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The Australian story

Got to go Students are optimistic about going Down Under

With the recent racist attacks in Australia emerging as a major international issue, the overseas education sector in India is feeling the heat. Kerala, being one of the major educational hubs, the tremors are equally felt in the city too.

“The enquiries from the parents are on a rise since the attacks. The fear has engulfed them which is evident from their disturbed queries,” said Bindu Balasubramanium, manager, Universal Student Services Australia (USS Australia) one of the educational consultants with its head office in Australia, having nearly 60 students going abroad annually from Kochi. The recent incidents pose a major threat to this huge business-generating sector. Both the Australian universities and the consultants are taking special measures to make sure the wave of terror does not affect the education sector in a major way.

“The Australian universities are regularly mailing us, describing their situation and assuring complete security for our students. These are being forwarded to the aspiring candidates so that they are relieved from the tension. From our side, we provide them with the contact details of our students who are settled in Australia. They can contact them through phone or internet and can enquire about everything directly,” Bindu added.

Amidst these steps taken to counter the slowdown expected in business, the student community has expressed strong reactions to the attacks since it came to light with the incident of a 25-year-old student Sravan Kumar Theerthala, who was attacked by a group of teenagers while partying.

Staging demonstrations and creating communities on social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut, the students are giving their side of the story.

The aspiring students are in a state of dilemma after the revelation of nearly 11 attacks in the recent past. “I have called up my friends and relatives staying there who assured us that the ambience is not as bad as is being hyped. But incidents of bag snatching and robbery do exist, especially, by youths below 25years, who are mainly brought up in broken homes,” said one of the students, who is waiting for final confirmation from the university. She has decided to go ahead on the basis of the assurance from her relatives. “We have more such communal violence happening in our country. Only because it is happening abroad, the situation is hyped to such an extent,” she added.

Financial reasons make many students stick to their plans even when they are not completely satisfied with the current scenario. “I do fear the situation but after paying such huge amounts, we have no other option. The admissions are done nearly six months earlier and these attacks took place recently. But the assurance from the consultants is really a relief to us; still fear stays in the mind. The major relief is that no Keralites are involved, ,” said Anita Jose Vazhayal, who is going to Australia this month with her family.

Though information is provided in detail by both the universities and consultants, parents continue to be in a state of panic.

“The concern from the parents’ side is obvious as they send their children abroad thinking that they will be free from ragging and college politics prevalent on campuses here. there are no drop outs till now. Grouping always creates unnecessary problems and we always instruct students not to be involved in any form of grouping there,” said Jaimie Coelho, Councillor, Study Overseas Education Consultants, Kochi. With education abroad still being considered a dream come true by Indian students, the hesitation existing now is expected to remain only for the time being. On one side, when the authorities are spreading the message of peace and assurance, the Indian student communities still continue with their demonstrations.

With a better quality of life in comparison with western nations, Australia is expected to remain the best option among the aspiring students, even while fear lingers in their minds as news of fresh incidents emerge.

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