IEAA Urges the Federal Government for Dedicated Hotel Quarantine System for International Students

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The education has been hard hit by the raging pandemic. It is only a week away from the completion of the remote learning anniversary. However, much like all other affected arenas of the modern world, it has shown resilience and strength by adapting to the new normal. This adaptability is being enhanced even further by global institutions. Recently, the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) on urged the federal government to set-up a dedicated hotel quarantine system for international students.

Details of the Request

The statement released highlighted the details of the policy request. In the statement, the IEAA said it would “pay whatever it takes” to restart the lucrative international education industry, which has been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison had previously declared that more than 40,000 Australians who remain stranded overseas would be given priority to return to the country.

IEAA Chief Executive Phil Honeywood asserted, “There’s no reason why we can’t have charter flights bringing these students in, walking them across the tarmac into separate quarantine facilities that are not going to be competing with the hotel quarantine for Australian returnees. The industry is prepared to pay whatever it takes for additional Australian Defence Force and for police to ensure that it all happens properly, with only one point of entry and one point of exit.” In response to the IEAA, Education Minister Alan Tudge said that the government would consider any proposals from universities.

Need of the Hour

The number of international students studying in Australia has fallen by more than 200,000 since the country’s borders were closed in March 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Data studies from the universities across Australia revealed that the higher education sector lost A$1.8 billion in revenue in 2020 and cut more than 17,000 jobs. The central objective of this plan would be to assist in the revitalization of the international sector of higher education in the country, at any given cost. Thus, the implementation of this policy will help recover the influx of foreign students in the renowned universities of the country.