I am living in this city as an international student for
around two years. I have experienced quite many things. In this, what I am
writing I do not know what should I call this. I want to write about my
experiences in this city of UK as a Pakistani student from Saudi Arabia.
Students come to this country from around the global to
study, to get education, to learn something. People come in this country as
students on student visas. When they arrive here they join local students and
they form a large group of students, they all become students under one roof
without any differentiation.
This country is champion of equality and justice. I do not
understand when it comes on the matter of fees why there is a very big difference,
where local students do not have to pay too much fees and whatever the local
students are paying, they get support from everywhere. On the other hand,
international students have to pay more than one can even imagine. The fees
touches the sky, the international students have to pay triple fees as compare
to local students.
I heard a lot about equality in the colleges and
universities through student union but I do not understand that how can local
students be equal to international students or vice versa.
For example, a local student goes on a shop and likes to buy
something. He/she buys a product with a price tag on it. Then an international student
goes to the same shop and wants to buy the same product with the same price tag
but somehow his/her appearance or whatsoever the shopkeeper comes to know that
the student is international. When an international student goes to the
shopkeeper and asks him/her that I want to buy this product. He/she triples the
price. The international student gets shocked and asks what is the reason for
this. He/she says just because you are not from this country you has to pay
more. On this, the international student says it does not matter from which
country I am. I am a student, I am in this country for an education, and we all
are equal. However, the shopkeeper insists on the price he/she has offered.
When this happens to me, it reminds me the era of
colonialism, British India in a modern form.
Recently, I write a note to my principal asking the same
question. I was contacted by the international office of my college regarding
my question to the principal but could not get a satisfactory answer. The
international office has no sensible answer to my question.
Student Union is standing against the decision of the
government to raise the fees of local students. On the other hand, we
international students are paying high fees from ages why no one ever protested
against this? What is the meaning of student union?
International Student: Sajan
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