Australia’s education industry faces greater danger from within

The international students sector of Australia which is the country’s third-highest export earner after oil and coal is likely to be at risk from inside, than the much-hyped recent attacks on students of Indian origin.

Education experts are suggesting an overhaul of the $11 billion international student sector of Australia, as there have been reports that private colleges are allegedly accepting illegal payments for providing certificates, fake work references and residency visas.

The Federation of Indian Students of Australia, FISA, said that in a large number of cases, their Indian students are being ripped off by landlords, immigration agents, bosses and educational institutions.

On Friday, the Immigration Department of Australia said that they were investigating five New South Wales and twenty-three Victorian education institutions in April this year for breaking laws of immigration. The Department however did not disclosed as to how many institutions are currently under investigation.

According to local media, over sixty Victorian foreign students are currently facing the risk of deportation on account of fake documents.

A parliamentary inquiry into the international education sector has been called by the Migration Institute of Australia, and it cited the need to clean-up the local and foreign education agents who act is an irresponsible manner and without regulation.

The chief executive officer of the institute, Maurene Horder, said that the education industry is too valuable to be hijacked by immoral and illegal behavior by unprincipled operators or desperate visa seekers.

Education officials believe that attacks on Indian students who travel late at night from colleges or part-time jobs, may damage the reputation of the sector.