Foreign pupils urged to stay

WELLINGTON: Government agencies have written to every foreign pupil in the country, encouraging them to stay in New Zealand for the summer.

The campaign, by Education New Zealand and organisations including the Association of International Students and Immigration New Zealand, is part tourism promotion for pupils finishing their courses, and part pastoral care for those who cannot leave for fear of interrupting their studies.

Education New Zealand partnerships and marketing general manager Paul Irwin said the ‘‘Great Kiwi Summer’’ campaign would help ensure pupils who stayed for summer had a good time.

‘‘It’s basically a mix of nuts and bolts stuff around making sure you renew your visa if you need to renew it, tips on wellbeing, tips on safety, advice if people are thinking about perhaps doing further study, but also tapping into both Tourism New Zealand and regional EDAs [economic development agencies] providing information around what is happening during summer in New Zealand,’’ he said.

He said many pupils would not have previously spent a summer in the country.

‘‘We are totally aware that these students are away from home at a very difficult time, so I think if we were Kiwis with our kids overseas in a different country, I’m sure we would want that country to look after our children, so I think that sense of manaakitanga is really important in this situation.’’

Mr Irwin said latest visa figures showed there were 42,300 foreign pupils, and about 25,000 had already received direct emails.

He acknowledged the pupils might be the main group of foreign tourists in New Zealand during the summer.

‘‘These students are tourists and they’re also ambassadors for our country when they go home or when they email or are on social to their friends back home, so a happy student is good for the student, but also for our country’s broader reputation,’’ he said.

Principal of John Paul College in

Rotorua, Patrick Walsh, said thousands of pupils would not be seeing their families for two years, and it was a sad situation.

‘‘They do feel very vulnerable, some anxious, about their own families back home, but most of them are philosophical about it,’’ he said.

‘‘We’re very grateful that the homestay parents will have them over a period where they are prepared to adopt them and have them into their families and look after them.’’

He said his school had 30 foreign teens staying through the summer and, like many others around the country, it was organising a special programme of holiday activities and English language classes.

Schools International Education Business Association executive director John van der Zwan said usually it was the European and South American school pupils who remained in New Zealand for summer, but this year would be different.

‘‘Probably all of those students have now gone home, and so the ones that are still here in New Zealand will be ones that probably will be deciding whether to stay so that they continue their NCEA pathways for next year, so they’re likely to be from China or other countries throughout Asia,’’ he said.

International Students’ Association president Sabrina Alhady said many international pupils were facing a difficult time.

‘‘Not only because of their studies, but just in general it is very difficult to be away from home, and to not see your family for potentially two years as well is going to make things a lot more difficult for them,’’ she said.

Ms Alhady said the association was involved with the Great Kiwi Summer campaign.

‘‘The main thing they’re trying to target here is ensuring that international students’ needs are being met over the summer, that they know about their options over the summer,’’ she said.

‘‘There will definitely be pastoral care concerns, especially in terms of who is going to be responsible for the international students while they’re here over the summer.’’ — RNZ

❛ . . . a happy student is good for the student but also for our country’s

broader reputation