Since the launch of the International Education Programme in 1989, thousands of international students have come to South Australia, with the Vietnamese being one of the largest groups. — VNA/VNS Photo

SYDNEY — The Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney has suggested South Australia further create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students to study in the state at a recent working session with local authorities.

Earlier, the South Australia Education Department announced several changes in receiving students from Việt Nam's central provinces of Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Bình under the International Education Programme.

At the working session, the department said it always highly values Vietnamese students and their contributions to the state, noting that it will review policies towards students from the three Vietnamese localities in the time ahead.

Prior to the meeting, the department said it will welcome many international students in the coming weeks under the programme, but will temporarily stop receiving applications of students from Hà Tĩnh and Nghệ An.

For students from Quảng Bình Province, their applications will also not be accepted. However, the regulation may be reviewed in March.

Students from the northern provinces of Hải Dương, Hải Phòng, and Quảng Ninh need to provide clear explanations regarding their application purposes, along with specific study plans.

Those from the southern province of Đồng Nai and the Central Highlands provinces of Đắk Lắk and Lâm Đồng also need to clarify their application purposes, and the regulation will be reviewed in August.

Such regulations are applied only to students who come under the International Education Programme, not university and vocational students.

Since the department launched the programme in 1989, thousands of international students have come to South Australia, with the Vietnamese being one of the largest groups.

Some 430 students from the Southeast Asian nation enrolled in public schools in the Australian state in 2023 under this programme.

Regarding the four Vietnamese students believed to be "uncontactable" in South Australia, the Consulate General has coordinated with local police to look for them and provide information to their families. — VNS