Language students say no to NZ

By STUART DYE and NICOLA BOYES

The number of foreign students studying at English language schools in New Zealand has plummeted by more than 20,000 in less than a year, latest figures reveal.

According to the Department of Statistics, there were 50,594 students learning the language at the end of the March year. For the same period between 2002 and 2003, that figure peaked at 71,503.

Education New Zealand, the organisation representing the export education industry, said the drop was a result of a "shift in study patterns".

"A 29 per cent drop in numbers is substantial, and certainly has had a big impact for providers in that sector," said chief executive Rob Stevens.

"However, a drop in the number of students in the English language sector does not necessarily mean an equivalent drop across all sectors."

The drop was related to an increase in tertiary education demand with many international students staying in New Zealand to earn a degree, not just learn the language, said Mr Stevens.

"What we will be watching very carefully is how the numbers hold up in the tertiary sector.

"It is too early to say whether we are seeing a bulge moving through the snake or whether the tertiary sector will experience a similar decline in the years ahead."

Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said the loss of students was a concern, but did not believe it was having an immediate impact on retailers or the tourism market.

In Auckland the drop-off in foreign student numbers is believed to have impacted on the number of people using public transport.

In the past 12 months the Auckland Regional Council has recorded a 1.8 per cent drop in the number of people using buses.

The council's passenger transport and planning manager, Fergus Gammie, said the loss of foreign students had definitely had an impact on bus patronage but exact numbers were not known.

Foreign students were more likely to use public transport as they were accustomed to it, lived in areas where they had access to it and were less likely to have cars, he said.

Export education has experienced a huge growth over a short period of time - elevating it to a billion-dollar industry.

But it was hit hard by the collapse of English language schools such as Carich last year.

Patrick Ibbertson, chairman of the Association of Private Providers of English Language, said the downturn was the result of immigration policies that gave a bad impression to potential students in key markets such as Korea, China and Japan.

The Government had been warned that the problems were coming last year but had been "sluggish" to react, said Mr Ibbertson.

Education New Zealand unveiled the country's first export education strategy at the International Education Conference in Auckland yesterday in an attempt to reverse the trend.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard told the conference a new offshore counsellor would be established in Washington to tap into the United States market.

He said there was a counsellor in Beijing and there were plans for another counsellor in Europe and one in South America.