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• Homestay host grateful for her international student whānau

  Over a six-year period, Anne hosted 20 homestay students from all corners of the world and says she has remained in contact with a number of them.   

  Anne started hosting students when her son Jonas was just a baby. Now seven, Jonas has picked up the basics of Mandarin, Japanese, and Portuguese, and is relaxed with new arrivals in his life.  

  “He’s great at welcoming people and he’s very interested in languages. He might even go on to study language when he’s older,” she says.  

  Instead of a life which could, at times, have felt isolating as a mum bringing up a child on her own, Anne says her house was always a busy place. She loved the involvement the students had in her son’s life and the excitement they shared in his achievements and milestones. 

  “It was really an amazing experience for all of us.”  

  Rewarding to share cultural experiences  

  “There were times we shared the cooking, and some of the students taught me how to prepare meals they enjoyed in their culture.  

  Anne says she would show the students around Auckland, often taking them for day trips to Piha and sometimes to her father’s place in Whitianga for a classic Kiwi BBQ. 

  “It was important to me to show them New Zealand and our culture. They joined in family events and felt a sense of belonging.” 

  Anne has hosted students from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Germany, and experienced the many surprising ways in which they were enriched by each other’s cultures. 

  

  “I remember sitting on the beach with King, who was from China. He asked why people were smiling at him. I said that in New Zealand we tend to smile at each other and chat to people we don’t necessarily know. He said that didn’t happen in China and it was something he really enjoyed about New Zealand.” 

  Homestay experience broadened horizons 

  Now able to afford her own home, Anne says her experience as a homestay host opened her mind to accepting flatmates from a range of nationalities. 

  “We love having the mix of cultures in the house. I don’t think this would have happened if we hadn’t had the homestay students. I just feel grateful to have hosted them and think of them as extended whānau.” 

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• New Zealand Schools International Student Experience Survey 2015 Sector Presentation2

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• Why country preference matters for international student experience

  The 2025 International Student Experience Survey has recently closed.  Many thanks to all providers who encouraged participation from their current or recent students. 

  As we grow our timeseries we aim to look below the topline findings for additional nuggets of information.  For example, in our analysis of the 2024 International Student Experience Survey we looked at how a first-choice preference of study destination may impact eventual student experience.  

  Summary of findings 

  • 78% of international students currently or recently studying with a New Zealand provider reported that New Zealand was their number one choice of study destination. 
  • Of the 22% of respondents for whom New Zealand was not their first choice, Australia was most preferred (32%), followed by the USA (17%), Canada (15%), and the UK (14%).
  • The most common reasons people gave for selecting a country other than New Zealand as their first choice of study destination was that their preferred country has ‘a good standard of living/is a developed country’ (26%), good institutions/education providers (24%), ‘a high quality of education’ (23%), and ‘good employment opportunities’ (23%).
  • Country preference matters for student experience: Overall, experience scores were higher for those who reported that New Zealand was their first-choice destination for international education (median score 8 out of 10) compared to those for whom New Zealand was not their first choice (median score 7 out of 10). This effect persisted controlling for age, gender, subsector, and home country.

  ENZ’s Director of Insights, Marie Clark, says that her team will be looking to focus on more of these sorts of insights for the coming year.

  “With global policy changes impacting student decision making around country preference, it is important to understand how this might flow on to influence student experience and, even more importantly, actions providers can take to improve the experience of students for whom New Zealand may not have been the first choice for a study destination,” Marie says. 

  Recommendations for education providers to ensure a positive student experience

  Irrespective of whether New Zealand is a prospective or current international student’s preferred study destination, education providers can take the following actions before and during the student application phase and after enrolment to ensure a positive overall student experience. 

  Prospective decision-making phase

  1.    Clearly articulate the benefits of studying in New Zealand, followed by benefits offered by specific locations and education providers to ensure that students have a broad idea of the New Zealand way of life.

  2.    Identify the key drivers of choice for your target students and if those drivers focus around country, course or provider choice.

  3.    Ensure that those supporting student decision-making are equipped with the same knowledge as well as how New Zealand compares to the alternative destinations that the prospective student may be considering.

  Application and enrolment phase

  4.    Invest in pre-arrival communications, take the time to reinforce the choice of destination with both the international students and their influencers.

  5.    Ensure pre-arrival communications address common challenges or challenges regularly highlighted by international students of a similar demographic.

  6.    Consider how international students can begin to build their networks and local connections to ensure a smooth transition.

  During study 

  7.    Identify if there are a group of students at your institution, who may have been actively considering an alternative destination.

  8.    Look at which aspects of student experience have the most impact on overall experience and invest your resources there. For example, enhancements to living experience scores are likely to have the most impact on overall student experience.

   

   

• Auckland schools build relationships with education agents and schools in Japan

  For the first time, a group of 16 Auckland-based high schools collectively visited Japan.  

  Their aim? Engaging with education agents and local schools to explore building long-term relationships, develop student exchanges and promote study at primary and secondary schools in Auckland.  

  ENZ supported the delegation by hosting an event at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo for the school’s delegation to make local connections. Over 50 local education agents, schools and the New Zealand delegation were brought together to connect, share and learn from each other. 

  

  Representatives from Massey Highschool and Waiuku College speaking to education agents at the New Zealand Embassy event.

  Mount Roskill Grammar School International Director, Wendy Reid, said the visit showed what regions can achieve with a joined-up approach.  

  “It was a privilege to work with so many professional and knowledgeable Auckland schools, and continue to build relationships with our Japanese partners,” Wendy said. 

  Feedback from partners in Japan was also positive. Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School English Head of Department, John Headon, said the regional approach to this engagement showcased New Zealand’s strength in community spirit.  

  “No matter which school you visit, there’s a strong sense of reassurance that the entire region will come together to support their students,” he said.   

  The participating schools were Auckland Grammar, Botany Downs Secondary College, Gulf Harbour School, Howick College, Maraetai Beach School, Massey High School, Mount Albert Grammar, Mount Roskill Grammar School, One Tree Hill College, Rosehill College, Sacred Heart College, St Mary’s College, St Peter’s College, Takapuna Grammar, Waitākere College and Waiuku College. 

  While in Japan, the Auckland school group maximised the opportunity by independently visiting other key regions, visiting partners and meeting with prospective families.  

  Since their return, the group of schools has been busy following up with the new and existing partnerships. 

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