Sorry that I haven’t blogged for the last couple of weeks. A combination of my “day job” & children on school holidays have not allowed me to devote the time needed to some of my blogging (I have another blog titled www.whatdoclientsreallywant.com – take a look if you’re interested). I’ll try to be far more consistent throughout 2011!

As most of you may know, Australia’s 3rd largest export industry is “Educational Services.” Over the last decade or so hundreds of thousands of people (mostly in their late teens and early to mid twenties)  from all  around the world have come to Australia to pursue tertiary studies. A significant proportion of these overseas students come from India, Sri Lanka and many countries from the South-east Asian region.

To my shame I’ve never given much thought to the influx since I assumed that the families of the young people coming to Australia would fully fund their studies and take care of the things that needed attention like accommodation, living expenses and the like.

I tuned into a ABC Radio National podcast the other day and to cut a long story short,  I was amazed, surprised, disappointed and saddened by what I had heard. The majority of my assumptions about overseas students coming to Australia were simply wrong.

Over the next few posts I want to publish some extracts from this interview to give you & I a reminder of just how difficult many people have in finding the dignity and purpose in paid work that so many of us take for granted.

There is no guilt trip intended – its just good for your mind, heart & soul to be informed about such things. OK?

See you next post

James E

James Evangelidis

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Tagged as: ABC Radio National, Overseas students