or University’s contracted local staff. Who will take ownership to the genuineness of the applicant? Frankly, the agent alone should be asked to also sign a pre-verification-checklist prior to request for eCOE. Only the agent is in the position and also having the skill-set that is required for the verifications. I am of the firm view that the current skill-set of the local contracted staff of Universities is not suitable for verifications of documents at all while it might be fine for the other roles… Infact, my recent interactions with University senior staff surprised me that many Universities donot really know why they have an Indian office… A clarity will not just help them but will help the staff and also the agent. With hardly any market left in B level cities and hardly any paper applications in the system now… the only area that comes to my mind as a ground for having a local staff is to enable out-reach activities and institutional linkages. To ensure that this happens, one would need the right qualification and skill-set though. Also remember that most Universities have already pruned their agent lists and there are only a few agents left for the recruitment staff to work with. The student numbers for Australia is also about 10% of what it was two years ago and though growing, not likely to reach the 2008-09 level ever again.

Post Study Work Anomalies:

There is a recent FAQ on PSW on the immigration website. it clearly indicates that students graduating and applying for PSW must have studied for 2 academic years (92 wks CRICOS completed in a minimum of 16 months) and in a course that leads to a Bachelors, Masters or PhD.

The details also go on to indicate that packages that total to 2 years is fine but a Masters cannot be packaged with a Graduate Diploma and hence implying that all components of a package should be either a Bachelors, Masters or PhD.

Wow.. Heads, you lose; Tales, I win…

The above just defeats the purpose of the AQF. How does a student studying a quality 1.5 year Masters be eligible for the PSW if he cannot add a Graduate Diploma or a Grad Certicate to his Masters… Asking him to study another Masters is grossly unfair indeed. In the same line of thinking, a student who studies at a TAFE can package into a Bachelors degree and be required only to study another 1.5 years to get a Bachelors degree and will also benefit from the introduced streamlining with this genuine and appropriate packaging BUT will not be eligible for PSW even after having studied for well over 3 years in Australia.

I also read somewhere that the students should have applied and started their “first” student visa after 5th November 2011 since the PSW is dependent on the student having been assessed under GTE when they first entered Australia. This is a disadvantage to those who are Australian alumni and are returning to Australia to study a next level program of study. it is also a disadvantage to a student who may have started their Bachelors in 2011 and graduating in 2013 and 2014. Something is not right. Australia does pride in offering a FAIR GO…

Come On Policy Makers at DIAC. Fix these and fix them quickly… PSW is a decider in the game!

This is not my only post on the topic and you can certainly look out for more commentaries to this developing story. My interest is purely to ensure that the industry wakes up and the new laudable changes are implemented correctly. After spending more than two decades here, I seem to sniff the areas that stink.

I know the immediate response for some will be to dislike my open criticism even though it is clearly pro-active and constructive. Am reminded of saying of KABIR that most Indians must have heard from their elders…

Nindak niyare rakhiye aangan kuti chhawaye;
Bin sabun pani bina nirmal karat subhaye.

(Keep a critic near you in your backyard for they will help you cleanse yourself without soap and water)

FOR ACCURATE AND UPDATED INFORMATION ON STREAMLINING AND POST STUDY WORK, PLEASE CONSULT WWW.IMMI.GOV.AU . THE ABOVE IS ONLY A PERSONAL COMMENTARY OF THE BLOGGER AND NOT MEANT TO BE COMPLETE OR ACCURATE.

Mar 12 2012

British PM Cameron defends Post-Study-Work abolition: “imbibe the culture, leave with a love of Britain”

Karan Thapar grilled the British Prime Minister in Devil’s Advocate. The interview was highlighted due to the comments of the PM on Dow’s sponsorship of the Olympics. However there were some very interesting questions posed on education and indian students in UK and I am providing the excerpts of those bits here. The full interview can be found on link at the bottom of this blog.
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MY COMMENTS BEFORE YOU READ THE TRANSCRIPT BELOW: There  is one important flaw in the data presented by Thapar. The total number of students who went to US during last year from India is not 103,000 at all. That is the total number of Indians studying in USA at that time and is a cumulative figure. It is common for journalists to confuse the enrollment numbers with number of students going to a country. The actual number will be less than 50,000. AND if we compare the enrollment figures between the two countries, we need to bear in mind US will always have more enrollments even with the same numbers entering since the Masters in US is for double the duration and Bachelors in US is for 4 years as compared to 3 elsewhere. Hence the total number of students in the system will be higher. The actual difference between US and UK numbers in terms of fresh students during 2011 is only about 10,000 and the total number of fee paying students to UK is actually more than to US. Having made this point, the interview is interesting… Cameron answers the questions like a true politician and even when posed with the high US numbers as compared to UK numbers, he went on and gave his logic… If UK believes that International students want to come to Uk only to “imbibe the culture and then leave with a love for Britain”; they are sadly mistaken. They should be offered Post Study Work option too so that they can couple their education with some invaluable work experience and also earn back some of their investment. NOW THAT YOU HAVE READ MY COMMENTS, GO AHEAD AND ENJOY PRIME MINISTER CAMERON’S REPLIES TO THE SHARP QUESTIONING BY KARAN THAPAR. 
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Karan Thapar: Prime Minister let’s come to you government’s decision to commit a sharp increase in the University fees this autumn, along with the fact, that now it is going to be more difficult for overseas students to get jobs in the Britain, after they finish their studies. This is going to have an adverse impact on inflow of the Indian students coming to Britain. And in turn it is going to weaken one of the most critical bonds that have tied the two countries together. Does it worry you that you might be loosening the relationship just when you actually wanted to bring two countries closer together?
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David Cameron:No I don’t think it will have the adverse effect because there are two important facts we need to verify. The first is if you compare the last years with ten years ago, where ten years ago there were some 14000 Indian students coming to the Britain. Last year there some 39000 students, so it’s been a huge increase which we welcome to the Indian students coming to Britain. The second is, absolutely vital. We make it very clear offer to the students from India and all around the world, which if you can speak English and get a place in British University and you can come and have a visa for that place in University and as you graduate you will be able to work for a period in a graduate job. And I think that is incredible simple open and straight forward offer. Now it may be some people who previously travelled to do courses in facilities that aren’t really that highly regarded, in many cases, haven’t been proper educational courses, may be those people can’t come. But it’s actually a very big, open and generous offer to people who can speak English and who have (*) places and who really want to study and make a contribution.
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Karan Thapar: It is interesting that you should mention that last year, 39000 Indian students came to Britain because at the same time over 103,000 went to the US and that’s the real problem. A student that comes to England doesn’t simply get an education, he or she imbibes your culture and lifestyle, many of them turn to look upon England as a second home… You are losing that whole body of…
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David Cameron: Ofcourse, if you do the mathematics, America is five times in size, in population, five times the size of Britain and yet according to your figures only taking two thirds of your students.
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Karan Thapar: It’s two and half times more students.
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David Cameron: Well ok. We are fifth of the population of America and we are taking a third of the students. The key, I think, is actually not just the board numbers of the students, it’s quite clear to me that in Britain for too many years we have had a lot of bogus colleges, offering rather bogus courses to people who want to come to Britain, who mainly want to come to work than to study. What this government is doing, is making sense of the immigration system that has been a bit confused. We are very clear on the student part, we want those students to come but they should be students that are going to proper colleges to do proper courses and afterwards can work for a period as graduates. I think that is a very big and good offer which will further link Indian students and Britain and as you say not just study at our universities, but imbibe the culture, leave with a love of Britain, ‘I want to do business with Britain’, which is exactly I want.
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Karan Thapar: But you know it is very interesting you should say that they should leave with a love of Britain. Increasingly because the costs have gone up so phenomenally and remember the new university fees that are going to be almost 300 per cent higher than what they used to be, because of that increasingly, the Indians students are choosing to live in India, perhaps, enrolling in British educational institutions. They may end up getting British degree but their love and affection for the country simply won’t develop.
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David Cameron:I think you have to ask the question why we are charging the fees for British Universities? And the reason is we want our universities to be continue to be among the best in the world. And if you want great universities and great libraries, research institutes, and tutors. All the things which is in Cambridge, Oxford, London and Bristol on and other universities are still as good as anything is available in America. But if you want that, that costs money, now where is that money going to come from? Is it going to come from the tax payer who already has to fill a big hole with a big deficit and big debt or should we charge the successful graduates for the successful university education they receive. I think the other countries will look at what we are doing in British Universities fees will say actually that is the right way to ensure you have strong and growing universities in a very competitive world.
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Karan Thapar:Your logic is unimpeachable as far as the financing of the Universities goes but the fact is because you becoming so expensive in England, Indian students are going to America, where you get scholarships. You don’t get the same number of scholarships here and as a result, the logic is on your side but the emotional bond and attachment that got formed for generations, when Indians came to your country, is breaking down.
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David Cameron:Well we already have good scholarship programmes and I actually announced this week extra scholarships for Indian students as well which I have separately announced and I think there are lot of scholarships available. But the general point I would say to the Indian students watching this programme thinking of where to go to university, I would say ‘come to Britain’ because we have the world’s language and we have some of the best universities any where in the world and we have a scheme to make sure they are gonna go on being the best universities and of course you can go to less expensive universities in other parts of the world but you have to ask yourself, is the degree I am going to get at the end of that going to be as good as from a great British university, that now has a way of funding itself and making sure the quality is as high, as I am sure Indian students would…
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Karan Thapar: So in a nutshell what you are saying to Indian students is that, even if the costs go up, in some case it even goes up to 300 per cent, British universities remain the best, ‘pay that and come here because the education you get here is better then anywhere’. Is that the message you are giving?
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David Cameron: I am saying good quality costs money, we are being very upfront about how it should be paid. But if you pay that money, you get very good degree and that will stand you in good stead for rest of your life. And as you said, deepen the relationship between Britain and India.
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Karan Thapar:You are not worried at all that the economic cost of coming to England might actually over a period of time lessen the bonds that have knitted the countries together?
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David Cameron:Well I think the worst thing and this is normally what politicians do, is they stick their head in the sand, they don’t realise that universities are getting more expensive, they don’t think of a way of paying for it. They try to expand university education without finding the money for it and suddenly they will wake up one day and universities in France, in Germany and in other places in the world will have overtaken you. I am determined that is not gonna happen. So this government has taken the difficult decision to say we are going to charge students after they have left for the cost of that education. And I think as a result we would be holding our head up high in a few years because our universities will have a very high quality degree.
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Karan Thapar:And you hope that Indian students will recognise that and come even though it is going to cost them more?
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David Cameron: I think that Indian students know that quality costs money and they know that there are great universities in Britain and they know Britain is one of the most open and multiracial countries anywhere on earth. You will find people like others who come from every part of India along with the British people who give you a very very warm welcome.
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Karan Thapar:David Cameron, a pleasure talking to you.
David Cameron:Thank You.
Source: The above is only the relevant extract. The full transcript can be found on the CNN IBN website and on this link.
Feb 24 2012

British Council concerned about UK student visa changes

Concerned over Post Study Work Visa being phased out, The British Council has voiced concerns over the UK’s current visa rules and says that current government policies could be damaging to the country.

According to Dr Jo Beall, director of education and society at the British Council, is particularly concerned about the Post Study Work Visa which gave overseas students the right to stay in the UK and seek employment after completing university courses, being phased out.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, she expressed her worries over such changes.

‘We know from our own research that the right to work for a short period after study is something that influences students’ choices and decision making. We’re concerned that the UK, in a very competitive higher education landscape, doesn’t lose out,’ she explained.

She also believes that the current tightening of visa rules would not be of significant benefit to UK nationals.

‘The worst case scenario is that these short term gains of a few more young people flipping hamburgers and pulling pints who are British come at the cost of the strength of our industrial innovation, our research and development base, our reputation as a higher education provider, which is second in the world at the moment,’ she explained.

The British Council have sent a report to the government, detailing the US and Australian experience with student visa restrictions. In both countries, visa rules were subsequently relaxed after drops in international student numbers.

Universities Australia estimated that student visa tightening cost Australia A$428 million (£292 million) in 2010, the British Council report says.

While recognising the need to prevent bogus students entering the UK, Beall claimed that the government had failed to grasp how interconnected and interlinked the tertiary education sector is.

This post is sourced from http://www.expatforum.com/britain/british-council-concerned-about-uk-student-visa-changes.html

Feb 22 2012

Streamlining lesson for Australian Universities: “be careful what you lobby for! “

My last blog gave an agent’s perspective to DIAC’s innovative streamlining and that it indicated my observation of “surrender” on part of the Universities. Now I attempt to cover the perspective of education providers. That blog generated a lot of interest and there were questions on “what is all this about?” and honestly, I needed to dig deeper to understand it myself. Not sure if I am ready with my predictions but somehow the gut feel is not one that is too optimistic.

I need to base this blog on material evidence and sources and hence will take help of publicly available information and tie-in my comments to the sourced quotes.

ALL 39 universities have finally opted into the government’s streamlined student visa processing system amid warnings of the serious risks they face if any eventually fall short of Immigration Department standards.

Although most universities are believed to have been rated by the department at the low-risk level 2, it is understood a few have been rated at the higher risk levels 3 and 4, meaning they will have to raise their performance to avoid dropping out of the system.

But they will have time to improve and will not be held accountable until a review in March next year, when those still rated at level 3 will have a further six months to improve.

This is what THE AUSTRALIAN reported this day. However interestingly, DIAC “has agreed to keep risk assessment levels confidential to avoid them becoming a proxy for quality”. But with more than two people knowing something, it cannot be confidential. Quoting THE AUSTRALIAN…

According to industry rumours, only two universities were rated initially at the lowest risk level 1, but both these were thought to have relatively small international student numbers. The university of Notre Dame is rumoured to be one of these.

I agree that it is easy for an University from Freemantle with hardly any recruitment activities in higher risk countries to have an AL1. The bulk of the Universities are in AL2 and once again “rumours” have it that two Universities that have figured lower in the AL are CQU and University of Ballarat. Some would say “understandably so!!!” as they chose to partner with private vendors to offer their programs who in turn worked like private businesses “alone” till they were forced to change (or have they!). These Universities, by themselves, are fine institutions otherwise.

My take is that the whole game of exposing the Universities to the Immigration’s AL mechanism is far too risky. It is now a done deal for DIAC that all the Universities have “opted in” and hence have become “participating” in the streamlining. Clearly this has not been an easy decision. Professor Dean Forbes, Deputy VC at Flinders University has been quoted by the newspapers today indicating that

“For many Australian universities, the inevitable consequence of losing access to the streamline program will be a significant reduction in international students and a precipitous decline in revenue,”

Digging deeper, I come across the full arguments of Professor Forbes. In a paper titled ASSESSING AND MANAGING RISK IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION: A POST KNIGHT REVIEW INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE  that includes the thoughts influenced from his discussions at a recent meet and also discussions with members of the Universities Australia advisory group. I would assume that this is not an internal document as it is publicly available and will be quoting verbatim from this well structured article.

Last December DIAC informed universities about their Overall Risk Ratings (ORR) based on hitherto unseen student visa data. Measured on their international students visa performance universities were allocated into one of four bands.

The challenge crystallized.

  • Optimists wondered how to get promoted to a higher level
  • Pessimists were concerned with how to avoid relegation
  • And some of us were thinking, we must do this, but what are the risks, and will I lose my job if I get it wrong?

I seem to be agreeing to most of what Professor Forbes writes when he indicates…

THE RISKS FOR UNIVERSITIES

The initial area of risk for universities was about the decision to opt in or opt out of the streamlined visa program. Where they had a real choice by being classified as AL1 or AL2, this was a relatively straightforward trade-off between risks and rewards. It was more complex for universities categorised in AL3 or AL4.

For those that opted into the streamlined program, the area of risk shifted to the performance of the university. This centres on the ORI, which will be calculated on a six monthly basis. This is a short period; too short in my view. A rolling figure over 24 months would even out the impact of short-term blips.

Deterioration in the visa performance of international students would see the university drop down the AL range and lose access to the streamlined program.

Now for people such as us he interprets the factors that could precipitate a slide down the AL…

So what are the specific factors that could precipitate a slide down the Assessment Levels? Essentially, universities have greater responsibility for enrolling only bona fide students. That sounds straightforward: right? Well, no. DIAC’s assessment of students will be at the AL1 level, which is less rigorous than it is for AL2-AL4 countries. If there is a mis-judgement of an international student by either DIAC or a university it will affect the university’s ORI, and hence jeopardise their access to the streamlining process.

Universities are not required to do anything, but will still be held accountable. At the same time, they will need to manage the risks around the interpretation of visa requirements and of the information they have access to, and the risks of seeking out and assessing private information that may contravene privacy legislation.

There are five specific risk areas for universities that need to be managed. They must:

1. Undertake a financial assessment of students in order to be sure that students can meet their obligations. Some universities may outsource this function or work with banks on assessments

2. Ensure the students meet the appropriate English language requirements. DIAC has identified what it believes are appropriate levels of English for university study

3. Deal only with student recruitment agents that have a high level of integrity and success with the students they recommend. Coincidentally, DEEWR/DIISTRTE has recently released a Statement of Principles for the Ethical Recruitment of International Students by Education Agents and Consultants

4. Where visas are packaged with partner education institutions, ensure the partners standards are at the same level as the universities

5. Be confident that students are Genuine Temporary Entrants (GTE). That is, they are not intending to stay in Australia on a long-term basis

Universities have for some time dealt directly with four of these five areas. The exception is the judgment call about whether a prospective student is a Genuine Temporary Entrant. The real difference is that the risks for universities is significantly higher. Some of the risk previously taken by DIAC has been shifted to the universities. These are risks by proxy.

Under the current regime, if a university misjudged a student it was dealt with on an individual basis, as for any other student issue. DIAC managed the consequences. If the national visa data demonstrated that there was a pattern in a particular country, and students were not complying with the visa requirements, DIAC adjusted the AL for the country. Under the streamlined process the adjustment will be based on the university with which the student is involved. If a negative pattern emerges, as measured by the ORI, the university will be penalised.

While I can say BEST OF LUCK to the Universities and say it with a lot of sincerity and a little sarcasm, I was drawn to the newsletter of ANU where they have informed that the University has decided to “opt in” to the streamlining. I guess they thought that some will “opt in” and some will not. The fact that all have had to “opt-in” could actually be another interesting scenario. Just wait for two years and get ready for another Knight Review into the whole process that may just summarise that only those who take the hefty visa fee that includes costs for verification and manpower need to spend it too. I am not the only one saying this.

The University of Adelaide’s pro-vice-chancellor (international), Kent Anderson, said although streamlined processing was positive, the government was effectively shifting responsibilities and costs on to universities.

The documents quoted extensively above can be of big help in understanding the new innovative visa mechanism from an insider’s perspective. (The Australian article is on this link and  You can access the  paper of Professor Forbes on this link) Can’t agree more with Professor Forbes when he concludes…

Overall the next 12 months promise interesting times for international heads in universities. The lesson of all this for universities: be careful what you lobby for! 

Jan 24 2012

I predict shrinking of On-shore student recruitment in Australia from 2013

When Internet reached inner confines of India and when the young started browsing at broadband speeds, it resulted in airlines cutting out the intermediaries or lowering the commissions paid to the agents and hence drove many travel operators out of business. The same was forecasted also for the education agents and many western commentators believed that students will now access the information online, put in applications online and then will not need the services of an education agent. They also hence influenced the “so called experts” within the education sector to devise strategies that worked from this assessment. However, there was one major error in the calculations. Overseas students did not need the agent only for assistance with applications into institutions. They also needed the agents for help through the student visa process with advise that came out of their experience. Though authorities did not approve, the agents also were the first port of call for students seeking education as a pathway to migration and whether the education agents offered migration process or not, they had to respond to the student’s queries on the courses that met the migration requirements. While the education information could be provided through online searches and online counseling, student visa guidance and also some “tips” on the migration pathway, could only be taken through the education agents “face to face”. Education Providers too realized this and more so realized that converting online enquiries to “bums on seats” was far more complex than through the services of the agents.

The above applied to offshore and onshore education agents and the business opportunity that came their way. A perfect business model indeed and win-win for all…Education Providers, Students, Agents and even Government Agencies. DIAC relied on selective agents worldwide to vet the visa lodgments. Austrade and AEI worked closely with agents to boost forex earnings and also to focus on certain markets. In Australia, several migration agents extended their activities to include education counseling.

However the last two years has seen a changed environment. Whether it is for good or not; is subject to another article. Here we just note that the environment has been altered.
A tightening of the residency visa regulations means that those who entered Australia desiring their education to be a pathway to migration had to look for changed courses and quick-fix solutions and handholding locally to find solutions.
Onshore agents were not recruiting students from offshore locations and suddenly found themselves moving students from diplomas to degrees and from one MODL occupation linked course to another SOL linked program.

This churning of the students already in the system gave an illusion of the market existing when the reality was that the new students entering Australia from India had declined by over 75% last two year.

The reality is also that the churning of the students in the system only has a short life span. There is likely to be very few students seeking changes from diploma to degree or any other such movement in 2013. Further, since the first visa to private institutions and to vocational providers has already become so difficult, it is less likely that the industry will see the same kind of numbers again. Students already in the University system are less prone to the churning phenomenon anyways.

This is only one aspect of the changed environment… The Post-Study-Work visa announced this year post-Knight review means that a “near-guarantee” is being linked to the student visa for degree students. Though this is a welcome move, it is something that will make many onshore education and migration agents uneasy. The “guarantee” means that the students will be able to work for 2-4 years on completion of the program and this was not dependent on the occupation and whether it had migration outcomes. This “guarantee” means that the students will not be seeking help from migration or education agents on-shore anymore from 2013 to the same extent as has been done currently.

And… the streamlined system proposed for the Universities and also other guides issued to them have meant that most Universities are going to be using less and less number of agents even in the overseas markets. Education Agents are going to be required even more but since the institutions have to be accountable for them, they are likely to be even more discerning. I will not be surprised if they limit their new agents only to certain markets around the world and reduce their onshore contracts.

Well, in light of the above… my gut feel is that migrations agents will be busier with employee and state nomination categories, family migrations and other such categories that require handholding beyond the information that is currently available in public domain. The skill level of the migration agents will also be challenged and personally I feel that this will drive some of them also out of business.

What bothers me is the fact that some registered migration agents due to their helplessness or greed are cutting corners in overseas markets through sub-contracting or otherwise and hence bracketing others in their industry also as suspicious. I may indicate that in India, AAERI was forced to suspend 4 agents recently for suspected-student fraud and even though the matter is still under police/authorities investigation, 2 of the 4 agents are registered (and continue to be registered) migration agents in Australia though functioning through sub-offices in India. Technically, the Australian legislation does-not reaches India and this is where a loophole exists allowing onshore-regulated agents engaging in unregulated activities overseas.

I shall hesitate in generalizing and shall acknowledge that many of the agents are ethical and genuine in their intent. However like what happened with offshore education agents over last two years, scape-goats too have to be found. I fear that Australia has found them in the onshore education agents and in the offshore activities of the onshore migration agents…

Jan 7 2012

Anuj Bidwe Killing: Indian Media commentary misses out where it matters…

BRITISH MEDIA INFORMS: Anuj had originally wanted to study in Australia but Subhash persuaded him not to because he was worried about a spate of racist attacks on Indians in 2009. 

BBC adds: Anuj Bidve could have gone to a US or Australian university to fulfil his dream of pioneering new micro-electronics technology. But his parents sent their only son to the UK because they thought “he’d be safer there”.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080837/Anuj-Bidve-murder-Parents-took-bank-loans-send-UK.html#ixzz1iiQuuzMq

The point that I am making is NOT that UK is as racist as Australia supposedly is or that US is equally unsafe. But that any place in the world can be safe or unsafe and this includes our own cities in India. Just like our own neighborhood in India, we need to exercise caution and alertness in all large cities. Avoid certain areas after dark and also remember that there will always be some people, even though very few in numbers, who are racist or have a distaste for foreigners. This is a reality and possibly a reality alike how some feel in different parts of India for others from other parts of India who land up in their cities for the jobs. However, this is indeed a very small number and our interaction with such can be prevented if we avoid certain areas at certain hours. Don’t we advise our close ones to avoid certain areas of our own towns in India at certain hours? I am sure we do that. 

There are several useful weblinks that give tips on how to carry ourselves out while being an overseas student in a foreign land. Most education counselors (of repute) do conduct pre-departure briefings for their students. I am providing some excerpts from Vancouver Police site, which gives some safety tips… (Knowing that several of this blog readers are students…)

On the Street

Be alert. Walk with confidence. Walk with your head up. Be aware of who is and what is around you, and be careful when someone approaches you with a simple question. Leave strange or uncomfortable situations. Trust your instincts. Always tell your roommate or host family where you are going and when you will be back.

  • before going out ask advice for the best routes to events, restaurants or shopping
  • change direction if you feel you are being followed; go to the nearest store, restaurant, or pay phone
  • do not carry large amounts of money (cash), and do not show money in public; use bank / debit cards instead
  • never share your PIN number or let others see it
  • keep your passport in a safe place at home; instead carry a photocopy of your passport and other ID
  • don’t go out alone or accept rides with strangers; do not hitchhike
  • don’t use headphones when walking / jogging; they make it difficult to hear an approaching car or stranger
  • don’t carry weapons; they are illegal and can be used against you
  • don’t argue or fight if robbed – yell loudly
  • fight back to protect yourself if you are attacked; try to stop or distract the attacker so that you can escape and call 911

Out at Night

At night, walk on well-lit, busy streets. Try to be with someone. Walk in the middle of the sidewalk. Avoid isolated areas such as parks where there are no other people around. Carry a whistle or other personal safety device. Scream or yell loudly if attacked.

Jan 5 2012

With the killing of an Indian student “also” in Canada: Is it hate-crimes on an increase… jury is still out.

Manchester Police’s terming Anuj Bidwe killing as a Hate-Crime; the news was certainly worrying and then came the news of the killing of Alok Gupta in Canada. We have had Nitin Garg incident in OZ two years ago that got the two countries taking to tough-talking.

CNN-IBN reported…

New Delhi: It has been more than a week since Indian student Anuj Bidve was shot dead in the UK. One suspect who claims to be mentally unstable was charged with Bidve’s murder, while four others were released on bail.

On Monday, hundreds of locals joined Bidve’s friend in a candle light vigil at the site where the 23-year old was killed.

An impromptu memorial was also held at India Gate in Delhi.

Meanwhile, a UK police team met Bidve’s family in Pune on Monday. His family will leaving for Salford on Tuesday. Authorities say Bidve’s body is likely to be handed to his family later on Tuesday after a second post-mortem.

Bidve’s family said that they were satisfied with the UK police investigation.

Meanwhile, a student, Vikrant Gupta is also starting an online campaign for justice for Bidve. “The murderer who seems to be not in his right state of mind has done this act. I won’t worry about this thing on a large scale something which has happened out of the blue. I’m sure something like this won’t happen again but nothing can be guaranteed,” Gupta said.

“Students and Indians definitely feel insecure, they get worried about the things happening, I think the most important thing is that the families back in India because they don’t have the broader picture but I don’t think this is something that we should be worried about it. It has happened once I hope it doesn’t happen again,” Gupta added.

Anuj Bidve, a micro-electronics student at the Lancaster University, on December 26, became the latest victim of a hate crime in Greater Manchester.

Bidve was a part of a group of nine Indian students who were staying in a hotel in Manchester over Christmas. While heading towards the city centre at around 1 pm, they were approached by two white men. Reports indicate one of them asked Bidve the time and when Bidve didn’t reply, one of the men removed a handgun and shot him.

The Manchester Police have termed it a hate crime.

Indian student shot dead in Canada

In another such incident in Canada, an Indian student, working part time at a convenience store, was shot dead in Surrey, in a shocking Christmas Day attack.

Alok Gupta, 27, had volunteered to work the afternoon shift to allow the store owners celebrate Christmas together, and was killed by an unidentified gunman.

However, it was not yet clear whether Gupta was shot during a robbery attempt.

Police is yet to make an arrest in connection with the case, but say they do not believe it was gang-related.

“The victim was working Christmas Day as a good deed to the owners who wished to celebrate Christmas together,” said Sgt Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Gupta sought help at a nearby residence and was taken to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later; Pound was quoted as saying by the ‘Vancouver Sun’ newspaper.

“Although it appears that the victim died from a gunshot wound, the cause of death will ultimately be confirmed through an autopsy,” she said. 

US: Islamic centre, Hindu worship place attacked

Meanwhile, an Islamic centre housing a mosque and a Hindu worship site were targeted by thugs with firebombs on Monday in New York.

The attacks took place in Queens near New York on Monday night in which unidentified assailants threw homemade firebombs at a house used for Hindu worship services, Islamic centre Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, a home and a convenience store.

There were minor damages but no injuries reported. The police were treating the attacks as hate crimes and were looking into possible links to the other fires caused by similar devices that night.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called such attacks unacceptable and said authorities are investigating the incidents.

“No matter what the motivation was of the individual who threw Molotov cocktails in Queens last night, his actions stand in stark contrast to the New York City of today that we’ve built together,” he said in a statement.

Such hate crimes had come to light in January 2010, when there were attacks reported on Indian students in Australia. 21-year old Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in Melbourne in January 2010 while he was walking to his workplace. An Australian teenager was sentenced to 13 years in jail for the murder of Nitin Garg in December 2011.

The recent attacks have yet again raised a question mark on the security of Indians across the globe.

Its not just Australia, UK or Canada and its not just Indian students… The reality is that all over the world and relevant to all international students… a need exists for all to be better prepared. That’s it. Overseas Education continues to remain a significant value addition and with better preparedness… a lot can be avoided. Counsellors and Education Agents have also a responsibility here.

Jan 5 2012

Following Anuj Bidve killing: UK universities reassure Indian students…

London:  Universities UK, the representative body of varsities in the UK, today sought to reassure Indian and other international students that the country is “safe and tolerant” with low levels of violence and street crime.

Expressing sadness at the killing of Indian student Anuj Bidve in Salford on December 26 in an unprovoked attack, Professor Eric Thomas, president of Universities UK, said that such incidents were rare in the country.

“We at Universities UK would want to reassure current and future Indian students and their parents that this kind of incident is thankfully exceptionally rare. Compared to other countries, the UK remains a safe and tolerant country with low levels of violence and street crime,” he said.

Professor Thomas recalled that a recent survey by the British Council showed that only a very small proportion of students had ever experienced any kind of crime here.

He said: “On behalf of all universities in the United Kingdom, I want to express our deep sadness at the death of Anuj Bidve. This is a devastating tragedy for his family and friends and the death of a gifted individual in such a manner is a loss for us all”.

He added: “The British people have been appalled by this terrible event and Monday night’s vigil bore witness to national and local feeling. The police are investigating the murder and we are confident that they will bring the perpetrators to justice”.

The organisation said that UK universities took the safety and well-being of all students very seriously.

Institutions offer induction and orientation sessions for international students which include advice on safety.

The British Council also publishes an online personal safety guide for international students in the UK, it said.

With 133 members and offices in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, Universities UK promotes the strength and success of UK universities nationally and internationally.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/anuj-bidve-killing-uk-universities-reassure-indian-students-163709?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

 

Nov 9 2011

What’s happening to UK Education? Who and what are driving the agenda? Will the “wrong” bring votes?

I have written on it earlier and am now seeing many comment on the same lines… A write up in Guardian shouted WE MUST TACKLE VISA ABUSE, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF GENUINE STUDENTS… It elaborates that “Tough talk on immigration will frighten away the talent our colleges need.” (See LINK)

UKBA and the various spokespeople have learnt the use of negative vocabulary to such an extent that it become difficult to imagine anything positive in UK being an attractive destination for International Students. Yes, when they summarize with delight that their clampdown and measures are “beginning to bite” and when they claim that there has been a “wide spread” abuse of student visas, you begin to notice that they are not really complaining or pointing a finger to the abuse as such but actually scoring a political point through all this that the system in place by the previous regime was leaky… Let me make it clear… An International Student, An education agent and An institution recruiting students are all legit in making use of the available options and liberties. The job of making the policy is not theirs and if they have made use of the options then they should not be held responsible at all…

Coming back to the topic… I agree with the writer that…

International students are much sought after across the world. They bring valuable cultural, diplomatic and economic benefit with them. They contribute £5bn to UK earnings each year, making a huge difference to local economies. The students come to the country and then leave, without recourse to public funds. Of those who stay, many end up teaching and carrying out world-leading research. In a deeply competitive and global market, inter–national staff make up a large proportion of university staff, without whom many departments would not be viable, or at best would be significantly weakened.

The above advantages are more of an immediate term benefits that international students bring. I would like to add that the long term benefits are far reaching too. There are political and diplomatic advantages that international students deliver. I noticed that one of the reasons why “two years ago”, UK received less negative press in India when it was facing the same issues as that in Australia over college closures, why the unhappy student stories reached Indian media coverage to lesser intensity and why the Indian political class did not focus on the UK issue to the same level as they did with the Ozzies… is the fact that most of the players controlling Indian media, Indian polity and also Indian academia were all possessing some British education themselves. If you noticed the NEWSHOUR debates in those times, you could hear the British Educated commentators and image-builders talk in quite nasty terms on Australian history and made it look so inferior to the British strengths in education. I want to also state that whenever I interact with the Head-Master of a leading Indian School who is a thorough Brit himself, I find a clear disdain for any introduction of Australia to his school. I felt offended when he told me offhand that the students from India will face “racial bias” in Australia. I just did not expect it from him as he should have clearly seen the hype that was built up in a purposive manner by certain players at that time. And if he did notice the inaccuracies, he as the senior most in a school with responsibility of using “Knowledge as Light” should have corrected the mis-perception in the student mind-space…

Returning to the topic, I do think that the damage that the UK policies are inflicting is far worse. It is gradually building the word in the country that “Indian students are NOT WELCOME” in UK anymore and this message is due to the direction that the Government of the country has taken. How sad indeed… I referred this as “colonizers being fearful of reverse colonization” in an earlier blog and I would maintain that this “fear” too is such a negative word and destined to bring in more fear. Let the unemployment begin at the Universities once the number of International students come down… God Bless the country…

Before I close, I want to share the quality of perspectives that often comments to write-ups bring to the table… The quoted article had a comment by a reader:

The abuse of so-called “student” visas has been an open scandal for years. Hundreds of thousands of people with negligible skills and no intention of studying got in this way. Hundreds of bogus “colleges” flourished.

During all this time, reputable universities sat back and did nothing about it, as though it did not concern them. Well, they are now reaping the bitter fruit of their poisonous indifference. If you have no morals and turn a blind eye to scams, don’t be surprised if when the crackdown comes everyone things you are as bad, or almost as bad, as the scamsters themselves.

As to your point about genuine foreign students, you say:

“International students are much sought after across the world. They bring valuable cultural, diplomatic and economic benefit with them.”

I agree with this up to a point. But many postgrad science and engineering courses in the UK are now 100% Chinese. Is that really what we want? To be a knowledge giveaway for our industrial competitors? What about educating our own slightly-less-talented youth? Surely the national payback from that is many times higher than the once-off fees from the foreign students ?

And this is how another reader rebutted the above comment:

Another unthinking example of our current Government’s habit of ruling by gimmick without the wit to think through the consequences.

By carelessly making all foreign students feel unwelcome they risk a substantial loss of much needed national income. They risk the closure of many university departments who remain financially viable only through the high fee income from foreign students, and, although hard to quantify, they will diminish our global influence through the ‘soft power’ accruing from this sector.

As usual, they formulate and express policy not because it is in the interests of this country, but in order to appeal to the prejudices of the ill-informed (as illustrated already by some of the comments above).

“But many postgrad science and engineering courses in the UK are now 100% Chinese. Is that really what we want ?”

Hardly 100% I am sure – but it’s a sure bet that British students in these departments would be denied the opportunity of they weren’t kept viable by the foreign intake.

At least the Chinese Government have the wit to seek the very best education for their brightest – unlike ours. The high proportion of Chinese post-grads in many places is simply due to the fact that the necessary finance is available to them – unlike our own students for whom the provision of grants is woefully and short-sighted inadequate.

Don’t you agree that the comments to an article or even a blog are so useful in completing the story… This is where the internet is scoring over the print…