Student numbers at UC to recover

Canterbury University is forecasting ‘‘significantly more’’ students from local secondary schools will stay in the city to study next year, with numbers picked to reach pre-quake levels.

The university’s enrolments dropped post-quake but are showing signs of rebounding.

Vice-chancellor Rod Carr said ‘‘very positive’’ feedback from schools, recruitment events and enrolment applications showed good signs. ‘‘It appears significantly more year 13 students than in recent years are keen to stay in Christchurch and study locally.’’

He believed the city’s recovery gathering momentum was an ‘‘obvious factor’’ and 2016 would be when student numbers headed back to pre-quake levels.

According the institution’s council agenda this week, the university had been budgeting for an operating deficit as at the end of September of $8.7 million, but had returned an operating deficit of $3.8m. The Tertiary Education Commission is reviewing whether UC will continue to need additional fuding in 2017 and 2018.

Burnside High School principal Phil Holstein said he would be excited if more local students were looking to study near home.

‘‘As a Cantabrian, I think if we can get our students to study in tertiary institutions in the Christchurch area, to me that is a great sign.’’

Many pupils from Burnside – the region’s largest secondary school – traditionally studied at Canterbury, but he had no record of how many would next year.

Christchurch Boys’ High School principal Nic Hill said while he had no data to show how many of his pupils were considering UC, the school had good links with its engineering school. ‘‘The quality of the engineering school is certainly an attraction. Those interested in the science-based careers are realising that there is a future there for them.’’