Who's to blame
While I keep ranting about my son's pathetic situation after education in Australia, my rational mind pings me, "So, who is to blame?" It is but natural in such traumatic situation to find someone to blame. But this is in a much bigger context than a road accident or losing some money. It is about the entire education and social system in a foreign country vis-a-vis students. Yet, unlike stock market crash wherein thousands of investors suffer not just one, in this situation a single person suffers, my son. You would ask, aren't there other students who are suffering? Yes, but what bites me bitterly is the fate conferred upon my son. So, who to blame?
First of all, it is the social system here that leaves the young graduates vulnerable to poor conditions of casual jobs. If the system knows that thousands of graduates, especially from foreign countries, are left to exploitation by the unorganised, small businesses for years, then it should fix the rot. There should be enough warning on the Australian visa and border control system to the prospective students stating possible disadvantage after completing the education. The Australian government should also restrict the universities from overselling their courses and rosy pictures of future. And last, but not the least, the labour legislation should rein the small businesses from exploitation of labour. They should frame rules about when to put a candidate on trial, how much should the compensation be for the trial, clear timely communication about the selection or rejection, fixing the work schedule and defining more realistic minimum wage that must be enforced. The social system must take responsibility and improve the situation to save itself from an image of the one turning blind eye.
Secondly, the universities get the major blame for considering education as a trade only to get better profits. True, they need to charge higher fees to foreign students to make up for the tariff structure for domestic students. True, they have to maintain good infrastructure and competent academic staff to earn the reputation. But each university must make the prospective foreign students aware of the job situation after completing the education. They might lose some foreign students due to this, but it will save them from the stains on their reputation. In addition, the universities should actively engage with the industry to improve the acceptability of the students as trainees. In present situation, it won't be exaggeration if I equate my son's university to a street side vendor attracting the customers with hollow promises of his goods. In trade term, a cheater.
Finally, it comes on me too as parent. Yes, I am ready to take the blame for allowing and supporting my son for this misadventure. As a parent, it was my responsibility to check out the reality and not get carried away by the rosy picture painted by the agents of these universities. I could have asked my son to contact an alumnus of this university and learn the real situation from her. I could have heeded to the advice of my good friend to check out the job opportunities and work restrictions. Most importantly, I should have overcome my careless attitude about my son thinking that he would be responsible for his future life. As a tough, less emotional father, I have learnt a lesson that I can't escape from the responsibility of wellness of my near and dear ones even of they don't want me to bother them. It is my conscience that will never forgive myself.
What can a hapless, useless father do now?
First of all, it is the social system here that leaves the young graduates vulnerable to poor conditions of casual jobs. If the system knows that thousands of graduates, especially from foreign countries, are left to exploitation by the unorganised, small businesses for years, then it should fix the rot. There should be enough warning on the Australian visa and border control system to the prospective students stating possible disadvantage after completing the education. The Australian government should also restrict the universities from overselling their courses and rosy pictures of future. And last, but not the least, the labour legislation should rein the small businesses from exploitation of labour. They should frame rules about when to put a candidate on trial, how much should the compensation be for the trial, clear timely communication about the selection or rejection, fixing the work schedule and defining more realistic minimum wage that must be enforced. The social system must take responsibility and improve the situation to save itself from an image of the one turning blind eye.
Secondly, the universities get the major blame for considering education as a trade only to get better profits. True, they need to charge higher fees to foreign students to make up for the tariff structure for domestic students. True, they have to maintain good infrastructure and competent academic staff to earn the reputation. But each university must make the prospective foreign students aware of the job situation after completing the education. They might lose some foreign students due to this, but it will save them from the stains on their reputation. In addition, the universities should actively engage with the industry to improve the acceptability of the students as trainees. In present situation, it won't be exaggeration if I equate my son's university to a street side vendor attracting the customers with hollow promises of his goods. In trade term, a cheater.
Finally, it comes on me too as parent. Yes, I am ready to take the blame for allowing and supporting my son for this misadventure. As a parent, it was my responsibility to check out the reality and not get carried away by the rosy picture painted by the agents of these universities. I could have asked my son to contact an alumnus of this university and learn the real situation from her. I could have heeded to the advice of my good friend to check out the job opportunities and work restrictions. Most importantly, I should have overcome my careless attitude about my son thinking that he would be responsible for his future life. As a tough, less emotional father, I have learnt a lesson that I can't escape from the responsibility of wellness of my near and dear ones even of they don't want me to bother them. It is my conscience that will never forgive myself.
What can a hapless, useless father do now?
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