English remains main reason why students choose Australia

English remains main reason why students choose Australia

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Choosing the right place to study, especially if that place is
abroad, is an arduous task. So it is understandable if making
such a difficult decision results in occasional bouts of
dizziness, as it has for Citra Puspowardoyo, a high school
graduate. Citra is ready to pursue a university degree somewhere
abroad, but she has not decided which country fits her best.

Is the country a safe place to study? Does the country rank
among the best in terms of its universities and colleges? Is it a
cheap place to live? These are the kinds of questions that have
been bounding around inside Citra's mind.

But really, all this confusion is quite unnecessary, for the
answer is right next door for Citra and other Indonesians. It is
Australia, which offers instruction in the English language,
safety, an affordable cost of living and excellent universities.

Australia has become a popular place to study for people from
around the world, and English is one of the main reasons people
come to this southern continent for an education. Many young
adults from developed countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong,
Germany and France flock to Australia for one main goal: to learn
English.

Indeed, those countries already offer their students world-
class educational facilities. However, these students still come
to Australia, because Australia offers both world-class
educational facilities and, more importantly, English.

Cliff Tang, a student from Hong Kong, is a good example.

"By studying here, I obtained two things at the same time. My
English got better, while I also earned a master's degree in
public policy," said Tang, who just completed the Graduate
Program in Public Policy at the Australian National University
(ANU).

Besides English and the top educational facilities, Australia
also offers a safe living environment. Australia has been a
stable democracy since the country was founded in the 19th
century.

The crime rate is very low in this prosperous country. There
is growing concern over the rising number of drug addicts, but
the figures are still low enough not to cause alarm.

Nationalistic sentiments -- including some anti-Asian feelings
-- also persist in Australia, but have never led to significant
racial conflicts. Indeed, Australians respect and uphold the law.

Last but not least, Australia is a relatively cheap place to
live and study. On average, the annual cost of living in
Australia is between A$23,000 (Rp 115 million) and $26,000. This
is much less than the United Kingdom and the United States, whose
currencies are much stronger than the Australian dollar.

Australia also offers inexpensive education fees. In the
United States, it is possible to pay tuition fees of up to
US$14,000 (Rp 140 million) for post-graduate studies, while in
Australia the average tuition is A$16,000 (Rp 80 million).

Judging by these criteria, plus its geographic proximity to
Indonesia, it is understandable why Australia has for years been
the main destination for Indonesian students going abroad to
study.

From 1993 to 1997, Indonesians made up the second largest
group of foreign students studying in Australia. From 1998 to
1999, Indonesian students topped the list, followed by students
from Singapore and Hong Kong.

In 2000, the number of Indonesian students in Australia was
17,626, most of them taking graduate, undergraduate and
vocational courses, or attending high school.

Most of the Indonesians pay for their studies themselves,
while about 3 percent obtained scholarships from AusAid.

According to data from the Indonesian Embassy in Australia,
Australia is the second most popular destination for Indonesian
students going abroad to study, after the United States.

In 1999, some 8,185 Indonesians went to Australia for higher
education (undergraduate and post-graduate degrees). That same
year, 12,142 Indonesians were studying in the U.S.

There is no doubt that Australia is a fantastic place to
study. However, it should be noted that would-be students must
put attention to what institutions they apply to.

There are, unfortunately, some students who end up regretting
their choice of university.

Hendrik Pau, for example, complains that ANU focuses too much
on research, with not enough practical application in their
courses.

"Had I known this before, I would have applied to other
business schools which are more practical in nature," said Pau,
who recently completed the Graduate Program in Financial
Management at ANU.

Different universities are well known for different programs,
and prospective students should look into which university has a
reputation for having the best program in the area they want to
study. For example, the University of Melbourne is known for its
law school, while the University of New South Wales has a good
business school. And ANU has earned a very good reputation for
its Asian studies and international relations programs, and for
its law school.

"In the United States, there are many good universities that
have programs in international relations. However, I wanted to
study at ANU because the international relations department here
is ranked as the best in the world, especially for its Asia
Pacific studies," said Jennifer, an American who just graduated
from the international relations department at ANU.