Page 8 - StudyTravel Magazine July 2014 Issue

neWS By MattHeW Knott
language secondary tertiary vocational associated tertiary vocational
Large student weeks growth New Zealand
uses agents for
for Ireland’s ELT schools India promotion

EDuCATIoN NEW ZEALAND
MEMBERS oF IRELAND’S English language school spate of closures of colleges, none of which www.enz.govt.nz has launched
association, Marketing English in Ireland www.mei.ie were MEI members. Institutions that have a promotional campaign with
(MEI), recorded a 28 per cent increase in student weeks in closed in recent weeks include: Eden College, local agencies in India to
2013, despite a seven per cent fall in overall student numbers. Millennium College, Kavanagh College, Irish promote New Zealand as a
The 2013 Student Profile surveyed recruitment trends at Business School (all Dublin), and Allied Irish study destination.
MEI’s 54 member schools, and found total student weeks College, Cork. Students in India who
increased from 440,005 in 2012 to 563,329 last year. register an interest on the
Growth in 2013 was driven by increases from non- Education New Zealand website
EU students in the adult sector. Non-EU students with no will be contacted by a pool of
visa required grew by 52 per cent, and non-EU students New Zealand specialist agents
requiring a visa rose by 107 per cent, while there was also to provide more information
eight per cent growth in EU adult students. There was about courses, criteria and the
a 12 per cent drop in student weeks in the junior sector. application process.
The survey echoed many of the findings of Study Travel Former New Zealand
Magazine’s recent market analysis on Ireland’s ELT sector international cricketer Stephen
(see STM, May 2014, page 51). The task force was established by the Fleming, popular in India
While the average course length in the adult sector was Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí as the coach of the Chennai
8.2 weeks, there was a clear tendency for longer stays from Quinn, with the goals to urgently: coordinate Super Kings team in the Indian
non-EU students at an average of 18.2 weeks (no visa required protection of learners affected; determine the Premier League, is fronting the
students) and 16 weeks (visa required students), contrasting number of students affected; and assess what publicity campaign. Prospective
with an average stay of 3.8 weeks for EU students. capacity is available to accommodate genuine students will have the chance to
Overall student numbers declined from 108,005 in 2012 students who have been displaced. win a dinner date with him.
to 100,523. Junior student numbers fell by 18 per cent, while “We have every sympathy for the genuine
the adult sector rose by seven per cent. Examining the declines students who have been affected by the closure
in the junior segment, the report stated, “The apparent fall off of these private colleges and this government
in junior students in 2013 could be explained by an inflated wants to assist and co-ordinate a sympathetic
2012 figure arising from the London Olympics.” response to them,” said Quinn.
In terms of markets, Italy remained the largest source “We take such a strong view of the impact
country in the junior market in both student numbers these closure have on genuine international
(20,431) and weeks (32,221), followed by Spain with 9,428 students and also on the wider need to protect
students and 25,036 student weeks. By student numbers, Italy Ireland’s reputation as a quality destination
and Spain were also the largest markets in the adult sector, for international students that we are acting
providing 12,476 and 11,803 students respectively. However, on several fronts.” He added that work was
by the measure of student weeks, Brazil was comfortably the on-going to produce a quality framework for
largest source market with 92,860 student weeks. the sector and that affected students had been
Meanwhile, MEI has been appointed as part of a task given grace immigration periods to remain in Kathryn McCarrison,
force to protect international students affected by a recent the country. General Manager Marketing
and Channel Development,
language associated said, “Those who know New
Zealand like New Zealand,
ETS unveils biometric voice identification but there is a lack of awareness
about us as a high-quality
international study destination.
LANGuAGE TESTING PRovIDER ETS www.ets. Vice President, Global Education and Workforce Division at This campaign aims to help fill
org has announced a full roll-out of biometric ETS. “Security is a top priority at ETS, and we are proud to this knowledge gap.”
voice identification security enhancements for have this best-in-class security measure in place for our Toefl ENZ is working with ten
the Toefl English language test. test. Valid scores depend on secure administrations, and this agencies in India to promote
Designed to identify suspected powerful new tool will help to ensure just that.” the campaign. The agencies will
impersonations, the software was first piloted in The biometrics voice identification software programme amplify the campaign messages
the Toefl test in May 2012 and is now available was developed by a company that provides similar solutions through their own networks.
in all 130 countries in which the test is offered. for organisations in the banking, law enforcement and “The New Zealand tertiary
In a company statement, ETS said it currently healthcare industries. ETS has also elevated the prominence education sector has a huge
has patent pending for the use of biometric voice of its whistle-blower hotline to its home page to encourage range of programmes available.
identification for this purpose, and that Toefl is anyone suspicious about fraudulent activity to make their As well as being specialists in a
the only English-language proficiency test using concerns known to the company. number of areas, we also offer
this advanced security measure worldwide. The latest security measures follow ETS’s decision not niche and vocational courses
“The pilot phase of the biometric voice to renew a contact with the UK government (see STM, which are less developed
identification software proved it to be a major June 2014, page 6) to supply Secure English Language Test in other countries, so New
asset in identifying suspected impersonations (SELT) services, after a BBC documentary exposed evidence Zealand really stands out from
and enabling ETS to cancel those scores before of fraud at two UK Toeic test centres. ETS said it plans to the crowd,” said McCarrison.
they were reported,” said David Hunt, Senior extend voice identification to the Toeic test later this year.

6 | Study travel Magazine | july 2014