UK colleges offended at UK visa misunderstanding
by Patricia R - October 6, 2010
United Kingdom, 6th October: The recent remark made by UK immigration minister Damian Green about the international students has been criticized by a large number of UK colleges.
Mr. Green had stated that foreign students making applications for pursuing higher education in the UK might not the best and the brightest.
Reacting to the statement by the minister, several members of the representative of 28 UK colleges-‘The 157 Group’, said that its really bewildering to state that non-EU applicants are second-rate students using further education in the UK for fake UK student visas.
The UK immigration minister had stated that the UK does not seem to be benefiting from all UK student visas and this has naturally evoked serious concern of Principals of UK colleges. Each year, around 66,000 international students seek enrolments to pursue higher studies in the UK.
According to Green, the UK immigration system must be designed in a manner so as to attract the best students of the world wanting to pursue higher education at elite universities in the UK. The recent remark of Green has put a question mark on the future intake of non-EU students wanting to pursue vocational courses in the UK.
According to principal of Bradford College, Michele Sutton, ministers cannot be made to understand the further education of the country since majority of them do not have any experience of FE(further education). Sutton added that it is the FE colleges in the UK that help international students get requisite knowledge and skills for getting a job or work in the UK.
Hence, the saying of the UK immigration minister that FE colleges are not attracting the best and the brightest is false. Ms. Sutton said she would be pleased to have Mr. Green make a visit to her college to assure him of the qualifications and skills being provided to the students. She added that a large number of former students of this college have made a mark not just in the communities but in the entire world.
A large number of FE colleges in the UK have been affected by the recent changes in the UK immigration rules according to which all non-EU students needed a sponsorship status with UKBA.
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