After the disappearance of a Vietnamese student, South Australia tightens entry to 6 more provinces and cities

Sunnie Nguyen, a female student who is currently missing mysteriously in Adelaide city, South Australia state

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Today (February 11) marks more than 1 month since Sunnie Nguyen (17 years old, from Quang Binh ) mysteriously disappeared in Australia after dinner at her host family's home. She is the 5th Vietnamese international student to go missing since December 2023. They all studied at Hamilton High School (Adelaide City, South Australia), each of them went missing at a different time and the police determined that there was no connection between the disappearances.

After reviewing the origin of the missing international students, the South Australian Department of Education recently decided to temporarily suspend accepting Vietnamese students from Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh who want to study international education programs. This move is in accordance with the Education Services for Overseas Students Act (ESOS 2000) to protect the integrity of the country's visa system, according to a spokesperson for the South Australian Department of Education.

The decision of the South Australian Department of Education immediately caused a stir in public opinion. Many readers wondered whether this decision would be extended to other localities, or would it affect the application process for studying in South Australia for Vietnamese students in general?

Responding to Thanh Nien Newspaper on February 7, a spokesperson for the South Australian Department of Education confirmed that apart from the three provinces mentioned above, the agency is not currently considering suspending any other localities. On February 8, the South Australian Department of Education added that it had sent 2024 enrollment guidelines to 29 overseas study consulting companies that are the state's enrollment representatives in Vietnam.

Master Lu Thi Hong Nham, Director of Duc Anh Study Abroad Consulting and Translation Company, confirmed to Thanh Nien Newspaper on February 11 that she had received a notice from the South Australian Department of Education. The notice mentioned enrollment in 9 provinces and cities: Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Dong Nai.

The 2024 Enrolment Guidelines sent by the South Australian Department of Education to overseas study consultancy companies that are the state's enrolment representatives in Vietnam

Specifically, the South Australian Department of Education will stop accepting applications from students from Nghe An and Ha Tinh until further notice. The agency will also stop accepting students from Quang Binh, but will review this decision in March 2024.

For students from the remaining 6 provinces and cities, the South Australian Department of Education for the first time requires them to add a Statement of Purpose to their application, instead of just meeting a certain grade point average (GPA) like students from other provinces. However, for Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Dong Nai provinces, this decision will be reviewed by the South Australian Department of Education in August 2024.

"Up to now, students from the above localities have always been at high risk and were required to clearly explain their purpose of applying for study. However, after the disappearance of some Vietnamese international students, the South Australian Department of Education decided to take stronger measures by temporarily suspending enrollment or requiring additional essays. This is a form of immediate prevention, and will last until the state investigates and conducts more research to find a suitable solution," explained Master Nham.

"The ban on Vietnamese students from the three provinces will not last forever. On the other hand, in cases where students have to submit additional essays, their application files will certainly be screened more carefully by the South Australian Department of Education," Ms. Nham emphasized.

Thousands of students from high schools in Dong Nai attended Thanh Nien Newspaper's Exam Season Consulting program in January 2024.

In this context, how can Vietnamese students, especially those from high-risk areas, successfully apply to public high schools in South Australia? According to Master Nham, the most important keyword is honesty.

"You don't need any technical skills, just be honest and 'tell it like it is' when answering questions in your application, especially issues such as your family's and your personal immigration history, financial capacity, study goals and plans... The South Australian Department of Education will base on the declared information to review and decide whether to accept or not.

Students need to be fair to themselves and have self-respect. If they are qualified, they should apply to study; if not, they should wait for another opportunity. Do not abuse the student visa to go to Australia and then stay or drop out of school, which will cause you to break the law and seriously affect the rights of genuine international students," Ms. Nham advised.

Thanh Nien Newspaper will continue to update the latest information related to the case of a number of Vietnamese students missing in Australia.

What is an international education program?

At the secondary level, the international education program is a general program for international students to study at Australian public schools. Public schools that want to accept international students will need to meet a series of strict standards of the state of South Australia in particular, the Australian Department of Education in general on educational quality standards, English language facilities for students who need to study more before entering secondary school and especially services such as sponsorship of students under 18 years old, accommodation, student transportation and other care including management.

The South Australian International Education Program has been implemented since 1989 and has so far welcomed thousands of international students, of which Vietnamese are one of the largest groups. After graduating from high school here, students can transfer to college or university in South Australia or other states and countries.

According to a spokesperson for the South Australian Department of Education, every year hundreds of students from Vietnam come to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, to study. They are cared for by the host family community and also receive dedicated guidance from the school staff. In 2023 alone, about 430 Vietnamese international students will study at South Australian public schools through the international education program.

Overview of the missing Vietnamese student case

June 2023: Sunnie Nguyen arrived in Australia to study at Hamilton High School. She lives with a host family in South Plympton, a suburb of Adelaide, with two international students. Her daily routine includes going to school, coming home for dinner, filming videos with her housemates, and occasionally working part-time at a nail salon 15 km from school.

January 8, 2024: After having dinner with her host family at around 7pm, Sunnie went to her room to rest. When the host checked the room at 11pm, she was gone, along with her backpack, laptop, some clothes and some important personal documents. The host then tried to contact Sunnie, but her phone was turned off and her social media accounts were also deleted. 30 minutes later, the host reported her missing to the police.

January 11: South Australian police revealed that Sunnie was the fifth Vietnamese student to go missing, including one who had been missing for more than two months. Police also announced that the five disappearances (one of which had been located) were unrelated. On the same day, Sunnie’s close friend also moved into her home and was said to have no knowledge of her mysterious disappearance.

January 18: The South Australian Department of Education told Thanh Nien Newspaper that the Vietnamese students had left their homestay families without permission, and that Australian education authorities had also contacted their families. The students were not in any danger at this time.

January 29: South Australian police believe the missing Vietnamese students are "actively hiding from authorities".

February 11: The South Australian Department of Education and the study abroad consulting company that represents the state in Vietnam informed Thanh Nien Newspaper that South Australia has tightened admissions with nine localities, including Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Dong Nai by temporarily stopping receiving applications or requiring additional essays.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/sau-vu-du-hoc-sinh-mat-tich-nam-uc-siet-dau-vao-them-6-tinh-thanh-khac-185240211095233238.htm