Why are teaching institutions booming with overseas students?

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Why are teaching institutions booming with overseas students?

Visit Time: 14/11/2006 3:04 AM

Remark:
If you visit some public and private institutions, you soon find that many overseas students come to study in courses, which they can score maximum points for application to remain in Australia after their studies.

When I.T. dropped out of favour for maximum point score 2 years ago, the accounting intake skyrocketed. Surfing through DIMIA website, you will be able to find out which other courses will score you the maximum points. The top three popular ones other than accounting are hairdressing, hospitality and childcare. Overseas students flocked to those courses, and upon completion of their studies, some will return to their own countries, but many will get in touch with migration lawyers to apply for permanent residency.

Once permanent residency is granted, many will find employment in other fields. The reason why there is shortage of workers in the abovementioned industries is due to the fact that they are poorly paid, particularly in hospitality, many workers don't see daylight in the kitchens, and they have to feed / serve the customers at the time when they are hungry as well.

Not all overseas students come from well-to-do families. They work to support their fees, accommodation, food and other expenses. It costs an overseas student about A$30,000 to $40,000 per annum to stay in Australia. A student is permitted to work 20 hours per week during school term, but many students work more than the maximum hours permitted. Unfortunately, many have been exploited, working in restaurants or workplaces at $6 an hour. They are underpaid in cash, not covered by WorkCover, and if accidents were to happen, the students will suffer in silence, because they have no one to turn to.

An overseas student pays about 10 times as much as an Australian student in course fee per hour. There is why education is such a lucrative industry for Australia. Some private institutions are very poorly equipped, and the "school" or "college" may be just a leased property with three "classrooms" with no other facilities. Some institutions cater mainly for overseas students, and when you are in such a building, you probably think that you are in a foreign country - all but English is spoken. Take a stroll in Melbourne CBD during the weekend after 1 p.m. and you will realise that I am not telling fibs.

Many colleges also involve in very unscrupulous practices. Overseas students arriving in Australia thinking that they would complete their course on certain date, may have to enrol in another course temporarily for another semester or longer if the prescribed class does not have enough student enrolment. The options open to the students are either to return home until the class commences, or hang round attending another bridging course - the devil and the deep blue sea. The students are not compensated, and cannot enrol in another college, because the visa condition stipulates that they are not allowed to change course provider during the first 12 months.

Kumar referred in your 13/11/2006 report is just one unethical practitioner. If your program digs deeper, it will make your blood boiled!

Breast Cancer

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Breast Cancer

Visit Time: 7/11/2006 5:04 PM

Remark:

On 25/10/2006, Dr Helen Zorbas, National Breast Cancer Centre commented on 7.30 Reports about "Breast cancer rates on the way up ", that "… having a doubling of increase in incidence between 1983 and today and looking forward to 2011 and saying that that's going to be a trebling of incidents is concerning."

What is doubled - the number of detection in absolute numbers, per female population, or female of certain age group? Don't forget that more females go for mammograms these days; and as the population grow older, more females turn 50 and over, and they are entitled to free mammograms. In short, is the increase significant enough to cause public hysteria when 2011 comes about?

I am not a medical doctor or scientist. However, I take keen interests in cancer, and particularly breast cancer. Rick Kefford discarded the myths about breast cancer being caused by underarm deodorant, or wearing a bra. There are other so called myths like drinking too much milk, a blow or injury to the breast, having silicon breast transplant, or even having a mammogram.

A lot of people are concerned about what they eat; making sure that food is low fat, low carb, no preservatives, no artificial flavouring, no chemicals etc. A lot more people talk about clean air, clean water, no fluoridation in water and no GM agricultural products. I would like to know whether people know what is in their vitamin pills, vitamin supplements, toothpaste, mouthwash, lip gloss and lipsticks. Why do I mention these items? These are ingested, used or applied to area, namely the lips, where the saliva will dissolve them and eventually ingested.

Mark Bannerman commented that "… researchers have begun mapping the disease. What they found is that breast cancer is more prevalent if you live in a major city, numbers are higher in affluent suburbs too". In a more affluent society, people tend to be better presented in term of appearance, and as a result, the females are likely to use more cosmetics, including lipsticks. Every time a lipstick user drinks liquid or wet her lips by her tongue, she unintentionally dissolves the chemical of the lipstick, which finds its way to the blood stream.

Statistically, there are 2% of men suffering from breast cancer. Men in certain profession do use cosmetics and lipsticks. More and more people also use lipgloss on hot days.

If chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, then it is very likely that there are chemicals that can trigger or promote the growth of cancer cells. If certain contraceptive pills, alias chemicals, can cause deformity of foetus, there must be chemicals that can cause deformity of cells - or put it bluntly, turn them into cancer cells!

Cigarette was once believed to be harmless, but what has happened to the unfortunate smokers who have signed their own death warrant? Is lipstick / cosmetic the curse of the century for the women? I hope I have not opened the Pandora box.

Global warming - a scare campaign?

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Global warming - a scare campaign?

Visit Time: 4/11/2006 11:52 AM

Remark:

The doomsday prophets are on the go again. After billions if not trillions of dollars had been wasted worldwide on fixing the Y2K problems, the latest scare campaign on global warming is scandalous.

Unscrupulous campaigners convince many Australians that by stopping the opening of new coalmine will help in curbing the greenhouse effect. Unfortunately, these campaigners may be from competing nations, which also export coal. Coal is not only used for power generation; it is also used for the production of steel. Coal mining creates many direct and indirect employment, and brings in export dollars.

While some rural towns in southeastern and southern parts of Australia are experiencing severe droughts, other places in Australia and abroad receive good rainfall and even flood.

Throughout the past many centuries, the exposed area of the sea has not diminished; and if the earth is warming up, the evaporation rate should be higher, and therefore, rain should fall more frequently. The hypothesis about global warming causing severe droughts seems contradictory.

The crystal ball gazers reckon that the global warming will cause the melting of polar ice and drought. The sea level will rise to as much as 25 metres. If that is the case, why should we worry about the drought? Arid land will be flooded and irrigated by the rising water. The Simpson Desert, the Sahara Dessert and the Gobi Dessert, just to name a few, will probably become fertile farmland which could support a couple more billion people.

Before the sea level increases to such height, much of the water will have channelled into the existing river system, or new rivers formed. Part of the water will also fill the artesian wells, which for the past decades, have been drained close to empty for farm use and domestic consumption.

Carbon capturing, carbon trading, recycling, and reducing greenhouse gas emission do not solve global warming. It's about time scientists should think spherically to find a solution in cooling the earth - that's right, GLOBAL COOLING!

Uncovered meat, corporate paedophile, and junk food

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Uncovered meat, Corporate Paedophile, and Junk Food

Visit Time: 4/11/2006 12:59 AM

Remark:

Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly delivered a Ramadan sermon in which he said, "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat?"

The full sermon of Sheikh Hilaly upset many people. However, the extract passage above does convey a powerful message - risk minimisation.

Just so happened during the week when Sheikh Hilaly was delivering his sermon on "uncovered meat", I was running classes on risk management. Most people in the society condemn violence and sexual assault because of their moral stance. However, there are always exceptions, and as a result, one has to minimise and control the risk of such unpleasant occurrence.

Just recently, a feminist academic accused major retailers of "sexualising" children in their advertising. Putting this in a similar context, "If major retailers sexualise children in their advertising in catalogues or magazines, and the undesirable admirers collect the pictures and post them on the Internet ... whose fault is it, the undesirable admirers' or the children's or the retailers'?

Obesity has been another hotly debated topic. "If a junk food company promotes its products on television or billboards or school canteens, and the obese customers buy and eat them … whose fault is it, the obese customers', the junk food or the company's?

Different people will come up with different answers for the above questions. There are no right or wrong answers - it is a matter of one's opinion, perception, attitude, belief, culture, and societal influence.

Australia is a democratic country. It is unthinkable that we have to be correct politically for every deed - every word sanitised, and every action scrutinised.

Bring the world back to their lives

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Bring the world back to their lives

Visit Time: 24/10/2006 11:36 PM

Remark:

It is a great idea that Eastern Palliative Care in Melbourne offers writing biographies of the terminally ill. As NATASHA JOHNSON puts it, this service helps to focus on easing the distress of the dying.

I was a volunteer community health visitor for several years. I visited bed-ridden or wheel chair bound sufferers in nursing homes. My role was to chat with them, 45 minutes to an hour a week. I looked forward meeting my clients, and so did my clients.

Visitors of residents in nursing home or patients in hospitals normally talk about the family affairs, something uninteresting nor mind stimulating. I was determined to bring a virtual world back to their lives during my visits. Our conversation would cover topics from current affairs to ancient history, from politics to religion, from medical breakthrough to testing another recipe in my own kitchen, etc. In fact we talked about anything and everything which they missed so much since the day they lost their mobility.

When you visit a patient next time, talk with him / her about what is happening beyond the boundary of the building. Don't let him / her feel losing contact with the real world!

Water solution

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Water Solution

Visit Time: 28/09/2006 3:48 AM

Remark:

So what, we do live on the driest continent on earth! If we have a problem, then we have to fix it.

When Maxine McKew interviewed Malcolm Turnbull on 26/9/2006 about water initiative, Maxine McKew's question about "there's too little being done on the supply" seemed too difficult for Malcolm Turnbull to comprehend.

If the population of Australia grows from 18 million to 20 million, a mere 10%, then the water supply must grow by 10% as well in order to satisfy normal consumption and irrigation. This has not happened, and with conservative thinking approach, will never happen. Damming more rivers, or building more reservoirs are like taking cookies from a jar of limited capacity and limited number of "cookies".

Many countries are blessed with large and long river systems, and just so happen the rain falls on well-positioned catchment areas. There is a saying, "if Mohamed does not go to the mountain, then brings the mountain to Mohamed" (no offence to all the Mohamed's, and this is not a racist remark). If the rain does not fall on the so-called catchment areas in Australia due to whatever the reasons - global warming, El Nino, etc., then we should consider creating man-made mountains and catchments where rain is abundant.

Building mountains is not a fantasy - if we can build freeways, we can build rivers. The soil from any excavated land and including that from open-cut mines can be piled up to form the mountains. What are the costs? The costs are probably peanuts when we compare that with loss of crops and export income due to draught and bush fires, and in time to come, loss of human lives. With the man-made river system, we can even solve the flood problem experienced in many parts of Australia.

The new river system will be linked to the existing natural rivers. Obviously, there is also a lot of spin-off from a mountain-and-river system - a new environment for aquatic creatures and wildlife, new food chains, increase in tourism and real estate development, just to name a few.

I'm not a futurist. I only consider myself as a spherical thinker.

Global atmospheric and ocean warming

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Global Atmospheric and Ocean Warming

Visit Time: 26/09/2006 5:25 PM

Remark:

Scientists, and even kids know about the Ice Age (Walt Disney's cartoon), but no one can be sure of what caused the freezing of our Earth. One thing is certain though, that the ice melted, and the Earth flourished again.

The reason the ice melted could neither be attributed to the burning of fossil fuels by industries, nor the forest fires; and therefore, the global warming could never have been caused by human during the Ice Age (there were no humans then, anyway). It is plausible, as pointed out by Stephen Mooney's letter posted to the 7.30 Reports 22/9/2006, that the increase in the emission of the Sun over time resulted in the warming of the atmosphere.

As time passes, the speed of rotation of any planet or revolution around the Sun will slow down. In recent years, all the solar planets lined up. The gravitational interactions with the other planets could also affect the Earth being slowed down, and even fractionally, the exposure of solar effect on the Earth could also increase.

The Aged, 28/12/2006, reported on the that "an earthquake that unleashed deadly tidal waves on Asia was so powerful it made the Earth wobble on its axis and permanently altered the regional map, US geophysicists said today". Many Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can cause distortion of the earth axis. As a result, the weather pattern can also be distorted - the flood-prone areas may now experience draught and vice versa.

Between 100 and 200 kilometres below the Earth's surface, the temperature of the rock is near the melting point. Isn't it possible that the rise in ocean temperature is really caused by the slow boiling of the vast volume of ocean water rather than the greenhouse effect? Shouldn't we spend more funds to investigate whether the activities at the ocean beds of the Earth are the culprits rather than conveniently blame it on "El Niño" effect?

Human's ingenuity is boundless - before non-renewable fuel sources run out, human will have switched to or invented a replacement. If fossil fuel is cost effective, but its discharge, namely, carbon dioxide "may" cause harm to the planet, then research should be funded to transform or convert carbon dioxide to something productive. Who knows, one day in the future, scientists may combine carbon dioxide, sodium chloride (salt) and radioactive wastes into stable and non-polluting compounds.

Speak English and respect the Laws

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Speak English and Respect the Laws

Visit Time: 19/09/2006 10:54 AM

Remark:

The Bible talks about the Tower of Babel; without a uniform language, Australia is divided and people misunderstood. By not understanding basic English, one can't understand our basic Laws in Australia.

English has been in used and spoken by majority of Australians in Parliament, commerce, society at large, and at home. It should be adopted as the primary language. This does not imply that anyone is barred from using or learning other languages when needs arise.

I doubt anyone in Australia can clearly define what Australian values are; how can any visitor, immigrant, or for that matter any Australian, understand or accept Australian values?

While some people here and abroad may have good intention to promote national harmony or unity in songs with phrases like "we are one, we are many", or "one people, one nation", we should courage the residents of Australia to be "one nation, one citizen". I can't change my genetics, my childhood upbringing and believes, etc., but I can adopt new ways of living and so-called culture, when I took up the Australian citizenship.

Today's world is one of great suspicion and intolerance. Verbal conflicts turn into physical violence, and wars. This is the time for Australia to be united, and to do so, all Australians should be patriotic to Australia and should have national pride. The "knocking" mentality should be discarded, and we should be proud of this great nation we live in. As to the Australian flag, this is a representation of Australia. We can't bring Australia overseas but we can hang a flag to show Australia's presence.

I'm an Australian, born in Malaysia of Chinese descent!

What's next soldiers?

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     What's next soldiers?

Visit Time: 19/09/2006 3:03 AM

Remark:

It is unacceptable and intolerable to let off steam by posting those childish, insensitive and demeaning images over the Internet.

I firmly believe that personnel working in high security environment should not possess electronic device including new generation mobile phones capable of taking digital images, unless authorise to use or carry one.

Vision impairment - Peter versus Jeff

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Vision impairment - Peter versus Jeff

Visit Time: 24/08/2006 1:54 AM

Remark:

Are Peter Costello and Jeff Kennett aware that they belong to the same party? Do they know what they are doing to the Party? They can jeopardise Ted Baillieu's chances to win a percent or two in the coming state election.

Peter Costello has his point, and Ted Baillieu need to come out with something more constructive. The East Link is progressing very well, and Ted Baillieu has one less point to score. The wind mills are also vote winners, and so are the tough new laws on car hoons.

Come to think of it, I can't recall any politician has shared his / her vision about being a party member or politician. Further, not a single politician has a vision about this great nation.

Will Australia be self-sufficient in energy production, or become the food bowl of the world in the next decade? Will the deserts be transformed into forests with saline-tolerant trees - satisfaction guaranteed for both the saw mills and the Greenies?

Will Australia and the rest of the world rely on just nuclear power to generate electricity? If so, will Australia seize the day in becoming the leader in recycling radioactive waste? Will Telstra rise again from the ashes after the departure of the foreign management?

May be Peter Costello, Jeff Kennett and Ted Baillieu can all get together to trash out the vision for Victoria - not four years, but many decades to come.

Telstra

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Telstra

Visit Time: 22/08/2006 1:11 AM

Remark:

As the largest shareholder, the Federal Government should step in to call for an extraordinary meeting to sack the current management for bringing the Telstra share price to reach the lowest point in nine years.

It is totally disgraceful that the top management gets rewarded for poor performance. The only reward that seems fit is to buy them a one way ticket and stamp on their passport never to return to Australia in their natural lives.

The Federal Government should not sell off Telstra, for whoever controls telecommunication holds the ultimate power in controlling the national intelligence.

The moment the Government let go of Telstra, it will be the time that a foreign takeover will occur - just like what is happening to Coles Myer. Telstra will collapse, and assets stripped. There will also be massive job losses, and privacy cannot be assured.

Queensland had a Dr Death in the health system, Australia has one too in the telecommunication system.

A united party is a strong party

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     A united party is a strong party!

Visit Time: 15/06/2006 2:39 AM

Remark:

The revolt by Liberal Party members is uncalled for. Not only will this disunity weaken the party footing, but also allows the Labor Party to strategise conquer and divide the Liberal party further for the next election.

These days, many people are getting more aggressive and confrontational. They go to wars to seek peace, adopting an eye for an eye approach. This is an era of suspicion and intolerance. Instead of living in harmony with the neighbourhood, they flex their muscles for the wrong reasons.

I consider myself reasonably kind and humane, but I would not welcome homeless kids or abused victims to live in my house. My home is my space and territory. It is not unreasonable to have the so called refugees to be handled off-shore until such time their identity and status are checked and confirmed. I wonder those good people would allow the refugees to take refuge in their own backyard unreservedly.

The refugee processing methodology may require improvement. The duration of processing can be shortened to minimise unnecessary hardship or trauma caused by isolation.

Haven't those kind hearted-people's mummies taught them not to open doors to strangers?

Soldiers please come home safely

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Soldiers please come home safely!

Visit Time: 25/05/2006 11:39 AM

Remark:

I'm deeply saddened by all the wars going on around us! Today 25/5/06, our Australian soldiers are sent to East Timor help to curb the civil unrest in the country.

Far too many people in the world, using their principles, believes, and power to justify their lives to be more valuable than others. Why can't everyone's mind set be changed to accommodate love to come into his/her heart, and let peace be the guiding principle?

I sincerely hope that all our soldiers on tours of duty abroad will come home safely to their love ones.

Budget and economy 2006/07

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Budget and Economy 2006/07

Visit Time: 9/05/2006 1:39 AM

Remark:

Let commonsense prevail! Anyone with a gramme of grey matter in his/her head would have guessed that the Australian economy is not as robust and strong as many gurus have predicted.

Ask the many underemployed who want to work and do not find additional hours of employment, or the students cum retrenched workers in the TAFE colleges who have no choice but to study again; the rosy pictures are rosy no more.

The first home buyer grant and rebate offered by the State and Federal governments help many to achieve owning their homes sooner, but also created a pool of dreamers who want to own a "house" beyond their reach.

Home ownership is not a necessity - just because one has to live in a house everyday does not mean that he / she needs to own one. Analogously, it does not imply that the same person who eats a variety of food needs to own a grocery shop or a supermarket.

I have spoken to many of my students about the timing of the real estate industry downturn, and the coming of "the recession we do not accept to have". Despite what the treasurer says, and what the Reserved Bank do in the future months, the house prices in Victoria will take a dive. Unemployment rate will continue to climb, leading to big rise in bankruptcy, suicide rate, marriage breakup, burglary and thefts.

History is going to repeat itself - one of the banks is going to be punished heavily for being too generous in lending money to many who can't afford home ownership or property investment.

Tighten your seat belt Australians, we are facing a hard landing!

Take responsibility about your fat children

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Take responsibility about your fat children

Visit Time: 5/05/2006 1:01 AM

Remark:

I'm a tax payer who is getting sick of fixing problems of people who keep blaming the society, the mass media, everyone except themselves about making their children taking drugs, speeding on the roads and killing innocent people, making them fat, etc.

In most cases, parents do have more contact hours with their children than outsiders. Why can't they look after the well being of their children better? Don't they know how to use the switch on the power point? Its a matter of turning off the TV if the parents of the fat children don't want the children to know about the Golden Arch, or the old man trying to entice the kids to eat the chook?

Probably there are a lot of readers or audience out there, just like me, would like to spend their money on themselves rather than fixing problems of irresponsible people who keep blaming others for their misbehaviour and arrogance.

If they do not fix their own problems, don't expect others to fix the problems for them - well, definitely from not me!

Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony

Visit Time: 17/03/2006 1:45 PM

Remark:
I met Peter Costello at the St Patrick's Day breakfast this morning and passed on a message to him from Sir John Bradman.

Sir John was extremely unhappy about Australia being run out for a duck during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games at the MCG.

We don't Bloody Hell care about upsetting people

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     We don't Bloody Hell care about upsetting people

Visit Time: 12/03/2006 2:50 AM

Remark:
The world can do without verbal incitement of racial or religious misunderstanding by politicians and mass media advertisements.

I've lived in Australia for more than three and a half decades, and I always believe that those who don't pledge their allegiance to their adoptive country should not deserve citizenship from that country. However, politicians should not use a particular race or religious group to emphasise or illustrate the point.

It seems the only fair thing to do to balance such stupid comment is to upset the other racial or religious group by using such foul and condemned words like "where the bloody hell are you?"

Where else if it is not in Australia!

RU486

Name:        CHAN, Sin Fong

Subject:     RU486

Visit Time: 17/02/2006 1:03 AM

Remark:

If cloning of human is morally and ethically wrong; euthanasia or assisted suicide considered a murder and illegal, why is abortion by using RU486 acceptable and legal?

Many female Parliamentarians passionately argued that the right of a woman to abort simply because the foetus is carried in her body are nonsensical and gender biased. The foetus is the result of the fertilisation of a female egg by a male sperm. Doesn't the contributor of the sperm have any say in the abortion? Is this self-centredness or arrogance? Are females becoming too macho?

Most men do not have any idea about the menstrual cycle of their wives or female partners. If the abortion process were so simple, namely by swallowing a tablet or two, a husband or male partner would have no clue that his spouse has terminated the life of his child without his consent. Is this fair?

Whether the Minister of Health has the medical expertise to veto the approval of RU486 should not the issue. No universities in the world offer academic courses on how to become a Queen or a Prime Minister. That does not mean that Queen Elizabeth II or the many Prime Ministers in the world are not doing a great job. TGA is no different from many other organisations - operated by humans. Unfortunately, despite all good intentions and purposes, humans can make mistakes.

I hope RU486 is not another Thalidomide.