Manly ICMS: Foreign college students to return to studies as part of pilot program
Foreign students will soon return to a popular northern beaches college as part of a NSW Government pilot scheme.
Manly
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A business college on the northern beaches, popular with international students, is set to soon welcome some of them back into the classroom as part of a State Government pilot program.
The student population at the International College of Management Sydney (ICMS) at Manly was slashed by about 50 per cent — about 1000 students — due to Covid overseas travel restrictions.
But the ICMS has joined with 12 other universities and colleges to allow small numbers of fully-vaccinated international students to return to their studies.
A total of about 500 students will be allowed to fly in later this year on charter flights, paid for by the students, to attend classes at the 13 higher education providers.
The students will have to quarantine at an apartment complex at Redfern for 14 days when they arrive.
The ICMS said as part of the pilot scheme, it will only welcome back a small number of students. The 500 returning overseas students will be spread across the five independent colleges, including ICMS, and eight public universities.
But ICMS’s scholarship program chairperson, Ann Whitelock, who is also on the board of independent Higher Education Australia, said the safe, gradual return of students was a great beginning to reviving the higher education sector, which generated $14.6 billion to NSW in 2019.
“The five independent (education) providers are working very hard to make sure those students who participate are fully vaccinated with the TGA-approved vaccines.
“We’ve got a whole lot of measures in place to vet all of that and the government has measures in place to do that as well.”
Ms Whitelock said the ICMS was “taking a very conservative approach in admitting international students back to its Manly campus after their quarantine period – mindful of the safety and comfort of local students and the broader community”.
“But (the pilot program) is letting our offshore staff and our students who are stuck over there, know that this is the beginning, that there is hope for the first time in two years.”
Ms Whitelock pointed out the Australia higher education sector had been affected by the fact that international students hade been able to study in countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and United States for the last 12 months.
She said the college was a major employer and driver of the northern beaches’ economy, and that, pre-Covid, many of the its overseas students worked part-time in local hospitality venues.
“People can feel confident about this pilot program and we hope to see a return to full border opening in 2022.”
Last month Deputy Premier and Minister Industry and Trade, John Barilaro, said the staggered return of students was stage one of the pilot that would slowly expand as vaccination rates continued to rise.
Council of International Students Australia President, Belle Lim, said she welcomed program.
“We all want international students back on campus, enjoying the unique learning, work and life experience that only studying in Australia can deliver.
“We support the cautious approach and look forward to growing the number of students returning to NSW over time,” Ms Lim said.
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