Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government was "acutely aware" of the challenges the international education sector was facing, so the Government was introducing a range of proposed amendments to the Education and Training Bill.
"Our export education sector is a big contributor to our economy and international brand.
"Many of the changes announced, will help to support the sector get back on its feet.”
One of the proposed changes means secondary and tertiary institutions will not have to pay export education levies for 2020 and 2021, which will remove some of the financial burden on education providers affected by the loss of international pupils and students.
"That levy will not apply to enrolments in 2020 and 2021, and levies already paid will be refunded."
Mr Hipkins said he also intended to temporarily allow schools to offer distance learning, including NCEA, to pupils based off-shore who enrolled with the school during 2020, on a case-by-case basis.
Otago Secondary Principals’ Association president Linda Miller was pleased the Government would not be collecting international student levies in 2020 and 2021.
"This is a small piece of good financial news for schools with international students."
The decision to allow international pupils to be assessed (via distance learning) for NCEA while offshore, was also good news, she said.
"Domestic students were able to continue to be assessed for NCEA during lockdown via distance means, so this move, albeit on a case-by-case basis, creates an equitable and common-sense solution for students who are unable to get back into New Zealand at present."
Otago Polytechnic external relations director Mike Waddell also welcomed the proposal to temporarily drop levies.
However, he also called on the Government to reopen borders as soon as it was practical and safe.
“Hopefully, this would enable and, indeed, encourage international students to begin, or resume, studies at the start of the 2021 academic year.”
Further amendments aimed to ensure the education system is better able to respond to future emergencies.
They include enabling the Education Minister to vary a tertiary funding determination, without a three-month stand-down period, in response to an epidemic or emergency; and enabling the minister to establish Private Training Establishment sub-categories.
