Victorian government urged to foot international students’ quarantine bill
The state government has been urged to foot the quarantine bill for thousands of international students in a desperate bid to help the struggling education sector recover from the coronavirus crisis. Here’s why.
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The state government has been urged to foot the quarantine bill for thousands of international students to help the struggling education sector recover from the coronavirus crisis.
Victoria is the nation’s international student capital, with foreigners contributing almost one third of the total revenue of the state’s universities.
But the impact of COVID-19 has put many universities in a desperate position, with travel restrictions preventing many international students from arriving in Victoria to study.
Amid expectations of a decline in revenue up to $4.6 billion across Australia’s universities, Universities Australia has predicted about 21,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
The opposition has called on the state government to urgently work with the Federal Government to facilitate safe entry for international students back into Victoria.
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said the government should help in subsidising affordable quarantine accommodation for international students to facilitate their return to Melbourne.
“Coming out of COVID-19 restrictions, it is critical that the Victorian Government works with the Commonwealth to help international students resume their studies and contribute to our community,” he said.
“Victorian jobs depend on our international students. The Liberal Nationals believe the Victorian Government must act now to secure those jobs as we enter the recovery phase.”
Victoria currently hosts around one-third of international students who have chosen to study in Australia.
In 2018 more than 227,000 international students studied in Victoria, with the largest number of students visiting from China, India and Malaysia.
Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Gordon Rich-Phillips said international education and training was a vital part of Victoria’s economy.
“Without them more Victorian jobs will be lost and our economy will continue to slump,” he said.
“Victoria needs an urgent response to the economic damage done by COVID-19.”
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