Opinion: Govt Misses International Student Opportunity

International student numbers at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) have decreased since Covid 19.

Across the country, the pandemic has seen numbers fall from 50,920 in 2020 to 39,005 in 2021 – a decrease of 23%.

International students were once New Zealand’s fifth biggest export earner, bringing in about $5 billion a year. That income has now shrunk.

Recently the Government celebrated that our borders would fully reopen to international students from the end of July – three months earlier than previously announced. But it’s too little, too late.

Students won’t get here in time for semester two, so we’re effectively out of the market until next year. Meanwhile our competitor countries – like Canada and Australia – reopened to international students in December last year.

Tight working restrictions will also affect our attractiveness to overseas students, with those enrolled in non-degree level courses no longer gaining post-study work rights, unless they are filling specified shortage and skilled occupations.

This will likely be a disincentive for many and flies in the face of what our neighbours in Australia are doing.

Across the Tasman, as an incentive, the Government actually relaxed restrictions, allowing students to work more than 20 hours per week.

Already this year 50,000 international students have enrolled and are now studying in Australia, bringing their international student roll to above pre-pandemic levels, the highest number of commencing students since 2019.

Meanwhile, back home, international education barely rated a mention on the Prime Minister‘s recent trip to Asia and there wasn’t one representative from the tertiary sector in her business entourage.

International students pay higher educational fees, they rent flats, eat out and shop at local businesses.

We need this investment in our city.

It’s frustrating and short-sighted that this Labour Government has failed to deliver.

Published by arrangement.
Penny Simmonds, Member of Parliament for Invercargill.
Email: [email protected]