Figure 1.--Many New Zealand high schools have foreign students, especially students from Asian countries. It is common to see these students clustering together at lunch and other free time.
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Figure 1.--Many New Zealand high schools have foreign students, especially students from Asian countries. It is common to see these students clustering together at lunch and other free time. |
New Zealand was once one of the most isolated countries in the world. Contacts, other than with Australia, were primarily with England. There was little or no contact with neigboring Asian countries. Until World war II, even contacts with the United States were limited. Since the 1960s, New Zealand schools have aggresively pursued contacts with schools in other countries. Foreign students are being incouraged to study in New Zealand. Schools participate in many exchange programs providing opportunities for their children to study abroad.
Foreign students attend many New Zealand public schools, both private and public schools accept foreign students. Some foreign students are participating in a variety of exchanges, but most are enrolling as fee paying students. An increasing number of foreign students are enrolling and the income involved has become an important source of revenue at several private and public schools. This has necessitated considerable adjustment at many schools which in many cases were composed of almost entirely Pakea student bodies. Some schools have begun to use fee-paying foreign students as a money making program to supplement state funding that has not increased in recent years. Many schools are now actively recruiting foreign students. Some schools (Shirley Boys' High) have special relationships with students from specific coutry's or areas. Shirley, for example, has for many years welcomed overseas students, many of whom come from South East Asia.
There are several reasons why foreign studets are interested in studying in New Zealand. International students can expect a high standard of education and living conditions. Learning to speak English, which is a prime reason motivating foreign parents to send their children abroad to study, is the everyday language of New Zealanders. Both secondary and tertiary educational institutions in New Zealand offer an attractive and stimulating academic environment. They offer a wide range of general and specialist courses. New Zealanders are renowned for their warm hospitality to overseas visitors. A long established democracy, new Zealand offers a safe and stable political environment. A great variety of recreational and cultural experiences are available in a country renowned for its natural beauty. Living and tuition costs compare well with other countries. Travel to New Zealand is easy with direct flights from most major cities. The climate is temperate with pleasant seasonal changes. There is an increasing number of ethnic communitites residing in New Zealand. Many foreign parent might have chosennthe United States but believe that New Zealand offers a generally safer environment. New Zealand people enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world surrounded by some of the world's most beautiful contryside. Clean, friendly, politically stable and nuclear free, New Zealand provides the ideal environment for those wishing to gain fluency in English and access to further education. Its qualifications are internationally recognised and respected.
We noted a particularly large number of Chinese and Japanese children, mostly teenagers at secondary schools. A variety of factors make New Zealand an attractive choice for Asian parents:
English language: New Zealand schooling provides an opportunity to learn English which has become almost the international language of commerce and technology.
Security: New Zealand is viewed by many Asians as much safer than other foreign countries, such as the United States, where the children could learn English.
Hong Kong's transfer to China: The impending change in the status of Hong Kong has caused many Hong Kong Chinese to establish ties in other countries, including New Zealand.
Rigorous Japanese education: Japanese parents are also sending noticeable numbers of children to New Zealand for their secondary education. One headmaster explained to us that he thought that often the Japanese students were often not the most capable academically. Apparently some parents concerned that their children might not excel in the rigorous Japanese secondary schools have instead opted for a foreign school.
Most secondary schools have begun enrolling a limited number of fee paying overseas students, mostly from Asian countries. Several secondary schools, both public and private, have aggressively recruited foreign students. Public schools faced with rising expenses, but capped government grants have used the fees from foreign students to meet expenses. One high school in 1994 was charging foreign students tuition fees of NZ$7,500. Several schools have developed special programs to meet the needs of their new foreign students. School officials will meet the student at the airport. Special orientation programs have been developed. Schools often arrange for a new foreign student to stay with a family that has a child at the school and he will be treated as a member of the family. The school maintains close contact with the home stay family and welcomes continual contact from parents. Special English as a Second O????? Language (ESOL) assist those students with limited English language skills.
The increasing numbers of foreign students has had considerable impact at some schools. Until relatively recently, Asian students were relatively rare at New Zealand schools. Most schools were made up of almost entirely Pakea children and staff, although some schools had a small number of Maori students. The teachers and students were, for the most part, not accustomed to ethnic and cultural differences. Many schools had little experience in dealing with non-European students and some have found the adjustment somewhat unsettling. The principal problem has been the cultural differences. Some schools, however, have encountered problems with relatively wealthy Asian parents depositing their children without adequate supervision.
Administrators and teachers have made varying efforts to meet the needs of the new students. Some schools insist that foreign students have at least basic English competence. Others take students with no English capabilities and provide basic English instruction as part of the educational program. Some schools even have special teachers to accompany new Asian students and help with the language as well as the myriad problems of adjusting to a new culture. [DW: expand]
There appears to be a significant educational benefit to the opportunity for New Zealand students to meet and interact with Asian students. Foreign students can make unique contributions to school life and help make New Zealand students aware of foreign people and culture. Many New Zealanders increasingly see their economic future with Japan and the developing new economies of Asian countries. It is difficult to assess the educational impact that the New Zealand experience with growing number of Asian students. This may in many cases lead to a better understanding of New Zealand through discussions and comparisons.
Despite the importance of the fee income, some schools such as Cashmere High School in Christchurch have decided to limit the number of non-citizen Asians. There seems to be a general tendency of the Asian students not to integrate fully in school life. This appears to be in marked contrast to the extensive interactions between Pakea and Maori youngsters. Often during periods in which the students are free to associate together, such as lunch or breaks, one often sees the Asian students clustering together. At some schools the students complain that school rules were not being enforced as strictly against the Asian students as the other students.
Some schools have experienced discipline problems with some of the foreign students. This appears to be a particular problem with some of the Asian students who are living on their own without parental supervision. Several Auckland schools, in particular, have experienced difficulty, but problems have been reported by several schools throughout New Zealand. One South Island School, for example, insists that students have the ability to cope with instruction in English and demonstrate that "their home circumstances provide a positive enough learning environment to enable the student to successfully learn a second language."
Many schools, both private and state schools, have developed special programs to care for the needs of foreign students.
Wanganui Collegiate: We pride ourselves in the worldwide links we have forged and strive to provide our students with an experience of a harmonious, multi-cultural community that will enrich their lives and ultimately their careers. In this we have a first class record, and as a result the international students achieve academically, they excel musically and they contribute to the School's great sporting successes. The roll is open to carefully selected students whose first language is other than English. Overseas students come from as far afield as Israel, the Cook Islands, Thailand, Korea, Fiji, Japan, Sudan, Indonesia, the Middle East and Malaysia. Collegiate employs well qualified staff in its English Language Suite to assist students, and the Director of International Services watches over them and hosts parents and family when they visit the School. A holiday programme operates during vacations for those who remain in New Zealand
or wish to travel around the country. The students are encouraged to achieve a global University Entrance academic standard which will allow them entry to universities throughout the world. Many expatriate New Zealand parents choose to send their children to Collegiate for the stability, high quality and onshore continuity it provides. These students are especially welcome, since they tend to contribute that valuable international perspective to our community; in return we provide a wide range of exciting opportunities in one of the very top educational establishments in New Zealand.
Many schools also have exchange students from a variety of different countries. The most common programs are AFS and Education Foundation. Visits range from full school year to summer programs. Often foreign students have interesting opinions and insights on their New Zealand school and friends. In some cases the comments, however, reflect more on the exchange student than the schools. Exchange students come to New Zealand from a wide range of different countries. Some representative comments include:
Argentina: An Argentine student had a little trouble with English, but liked the sports and some of the more practical courses.
Finland: A Finish student wasn't too bothered with wearing a uniform, but wasn't sure what an all boys school would be like. He was impressed with the sports and acctuvities avialble in a New Zealand school, unliker his school whivh was almost exclusively involved with academics.
France: [DW: Comment on uniform at CCBHS]
United States: Bogus uniform/find the sports a real challenge
Schools also sponsor short-term group visits. Many schools have special relationships several overseas schools involving annual exchanges of students. Some schools have established ties with through sister city programs. Often these programs arrange for the visiting children to stay with families.
Most secondary schools participate in foreign exchange programs. The most popular is the American Field Scholarships. New Zealand students are placed in a wide range of countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the United States and other countries. Students can participate in a number of different programs to give their students a chance to experience life abroad. Some schools have developed relationships with foreign schools, especially in the United Kingdom. Wanganui Collegiate School, for example, offers annual student exchanges with schools such as Gordonstoun School in Scotland, Collingwood School in Vancouver and also top schools in India, China, Singapore and the Cook Islands. School groups visit Japan and other Asian countries, while sports teams also arrange overseas tours. Another aspect of the international program at some schools aimed at senior students, is a termly program of International Speakers whose brief it is to orientate the students to the importance to today's world scene. For the senior students who wish to experience life overseas before going on to tertiary study, there is a prospect of taking part in the School Tutorship Scheme. Almost 200 students have spent a year tutoring at private schools in the United Kingdom since the scheme started in 1989. Competition for places is fierce, and the experience is reportedly one which will be remembered for a lifetime.
New Zealand students participating in foreign exchange programs often bring back interesting insights on the foreign schools they attended:
Japan: stricter discipline, knuckles rapped
