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Hundreds Of International Students Set To Come To Australia Under Trial Program

Hundreds Of International Students Set To Come To Australia Under Trial Program

The program has divided opinion.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A trial program to bring hundreds of international students to Australia is set to go ahead next month.

The South Australian government has agreed to welcome up to 300 students from around the world to Adelaide so they can resume their studies.

Due to coronavirus restrictions in the state and in the country, people have only been allowed in for essential travel.

The program has divided opinion in Australia, with some hoping the influx of students will help revive the struggling education sector and others saying it's a slap in the face to people who are separated from their families due to the coronavirus restrictions.

University of Adelaide

Opposition health spokesperson Chris Picton said: "Many South Australians are now looking at this decision on international students and wondering whether this does question the hard border stance we have had in place.

"There are many families in South Australia who haven't seen loved ones, haven't seen family members with cancer or who have had babies interstate.

"They're taking that on the chin and making those tough sacrifices to keep our state in the good situation we are in now. This seems to be contradictory to that situation."

Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr Mike Cusack has hit back at the criticism, saying the students will be quarantined in medi-hotels, according to the ABC.

The universities will pay for those two weeks of quarantine before they start classes.

South Australia Health also said the pilot program was necessary to kickstart the state's education sector, which has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Cusack says the proper systems are being put in place to ensure the students and the community will be safe.

"We have been having international arrivals now for some months," he said. "The arrangements in the hotels have been very tight indeed. Our key risk at the moment is across the border in Victoria."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Australia