The reopening of borders has seen international students welcomed back into several schools in the North Canterbury region.
While the financial benefits of international students who pay between $15,000 to $17,000 a year to study here is welcome, schools also see it as an opportunity to increase their cultural diversity and educational opportunities within their classrooms.
Oxford Area School principal Mike Hart says while an increased diversity in kura (school) is an essential aspect of accepting international students at OAS, they also generate income for the local community, not just the school.
‘‘We have had to adjust over the past few years with a dramatic reduction in international students, however we felt well supported by the Ministry of Education during this time of loss of income.’’
He said most staff were able to be redeployed into other areas of the school during this time.
‘‘In Term three we have had the arrival of eight international students from Brazil for one term. Our pre-pandemic International Department was able to reassemble to cater for this group at kura.’’
He says he hopes more overseas students will pick New Zealand as the place to come and study, and they have fielded many requests and have a number of students already enrolled for the upcoming year.
‘‘Hopefully, this is a positive sign for the future,’’ Mr Hart says.
Kaiapoi High School (KHS) principal Jason Reid says the school has decided to delay rebooting its international programme in order to focus on enhancing the school culture in 2023.
“KHS has not had a reliance on funds gained from international student programmes and any funds gained supplement our programmes.’’
Mr Reid says the international student programme is complex involving staffing, learning support, pastoral care and hosting.
‘‘We are looking to put robust infrastructure in place in 2023 to create a highly successful transition to international programmes in 2024.’’
Kaikoura High School principal John Tait says the number of international students at Kaikoura was very small with just two to three annually.
Rangiora High School (RHS) director of international students Melissa Heyrick says the school is excited to be welcoming international students back into their school community
She says the two years they had to suspend the 15›year›old scheme felt like a long time.
‘‘It was two years of uncertainty and concern whether we would be able to return to normal and welcome them back into our great school.’’
In 2019 students from eleven countries were part of the programme at RHS.
‘‘Prior to Covid and the border lock down, we would have had approximately 65 international students on campus each year, sometimes up to 90. Covid hit and we went down to 25 students in 2020, and then this year we have had only one Thai student from the start of 2022 up until now when we have had a welcome influx into the school.
‘‘Since July we now have 15 and the forecast for term one of 2023 is to welcome 30 plus students back to the school, says Ms Heyrick.
The RHS International scheme is very popular in both Japan and Europe because of the equestrian and out door educations programmes.
‘‘We are also very well known for our pastoral care of the students, she says.
