Page 16 - StudyTravel Magazine May/June 2022 Issue

neW ZeAlAnd

And AustrAliA

seCondAry foCus

With the Australian borders now fully open for tourists and
students and New Zealand announcing plans for a staged reopening
of its borders throughout the rest of 2022, secondary education
providers in these countries are hopeful that international
recruitment can begin again after a two-year hiatus. Bethan Norris
finds out providers’ hopes for the rest of the year and beyond.

secondAry

fter a two-year period of and agents for secondary studies. “I think travel in
no international student programmes have general is still being
Arecruitment at secondary been starting to thought through,”
schools in Australia and New Zealand, arrive. Megan Kong she says. “With
news that the borders would finally from Christchurch the UK, USA and
re-open earlier this year was greeted Girls’ High School Canada having
with enthusiasm by schools and www.cghs. more open
agent recruiters alike. Michael Bos school.nz in New borders and
from Moreton Bay College www.mbc. Zealand says, “We less restrictions,
qld.edu.au in Australia says, “We have had interest the New Zealand
are already seeing an increase in in enrolment right market may have
enquiries and demand. From a small through the border taken quite a hit. New
cohort size of 12 students, we are closures, however, Zealand has also been
expecting growth to 25 by April 2022. as soon as the border quite isolated and while this
These are the brave early adopters re-opening was announced, within has been good for our health system,
and as parents and students become hours we were getting emails from it hasn’t been good for our industry,
more confident, we anticipate these agents making enquiries and from tourism and other export/import
numbers to grow even further and are students that had been waiting for the industries. Hopefully it won’t take too
hopeful of reaching a cohort size of borders to re-open. Most enrolments long for things to swing into action.”
40 by the end of 2022. Also, we have are looking at 2023 as this gives them And with continued uncertainty
had a number of requests for time to prepare and they can about the future, some providers
study tours – summer be sure the borders will believe that enrolments will remain
camps – for July be open by then.” slow this year. Megan says, “I do feel
and August. We Colleen Steyn that agents and students are wary of
anticipate growth from Middleton the New Zealand government closing
in this area, too.” Grange School the borders again and students
In New Zealand www.middleton. getting stuck. Students want to
too, where a school.nz in New ensure they can commence their
limited cohort Zealand believes study programme and do not want
of student visa that it will take to have to change plans at the last
holders were time for students minute like we saw with enrolments in
expected to apply and their parents 2020, so I feel that students/
to arrive from April, to be fully confident families/agents are waiting to
enquiries from parents about travelling for their see if the border opening goes

Photo left: Christchurch Girls High School May/June 2022 Photo right: Middleton Grange School 13