If we start to permanently lose our top performers, we all suffer – Editorial

Graduates of the University of Canterbury assembling for a traditional parade through the streets Christchurch. Photo / Getty Images

Editorial

THREE KEY FACTS

• A Ministry of Education report shows a record number of top NCEA achievers left for overseas.
• OECD figures show most students leave to attend university in Australia or the United States.
• Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan suggests the increase may be a post-pandemic spike.

Our young high achievers are now leaving in greater numbers before they even reach university.

This is according to a report by the Ministry of Education that showed a record high of 6% of teens with the highest NCEA attainment levels heading overseas last year.

The report also showed 12% of 2023 school-leavers with international school qualifications and 10% of leavers from private schools went abroad.

For all three groups, the rates were the highest on record in the past 15 years.

It follows a trend of more Kiwis leaving these shores in recent years, searching for better-paid jobs and a lower cost of living.

But according to the ministry, it is unclear exactly why our top high school students are going and how many are enrolling in foreign tertiary institutions.

“The analysis does not identify why school leavers choose to study overseas. While this trend could reflect concerns about the quality of New Zealand universities, it could just indicate the growing normalisation of overseas study, particularly among high socio-economic households,” it said.

Regardless of exactly why, the trend should be on the radar of politicians and policy analysts.

We want our Kiwi kids to fly and lead industry and business around the world, but if a growing number of our best and brightest aren’t staying to attend university here then the international reputations of our tertiary institutions will suffer.

Macleans College principal Steve Hargreaves told RNZ about 10% of his leavers left for foreign universities.

Hargreaves said they were mostly motivated by wanting a high-quality degree and looked to the global university rankings for guidance.

“It’s a pity that our very top students are going overseas and I think sometimes it’s more perception than reality in terms of the quality of the course you’ll get,” he said.

Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan, meanwhile, believes the recent increase was likely a post-pandemic spike.

“Perhaps it’s partly getting an overseas experience, perhaps there’s something that’s being offered at an overseas university that they can’t get here in New Zealand,” he told RNZ.

“We do know that a good percentage come back.”

Whelan’s last comment is the key to all this.

Overseas study can greatly benefit New Zealand and give our people skills and networks they might never have otherwise had.

But if we start to permanently lose our top performers, New Zealand will certainly be worse off.

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