Dubious Oz institutions ruining lives, says Krishna

External affairs minister SM Krishna has said that some “dubious” educational institutions in Australia were ruining the lives of young Indians and asked Canberra to come out with new regulations to undo the damage.

He said “physical attacks” on Indian students in Australia and the poor quality of courses and services offered in many vocational colleges were of concern to India.
“I think they (vocational colleges) are not only bringing a bad name to Australia but also destroying the future of the younger generation of Indian students,” Krishna, who is here on a visit, told ‘The Australian’ newspaper.

He also called for new regulations to cover private colleges and continued reform by the federal and state governments. “Some dubious educational institutions have lured gullible Indian students into joining some of these institutions. There is a big gap between the quality of what has been promised and what has been delivered,” Krishna said.

“Some colleges have closed down but full-time fees have been collected from these students. So they are wandering around the streets of Sydney and Melbourne and they are a cause of consternation for India,” he said. “Perhaps there is case for a new regulatory regime to be put in place as far as these private education providers are concerned,” the minister said.