Unequal Charges in Australia for International Students

Question: Discuss about the Unequal Charges in Australia for International Students. Answer: Introduction The young generation holds the future of our society in their hands, their achievements and failures will eventually determine which route the progress of human society is going to take. It should not avoid notice that the fate of a generation lies on the education and training the generation receives. Education is a vital pedestal of our lives, without which we cannot reach the pinnacle of success. Education not only gives us knowledge and expertise over our chosen genre, it gives us insight, etiquette and respect. Education gives us a wealth of opportunities that aids us in professional as well as personal growth; hence each and every child in this world has a right to education (Zhang, Worthington and Hu 2016). However there are a lot of deprived and underdeveloped countries in our world that lack the best infrastructure and opportunities for various disciplines of students. Inevitably thousands of aspiring students move to different countries in an attempt to chase their dreams of a prosperous career (Norton and Cakitaki 2016). Australia is one of the multicultural hubs with a myriad of opportunities for students of various disciplines. Australia is outfitted with approximately 43 different universities and various other educational institutes that provide one of a class educational experience with a myriad of course options to choose from for the students. Naturally thousands of students migrate to Australia in the hopes for finding their niche in the realm of education and career (Nicol, Thomson and Breslin 2014). Studies suggest that almost one third of the entire pupils graduated from Australia are foreign students, and still Australian educational board charges this huge population of international students roughly 400 percent more than what they charge their home students (Australia 2013). According to the data from Australian Government Higher Education Statistics, approximately 300 thousand students graduated in the year of 2012 from Australian universities, out of which 100 thousand were international ones. Arguments can be raised on what is attracting this huge influx of foreign students despite the sky high educational expense. The marketing brief of the universities can provide insight to address the argument easily. With the attractive and persuasive PR statements of Universities of Queensland, Sydney or Melbourne, their emphasis is on what phenomenal educational opportunities they are providing and what great a future the students can attain while being associated with these renown ed universities, however the reality is completely different (Abc.net.au. 2017). The international students in spite of being lured in are rarely treated as good as they are generally promised. According to the renowned neuroscientist Peter Osborne, the vast inequality in the educational costs between native and international students is not due to rising taxes as one would generally assume, but is due to enforcement of national privilege (Altbach 2015). Studies suggest that the international students are charged $35,500 each year for pursuing a basic science degree where the same degree costs just $8,500 per annum to an Australian student. Eyes can be raised on the legal possibilities of such a monumental difference in educational charges in overseas and native students, but according Australian consumer law, a proprietor is allowed to set the expenses according to their terms and conditions as long as the selection criteria and pricing is ubiquitously and prominently displayed. Hence the overseas students being subjected to obscene pricing is legally correct according to Australian laws, but is it morally correct (Abc.net.au. 2017). The explanations from the Australian education board is that the overseas students are charged more than the native students because they do not pay taxes, but this statement cannot be more wrong. First and foremost, the world ranking Australian universities that are charging overseas students a fortune for a degree are well established and financially secure. Moreover, it has to be considered that the overseas students pay taxes to enter Australia, and thereafter on everything. They are charged taxes for housing, buying anything and earning as well, hence the taxes are not the issue here (Norton and Cakitaki 2016). According to the United Nations human rights charter education is one of the most basic human rights. However the overseas students are forced to purchase the right to good education like some commodity with a hefty bill, while some of the Asian countries are setting an example by charging the overseas students the same as domestic ones. Time has come to evaluate these discriminations and immoral enforcement of national privileges to ascertain a future for our society where the students, regardless of their citizenships, are treated with equity and are provide equal rights to quality education. References: Abc.net.au. (2017). ABC - Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au [Accessed 18 Apr. 2017]. Altbach, P., 2015. Perspectives on internationalizing higher education. International Higher Education, (27). Australia, U., 2013. An agenda for Australian higher education 2013-2016: A smarter Australia. Nicol, D., Thomson, A. and Breslin, C., 2014. Rethinking feedback practices in higher education: a peer review perspective. Assessment Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(1), pp.102-122. Norton, A. and Cakitaki, B., 2016. Mapping Australian higher education 2016. Grattan Institute. Zhang, L.C., Worthington, A.C. and Hu, M., 2016. Cost economies in the provision of higher education for international students: Australian evidence. Higher Education, pp.1-18.