The programme from CBC, The Fifth Estate series: Sold a Lie, raises concerns about commercially-driven motivations behind international student recruitment, ethical advising and international student welfare once in the country
A TV documentary broadcast recently in Canada has put the relationship between private and public colleges under scrutiny after over-recruitment of international students at one private college (recruiting for a community college) led to a temporary obstruction of access to the college for students, reported thepienews.com.
The programme from CBC, The Fifth Estate series: Sold a Lie, raises concerns about commercially-driven motivations behind international student recruitment, ethical advising and international student welfare once in the country.
One Punjabi community health worker in Brampton, Ontario, interviewed by the program claimed that there are regular suicides among the Indian student population. He cited mental health issues and loneliness as problems facing some students – and rampant recruitment is putting the entire ecosystem under strain, the programme suggested. Two teachers explained that some students they teach rent a bed for eight hours and sleep in shifts.
Alpha College, a private college recruiting and teaching via a partnership with St Lawrence College, was at the centre of the documentary – the programme revealed that in May, hundreds of students were told their start dates would be deferred to a later date because of capacity constraints.
The students protested – and eventually the college agreed to enrol them as planned.
English teaching businesses or agencies in India are also contributing to a problem of assimilation by training students to “pass” English tests, without real speaking skills, claimed the documentary.
Ravi Lochan Singh, veteran operator in the sector and founder of Global Reach in India, shared concerns in the TV programme that many of the agents or recruiter partners sending students to Canada are not effectively regulated. He has two major concerns, he told thepienews.com: “The first is that Canadian colleges have been sold primarily as a way to reach Canada and for those who are solely looking for migration pathway.” He went on to say: “Education institutions have no oversight on the type of counselling being offered”
Australia has among the most stringent rules for its education providers. Standard 4 of its ESOS act states, “Registered provider must have a written agreement with each education agent that formally represents their education services”
And the second: “Another associated concern is that the education institutions have no oversight on the type of counselling being offered,” he explained. “The counselling agents have often not been contracted by the institution but work through an aggregator. This means that there is absolutely no accountability.”
Speaking to thepienews.com about the documentary, Meti Basiri, co-founder of ApplyBoard, made clear that ApplyBoard did not work with two colleges singled out: Alpha College and another private college, Cambrian at Hanson, which was strongly endorsed by one agent during some undercover filming.
“Firstly, our hearts go out to each of the students featured in The Fifth Estate episode that aired on October 13, 2022,” he told thepienews.com. “As an international student myself, I feel for the many hardships these students have faced.”
ApplyBoard wants to “assure our students, partner institutions and recruitment partners that we have a thorough vetting process in place for the recruitment partners we work with”, he said. “We understand how critical transparency, accessibility and education is for students. ApplyBoard vets each RP [recruitment partner] who applies to be part of our platform.”
At a national level, Canada “needs to introspect,” said Ravi Lochan Singh. “Several years ago, the London Statement was signed by several countries around a need for some basic code of conduct when working with commission agents. Canada was one of the countries that attended the meetings but didn’t sign the statement.”
Australia has among the most stringent rules for its education providers. Standard 4 of its ESOS act states, “Registered provider must have a written agreement with each education agent that formally represents their education services”.
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