As Australia focuses on how to minimise the impact of the global recession, international education should be at the forefront of our economic strategy.
The revenue generated by the international student sector over the past decade has recorded staggering growth. The Reserve Bank now places education behind only coal and iron ore as Australia's most important export. The international student market is now a more lucrative business than the leisure travel industry.
Put simply, international education contributes billions of dollars a year to the Australian economy.
In 2008, there were 543,898 full-fee paying international students in Australia. The figures released in the Access Economics Report in April 2009 reveal that international students and their families spend $14.1 billion in Australia per year. Last year, $4.3 billion alone was spent on food and accommodation.
The bulk of this money is invested in our economy through the support of families and sponsors overseas. A student visa limits to 20 hours per week the hours a full-time student can work.
According to Australian Education International figures for 2008, international student numbers included 97,035 Indian students, which represents a 54.2 per cent growth on 2007 figures. The presence of international students generates jobs for Australian workers, helps develop bilateral links between Australia and our international graduates, and promotes Australia as a destination for travel, investment and trade.
In a sector that generates so many positive outcomes, the safety and wellbeing of international citizens studying in our country should be a national priority.
The violence in Melbourne and Sydney brings home the central need to protect people in our society, and the importance of a meaningful and immediate response by society, government and police. More police on the streets, stronger penalties in our courts and a tougher stance — both legally and socially — on racism are required.
There are economic, as well as human, reasons to do this. A similar physical threat to our export of coal or iron ore would trigger a coordinated response at the highest levels of the Australian political system. It is difficult to understand how the targeting of international students is not viewed with a greater sense of urgency.
Higher education providers work hard to attract foreign students to our shores, appealing as much to our much-lauded way of life as to our world-class education system. This may be harder to sell. Australia struggles with perceptions of racism abroad. As universities seek to attract foreign students at international education exhibitions, people increasingly ask whether Australia is a safe place.
News reports from any recent weekend increasingly suggest that we struggle to respond to an intensifying culture of random and senseless violence in order to protect even our own citizens. How then can we protect the interests of international students?
The 10 June announcement by Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Overland that patrols will be stepped up at train stations is a first step, but it is inadequate. The attacks are, as Overland has acknowledged, racist in motivation. And for every incident that is reported a 'minor' example of a mugging, jostling or taunting passes without comment.
As the media focuses on Indian student protests, the 'protection' groups forming at train stations and the gang elements of the situation in Sydney, we can all see that conflict could escalate. But the decision of a group of students to go to a train station at midnight to ensure that other students don't get beaten is reactive rather than proactive.
If the police response had been as firm and extensive as the situation warranted from the outset such things would not be occurring.
These attacks reveal deeper tensions in our society. Racism exists in Australia and these attacks are ugly and abhorrent examples of an opportunistic use of violence which is increasingly apparent in our cities.
Australia should be determined to protect its guests out of basic human decency. If this is not sufficient incentive, the economic cost to Australia should reinforce its determination. In the case of international students, it is incomprehensible that neither consideration appears to be strong enough.
Dr Kylie Baxter is a member of the Australian Arabic Council.