Foreign students need better English, says university

International students should spend more than one year in New Zealand learning English before going to university, says a senior university official.

Massey University assistant vice-chancellor Luanna Meyer said Massey research showed three times as many overseas students were studying in New Zealand at year 13 level compared to year 12.

Professor Meyer said there were "serious concerns" about overseas students having only one year of New Zealand school before university.

"Common sense would suggest that one year alone is not sufficient to develop the necessary literacy levels to do well at university," she said in the university publication Massey News.

Further research was needed to see if international students were disadvantaged by having only a year at school in New Zealand before going on to university.

Overseas students in Year 13 were typically doing subjects such as mathematics rather than "literacy" subjects such as English.

Lower levels of achievement in literacy subjects suggested overseas students needed help to master English before heading to university.

But the research found 50 per cent of overseas students completed their degrees within four years, compared to 40 per cent of New Zealand students.

- NZPA