Students shying away from Oz

BANGALORE: The racist attacks in Australia has caused ripples in the city as well. The number of students opting to pursue education in Australia seems to have dropped drastically. The agencies that help students go abroad stand testimony to this trend.
Though the UK, US, Canada and Australia were the four favourite destinations for students, the recession put Australia on the top during the last eight months.But not anymore. ���There has been a decrease of about 70% in the numberstudents seeking admission there. We used to have 30-40 students heading for Australia earlier. Now, the number has dropped to 12,��� said Srilatha of Loscila Academy, which assists students to get admissions in Australian universities.
Saba Tasmeem, manager, Able Academy said, ���Students now say ���Oh, no!��� on hearing the word Australia. They are not looking forward to going there. We usually used to get 5-6 calls per day. We have not received any calls inquiring about universities after the incident.���
���We find 80% of our students rethinking about going. Now, they prefer Singapore and UK,��� said Ranbir Luwang of The Princeton Review. Sayeed of Midwest Review adds, at least 5 of his 15 students are hesitant to go. Chetan T R, marketing executive, IMS, said, ���The number of students planning to go to Australia has come down from seven to two in the last few days.���
Students are apprehensive too. ���Why take the risk when Australia is not the only option?��� said Jacob Paulose, a student who had planned to study there. ���My next option is Denmark. It may be more expensive, but it is better to be safe than suffer,��� he added.
Parents also are on the guard. While a few would prefer that their children stay back, others have asked their children to look for new destinations.
Their worries are augmented by the comments of students studying in Australia. ���Some people there are narrow minded. I have had bad experiences. But, the whole of Australia is not racist,��� said Manish A. Another student in Melbourne Radhika Khandelwal said things were alright so far, but the atmosphere is now tense with protests by students. Her relative in India said she is worried about her cousin���s safety and has asked her to keep in touch with them always.
But not all is lost for the Kiwis. Despite the incidents, there are some who have decided to go ahead with their Australian plans. ���One will find such prejudices where ever we go. This is a passing phase. We have to learn to deal with it,��� says Yamini C, who plans to go next year.