Hairdressing college shuts down; student`s fate uncertain

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Feb 16 (PTI) A hairdressing college in
Australia has permanently shut down leaving many overseas
students including Indians fate hanging in balance, apparently
due to amended migration skills programme.
The Sydney college that charged USD 7000 each as fees
and equipment three weeks ago from the overseas students
finally announced its closure.
A 24-year old hairdressing student Neil Ahuja of New
Delhi was quoted as saying that he had paid the college USD
5000 for his first semester fees and USD 2000 for equipment.
"We asked the principal about the academy about the
course after the new rules were announced. She told us, 'Don't
worry you guys are safe'," Neil was quoted as saying by
'Sydney Morning Herald'.
"They had been pressuring us to pay the USD 2000 for
our hairdressing kit, which we could have got for a few
hundred dollars. Otherwise we couldn't do the course. Now we
have been left high and dry. I just arrived in Australia and I
don't know what to do."
Students and staff were locked out of The Edge
Academy, whose registration renewal was under consideration by
State Government authorities.
The closure of the privately owned college in Sydney's
west is being seen as a result of the recent amended
immigration rules announced earlier this month that delinked
certain trade occupations including hairdressing and cookery
from permanent residency. (MORE) PTI