Small BusinessAustralia assures safety of Indian students
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said the country is committed to the education revolution involving international students.
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“For the welfare of Indian students in Sydney and Melbourne, we have responded by increasing police control. We are working with the Indian community and students particularly to ensure their safety,” Gillard, who is on a five-day visit to India on a mission to reinforce Australia’s reputation as a culturally diverse and safe destination for international students, said here today.
Gillard is also the education minister and minister for social inclusion in Australia.
The racial attacks on Indian students in Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year led to India demanding protection for its 95,000-strong students in that country. International education is the third largest source of overseas earnings for Australia, generating around $12 billion in 2008 and supporting more than 125,000 jobs.
“Indian students are welcome in our country and this was also a part of the discussion I had with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal,” assured Gillard while addressing a conference at the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
In an attempt to ensure that only premier education providers remain in the country, as some Australian private colleges were offering sub-standard education, Gillard said her government was conducting an audit to regulate such institutions.