Campus closure warning
Educator says foreign students are not a tap that can be quickly ‘turned on and off’, Tom Pullar-Strecker reports.
One of the country’s largest private education providers, Aspire2, will close one of its campuses – axing its previous plan to instead double its size.
Chief executive Clare Bradley said the closure of its ‘‘start-up’’ campus on Cuba Street in Wellington illustrated the impact that tighter immigration policies could have on the international education industry, which contributed $4.5 billion to the economy.
The campus used to have between 100 and 150 students taught by about a dozen fulltime and part-time teachers but had been indirectly impacted by a dramatic drop in the number of student visas issued to Indian students and would close by Easter, she said.
That drop followed a decision by the previous government to tighten up English-language requirements and monitoring. ‘‘The bottom dropped out of the market due to the policy resets in the Indian market,’’ Bradley said.
Aspire2 was now concerned by suggestions the new Government could halve the number of new student visas it issued, and potentially restrict the ability of foreign students to work during and after their study.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has targeted a 20,000 to 30,000 drop in annual net migration, with the Labour Party expressing concern before the election that foreign students were rorting the student visa scheme as a ‘‘backdoor’’ into New Zealand.
Foreign students currently have the right to work for up to 20 hours a week during their studies, fulltime during holidays, and for between a year and four years afterwards in a job related to their field of study.
Bradley said there were some small private training establishments (PTEs) that were providing low-quality education, but believed that issue was confined to a ‘‘very small number’’ of students and could be addressed by providing more resources to NZQA and TEC to monitor providers.
Aspire2 hoped to be consulted at an early stage by the Government in decisions that might affect the sector and was keen to ensure ‘‘low quality courses’’ were not mixed up with ‘‘low-level courses’’ which were sometimes equated to courses at NCEA level 6 and below, she said.
The international education industry was not a tap that could be quickly turned on again if it was turned off, she said. Rather, ‘‘consistency’’ of government policy was important, she said.
PTEs relied on partner businesses overseas which invested in understanding what New Zealand and its qualifications had to offer, and in promoting the country as a destination.
If they felt that effort had been wasted, they might instead direct their attention to other markets. ‘‘It is a momentum game,’’ she said.
If New Zealand reduced students’ work rights it would be ‘‘shooting itself in the back of the head,’’ she said.
‘‘All we are urging is caution when it comes to policy settings.’’
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government was not rushing to make changes.
‘‘We plan to talk to and work with the sector to achieve the right balance for the long term success of the sector and New Zealand.
‘‘Our priority is to drive out low quality providers, who are damaging New Zealand’s reputation internationally, while we are very keen to work with those – at all levels – who want to do well,’’ he said.
Bradley said Aspire2 had between 3500 and 4000 foreign students enrolled in its classes, down from about 5000 a year ago.
If New Zealand reduced students' work rights it would be "shooting itself in the back of the head" Clare Bradley, CEO, Aspire2