Foreign students in Aus miffed over repeated English test requirements

study in Australia, such as Master’s or PhDs.

Yusef, a student who has had to pay $1,600 on four three-hour IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests during his eight years in Australia, believes it is a conflict of interest.

Ten US students arrive in Lucknow University to learn Urdu, Persian

Lucknow, June 21 (IANS) Ten

American students have arrived at the Lucknow University (LU) to learn Urdu and Persian during their eight-week stay in the city. The university will hold classes for them twice a week and will also acquaint them with Indian culture and ethos. These students already have a knowledge of these two languages and have come here to hone their skills and diction. This development is a result of an MoU signed between the University of Lucknow and the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), New Delhi. Prof RP Singh, director, international collaboration, said, that in line with this collaboration, Lucknow University is offering a shortterm course spanning eight weeks to teach Urdu and Persian to American students. Julia Norman from Los Angeles says they are fortunate to have been given the opportunity to study Urdu in Lucknow. Julia hopes to develop language skills here at LU. "This city's rich culture and vibrant history makes this an ideal place," she said. Meredith Church from the University of Colorado says they are fascinated by the history and confluence of culture in Lucknow. "Honoured to have the opportunity to learn Urdu here," she said. Nikash Harapanahalli from the US state of Texas said that the opportunity to learn Urdu in Lucknow is a once-in-alifetime opportunity.

India Today announces launch of its Best Colleges website

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) India

Today Group has launched a brand-new online portal for its Best Colleges Survey - the most credible and exhaustive ranking of institutions of higher learning in India for over a quarter century-featuring six years of ranking data as well as a wealth of granular information on thousands of institutes of higher learning.

comparisons on five major indicators of quality: intake and quality of governance, academic excellence, infrastructure and living experience, personality and leadership development and placement and career.

New York, June 27 (IANS)

International students in Australia are frustrated as they are spending hundreds of dollars on mandatory English language tests that expire after two years, according to a Guardian report. The students, who have to take the test again even if they have completed degrees in English and lived in Australia for years, say there is a conflict of interest between the organisations that set the rules and administer the test.

The Australian government's Department of Home Affairs accepts five English language tests for student visa applications, which includes IELTS, PTE, CAE, TOEFL and OET.

However, even after they have passed and finished their study in Australia, they have to retake language tests to enter some workplaces or undertake further

“You have to again sit the test that universities have shares in... There is a definite conflict of interest,” he told The Guardian. Sharing that one of his friends had to take the test 12 times, Yusef told the paper that paying $400 for the test burns a hole in the pocket, especially after spending tens of thousands of dollars to study in Australia.

Most international students from countries like India, Pakistan, China, take the $400 IELTS test, which is jointly owned by the British Council, Cambridge University Press and Assessment, and the Australian company IDP Education.

Australian universities expect students to get a minimum IELTS score of 6.0-6.5 or TOEFL score of 90 or PTE score of 72 or CAE score of 60-79 or above for admission.

Australia's IDP has 19 public universities from the country as its shareholders, including Monash University, University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney and UNSW. These universities are responsible for regulating IDP as its education agent, providing course selection assistance, visa and admission applications and accommodation advice.

A government inquiry into international education has said there should be more oversight of universities’ responsibility over education agents.

When it comes to IELTS, universities are regulating a company that has universities as shareholders.

The institutions are also reaping rewards from millions in profits generated by the IELTS test, the report, authored by Caitlin Cassidy, said. "Forcing international students who already pay a fortune to study in Australia to repeat tests was yet another example of the way this country treats international students like cash cows to be milked," Mehreen Faruqi, spokesperson of The Greens education, told The Guardian.

The interactive portal offers easy access, analysis, and guidance to our Best Colleges of India survey results for 2,000 colleges across 14 major streamsEngineering, Architecture, BBA, Mass Communication, Hotel Management, Fashion Design, MSW, BCA, BCom, BSc, BA, Law, Medical and Dental.

Students and their guardians can now make informed choices at a click of the button. Aside from the college ranking-which can be filtered by state and city-our site also allows cross

The goldmine of information also provides a wealth of data about each college, from courses offered and eligibility requirements to admission fees, cut offs, placements, faculty data, and information on the institute's industry connect.

One of the USPs of this new portal is the Jobs in Demand section which offers insights on the positions and salaries on offer for graduates from different streams. A separate section on the Best Emerging Colleges presents new institutions of excellence while information on important exams, including JEE, NEET, CUET, LSAT and BITSAT is also available for easy reference.

Kerala HC recommends inclusion of sex education in curriculum

Kochi, June 26 (IANS) The Kerala High Court has urged the state government to look into the need for including safe sex education in the curriculum of schools and colleges. The Court made the observation while disposing of a petition filed by a man to medically terminate the pregnancy of his minor daughter who was impregnated by her own brother. “Nobody can blame the parents. But we the society are responsible for this. Sibling incest may occur in a family system that does not provide a safe environment for its members. But it may also happen because of the lack of knowledge about safe sex. I am of the considered opinion that the Government should seriously think about the necessity of proper ‘sex education’ in schools and colleges ... A good family atmosphere is necessary for the society. To attain this, every citizen of this country should join together without pelting stones at such unfortunate people," read the judgment and asked to see that a copy of the judgment be send to the Chief Secretary of the state.