Almost a third of Australia’s Chinese students could be lost to other countries if the coronavirus travel ban remains in place.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday extended a travel ban stopping people from China entering Australia.
It means that 100,000 international students are unable to attend Australia’s universities.
Nearly one third of those stuck in China and will look to other places to go to university, a survey conducted by the Education Consultants Association of Australia found.
Almost a third of Australia’s international students could be lost to other countries if the coronavirus travel ban remains in place from China. Pictured: people in Sydney wearing face masks in January following news about the coronavirus outbreak
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday extended a travel ban by another week for people travelling to Australia from China
Of 16,000 students surveyed, 32 per cent said they would enroll in another country if they could not complete the first semester of 2020 in Australia, SBS reported.
Canada and UK have no travel bans in place.
Universities and the $37.9billion higher education industry could be thrown into chaos if the international students are unable to return in time for the semester.
China, Australia’s biggest trading partner, is the No.1 source of international students, who contribute $12billion a year to the economy.
They made up 38.3 per cent of foreign education enrollments in 2018, with Department of Education figures showing 152,591 were studying in Australia.
Some Australian universities have already delayed the start of the semester due to the coronavirus, but international students could look elsewhere.
When asked where they would redirect their studies, 58 per cent of students chose the UK, 31 per cent chose Canada and six per cent picked the US.
Foreign travellers who have recently left or passed through mainland China are currently banned from entering our shores. Pictured are visitors arriving in Brosbane before the ban was implemented.
The study, conducted between February 5 and February 9 on WeChat, surveyed 73 per cent of students who had already been studying in Australia.
With classes set to resume in March there are still 100,000 students stuck in China.
Group of Eight (Go8) chief executive Vicki Thomson said the findings are concerning as major competitors, the UK and Canada, did not have travel bans.
‘This could be a lost opportunity,’ she said.
Up to 100,000 international students will be unable to return to Australia in time for the start of semester if the travel ban is extended
Ms Thomson said the loss of students could result in a loss of $3billion in fees instantly if Chinese students don’t come to Australia.
Federal education Minister Dan Tehan acknowledged extended bans could cause a major disruption.
‘It’s very much wait and see what happens,’ Mr Tehan told Sky News on Sunday.
‘But my hope is that we will see some sort of a breakthrough and we will be able to get students here for the first semester, but we will have to wait and see.’
Source: dailymail UK
