By Link News Desk
SURREY: The Turksheel Society of Canada, a not-for-profit organization, based in Surrey has stepped up tovoice concerns of Indian international students living in Canada and those waiting to come to Canada, who are left helpless due to the closure of 3 colleges in Montreal Quebec.
The Society will be organizing a protest on Sunday, February 13, at 2:00 pm, at the corner of Bear Creek Park on King George’s Boulevard & 88 Avenue in collaboration with other organizations and asking other international students to join them for support.
According to a CBC news report three private colleges — Collège de comptabilité et de secrétariat du Québec, College de I’Estrie and M College in Montreal city abruptly closed their operations and filed for creditor protection. All these 3 colleges and relevant recruiting firm Rising Phoenix International falls under the umbrella of RPI group which is ultimately held by Mastantuono family.
When this disturbing news spread across Canada and India, various organizations stepped up to help international students.
An emergency zoom meeting of the Tarksheel (Rationalist) Society Canada unit Vancouver, chaired by BaeeAvtar President was held.
“The matter of three Montreal (Quebec) colleges closing their doors abruptly and filling for creditor protection was discussed at length in the meeting. Most students of these colleges, approximately 98% are international students, especially with origin to India-Punjab. This has left the future of about 2,000 students in jeopardy,” said BaeeAvtar.
“Studies had been suspended leading to many students not allowed to work who are in Canada. Students who were attending on-line classes from India as the federal government had advised to start online education around mid 2020 in the wake of COVID have been denied study visas and their study is too on hold. There are allegations that these colleges through their recruiters made students pay tuition fees in advance even when colleges were to apply for creditor protection,” he added.
BaeeAvtar is of the view that although various elected members at the federal and provincial level have pointed out that the matter is related to Quebec government only, but he said governments at both the levels have advertised a regulated policy as path to Canada Dream. “Whatever the governments say but is a fact that both the state and federal governments are equally responsible for ruining the future of these children.”
From the Federal government, the Society is demanding to grant the ousted students the student status so that they can work to earn for their livelihood. They also want the government to grant the study visa to students in India who are studying on-line and to regulate the private colleges to avoid such type of exigencies in future.
The Society through the protest would also present demands to the provincial government. “We want the provincial government to make the arrangement to refund the fees of affected students, make alternative arrangements to complete the study of the ousted students.
To raise the voice for realisation of these demands the Society is going to hold a protest on Sunday, February 13, at 2:00 pm, at the corner of Bear Creek Park on King George’s Boulevard & 88 Avenue in collaboration with fraternal organizations. The Society urges one and all to take part in this protest for the just demands of foreign students and to save their future.
According to news reports, the collegesrequest for creditor protection comes a little more than a year after the province suspended 10 private colleges, including M College and CDE college, for what it described as “questionable” recruitment practices for students in India.
Students pay between $28,000 and $30,000 to attend the colleges, usually over a two-year period, according to court documents. Students from India represent 95 per cent of the 1,177 students at the three colleges. Out of which, 637 students were pursuing studies through online classes from home in India, The Wire reported.
Students were reportedly asked to pay pending fees (Rs 9 lakh to Rs 17.7 lakh) in advance, right before the colleges closed for winter vacations on 30 November. While some paid, some couldn’t pay the hefty fees. When students returned on 10 January, the colleges were shut.
The suspension meant the schools were temporarily prevented from accepting certain foreign-student applications. Quebec’s investigation into the 10 colleges revealed shortcomings around recruitment, commercial practices, governance and teaching conditions.
Some students under the banner of ‘Montreal Youth-Student Organization’ (MYSO) reportedly held a rally at Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar at LaSalle in Montreal demanding refunds, and the opportunity to complete studies and work in Canada. They also sent a letter to the Minister of Education of Canada, the Indian Ambassador to Canada, the Montreal MP and various ministers of the opposition, according to the publication.
