Dan Kennedy Media Blog | Info

SINGAPORE - Study in Australia, the only education fair in Singapore organised by the Australian Government, will be held from 20 – 21 March at Suntec Singapore. The fair will showcase various education and scholarship opportunities from a wide variety of organisations. 39 Australian universities, including the top-ranking institutions such as the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney, will be represented along with vocational education institutes, schools and colleges at the fair.

Catering to the increase in interest from Singaporeans wanting to study in Australia, the fair, organised by the Australian Trade Commission, will present visitors with up to date and accurate information about the different options and opportunities available to Singaporeans on their educational journey in Australia. This is the 24th year that the fair is being held.

The Australian High Commissioner to Singapore, His Excellency (HE) Doug Chester, said, “Australia remains the destination of choice for quality, world-class education for students in Singapore. The education relationship between Singapore and Australia represents one of the key pillars supporting the strong bilateral ties between our two countries. Nearly half of our international students come from Asia, and Singaporeans form an important part of that group.”

“Education continues to be a vibrant bridge that links Australia with the global community, and this fair will present some of the best educational programmes that Australia has to offer,” Mr Chester said.

Australia as a quality education destination
Australian universities and schools are widely respected in many disciplines and consistently receive high global rankings. In the 2009 Academic Ranking of World Universities, three Australian universities were ranked in the top 100 universities in the world, with 17 of them among the best 100 universities in the Asia and Pacific region 1.

To date, the Australian education system has produced many world class achievers. Their universities have produced a number of Nobel Laureates, including Elizabeth Blackburn who received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and received her Bachelor and Masters Degree from the University of Melbourne. The 2005 laureates in the same category, Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren, made their prize-winning discovery of a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers (Helicobacter pylori) while working in the University of Western Australia. In Singapore, prominent public-figures such as Dr Tony Tan, Dr Lee Boon Yang and Mr Mah Bow Tan were all educated in Australian Universities.

More Singaporeans in Australian Universities
In recent years, Australia has been showing an upward increase in foreign students enrolling at its schools and institutions. There are currently around 630,000 foreign students in Australia, of which around 9,350 of them are Singaporeans.

Since 2002, more than 32,000 Singaporeans have enrolled in courses in Australia, with a majority of them taking on undergraduate or postgraduate studies at the universities. The number of Singaporean students in Australia in 2009 increased by close to 600 – a 6.5% increase as compared to the same period the previous year. This trend follows a similar increase for international students, which grew from around 272,000 students in 2002 to 630,000 students in 2009.

Subjects in Health and Natural & Physical sciences have seen a significant increase in enrolments over the years, and now constitute the top three types of higher education courses for Singaporeans studying in Australia alongside Management and Commerce. Singaporeans in health-related higher education courses more than doubled from 2002, with around 1000 currently pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in that field.

Live, Learn and Grow in Australia
Besides the quality of education in Australia, foreign students are also attracted to Australia because of the diverse cultures and vibrant lifestyle. The Australian Government also has a legal framework in place to ensure the quality of life and education for foreign students. The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act registers all overseas students coming to Australia on student visas and ensures that these students get what they paid for. Another level of protection is the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which accredits educational qualifications in Australia in a national framework.

To help Singaporeans understand more about the life of a Singaporean student in Australia, a blog and Facebook page have been set up. Fronted by five Singaporeans currently studying in universities in five different Australian states, the interactive portal will be a diary of their thoughts on getting a quality overseas education. Information about what to expect when living there, what sort of protection is available for foreign students, and even resources for choosing the right course, will be highlighted in the blog and on the official ‘Study in Australia’ Facebook page.

HE Doug Chester added, “While studying in Australia, students of Australian educational institutions can be assured that their education experience will give them a sound foundation and the competitive edge to be successful in the modern world. We would like to invite Singaporeans to live, learn and grow with us in Australia. Furthermore, I’m sure the professional links and networks students gain there will remain with them when they return to Singapore.”



TablesSource:Australian Education International
(International arm of the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations)
Data Accurate as of November 2009

by John Galt

March 5, 2010

As a general rule, I tend to avoid these types of commentaries but just out of that insane bit of curiosity that I have, I decided to see what happened in Orlando and Tallahassee and across the nation and just who was involved as part of the driving forces behind this “Day of Action” where maybe hundreds of people in Florida (100 estimated in Orlando per the Orlando Sentinel and 250 in Tallahassee per the Tallahassee Democrat) took part. Following the advice of several talk show hosts, I decided to follow the banner and see what all of this was about, having experienced the left wing lunacy during my college days as the “people” protested Reagan’s anti-Communist stances.

Following the stories, the Google search and more, here is the master list of “supporters” of today’s day of action straight from www.defendeducation.org and if some of the names blow your mind, it will not take much to realize why I am somewhat concerned about the noise from the fringe today:

ENDORSED BY (list in formation):

Organizations

The 1212 Community, Bronx, New York
5c Cultural Center, Lower East Side, New York City
The Adjunct Project, CUNY Graduate Center, New York City
AFSCME 3800, University of Minnesota Clerical Workers
AFT Local 1839, New Jersey City University
All Nations Alliance
Anakbayan Los Angeles
Anakbayan New York/New Jersey, Jersey City, NJ
Anthropology Graduate Student Association, UT Austin
Associated Students of Portland State University Executive Staff
ASU Resist, Arizona State University, Tempe
Augusta State University Political Science Club, Georgia
Autonomedia
AZ Education Association
Bail Out the People Movement
Baltimore Algebra Project
Baltimore Solidarity Center
BAYAN-USA
Cal Poly Unite to Save Public Education, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California Prison Moratorium Project
California State University Employees Union
Californians for Justice, Oakland
Campus Antiwar Network (CAN)
Chicago World Can’t Wait
Chop from the Top Coalition, University of Minnesota
Coalition for Community Justice, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
Coalition for Equal Quality Education, Boston
Coalition for Public Education / Coalición por la Educación Pública, New York City
Coalition for Social Reform, UMass-Lowell
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)
Committee for Revolutionizing the AcaDemy (ComRAD), University of Minnesota
Community Organizing Center for Mother Earth, Columbus, Ohio
Connecticut Students Against the War
Cornell Organization for Labor Action, Ithaca, New York
CUNY Campaign to Defend Education, New York City
Democracy Insurgent, Seattle
The Democratic Left @ GWU, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Department of English, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
DestroyIndustrY, Raleigh,  NC
East Village Community School Parents Association, New York City
Education For All, San Diego
Feminist Students UNITED UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Fight Imperialism, Stand Together
Free UCR Alliance, UC Riverside
Freedom Road Socialist Organization
Freedom Socialist Party
George Mason University Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Fairfax, Virginia
Georgia State University Progressive Student Alliance
Giant Record Corporation, Amherst, MA
Graduate Employee and Student Organization, Yale University
Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT 6300, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Student Employees Union, SUNY Stony Brook
Graduate Student Workers United, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul
Graduate Students United, University of Chicago
Grassroots Education Movement, New York City
Hawai’i Solidarity Committee
Human Rights Action Committee, Framingham State College, Massachusetts
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Council of Chairs, Indiana, Pennsylvania
Institute for Critical Animal Studies
International Socialist Organization
International Workers and Students for Justice, University of Washington in Seattle
The Kennebunks Peace Department
L.A. County Peace & Freedom Party
La Voz de los Trabajadores- LIT, California
Latin American Students Association at UCR, Riverside, CA
League for the Revolutionary Party, New York City
Liberty Tree Foundation
Low-Income Student Alliance, New School University, New York City
Lucha, New York City
March 4 Organizing Committee, CSU Monterey Bay
Massachusetts Student Action Coalition
Massachusetts Students Uniting
May 1st Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights, New York City
Million Worker March Movement
Movement for a Democratic Society
National MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán)
Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), Milwaukee
Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), UC San Diego
Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), USC
National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars & Occupations
Network to Fight for Economic Justice
New School in Exile, New York City
New York State Youth Leadership Council
NYC Anti-War Coalition
New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW)
Northbay Uprising, Vallejo, California
Oakland Education Association
Olympia Coalition for a Fair Budget, Olympia, WA
Pan American Solidarity Organization (PASO), Portland State University
People’s Organization for Progress, Newark, NJ
Peoples Video Network
p.o.n.d. records
Pride and Equity Faculty and Staff Association, UT Austin
Progressive Democrats of America, Ohio
Progressive Faculty Network of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Progressive Student Alliance, University of Florida
Progressive Student Alliance, University of Memphis
Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM)
Purchase Polis, SUNY Purchase
PUSH: Ideas into Action, SUNY Purchase
Queens College Antiwar Coalition
Queer People Of Color Action
Radical Student Union, Bard College
Radical Women
Rebel Diaz Arts Collective, Bronx, NY
Recreate ‘68 Alliance
Rhode Island Unemployed Council
Riverside Latino Voter Project, Riverside, CA
Santa Monica College Students for Social Justice
Save LSU, Baton Rouge
Seventh Generation Nation, Putatoi
The Silent Radio DJs
Small Schools Workshop, Chicago
Social Anarchists for Liberty & Justice, South California
Social Justice Alliance, SUNY Stony Brook
Social Justice Alliance, UC Riverside, California
Socialism Now!, Chicago
Socialist Alternative
Socialist Organizer
Socialist Party of Connecticut
Socialist Party USA
Solidarity
S.O.S. Save Our Schools Coalition, Providence, RI
SOUL School of Unity & Liberation, Oakland
Space, Time, Research Collective, CUNY Graduate Center
SpeakOut – the Institute for Democratic Education & Culture, Oakland, CA
Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA), City College of New York
Students Promoting Engagement Through Activism and Knowledge (SPEAK), Georgia State University
Student / Farmworker Alliance
The Student Insurgent, Eugene, Oregon
Student Labor Action Project (SLAP)
Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society, Animas, Durango, Coloardo
Students for a Democratic Society, Chicago
Students for a Democratic Society, College Park, University of Maryland
Students for a Democratic Society, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, California
Students for a Democratic Society, Gainesville Area
Students for a Democratic Society, Milwaukee
Students for a Democratic Society / Movement for a Democratic Society, Michigan State University
Students for a Democratic Society, Oklahoma
Students for a Democratic Society, Rochester
Students for a Democratic Society, Syracuse
Students for a Democratic Society, Temple University, Philadelphia
Students for a Democratic Society, TFHS
Students for a Democratic Society, UNC-Asheville
Students for a Democratic Society, UNC-Chapel Hill
Students for a Democratic Society, UNC-Charlotte
Students for a Democratic Society, University of Houston
Students for a Democratic Society, University of Minnesota
Students for a Democratic Society, University of North Dakota
Students for a Democratic Society, University of Tuscaloosa
Students for a Democratic Society, Waukesha, Wisconsin
Students for a Democratic Society, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Students for Educational Rights, City College of New York
Students for Quality Education, Cal Poly Pomona Chapter
Students for Social Action, Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU
Students for Unity, Portland State University
Students Taking Action to Reclaim our Education, University of Maryland
Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, Portland State University
SUNY Downstate College of Health Related Professions Council
Take Back NYU!, New York City
Take Back WBAI Coalition, New York City
Teachers 4 Justice Now, New York City
Teachers as Leaders in Newark, New Jersey
Teachers for a Just Contract, New York City
Teachers Unite, New York City
Texas State Employees Union
Third Coast Activist Resource Center, Austin, Texas
Tidewater Labor Support Committee, The College of William and Mary, Virginia
TWU 100, New York City
UCSD Coalition for Educational Justice
Undergraduate Graduate Alliance (UGA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
United Council of UW Students, Wisconsin
United In Campaign Against Budget Cuts, University of Illinois-Chicago
United Socialists of Pittsburgh State
United States Student Association (USSA)
United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS)
University Democrats, UT Austin
University of Massachusetts-Lowell Coalition for Social Reform
University of Washington Student Worker Coalition, Seattle
USC Students for Justice in Palestine
UT Austin Stop the Cuts Coalition
UTLA / Project Great Futures / CAMS
UW-Milwaukee Education Rights Campaign
UW-Whitewater P.E.A.C.E., Whitewater, Wisconsin
Workers Action
Workers World Party
Young Democratic Socialists

International Endorsers

Anakbayan Philippines
International League of Peoples Struggle Youth, Philippines
League of Filipino Students
National Union of Students of the Philippines
Socialist Student Front, Bangladesh
Solidary Lithuanian Students (SOLISTs), Vilnius, Lithuania
Student Christian Movement of the Philippines
Student Representative Body of the University of Marburg, Germany
Teachers Unity Forum, Kerala, India

Concerned yet? Well, here are some random photos with proper accreditation and some circles drawn by myself to highlight the signs:

From Orlando, FL WDBO Television:

It is good to see that stoners, who slept through most of the classes in high school and college support “higher” education still. I guess a free ride on the taxpayer’s ticket is the way to go according to them and they are looking for any excuse to legalize marijuana. With this President, they may get their wish. Of course then they will whine about the taxes on it….

From the Athens-Banner Newspaper (Athens, GA) where obviously the Socialists need to come on down south again and edumucate them thar ‘necks about how to make proper protest signs:

The best photos are of course from California, which is to be expected as I scanned numerous other newspapers and found nothing mentioned about any “Day of Action” nor protests at local colleges. Maybe it was due to all the global warming on the ground blocking their way up north. Ah well, on to the California pictures and they are mind blowing, most are from the San Francisco Chronicle and L.A. Times:

Funny thing about this photo.

I wasn’t aware that the UAW had so much money as to support boycotts and protests around the nation. Wait a second, I forgot; we the taxpayers bailed their butts out  at G.M. and Chrysler  so they have more free time and unlimited funds than ever to attack freedom. Never mind.

Hmmm. 1968 and “Fund Schools, not War”….are you listening Mr. Obama? Probably not, but it is interesting to see people protesting “his” military…..

I’ve looked. I’ve searched.

Hell, I took courses on it.

I’ve looked again.

Nope, nothing about “education” being a right.

Them students ain’t been learnt right.

This photo is from the L.A. Times, of high school students participating in the protests. I shall let the photo speak for itself.

So just who or what is the SDS or Students for a Democratic Society? This is an excerpt from their home page at www.newsds.org :

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY

SDS is a chapter-based national organization. It is made up of over 150 local chapters, some as small as 3 people, some as large as 100, who organize locally around local issues. Together, these chapters are building a popular student movement. Each chapter specializes in issues that affect their community; whether it is accessible and quality education, immigration raids and detentions, climate change and climate justice, ending war profiteering, or other issues. Out of our many issues will arise one strong youth movement for peace and justice, led by a generation of experienced, trained student leaders who learned their organizing skills as students.

OUR PLACE IN THE MOVEMENT

Students for a Democratic Society is dedicated to making the connections between students and peoples struggles, and between issues and the bigger systems of which they are a part. We ground our work in an understanding of how our issues intersect, how our struggles are connected, and how to actively question and creatively approach those things that separate us. We recognize the importance of fighting injustice on multiple fronts. We know that individual struggles are never won alone.

We are struggling to change a society which depends upon multiple and reciprocal systems of oppression and domination for its survival: racism and white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, heterosexism and transphobia, authoritarianism and imperialism, among others. In order to create enduring change in such a society, SDS takes on these systems by nourishing interconnected and mutually sustaining struggles of liberation. We aim to consciously and effectively target systems of oppression through collaborative struggle rooted in concrete organizing. We expand our understanding of issues often viewed as singular to include a more complex analysis of how peoples struggles are related and interdependent.

The bolded and italicized portions are my addition to the quoted section above and it is because of my direct concern. This phrase:

“trained student leaders who learned their organizing skills as students.”

should remind everyone of someone quite important to today’s discussion:

While it might seem amusing, it would appear that with his representation of the radical left now dominant in our society and making it chic to be a communist again, the concerns we should all have are the actions and intentions not covered by the mainstream media and inaccessible to the alternative media. I strongly urge all of my readers and patriots concerned about the new red tide swelling in Washington, D.C. and on the college campuses of our nation to pay attention to these efforts, including the one like today. Because you never know where they will lead to and how much damage to our freedoms they can cause.

For laughs, I do have one poster from one of the groups that only those who can not stand “Progressives” and socialists will get a belly laugh from:

And you thought that what we used to see on Jerry Springer in the 1990’s was lunacy, well Jerry (who lives not too far from me), I challenge you to out-nut these nutcases. Because spiritual progressives require all Americans to ascend to a new dimensional plane to fight their devious plans to usurp our freedoms via the 7th Dimension.