Church panel to set up help Centres for students

KOCHI: In an attempt to prevent fraud while sending students abroad by offering student visa and work permit, the Syro-Malabar Church Laity Commission is planning to set up help centres in the state and in important destinations abroad.“The situation in foreign countries came to our notice when the Laity Commission visited countries such as New Zealand and Singapore. Education is an industry in most countries. That is why they attract students from India. What the colleges need is only students and their fees. The placement of those passing out is not their headache,” says Laity Commission secretary V C Sebastian.“In countries like New Zealand, employment opportunities are less as there are not many industries there. During the visit, we could meet some youngsters from Kerala who could not find jobs even after completing their courses which cost lakhs of rupees,” he said.“This prompted the Commission to look into the matter,” he said. “The commission has already set up offices in different countries. The proposed centres will help students select suitable courses. We have opened laity centres in  Singapore and New Zealand. The students can contact those centres to get further information. They will be free from the influence of agents,” Sebastian said. The service of the guidance centre is not reserved for a particular community and is open to all, he said.“Studying abroad is a status symbol. Many do not take much care about the real prospects of visiting abroad. They are in a hurry to get an admission in a college or university in a foreign country. Nobody is concerned whether they would get a job commensurate with the qualification gained by them abroad,” he said.The commission’s policy is to encourage migration. In search of greener pastures, the commission has initiated a project for migration to African countries. The commission is looking into the possibilities of sending people to Ethiopia, South Africa and Australia.