Push for more international students

INTERNATIONAL: Rotorua Boys' High School international students (from left) Ratu Uluiviti, Kantesia Rimon and Josevate Raikote enjoy studying in Rotorua. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Rotorua schools are pushing to bring more international students to the city, reaching out to Europe, Asia and South America.

Meri Gibson, marketing director for Education Rotorua, the collective of secondary schools and tertiary providers established to grow international student numbers, said more and more schools were getting involved with the group which made the city easier to market.

She said international student numbers were increasing, and there were about 1500 students here at any time.

"It depends on what time of year they are here and how long they are here for," Ms Gibson said.

"I know that Rotorua Boys' High School has had a 50 per cent increase this year and they were happy with the numbers they have got. Each international student requires more resources than a domestic student. The Government sees international students as one of the ticket items for growth."

She said international education had a predicted $60 million contribution to the local economy, as well as contributing to the school.

"For a school each international student brings so much more revenue. If you were thinking about building a new building, or buying a new van ... every international student is a huge financial gain."

Ms Gibson said it also benefited other students to study alongside international students.

"I think the other big thing is it broadens the horizons of the students, so they see what's possible and what is achievable."

John Paul College international director Mike Dwight confirmed the school had visited Thailand recently and met with prospective students.

Ms Gibson said the Rotorua English Language Academy had visited New Caledonia, Japan, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Korea and Japan to attract students to the school.

She said there was about a one-year lapse from meeting with students and agents before students started coming into the country.

"If it's a new market it can take a year or more but an already developed market can be much sooner."

She said Education Rotorua had met with a group of Brazilians in April this year, and had students enrolled from July.

"It's about establishing trust."

The collective was reaching out to primary and intermediate-aged children, who were often from Korea, Japan and China, she said.

It was beneficial to get students involved in the education system earlier.

"Primary school children, for them they are learning English a lot more quickly and becoming enmeshed in the education system much earlier."

She said intermediate-aged children had been through Mokoia Intermediate, although there were not any international students on the school's roll currently.

Rotorua Boys' High School student Kantesia Rimon is currently in year 12 and is from the Solomon Islands. Kantesia said he began at the school last year, and wished he had come sooner.

"Definitely it would have been a much better option [to come sooner]. Education in the Solomons isn't as advanced, so really we have just started incorporating Cambridge. When I came here I had never had an exam."

Kantesia had plans to study medicine, either in New Zealand or abroad, once he had finished studying at the school.

Fellow Rotorua Boys' High School student Ratu Uluiviti, a keen rugby player from Fiji, said coming to the school sooner might have benefited his rugby playing.