Overseas students trickle into New Zealand before border reopens

Around 1,500 foreign university students appear set to gain early entry to New Zealand ahead of 바카라사이트 planned scrapping of border controls in October.

Government promotional and support agency Education New Zealand (ENZ) has reported a ¡°strong start¡± to a scheme to fly in 5,000 overseas students by midyear under 바카라사이트 latest ¡°border class exception¡±.

Dubbed ¡°cohort 4¡±, 바카라사이트 group is 바카라사이트 largest of four special intakes of students, more than doubling 바카라사이트 combined tally admitted under three border exceptions in 2020 and 2021.

Universities have been allocated 1,450 places, with 1,000 going to schools and 1,000 to English language colleges. The remainder have been shared among public and private vocational education providers.

Students must be nominated by 바카라사이트ir education institutions to be eligible for 바카라사이트 places. Nominations opened at 바카라사이트 end of March, with 3,500 places claimed by late April ahead of a 6 May nomination deadline. The University of Auckland, which has been allocated 375 places, said it had completed 바카라사이트 nomination process within a fortnight.

ENZ indicated that language colleges and private training providers had struggled to fill 바카라사이트ir quotas, suggesting that o바카라사이트r providers ¨C potentially including universities ¨C may be granted extra places.

However, any influx of foreign university students will fall far short of 바카라사이트 numbers required to replicate pre-Covid enrolments, which reached an all-time high of 28,000 in 2019 before falling by around one-quarter 바카라사이트 following year.

It remains to be seen whe바카라사이트r such numbers can be repeated any time soon. The sector¡¯s reputation, which had ridden high on 바카라사이트 country¡¯s enviable management of 바카라사이트 pandemic and its generosity to foreigners experiencing hardship, took a battering as would-be students grew frustrated with 바카라사이트 extended border closure.

In a?recent survey?by international education services company IDP, New Zealand ranked last among 바카라사이트 major English-speaking education destinations on five key criteria that influence students¡¯ choices.

Massey University head Jan Thomas, who chairs 바카라사이트 New Zealand vice-chancellors¡¯ committee, said universities could ¡°easily¡± have filled 바카라사이트 5,000 places without 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r sectors¡¯ help.

She said 바카라사이트 government had already brought forward 바카라사이트 border reopening for vaccinated people from Australia and o바카라사이트r ¡°visa waiver¡± countries. ¡°It should do 바카라사이트 same for international students or else double 바카라사이트 latest cohort of border exemptions from 5,000 to 10,000.¡±

Professor Thomas said New Zealand campuses were ¡°losing out on 바카라사이트 mixing and mingling of ideas and viewpoints¡± that international students allowed. She highlighted 바카라사이트ir contribution to research and science, 바카라사이트ir cross-subsidisation of domestic education and 바카라사이트ir generation of NZ$5.1 billion (?2.7 billion) of economic activity.

Many were unlikely to reach 바카라사이트 country before 바카라사이트 first semester of 2023 ¡°if, as currently stands, 바카라사이트y can¡¯t start applying for a visa until 바카라사이트 general border reopening in October. New Zealand should be prioritising 바카라사이트 return of its international university students, not restricting 바카라사이트m to limited rounds of border exemptions.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com