New Zealand Lays out 5-Step Recovery Plan as Institutions Push for Solutions to Increase International Student Numbers

New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said that it was “time to shift gears” in its response to “focus on reconnection and recovery.” Hipkins stated that one main reason for this was that, as of February 2022, 94% of New Zealand’s population had been fully vaccinated.

“By the time we start to reopen our border, we’ll be one of the most vaccinated and most boosted countries in the world,” Hipkins said.

New Zealand released details of how it plans to accept travellers from all over the world as it slowly opens its borders. It laid out “five steps” with their execution starting February and ending in October.

Step 3 commenced on April 12, when the country officially accepted international students—up to 5,000 of them—for its second semester which usually starts around mid-July. This is a pleasant number when compared to the initial target of allowing only up to 1,000 international students in March.

New Zealand Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi revealed that New Zealand was issuing “over one million visitor visas per year” before the pandemic, and that these steps were significant in moving forward to address “skills and labor shortages,” accelerating the country’s economic recovery.

If everything goes according to plan, anyone from Australia can enter New Zealand by July (Step 4) and then the rest of the world in October (Step 5).

Projections

In 2020, New Zealand immediately closed its borders in its efforts to protect its citizens from COVID-19. While it allowed a few international students into its borders within the year, it was still far from what the country was used to.

In a report based on Immigration data, it stated that New Zealand saw a 62% drop in the number of international students in 2021. New Zealand usually welcomes around 115,000 international students annually. The numbers dropped due to the pandemic. At one point, private education institutions only hosted 3,181 international students. 

In terms of annual international student revenue, schools lost up to $40 million due to the pandemic. Documents revealed that primary, intermediate and secondary schools in New Zealand made just over $179 million from international students in 2019, and $139 million in 2020. While the government response has been welcome, stakeholders still believe that the worst is yet to come in 2022. The presence of international students is one thing, but rebuilding after the impact on students’ finances, number of education agents and lost marketing opportunities is another.

Fortunately, the data points to a slow recovery. Other countries that have opened their borders, namely the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, are now getting better international student numbers. With Australia and New Zealand following suit, there is reason to be optimistic. These five countries are among the five major destinations considered by international students.

Solutions for Increasing International Student Enrollment

The University of Auckland revealed that it had enrolled a record number of students despite the pandemic. Specifically, the institution was able to accommodate 5,391 international students in 2021. This is barely a dip when compared to its 2019 count, which was 5,454.

Accounting for all students domestic and international, the institution recorded a surplus of $133 million in 2021, with even more students enrolled in that year (36,748) than before the pandemic in 2019 (34,248).

One notable initiative by the university was the push toward promoting their learning centers in countries like China and Vietnam, where students accounted for 30% of the total of international students enrolled in the institution.

This data supports one key finding in a recent survey by UNESCO which states:

“The major impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning is the increase in online education. The hybrid teaching mode is the most popular form.”

Once again, as exhibited by the University of Auckland, the power of edtech and strategic partnerships, paired with financial discipline and sustainable campus operations, is integral to the successful rebound and recovery of New Zealand’s international education sector. (SUNEETHA QURESHI)