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• Student voice 2014

  Twenty six current and former international students came together from all around New Zealand to share their personal education experience about their time studying here.

  The first afternoon was all about fun and getting to know each other - a Matariki-themed scavenger hunt around Te Papa followed by a burger-making masterclass on a classic Kiwi BBQ and rounded off with a delicious pavlova decorating competition.

  The second day focused on workshops where students shared their New Zealand education stories. We wanted to find out what went well, and not so well, and where improvements could be made to increase satisfaction of international students experiences while in New Zealand.

  The workshops provided a platform for participants to provide advice to other international students, to hear their take on common statements and beliefs that are associated with education in New Zealand, and to network with international students from across the country.

  “I got to meet new people from all parts of the world and make new friends. I also felt the ENZ values our opinions and reviews by giving us importance. I would like to thank ENZ for giving us this platform,” said one student after Student Voice.

  This year we involved our 160k Facebook followers in Student Voice with followers getting amongst the event by interacting with the students and making comments. You can find photos and comments on our Facebook page or search Facebook for #NZstudentvoice2014.

  “It was a great experience. And I learned a lot from other students’ experience. And now I understand that I wasn’t the only one to experience difficulties initially in New Zealand.”

• Student Visa Dashboard February 2016

• NZLC wins Star Award fourth year running

  The ST Star Awards reward excellence in the international education industry, with an awards ceremony held at a black tie gala event in London in September, in front of some 900 industry representatives and delegates from around the world. 

  NZLC beat out the four other nominees in its category: Inforum Education, Impact English College, Langports English Language College and Browns English Language School – all from Australia.

  Voting took place over several months from overseas retail partners, education consultants and other providers.

  This marks the fourth consecutive year that NZLC has won this award.

  Miles Stewart, NZLC Co-Director said the win confirms that New Zealand based providers can compete and succeed on a global scale.  

  “It’s a great win for NZLC and for New Zealand, as our success will help keep the spotlight on New Zealand as a fantastic destination for international students.”

  If NZLC win in the same category next year, this fifth win will elevate NZLC to a “Super Star” organisation – an exclusive club of very few schools and retail partners to have reached this level.

  NZLC is one of the largest English language schools in New Zealand, an NZQA Category 1 school and a member of English New Zealand.

• International Student Hardship Fund

  Thank you for all the applications we have received.

  The Fund has now been allocated and we are no longer able to accept applications. 

   

  The Government has established a $1M hardship fund for international students to address urgent, temporary needs, for example temporary inability to access cash or because of reduced part-time employment.

  Criteria

  We welcome applications from education providers and organisations to apply for grants of up to $20,000 (GST not to be included) to enable you to provide eligible international students with direct financial relief or other support, including food parcels and support towards living costs.

  Organisations can apply for grants up to $20,000.

  Applications can be made from 21 May until funding has been allocated.

  Which organisations are eligible to apply to ENZ for grants?

  • Education providers who are signatories to the Code of Practice
  • Community groups
  • Peak bodies, or
  • Other organisations who currently work with international students and have the mechanisms and experience to support international students with hardship requests.

  Individual students and education agents may not apply to ENZ to access the fund.

  What grants are available?

  • Eligible organisations may apply for grants of up to $20,000 (GST not to be included) per request to the fund.
  • Grants are one-off; however, the same organisation may make additional requests after using their initial funding (subject to the availability of funding).

  What can grants be used for?

  The grants may be used to:

  • scale up existing student hardship initiatives
  • support eligible students through:
    • Direct cash grants
    • The purchase of resources on behalf of international students, such as food parcels, where this is appropriate.
  • The maximum amount that can be applied for is up to $1,000 per international student your organisation is supporting.
  • Funds may not be used for:
    • Salaries or staff administration costs
    • Funding for flights home
    • Tuition fees
    • Granting individual students support of more than $1,000 in cash or kind.

   Which students are eligible for support?

  • Grants can only be used to provide support to eligible students.
  • An eligible student is:
    • A current fee-paying international student, or enrolled as a fee-paying international student as at 23 March
    • Currently in New Zealand
    • In genuine, temporary hardship^[1]
    • Not eligible for other government financial support.
  • International PhD students paying domestic fees are eligible for the government’s domestic student hardship fund and should be encouraged to seek help from that scheme in the first instance.

   Table: Summary of eligible and ineligible students

  Eligible students	Ineligible students
  A current fee-paying international student, or enrolled as an international student as at 23 March. In genuine, temporary hardship.	International PhD students paying domestic fees. International students who are not currently enrolled or who were not enrolled as an international student as at 23 March. International students who are eligible for other government support.

   

  How do organisations apply?

  • To apply for grant funding, organisations must complete and submit an online application form to ENZ.
  • Organisations will need to provide the following information:
    • Their strategy and approach to identifying students in need, including outreach efforts and ensuring eligibility criteria are met
    • Estimated number of international students and basic demographics (e.g. age range, sector, nationalities, region)
    • Total amount requested, what it will be used for, and how it has been calculated
    • The organisation’s resources to ensure appropriate distribution
    • Agreement to meet reporting requirements (including publication) and to repay any underspend within 12 weeks of having been granted the funds
    • Invoice and bank details for payment.
  • Process –  Applications are now closed.
  • Assessment of applications will be completed within five working days. Approval will be notified by email, as will confirmation of distribution of funds.
  • Any queries about the International Student Hardship Fund can be sent to response@enz.govt.nz or raised with Sahinde Pala, Director of Student Experience & Global Citizens at Education New Zealand.

   Reporting requirements:

  • Organisations will need to report to ENZ on:
    • The number of students assisted, and basic demographics (e.g. age range, sector, nationalities, region of New Zealand)
    • The type of assistance provided
    • How much was provided.
  • To demonstrate programme outcomes, and as part of its commitment to ensuring value for money from expenditure, ENZ will publish reports from participating organisations in whole or part.

  Closing date

  Applications can be made from 21 May, until funding has been allocated.

  Further information

  Frequently asked questions are available here.

  Any queries or concerns about the International Student Hardship Fund can be sent to response@enz.govt.nz or raised with Sahinde Pala, Director of Student Experience & Global Citizens at Education New Zealand.

  Thank you for your assistance in helping to support international students currently studying here during these unprecedented times.

  [1] Organisations will have the discretion to determine what constitutes significant, temporary hardship in accordance with their existing policies and practices.

• ENZ wins gold

  ENZ took home Gold at PR Week Asia in the category of South Asia PR campaign of the year – the most prestigious PR category that evaluates a campaign’s overall impact and success.

  'From Volume to Value' aimed to enhance New Zealand’s education brand position in the Indian student market, to attract more high-quality students from south India as well as more students overall wanting to study at level seven and above, particularly at graduate and postgraduate level. The campaign supported a 20 percent increase in university enrolments from India, and saw New Zealand move up in preference ranking from seven to three as a study destination for Indian students.

  ENZ was nominated alongside Marico Ltd, Star India Pvt. Ltd., The Coca-Cola Company and Team Indus.

  John Laxon, ENZ Regional Director – South, South East Asia & the Middle East is delighted with the win.

  “It's a big achievement, going up against Coke, Star India and Team Indus to win ENZ's first gold in the South Asia PR Campaign of the year. To give a sense of the calibre of the entrants other category winners included AirBnB, Panasonic, SAP, Huawei, Ford and the World Wildlife Fund.”

  “The award is a testament of the hard work and passion put in by the entire team to deliver a high-impact campaign, and to the support and commitment from our New Zealand education industry partners.

  "We’d like to thank all of the New Zealand education providers who have invested in attracting high-quality students from the Indian market, and look forward to further strengthening New Zealand’s reputation as a positive learning destination for international students.”

  You can find the complete list of winners here. 

• Around the world in five

  GLOBAL

  Becoming a global citizen – The power of an arts and social sciences degree

  Computers may have speed, precision and data on their side, but how about creativity?

  Read more

  US

  Bill aims to keep international student STEM talent in the US

  Four senators have introduced a bill to remove “unfair barriers” for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educated international students who want to work in the United States after completing their advanced degrees.

  Read more

  CHINA

  Safety as crucial as rankings for study abroad

  Students from China are as concerned about the safety of a study destination as they are about its education quality, according to the latest Beijing Overseas Study Service Association report.

  Read more

  JAPAN

  New policy allows international students to launch businesses

  International students in Japan can now apply for a special visa that will let them launch a business, a government measure that will be part of a new growth strategy for the country.

  Read more

  INDIA

  Why the number of Indian students going to Britain is rising again

  Post-Brexit, a number of UK government-led policies are making it easier for international students from India to choose postgraduate study in the UK.

  Read more

• APAC TVET Forum: Bringing us together 

  The inaugural Asia Pacific Technical and Vocational Education and Training Forum will be held online on the first two Fridays in November 2021. The event – themed “Bringing us together” – will allow people in the sector to share best practice and foster new connections despite COVID-19 travel restrictions.

  The APAC TVET Forum will be opened by New Zealand’s Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins, and will feature an address by the Chief Executive of Te Pūkenga New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, Stephen Town.

  The forum is driven by partners Te Pūkenga, Education New Zealand and Skills Consulting Group.

  ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson says with an increasing emphasis on applied learning and work-ready graduates, the applied vocational sector in Aotearoa New Zealand has much to offer.

  “A New Zealand education produces in-demand graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to join the workforce with confidence,” Mr McPherson says.

  The APAC TVET Forum will bring together experts from the three sectors vital to effective technical and vocational education – government, industry and education. It will offer government-to-government, business-to-business and system-to-system content streams – bringing people together for a cross-system conversation.

  There is no cost to register for forum sessions on 5 and 12 November, and there are networking opportunities and sessions on the days in between.

  The international heft will come from speakers including Professor Christina Hong, President of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong and Marc Gomes, Group Senior Vice President and Head of Training for ADECCO Global.

  The Pacific representatives include Dr Isimeli Tagicakiverata, Director of the National Training and Productivity Centre at the Fiji National University, who is presenting on upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning as part of the system-to-system content stream.

  The APAC TVET Forum builds on the strong foundations of the Sino-NZ Vocational Education and Training Model Programme, a forum for sharing best practice that is widely acknowledged as beneficial to both countries. Under this programme, Chinese and New Zealand institutions have taken turns to host the annual New Zealand-China Higher Vocational Education Conference.

  China’s Central Institute of Vocational and Technical Education – a China Ministry of Education thinktank – has supported and presented at the previous conferences and will deliver a keynote presentation at the APAC TVET Forum.

  Wherever we live in the world, a thriving future is what we all want. Governments, industries and educators are all working together to upskill and reskill workforces disrupted by the pandemic. The APAC TVET Forum is a chance to be part of the solution. To register or find out more, go to www.apactvetforum.com.

• Grow your business with the Skills Lab

  At the heart of the Skills Lab is project-based learning. These projects are designed to give you top tips and advice that you can consume in bite-size pieces. The Skills Lab also allows you to post your own comments and share your top tips so we can develop a professional community.

  Collaboration at the heart

  The Skills Lab was born of industry feedback. In the 2015 Industry Survey, you expressed a desire for more professional development support, and in particular asked for online support in order for you to access content at a time and location that suits you.

  We’ve since co-developed the Skills Lab with multiple groups of industry representatives, having taken into account your advice on the structure and features of the website, as well as on key content areas. We’re already working on a range of refinements that you’ve suggested, including on individual projects and website functionality.

  Helping grow your business

  The Skills Lab is already proving useful. Robbie Pickford, International Director of Takapuna Grammar School, told The PIE News at the New Zealand International Education Conference that the Skills Lab helped her institution learn about new markets.

  “I’ve been in the industry for a long time and there hasn’t been that go-to place that I could get intel about the market, the country or the culture. The Skills Lab also encourages industry collaboration, with users able to upload their own information and expertise. There’ll be more and more information available for the sector. It keeps us growing and thinking towards the future,” Pickford said.

  Kirstyn Mawdsley, Director International of St Hilda’s Collegiate School, also told The PIE News that the Skills Lab would be of particular benefit to New Zealand’s regional and smaller providers.

  “We don’t have the same budget available as bigger programmes, and often we’re working in very small departments. Trying to keep up to date with everything and find professional development opportunities is quite complicated. The Skills Lab helps with that and also alleviates the distance barrier,” she said.

  

  Content examples from the Skills Lab

  But wait, there’s more!

  The current version of the Skills Lab is just the beginning.  We’ll continue to roll out new content, so stay tuned for more case studies and international education-specific content over the coming months. We’re planning more detailed and useful projects that will help you in your specific organisational context.

  We’ll also be partnering with individual industry experts to bring you case studies and projects based on their successes. If you have suggestions on content, or would like to offer some of your expertise and contribute to a case study or project, please email us at skillslab@enz.govt.nz.

  Sign up and participate

  You can access the Skills Lab at skillslab.enz.govt.nz or from the ENZ website.

  Make sure you watch the introductory video to learn how you can use this exciting new tool.

  Note that only approved New Zealand education providers are able to access the Skills Lab and its content.

  If you are experiencing any difficulty in signing up to the Skills Lab, please email skillslab@enz.govt.nz.

• Bold gaokao reforms announced

  The changes will see the removal of streaming – a policy which has been in place since 1957 – allowing students greater flexibility in subject choices to count toward their final score. Higher education admission processes are also slated to change.

  Common subjects remain

  Under the current gaokao system, students must study Chinese language, maths and a foreign language (usually, but not exclusively, English). Students will continue to study these common subjects.

  While the three common subjects will be tested at a ‘unified date’, many provinces will allow students to take two separate exams for English and submit their best result.

  Streaming abolished

  The reforms will remove the policy of streaming students into the arts stream or the science stream in their second year of senior high school. Instead, students will study a mix of arts and science subjects.

  More subjects introduced

  As well as the three common subjects, the reforms will see students study 11 others. The 11 subject areas will likely vary between provinces.

  While students must study all 11 subjects, only three results from six identified subjects – history, geography, politics, chemistry, biology and physics – will count toward their overall gaokao score. The three results may be a student’s best results and/or be from subject areas which align well with their future study plans.

  The 11 subjects will be assessed based on a ranking system, with students awarded a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ grade. How the rankings will be converted into scores for the overall gaokao score is an area that will be clarified through implementation plans.

  These changes will likely see students prioritise particular subjects based on their future study plans.

  Change in admission processes

  The admission processes of China’s higher education institutions will also change. The reforms encourage institutions to adopt a multidimensional enrolment system; to look beyond a singular focus on gaokao results to include ‘academic performance’ and ‘overall qualities’ in their assessments.

  With the removal of streaming, it is likely that Chinese higher education institutions will provide students with greater clarity as to the subject requirements they must meet to apply for specific fields of study – for example, a higher score in politics may be more important for students seeking to study law than biology.

  Another change relates to the ‘extra points’ policy. This policy saw students with strengths in sports or artistic pursuits awarded bonus points for the gaokao and thus a better chance of entering top universities. This policy will be removed from 2015.

  Implementation

  The China Ministry of Education has designated Shanghai municipality and Zhejiang province as pilot areas for the reforms. Implementation will begin later this year for first year students at senior high schools.

  Both Shanghai and Zhejiang are expected to publish implementation plans in the coming months which will outline in greater detail how the reforms will be implemented.

  The reforms will be rolled out nationwide from 2017 and are expected to be fully implemented by 2020.

  Rationale for the change

  The reforms follow the significant debate across China about the education system’s ‘fitness for purpose’ in an era where innovation is essential for the next phase of China’s economic development.

  The reforms seek to address common criticisms of the gaokao. As Vice Minister of Education Du Yubo said, “to put it simply, we are trying to solve the problem of yi kao ding zhong shen (one exam determines one's entire life)”.

  Greater international recognition likely

  The reforms will likely stimulate an increase in the number of tertiary institutions around the world accepting gaokao for admission into degree programmes. A growing number of institutions already accept gaokao results, including seven of Australia’s Group of Eight universities.

  Education New Zealand has been working with Universities New Zealand on the acceptance of gaokao results for direct entry. We are interested in hearing from all New Zealand providers which do currently or are considering direct entry on the basis of gaokao. Email us at china@enz.govt.nz.

• Schools