4 colleges shut overnight in Australia,

Many Indian students among those affected

The students who arrived at the college campuses were shocked to hear that the institutions have been closed permanently. However, teachers at the colleges run by the Meridian Group were told they were out of jobs on Thursday night.

“In just two weeks we were going to get our degrees,” one student said.
“They are not professional, they are the people who are dodgy here,” another student said. Melbourne-based international student, Jass Sandhu says she had no contact from the school about the closure.

“Immigration should do something for us. If the college has closed it’s not our problem. We were studying well, we were paying our due. We weren’t left with any dues, we were paying our due on right time. What about our future?” she was quoted as saying by the ABC.

About 2,700 foreign students are affected, including students about to sit their exams. The students are mainly from Asian countries and India. About 150 Australian students are also affected. The colleges, located at 13 campuses in Melbourne and Sydney, provide tuition in hospitality, design, English language, fashion and secondary education. Global Campus Management/Meridian Group, the company that runs the four colleges, went into voluntary administration on Thursday.

Administrator, Stephen Parbery says it is unlikely the group will reopen the schools.
“They have formed the view that the companies are not viable,” he said.

Schools affected include Meridian International Schools, the International Design School and International College of Creative Arts which have campuses in both Sydney and Melbourne and ESMOD Australia which is located in Sydney.

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training says it is trying to get more information as a matter of urgency.