Japanese education providers and students are booking Whanganui visits following successful international education engagements with local secondary schools.
Whanganui Girls’ College, Whanganui High School, and Cullinane College all visited the NZ embassy in Tokyo last month, promoting their schools and Whanganui to a group of more than 30 international education agents.
Natasha McKee, director of international students at Whanganui High School, and Jane Williams, director of international students at Whanganui Girls’ College, were joined by Cullinane College principal Tony McBride.
A professor from Ibaraki prefecture has already made plans to bring a delegation to Whanganui in December and begin collaboration with Whanganui & Partners and the schools.
The professor’s interest was first piqued after meeting the Whanganui delegation at an education expo in Tōkyō in 2023.
Rach Hoskin, strategic lead – capability at Whanganui & Partners, fielded the professor’s Whanganui inquiry. Hoskin leads efforts to attract international students to the region.
Natasha McKee at the NZ Embassy.
“Our host families love having Japanese students in their homes and the students have a great experience in Whanganui, whether they’re staying for a few weeks, months, a year or longer,” Hoskin said.
She said welcoming these students enriched the schooling experience of local students and improved cultural understanding and opportunities for both groups.
In addition to the Tokyo presentation, the schools met with agents in the capital and visited the Ichihara City Board of Education in Chiba prefecture. They also reconnected with education providers and sister city officials in Nagaizumi.
They then travelled to Kansai prefecture to carry out engagements in Osaka and Kobe, then moved on to Okinawa, where they were joined by Misa Kitaoka, from Education New Zealand.
The group had a formal meeting with Okinawa’s Board of Education, then went on to engage with Okinawan agents and attend a trade fair.
Kitaoka, who is director of education – Japan, said Whanganui’s effective relationship-building and consistent effort built confidence in the region.
Okinawa Education Fair Natasha McKee (left) and Jane Williams.
Education New Zealand (ENZ) collaborates closely with Hoskin and the schools and Kitaoka’s team facilitated the Tōkyō event.
“Working so closely with Whanganui has shown us its strong proposition for Japanese students, so we don’t hesitate to recommend Whanganui when opportunities arise,” Kitaoka said.
ENZ was thrilled to be working with Whanganui & Partners as it established relationships with education boards in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, and Okinawa, its furthest south.
“Hokkaido and Okinawa both have indigenous people and unique histories and working with Rach and W&P, we have found they have a lot in common with Whanganui and a mutual interest in learning more about each other through education and exchange.”
At the NZ Embassy prior to the Tokyo event, Whanganui High School and Whanganui Girls’ College met with a Hokkaido Board of Education rep to settle plans for a group to visit Whanganui early next year.
Hoskin said working together was a highly effective way to market the region. “We learnt from our experience last year that our collaborative approach was beneficial.
Okinawa Fair ENZ, Natasha McKee (left) Misa Kitaoka, Jane Williams.
“One school can’t be all things to all students but joining resources and efforts means we more often than not can find a good fit for any student or agent’s needs.”
Japan’s population meant the Whanganui schools weren’t competing with each other to secure student numbers. Instead, they were enhancing Whanganui’s overall offering and maximising the opportunity for the region.
Hoskin said Whanganui & Partners prioritised these projects and highlighted the significant economic impact international students make.
Data from 2019, before the pandemic disrupted the market, showed fulltime equivalent international secondary school students each added an average of $39,290 yearly to our local economy. Including tertiary students, the average was $44,951. Once enough data is gathered, that figure will be updated to reflect recent inflation and current costs.
Hoskin said as a result of last year’s delegation, Whanganui High School and Whanganui Girls’ College had already enrolled the equivalent of 11 fulltime students.
“Considering the amount of planning and processes it takes for students to begin their international study, we usually expect a greater lag between engaging with agents overseas and seeing students enrol with our schools. This early result is exceptionally good and demonstrates the value of supporting these delegations. The numbers will continue to grow.”
The only element missing from Whanganui’s offering was an ample number of host families with which to place students, she said.
The costs of having students stay were well covered and host families gained much from the experience. “Anyone interested in hosting students should get in touch to find out more, they won’t regret it!”
