Student housing guarantees !

Later this year the Australian Human Rights Commission ( AHRC ) will release it's  " standard for student safety " - and this is expected to demand that universities provide accommodation guarantees for the 470,000 international students who are enrolled at Australian universities - and which is an industry that contributes $ 18 billion to the national economy.

At present, the vast majority of overseas students have to make their own accommodation arrangements - and in some cases they are cruelly exploited.   It is not unusual to find homes converted into unauthorised boarding houses with students rammed into mere " cubicles " - for which extortionate rents are charged.

Australia took a drubbing last year when students of Indian origin faced violence in Melbourne.  If we are to be regarded as a safe country in which to seek higher education we need to have a long, hard look at what we provide for the people who come to our shores - and pay big money to enrol at our universities.

The decisions are usually made by the parents of potential students - and in most cases these are people who have never visited Australia and their knowledge of this country is limited to what they have read in newspapers and learned from returning students.    Safety is a major issue - and it can be quickly raised as a decisive issue by a bad press report.

The universities are hard pressed for funds to maintain present standards and if building accommodation blocks is to be added to their criteria it will need to be financed initially by the government.   There is no reason why such accommodation can not bring a profitable return.   Students are not looking for luxury.  Good, basic accommodation in close proximity to the campus can provide a good rental return over the life of the building - and as such it would be a good investment if built and then sold to private investors.

But - there is also the potential for accommodation to be divisive.   If it is restricted to overseas students there is potential for Aussie kids from poorer families to be relegated to sharing the sub standard boarding houses, crammed into tiny rooms while the overseas students are in university provided structures.

We need a broad brush approach to provide sufficient accommodation for all - overseas and local students - close to the seat of learning so that we also eliminate long travel times - and the dangers of using public transport at night.

It will cost money - and probably a lot of money - but if we are serious about using our universities as a money making industry - and providing Australian students with the means of making above average incomes - then we need to grasp the nettle and make university an all encompassing experience for all who learn there.