Christchurch earthquake: Students pull out of study in NZ

Many international students perished in the CTV building. Photo / Dean Purcell

The effects of the Christchurch earthquake are being felt in the export education industry as students cancelling plans to study in New Zealand.

A survey involving education agents in 20 different countries suggests New Zealand has already had a small downturn in the number of international students wanting to come here, and that many others in Christchurch have asked to move away from the quake-stricken city.

As a result plans are being made to rebuild confidence in the international education market and formulate a strategy for reversing any downturn in student numbers.

The survey was done by Education NZ to try to find what effect the earthquake had had after "speculative reports that international students were leaving in droves".

The Herald reported this month that hundreds of students had left Christchurch, many without plans to return, and that Canterbury's almost $400 million export education industry might collapse.

The Ministry of Education's senior international manager, Neil Scotts, also said at the time it was too early to gauge how many students might want to change study plans.

The survey has found that a quarter of the education agents have had clients cancelling their plans to come to New Zealand, and more than half who had Christchurch enrolments between now and June had students wanting to move to institutions in other regions.

It also found 20 per cent of the agents were no longer promoting New Zealand study opportunities to their clients at the same level as before the earthquake, although none have expressed plans to stop recommending New Zealand to clients.

Education NZ chief executive Kathy Phillips said she was optimistic New Zealand's reputation as a safe education destination would recover quickly.

"There were speculative reports that international students were leaving New Zealand in droves, but according to the agents that's just not the case."

She said most of the students who were in Christchurch during the earthquake had either remained there or transferred to another part of the country.

In the days after the quake, which claimed the lives of many international students who were in the Canterbury Television building, Education NZ acted as a point of contact for Christchurch institutions needing guidance.

Ms Phillips said it also helped agents seeking unbiased information about the situation and government agencies looking for a way to spread updates to the industry.

And overseas representatives answered queries from worried parents who wanted to know if their children should stay here.

"Once they understood that only a small area of the country was affected, many decided that students could choose to stay in New Zealand, which is very encouraging.

"We are happy to hear that agents have understood that most of New Zealand was unaffected by the earthquake and is still the safe, high-quality education destination it has always been."

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said there would undoubtedly be some effect, particularly in Christchurch institutions where there would be a drop in enrolments.

He said some had already moved elsewhere in New Zealand and others had gone home but providing New Zealand's good relationship with their country remained strong the students would return.

"I'm confident our reputation and the way we look after our international students will stand us in good stead.

"We are very much a safe country to send students and I think we offer a very good experience, we have a very multicultural experience and a very, very strong education system and none of those things have changed."