Over the last few weeks the Fiji Higher Education Commission has been meeting with stakeholders to try and combat the way some of our people and students are being exploited by some overseas universities.
Today, after an Inter-Agencies Stakeholders Talanoa Session, FHEC Director, Dr Eci Nasele says before this number was not as much, but over the last five to seven years the numbers have dramatically increased.
Dr Eci says this is because these institutions have identified a gap between the Ministry of Education, FHEC, and Immigration by using locals.
The FHEC Director says while there are some universities that are going about this the correct way but there are also others who are just interested in the money.
He says the government is taking a strong approach to closely monitor students as they travel overseas.
Insert: Dr Naisele on fraud Jan 28
The Director says with the technology of the systems of payment nowadays, he knows there are rules, regulations that bind our people from taking money offshore, which these people are trying to beat our system.
Present at the Talanoa Session were the FRCS, FCCC, Investment Fiji, Registrar of Companies, Ministry of Immigration, and Vodafone Fiji.
He says they are working together to try to curb and address these issues and to inform our people, particularly the parents.
Dr Naisele says he is referring to those in Year 12 and 13, finishing high school and wanting to join a university offshore and since there were no checks and balances, they just go ahead because it is readily available.
He says more critically, these agencies work through immigration to get the visa which allows the students to move across faster instead of following through the proper processes of applying individually or through a proper regulated agency.
The Director says they have developed a framework which will drop down to a policy, and they hope to get this through to the Solicitor General's Office.
He says they are trying to get a cabinet paper through to the Minister for Education, and hopefully get approval from government to curb this issue to help our people, particularly outbound students studying abroad.
Dr Naisele says the framework will not only look after the outbound, but also the inbound foreign students coming to study at USP, FNU, UniFiji, and other local institutions.
